These prices are based on the current rate of GST and may need to be adjusted if there are significant changes
Enjoy a guided birding and wildlife tour of Western Australia's northern wheatbelt country and then west to the coral coast.
This tour covers an additional section of Western Australia that we don’t cover in our other WA tours as a pre-tour extension or separate standalone tour which travels inland to the northern wheatbelt country then west to coral coast returning to Perth. This gives us a chance of seeing additional birds that we won’t see on the SW Australia’s endemics tour such as the rare Grey Honeyeater, the endemic Western Quail-thrush, Western Bowerbird, Slaty-backed Thornbill, Bourke’s Parrot, and different races of Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo (race samueli), Western Corella (race derbyi), Southern Whiteface (race castaneiventris) and Rufous Fieldwren (ssp wayensis). This also provides the chance to see some additional dry country birds such as Pied, Black and White-fronted Honeyeater, Banded Whiteface, Gilbert’s Whistler and Mulga Parrot.
This itinerary has been designed to adjoin our:
South Western Australia Endemic Birds & Wildlife Tour 2023|2024
Tasmanian Endemic Birds and Wildlife Tour 2023|2024
Accommodation as per the itinerary, specialist guide and transport, meals, entrance fees and activities as mentioned in the itinerary. (These prices are based on the current rate of GST and may need to be adjusted if there are significant changes.)
International and domestic airfares, alcoholic beverages, snacks, internet, laundry or other items of a personal nature.
Group size: 6- 8 participants with one guide or 9 to 12 participants with 2 guides.
Meals and drinks: Breakfast generally consists of a continental style breakfast with cereal, fruit and yoghurt and tea/coffee. Full cooked breakfast is not generally offered at most locations. Lunch will generally consist of a packed lunch style meal eaten in the field, with sandwich/filled roll, fruit, and adrink. Dinner usually consists of several options for main with the choice of either an appetiser or dessert. Drinks (soft and alcoholic) are generally not included but at lunches and breakfasts juice may be made available.
The itinerary: Whilst we aim to follow the itinerary as planned, please note that the itinerary provided should only be used as a guideline. Depending on individual trip circumstances, weather, and local information, the exact itinerary may not be strictly adhered to. The guides reserve the right to make changes to the itinerary as they see fit
Download the itinerary brochure for the South-Western Australia Pre-trip - Birds and Wildlife of the Coral Coast & Outback Northern Wheatbelt tour.
Download (pdf 381.17 KB)There are terms and conditions relating to payments, cancellations, refunds, insurance and responsibility for our tours.
Here's what you'll see and do on the South-Western Australia Pre-trip - Birds and Wildlife of the Coral Coast & Outback Northern Wheatbelt tour.
Today has been set aside as an arrival day so you are free to arrive at any time that suits your travel plans. You are to make your own way to the hotel (hotel does provide a transfer service from Perth airport) and we will meet at the hotel at 7.00pm for a brief orientation and welcome dinner. Please note that no activities have been planned for today.
Accommodation: Perth (en suite rooms)
Meals included: D
We start today by visiting one or two of the many wetlands around Perth, then drive to Dalwallinu. Herdsman Lake has the best variety of waterbirds including Blue-billed Duck and Musk Duck, as well as Swamp Harrier and Australian Hobby. If the water levels are suitable, we will visit another nearby lake to look for more waterbirds including crakes. We will also visit the nest site of White-backed Swallow which hopefully will be present. The drive to Dalwallinu is nearly 3 hours.
Accommodation: Hotel in Dalwallinu (en suite rooms)
Meals included: B L D
Today we continue our travels inland and North to Mount Magnet. Past Wubin we pass through an area of sand plain heath which should have extensive flowering. We will look out for Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo (race samueli), Western Corella (race derbyi), and Black-breasted Buzzard. En route to Mount Magnet we have chances Bourke’s Parrot, Mulga Parrot, Banded Lapwing, Black-tailed Native-hen.
