Living fossil found in Grampians National Park

An ancient dragonfly species has been found in two wetland locations, dramatically increasing its known range. 

The ancient greenling damselfly in the Grampians NP (Credit: Reiner Richter).

THE DISCOVERY OF a tiny damselfly - which is the only living example of a prehistoric group of species - in two new Victorian locations, has lifted hopes that the insect is moving away from the brink of extinction.

The ancient greenling damselfly (Hemiphlebia mirabilis) measures just 2.4 cm long and was only previously known from nine sites in Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania. Hard to spot, the metallic green species has now been detected in wetlands at Victoria's Grampians NP, much to the delight of scientists and dragonfly enthusiasts.

"The rarity of the ancient greenling and its small size mean the species is difficult to locate. The adults are only present from late spring to summer, while the aquatic larvae remain hidden in the water for the rest of the year," says lead researcher behind the finding Dr Di Crowther with Victoria's Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE).

Brilliantly camouflaged

"Not only are the adults brilliantly camouflaged in amongst the reeds of the wetlands they inhabit, they are tiny, with a wingspan of just 22 mm and length of only 24 mm," she says.

Damselflies are relatives of dragonflies in the order Odonata - while dragonflies have wings that stick out at right angles when they are resting, damselflies can be recognised by wings that lie flat against the body while resting (see image, above).

The ancient greenling is the only living relative of the Hemiphlebiidae family, whose predecessors are found only in 250- to 300-million-year-old fossil records from Brazil to Russia. This makes the species a "living fossil", says Di, who says that although the find is significant, the ancient greenling isn't out of the woods just yet.

It is highly sensitive to changes in its environment and was last sighted eight years ago in Yea and Alexandra, in Victoria's north. Other populations at Wilsons Promontory had been battered by fire and shrinking wetlands, which the species needs to survive. It is not known if the species can fly long distances which would allow it to find new breeding grounds.

Chance finding

"This find is really significant because that gives hope that maybe there are other populations out there that haven't been found yet," Di says. "Hopefully it points to the species being sound. But there are concerns that they are really sensitive to any impact and they will just drop out."

A genetically diverse population is needed to prevent inbreeding and save the species from extinction, she says: "Every new site found is another step away from extinction."

The adult ancient greenlings, which are only present from late spring to summer, were discovered at two Grampians wetlands in late 2010 by dragonfly enthusiast and photographer Reiner Richter.

The DSE will continue its research of the species at several of Victorian sites including Yea Wetlands, Wilsons Promontory National Park and the Long Swamp complex in the state's southwest, as well as the new Grampians sites.




Living fossil found in Grampians NP

Kimberley could lose 45 species in 20 years

A staggering number of species in this Western Australian wilderness are at threat if action is not taken. 

Gouldian finches are one of many threatened Kimberley species (Credit: Bruce Doran).

UP TO 45 NATIVE species in Western Australia's Kimberley region will die out within 20 years if no action is taken, a CSIRO-led study says. It's called for an immediate cash injection of $95 million to save creatures, including the golden bandicoot, the scaly-tailed possum and the monjon rock wallaby from extinction.

"We're in the midst of an extinction event in Australia and the north has been the last stronghold for many native species of wildlife," says Dr Tara Martin, a CSIRO ecologist at the University of Queensland and co-author of the report.

"Thirty per cent of the threatened species identified in our study are unique to the Kimberley region, while others, like the golden bandicoot, have already disappeared elsewhere in the country," she told Australian Geographic. "The Kimberley is really their last chance on earth."

Last stronghold

The study - announced on Wednesday at a Canberra event organised by the Wilderness Society, who also commissioned the report - goes on to urge all tiers of government to open their wallets.

At the moment, just $20 million a year is spent on conservation efforts in the Kimberley, which is home to an assortment of threatened species. But the report says even if that money was spent properly, the region would still lose some 31 native animals. The numbers of many more birds, reptiles and mammals, such as the spotted tree monitor and the western chestnut mouse, would dwindle.

The report says that controlling feral cats is the best cost-effective measure to prevent species decline: this would be a three-pronged attack, including education, research and an end to dingo baiting. But it conceded the "feasibility of success" was low. The next best thing would be to effectively manage the threats of fire and foreign herbivores, which would see improvements for almost all wildlife species.

Business plan for nature

"This report is like a business plan for nature," co-author Professor Hugh Possingham says. "Our analysis shows the best bang for the buck and identifies not just the best things to do but what we can't afford not to do."

About $40 million would be needed annually in the Kimberley to protect its species, as well as boost plant life, help the climate and conserve indigenous land.

"This investment is great value," says Hugh, also based at the University of Queensland. "We can save some of Australia's most iconic mammals and birds at a cost of only about $1 million, per species, per year."

The Priority Threat Management to Protect Kimberley Wildlife report relied heavily on expert feedback because of a lack of available data on certain species and costs. It recommended getting other social, economic and cultural perspectives to round out a more comprehensive action plan.


Kimberley could lose 45 species in 20 years

ESSENTIAL: Saving the Richmond Birdwing Butterfly

Pararistolochia praevenosa 

(ARISTOLOCHIACEAE) 

Richmond Birdwing Vine

Photo: Robert Whyte

Large woody climber with a dense covering of brown hairs on petioles, young shoots and inflorescences.
Leaves alternate, ovate to elliptic, to 25 cm long, base cordate or rounded, upper surface dark green and dull, lower surface with scattered hairs on veins. Petiole to 30 mm long, thickened and twisted.
Flowers around 20 mm long, moderately hairy, purplish.
Fruit is a capsule, oblong to ovoid, to 4 cm long, ribbed.

Photo: Don Sands

Flower of Pararistolochia praevenosa - about 2cm in length.

Photo: Don Sands

Looking down throat of flower of Pararistolochia praevenosa.

Photo: Robert Whyte

Fruit of Pararistolochia praevenosa - about 3-4cm in length.

Photo: Don Sands

Host plant for the Richmond Birdwing Butterfly. The range of this butterfly is now very fragmented (essentially extinct in large parts its range) due to the loss of this food plant through the clearing of bushland.

Richmond Birdwing butterflies mistake the ornamental Dutchman's Pipe vine for a native Pararistolochia vine and lay their eggs on it.

Toxins in this introduced plant kill young caterpillars.

It is very important to remove all signs of Dutchman's Pipe to protect any remaining butterflies.

The Richmond Birdwing Recovery Network is attempting to encourage this butterfly to repopulate throughout its range, through a planting program in partnership with bushcare groups.

To find out more about this butterfly, follow the links below.

Photo: Don Sands

Larva of Richmond Birdwing butterfly feeding on Pararistolochia praevenosa.

Photo: Robert Whyte

Male Richmond Birdwing butterfly. Thanks to Don Sands for allowing us to photograph these butterflies in his collection.

Photo: Robert Whyte

Underside of male Richmond Birdwing butterfly. Thanks to Don Sands for allowing us to photograph these butterflies in his collection.

Photo: Robert Whyte

Female Richmond Birdwing butterfly. Thanks to Don Sands for allowing us to photograph these butterflies in his collection.

Photo: Robert Whyte

Underside of female Richmond Birdwing butterfly. Thanks to Don Sands for allowing us to photograph these butterflies in his collection.

Koalas' brutish bellows are all for love

The loud grunting of the usually sleepy male koala is not limited to alpha males attracting mates. 

A male koala's brutish bellow attracts females from far and wide. (Photo: Getty)

THERE MIGHT BE SOMETHING bear-like in the quiet koala after all. It's hard to imagine, but males of these usually quiet, sleepy marsupials bellow out a surprisingly brutish mating call that sounds something like a wild boar.

Listen to the sounds of a male koala:

Scientists previously thought the loud grunting was limited to a single alpha male, but new research from the University of Queensland shows that many male koalas in a given area belt out their snarls, hoping to attract females, sometimes from long distances.
"Females can travel up to 500 m out of their home range...We observed one female who got down on the ground and made a beeline toward the sound," says lead researcher Dr Bill Ellis.