If we have time, we may make a diversion to look for Grey Honeyeater, Mulga Parrot, Little Woodswallow, Orange Chat and Crimson Chat. We could get lucky and find Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo. If the weather allows, we will try to access a river with a series of pools lined with thick flowering vegetation located to the south-east of Mt Magnet. We will target White-browed Treecreeper, Gilbert’s Whistler, Southern Scrub-robin, Mistletoebird and any honeyeaters in the flowering vegetation. We may even have the opportunity to look for Western Quail-thrush.
Tonight is the first of a two night stay in Mount Magnet.
Accommodation: Mount Magnet (en suite cabin)
Meals included: B L D
Today we bird several different habitats north of Mt Magnet, including samphire, salt lakes, a freshwater lake, more mulga and stony plains. We will target Banded Whiteface, Bourke’s Parrot, Slaty-backed Thornbill, Orange Chat, Redthroat, Slender-billed Thornbill (ssp iredalei), White-winged Fairywren, Chiming Wedgebill, Western Bowerbird, Little Button-quail, Black-tailed Native-hen, Red-kneed Dotterel, White-necked Heron, Little Woodswallow, White-backed Swallow, Red-backed Kingfisher and Fieldwren (ssp wayensis). We should add to our list of raptors including Spotted Harrier.
Accommodation: Mount Magnet (en suite cabin)
Meals included: B L D
Today is our last exploration of the mulga. The mulga habitat is dominated by several species of acacia plus flowering plants such as Eremophila and Grevillea. This is where we will find many species that do not occur in the southwest, and we will specifically look for the rather rare Grey Honeyeater in mulga-dominate habitats, as well Western Quail-thrush, which is a WA endemic.
Other special birds out here include Emu, Budgerigar, Cockatiel, Mulga Parrot, Diamond Dove, Crimson Chat, Black-eared Cuckoo, Pied Butcherbird, Zebra Finch, Common Bronzewing, Pallid Cuckoo, Crested Bellbird, Brown Songlark, Masked Woodswallow, Purple-backed Fairywren, Chestnut-rumped Thornbill, Southern Whiteface, White-winged Triller, Red-capped Robin, Hooded Robin, Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater, White-browed Babbler and Grey-crowned Babbler. If the eremophilas or grevilleas are flowering we will look for White-fronted Honeyeater, Black Honeyeater and Pied Honeyeater.
Today we travel towards the coast leaving the mulga habitat and passing through eucalypt woodland before reaching coastal vegetation and Geraldton.
Accommodation: Geraldton (en suite room)
Meals included: B L D
We drive 1.5 hours north to Kalbarri at the mouth of the Murchison River. We will spend much of the time in the heathland of Kalbarri National Park where there should be a profusion of flowers attracting honeyeaters including the WA endemic Western Spinebill and Western Wattlebird, as well as Tawny-crowned Honeyeater, White-cheeked Honeyeater and chances of the nomadic Pied Honeyeater, Black Honeyeater and White-fronted Honeyeater.
There are good chances of Blue-breasted Fairywren and Western Yellow Robin. Other birds in the area include Rufous (Western) Fieldwren (ssp montanellus) – a possible future split, Rainbow Bee-eater, White-plumed Honeyeater, Peaceful Dove, Hooded Robin, Southern Scrub-robin, cuckoos and a variety of raptors, hopefully including Square-tailed Kite. En route back to Geraldton, we may visit a saltworks where we may find Banded Stilt and Red-necked Avocet.
Accommodation: Geraldton (en suite room)
Meals included: B L D
Today we begin our return to Perth, birding en route with a stop in Lancelin on the way. There is a 3 hour drive to Lancelin where we will look for Common Noddy, Bridled Tern, Roseate Tern, Fairy Tern and Rock Parrot. Between Lancelin and Perth, we will look out for Carnaby’s (Short-billed) Black-Cockatoo and Western Corella. This will also be the arrival day of the main tour, so we will meet up with the participants that are joining us for the south-western Australian tour at the hotel at 7pm for a welcome dinner.
Accommodation: Perth (en suite rooms)
Meals included: B L D
Those continuing on the South-Western Australian Tour will be heading to Cheynes Beach after an early breakfast. (see SW tour itinerary for details)
Those who are not continuing on tour will make their own arrangements for departing Perth.
Accommodation: none
Meals included: B