It seems that can females detect physical clues within these bellows because the most successful males tend to be the bigger koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus), sometimes two kilograms heavier than their rivals.
"It's pretty clear that the bellow a big male makes has a different frequency, so it's possible the female can tell the size of the male or even detect the body condition of the male from it," says Bill.

Sound attraction
The researchers fitted satellite tracking collars on 12 koalas (six of each gender) and recorded their bellowing, which they then compared to the movements made by the koalas.

During the summer mating season, males amplified their bellowing and the females travelled in response, more so than males. The researchers concluded the primary motive of the bellow is to attract females, rather than to ward off rivals.

Koala expert Dr Stephen Phillips says that the innovative study confirmed what koala specialists had been aware of for some time. "We had collectively noticed there seemed to be preferential mate selection, driven by the female," he says. "We see females travelling some distance to mate with a particular male."

Stephen says there are usually one or two big males within a home range that are responsible for the majority of the offspring; some alpha males mate with up to four females, although occasionally others will be successful.

Male koalas also sometimes seek out bellowing males, or females which call out in distress, to aggressively confront the competing male.

Circular breathing
In animals, the length of the vocal tract is a good indicator of body size; however, male koalas are able to exaggerate their vocalisations to produce loud sounds which are incongruous with their size. Bill says it's possible the koalas employ a circular breathing pattern when they bellow.

"When we're talking it is pretty clear we're breathing out, but I'm not 100 per cent convinced which sounds are exhalation and which are inhalation when the koala bellows," he says.

Bill and his colleagues have been observing the koalas on St Bee's Island off the coast of Queensland for over ten years, and have been recording their bellows for three.

The research was published in Behavioural Ecology in February 2011.






Koalas'

Massive new Indigenous Protected Area declared

Kalka-Pipalyatjara, a newly protected, Aboriginal-managed region of South Australia is home to numerous endangered species. 

Kalka-Pipalyatjara Indigenous Protected Area (Photo courtesy of Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands Land Management)

 

THE BLACK-FOOTED ROCK wallaby, or Warru, and the great desert skink, or Tjakura, have been granted safe haven in spectacular country in South Australia, after 580,000 hectares of low ranges and sand dunes were this month declared an Indigenous Protected Area (IPA).

The title means that this area of indigenous-managed land has been added to the National Reserve System, a venture aimed at securing the future of important native habitats across Australia. There are 37 other IPAs around the country — in all cases, traditional owners entered into an agreement with the Australian Government to work to promote biodiversity and cultural resource conservation on their land.

Dwindling wallaby populations

The latest addition, the Kalka-Pipalyatjara Indigenous Protected Area on Anangu-Pitjantjatjara-Yankunytjara lands, is nestled in the north-west corner of SA, where three state borders meet. The Tomkinson and Mann Ranges in the north are home to one of the few remaining colonies of black-footed wallabies. Active nests of the threatened mallee fowl have also been spotted in the area, as well as the great desert skink.

Ranger and community leader Kenneth Ken says declaring the protected area will help conserve dwindling populations of the wallaby, mallee fowl and the great desert skink — a robust lizard that grows up to 40 cm long and has reddish-tan skin and cream flanks.

“We are starting land management because [these lizards] might be dying out,” Kenneth says. Once a traditional food source, the great desert skink is culturally significant to the Anangu people and there are a number of dreaming sites dedicated to the Tjakura across the new IPA. The key threats to the species are thought to be unfavourable fire regimes and predation by feral cats and foxes.

Employment for Aboriginal people

The new IPA is a vital geographical link in a chain of other protected areas, including the Ngaanyatjarra IPA in Western Australia, and the Watarru IPA in the Northern Territory. Together, they form a continuous conservation corridor of more than 12 million hectares. Ranger groups located in three states will share cross-border activities like feral animal control, fencing and surveying plants and animals.

“It gives traditional owners the capacity to look after their country properly, which has social, cultural and environmental benefits,” says Cliff Cobbo, policy manager for WWF’s Conservation on Country program. “It gives people real jobs.”

Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett calls Indigenous Protected Areas “one of Australia’s most successful conservation stories – protecting Australia’s biodiversity while providing training and employment for Aboriginal people doing work to look after their own country.”

On this day: Aborigines get Uluru back

Traditional owner Reggie Uluru in front of Uluru, ahead of the 25th anniversary celebrations of Uluru's handover. (Photo: AAP) 
 

LYING AT THE PHYSICAL and cultural heart of our nation, the great monolith of Uluru is sacred to Australia's Aborigines for its place in the Tjukurpa - the 'creation period' - as well as a mecca for trourists drawn to this most iconic feature of the outback.

Twenty-five years ago, on 26 October 1985, it was the focus of a ceremony held to transfer custodianship of Uluru and neighbouring Kata Tjuta to its Anangu traditional owners. The ceremony, performed in the shadow of the immense rock, remains one of the most significant moments in the Aboriginal land-rights movement.

Governor-General at the time, Sir Ninian Stephen, acknowledged its importance to both indigenous and non-indigenous Australians. "Today we stand not merely in the centre of our continent but at its very heart. We stand beside what has become one of our national symbols, what original Australians know as Uluru, and what the rest of it think of as Ayers Rock," he said.

The handover, described as "groundbreaking" by the director of the Central Land Council, David Ross, was emblematic of a growing awareness of the system of Aboriginal traditional law and land ownership that was ultimately recognised in the 1993 Native Title Act, passed by Federal Parliament.

GALLERY: Greening of the Red Centre

Under the terms of the handover agreement, the Anangu people leased Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park to the Australian Parks and Wildlife Service for 99 years, ensuring the public's ongoing access, as well as continued funds to the local community.

"Every year now ... they have put money towards community projects like BMX tracks, craft rooms, mechanical workshops [and] outstation renovations," says David.

While the agreement was broadly welcomed in most quarters, in others it was hotly contested. Philip Toyne, who negotiated the agreement with the Hawke Government on behalf of the Anangu, told the ABC in 2005 the agreement "was opposed at every turn by the Northern Territory Government of the day, by the tourist industry, by people who felt extremely threatened by Aboriginal people owning one of Australian's great icons."

First discovered by Europeans in 1873 (explorer William Gosse named it Ayers Rock after Sir Henry Ayers, the Chief Secretary of South Australia) the area surrounding Uluru is believed, by the Anangu, to remain home to Tjukuritja and Waparitja - creators whose journeys and activities are recorded in the landscape.

Since the park was returned to its traditional owners, there have been more than seven million visitors. While many undertake the climb to Uluru's 348m summit in often searing temperatures, the Anangu ask visitors not to do so, as under traditional law the right to climb is restricted to senior men initiated into their culture.

Earlier this month Aboriginal people, with the help of the Indigenous Land Corporation, bought Uluru's Yulara resort from the commercial operator that owned it.

Aborigines get Uluru back

Aboriginal people buy Uluru resort

The Aboriginal Land Corporation has bought the Ayers Rock Resort for $300 million. 

Ayers Rock Resort has been bought by the Aboriginal Land Council.
(Photo: John Pickrell)

THE INDIGENOUS LAND CORPORATION (ILC) has purchased the tourist icon Ayers Rock Resort for $300 million. ILC chairperson Shirley McPherson has described it as an historic deal that will transform the tourism industry.

"They (Aboriginal people) have been sitting outside looking in and now they'll be there and part of the operations - they'll also operate the tours," Shirley told journalists on Friday. "When we did our research we only found one indigenous person that had been employed of the 670 (at the resort) and that's a crime."

The ILC has exchanged contracts to acquire the entire Yulara resort in the Northern Territory from Voyages Hotels and Resorts, including all hotels and accommodation, as well as the airport and workers' village. The deal is in partnership with the Wana Ungkunytja (WU), which represents indigenous business interests in nearby communities.

It will also see the establishment of a National Tourism Training Academy at Yulara, with 200 people in training each year from 2013.

Shirley says the ILC aims to have 50 per cent of the workforce at the resort to be local Aboriginal people by 2015. The agreement had been in the making for two years, she says. "This is coming from the community and we have found from past experience in the indigenous community that if it is not from the community it will not work."

RELATED GALLERY: Greening of the Red Centre

Long overdue

Federal Indigenous Employment Minister Mark Arbib says that greater Aboriginal participation in showcasing tourism to the world was long overdue. "The best way to bridge indigenous unemployment (and disadvantage) is through jobs," he said, adding the deal aimed to use training and jobs to economically empower Aboriginal communities.

Wana Ungkunytja chairwoman Margaret Smith says the community had previously felt excluded from sharing in the spoils of tourism. "Share, share, that's what makes us strong," she says.

Voyages Hotels and Resorts owner GPT will receive an $81 million payment on settlement of the transaction, expected in early 2011. The Indigenous Land Council will pay GPT a further $81 million 12 months after settlement and make a third payment of $138 million five years after settlement, bringing the total cost to $300 million.

The sale of the resort, which features a range of accommodation and eateries at Uluru in central Australia, completed the GPT group's exit from the hotel and tourism sector, chief executive officer and managing director Michael Cameron said in a statement released to the Australian stock exchange on Friday.

"Ayers Rock Resort is a unique and high-quality asset that continues to deliver solid returns but no longer fits with GPT's focus on Australian retail, office and industrial asset classes."

Aboriginal people buy Uluru resort

Star photographer's images a matter of life and death

• 
  Wahroonga photographer Peter Blakeman. Picture: PETER KELLY
• 
  Dying of Thirst, by Peter Blakeman.
• 
  Tree of Life, by Peter Blakeman.

Star photographer's images a matter of life and death

Photographic Journey Arnhem Land: Kakadu: Northern Territory

The city lights of Darwin disappear into the background as five photographers from Sydney and Melbourne kissed civilisation goodbye and headed into Australia’s remote Top End.

Starting at Darwin and finishing at Nhulunbuy in far north-east Arnhem Land, the group drove more than 1500 kilometres and took more than 10, 000 images.

Join them, as they discover the warmth of the people that call this land home and a culture that thrives more than 50, 000 years on.

Find it / Plan it

• Podcast Arnhem Land - Part 1
• Podcast Arnhem Land - Part 2
• Facts for podcast - Arnhem Land
• Podcast Kakadu National Park
• Facts for podcast - Kakadu
• Podcast Outback Australia Driving
• Itinerary - The Journey
• Kakadu Accommodation
• Nature's Way Driving Itinerary
• Kakadu and Arnhem Land Map
• Driving Holiday Safety
• Getting here

More Experiences

• Kakadu Adventure Travel Map
  Plan where to trek, swim and sleep on your adventure through Kakadu.
• Seasons of Kakadu National park
  Visit Kakadu National Park more than once and get a different experience each time.
• Arnhem Land Aboriginal Art Trail
  See the stories of Arnhem Land through the eyes of the Yolgnu people.

Learn more about NT Nature Experiences

The Saltwater Crocodile
Crocodiles are undoubtedly the most fascinating animal in the Northern Territory.

Katherine Gorge
Join Ranger Greg Peckham on a journey down river and through one of the most majestic landscapes, the Katherine Gorge.

Larapinta Trail
Explore a dozen different landscapes on a trek across the West MacDonnell Ranges.

Northern Territory Birds
When you wake early to the sound of birds, it’s not too long before you learn to love them.

Bird watching - Tropics
The splash of colour from some of Australia’s most beautiful and rare bird species adds another dimension of vibrancy in the Northern tropics.

Bird watching - Deserts
Stretching from Tennant Creek to Alice Springs and Uluru in the south, this region is home to a diverse range of rare and interesting bird species.

Seasons of Kakadu
Kakadu National Park changes dramatically with the seasons and one visit just won’t be enough.

Photographic Journey Arnhem Land: Travel Kakadu: Northern Territory Official Travel Site

Kangaroo Island - South Australia

About Kangaroo Island, South Australia

Kangaroo Island is a South Australia icon and one of Australia’s finest nature destinations, with breathtaking landscapes and fascinating wildlife.  As a pristine wilderness, a place of beauty and a place of escape, Kangaroo Island holidays have become increasingly popular and yet it has maintained its rugged beauty and unspoilt habitat.
Kangaroo Island SA is a unique destination with exclusive wildlife, delicate biosecurity and makes a great holiday destination. Find out more information about this beautiful island below.

Kangaroo Island, South Australia Tours

No South Australia tour is complete without experiencing the magic of Kangaroo Island. Sealink's Sightseeing program offers a choice of Kangaroo Island day tours and short breaks, showcasing many of the island's major attractions. Whether you're looking for relaxing tours, travelling in comfort and style or experiencing a little adventure, you'll find the perfect tour with Sealink.

We offer fantastic day tours to Kangaroo Island with hotel pick-ups and set-downs from many Adelaide hotels, including the Kangaroo Island Highlights day tour, one of South Australia's most popular tours. If you have a little longer, we also offer amazing extended stay tours to the island, including the 2 Day Coast to Coast tour. With all our extended tours, you'll stay in some of Kangaroo Island's best accommodation from eco-adventure camp sites to 4-star luxury hotels.

Kangaroo Island Day Tours & Short Stays. 

All nicely packaged and ready to go >>

Kangaroo Island Highlights

Our most popular day tour visiting the major highlights.

Seal Bay Discovery

Visit the Island's most popular attraction - Seal Bay.

Remarkably Wild

See the rugged south-west, including Remarkable Rocks.

KI Coast to Coast

Comprehensive touring over two days with overnight stay.

Kangaroo Island Adventure

Two days of jam packed adventure for those looking to get off the beaten track.

KI Beach Wilderness Escape

3 day island experience including the highlights of KI for those on a budget.

2 Day Platinum Tour

Combining Glorious Sites and the finest cuisine for those who enjoy travelling in style.

3 Day Platinum Tour

Extend your stay to 3 days to truly discover the island in comfort and style!

Kangaroo Island Activities & Attractions

There's certainly a lot to see and do on Kangaroo Island, it hasn't been named Australia's 4th national icon for nothing!

Maybe you'd like to do some Kangaroo Island fishing in our famous waters, or get up close and personal to our famous Kangaroo Island wildlife, relax on Australia's best beach at Vivonne Bay, get the adrenalin pumping on a quad-bike navigating beautiful coastal lands, or jump on a sand board down Little Sahara sand hills - no matter how active you want to be, there's something for everyone!

Check out our great range of Kangaroo Island activities...

Some of the Best Kangaroo Island Attractions and Activities >>

Experience American River

Discover American River with a sunset soiree or breakfast with pelicans.

Cooinda Fishing Charters

Take part in a fantastic fishing adventure! Half and full day charters available.

Discover Scuba

Go diving into the clear water of Kangaroo Island - no experience necessary.

Family Parks Pass

Explore the best KI has to offer with unlimited access to the National Parks.

Hanson Bay Nocturnal Tours

Discover and learn about Kangaroo Island's nocturnal wildlife on an evening tour.

Kangaroo Island Marine Tours

Swim with the dolphins, try snorkeling or sit back & enjoy the ride.

Kangaroo Island Outdoor Action

Take an action packed adventure, go quad biking, sandboarding or kayaking.

Penguin Tours

An evening experience not to be missed on Kangaroo Island.

Kangaroo Island Highlights Day Tour

See All the Sites in One Amazing Day

Discover the highlights of South Australia’s premier nature-based tourism destination, Kangaroo Island. From Remarkable Rocks to playful fur seals, SeaLink guides will take you to the Kangaroo Island’s natural highlights.

Walk on the beach among a colony of rare and wild Australian Sea Lions with a National Parks Ranger. Head to Vivonne Bay for a two-course lunch, followed by a spectacular free-flight display of Australian Birds of Prey. Spend the afternoon at Flinders Chase National Park, renowned as a sanctuary for native Australian animals including kangaroos, wallabies, koalas and echidnas.

The tour of the park will take you to the rugged southern coastline for a walk on Remarkable Rocks and Admiral’s Arch. Remarkable Rocks provides great photographic opportunities and stunning sea views. Admiral’s Arch boardwalk takes you down a rugged cliff face to reveal this spectacular rock archway, a natural nursery and safe haven for playful New Zealand fur seals that can be seen resting, swimming and playing in the waves or on the rocks.

Inclusions and Highlights

• Adelaide Central Bus Station pick up/set downs
• Return transfers and ferry or flights
• Seal Bay Guided Tour
• Flinders Chase National Park including Remarkable Rocks and Admirals Arch
• 2 Course Lunch
• Birds of Prey Free Flight Show

Sacred Earth Safari's - Northern Territory, Australia

Wildlife

There’s a huge variety of birds and wildlife through Northern Australia. Many species are found only in the Top End and, or, The Kimberley and some are endemic to certain areas.

It’s always great to see animals on tour but wildlife can be shy so keep your eyes peeled and let us know when you see something so we can share it with everyone in your group.
 

Crocodiles are found throughout the Top End and in some parts of The Kimberley. We have 2 types of crocodile in the Top End- The Johnstons (better known as the Freshwater) crocodile and the more aggressive Estuarine, (better known as the saltwater) crocodile. In The Kimberley, you’ll only find the Freshwater crocodile as the Estuarine croc stays nearer the coastline. In both regions, we have opportunities to view these ancient   predators in their natural habitat.

We also have a vast amount of birdlife in Northern Australia (over 300 species), including birds of prey, woodland and wetlands birds, so it’s a real birdwatchers paradise!

Some of the animals you might see on a Sacred Earth Safaris tour are:

Kangaroos Narbalek (small rock wallaby, endemic to Ubirr in Kakadu) Frill- necked lizard Frogs Water Buffalo Goanna Water monitor Fish, such as Barramundi

Wallabies Black Walleroo (endemic to Nourlangie Rock in Kakadu) Brumbies (wild horses) Dingo Wild pigs Olive Python Bats Crocodiles - Freshwater & Estuarine

Some of the bird species found in Northern Australia are:

Jabiru Brolga Spoonbill- Royal and Yellow Billed Comb crested Jacana Cockatoos- Red tailed black and Sulphar crested Corella Australian Bustards Spangled Drongos Eagles - Wedge Tailed and White Bellied Sea Eagle Kingfisher- Sacred, Azure, Little and Forrest Blue winged Kookaburra Rainbow Pitta Nightjars Chestnut Quilled rock pigeon White Throated Grasswren Parrots- Hooded, Ringneck & Red Winged Finchs- Gourdian, Crimson and Double barred Australian Pelican Falcons Grebes Kites - Bramany and Whistling Quail

Frogmouth Australian Pratincole Swifts Osprey Terns Rainbow Bee-Eater White-Lined Honeyeater Cuckoo -Shrikes Ducks- Burdekin and Whistling Magpie Goose Friarbirds Rainbow Lorikeets Bush Stone Curlew Owls Darters and Cormorants Egrets Ibis Pheasant Coucal Masked Lapwing Pied Stilts Owlet Nightjar Herons- Rufus Night and pied Wrens Great Bowerbirds Butcherbirds Green pygmy Goose Peaceful Dove

The Wetlands of Northern Australia are magnificent and offer fantastic birdwatching opportunities :

Mamukala Wetlands	Anbangbang Billabong

Fog Dam	Yellow Waters

Mamukala Wetlands	Yellow Waters

Photo Gallery including images from each of the main destinations we include in our itineraries.

Click on the image for an enlargement (pop up window).

Kimberley

Bungle Bungles	Adcock Gorge	Bradshaw Art	Kimberley Boab
Camp oven cooking	Daves Car Wash	Kimberley Coast	Manning Waterfall
Mitchell Falls	Parrys Lagoon	Tunnel Creek	Wandjana Art

Top End

Florence Falls, Litchfield	Top of Gunlom	Road Train	Boulder Creek
Nourlangie Rock Art	Magnetic Termite Mounds	Maguk	Nourlangie Rock
Tolmer Falls	Top of Ubirr	Comfortable Camping	Wangi Falls in the Wet Season

Wildlife

Estuarine Crocodile	Dingo	Azure Kingfisher	Brolga
Sea Eagle	Water Monitor	Green Ant Nest	Wallaby
Harlequin Bugs	Mamukala Wetlands	Native Bee	Comb Crested Jacana