Trip Begins - Darwin, NT

Trip Ends -  Alice Springs, NT

ITINERARY:

DAY 1 : Arrival day into Darwin, depending on the time you arrive will depend on how much birding is done. If you arrive at a reasonable time we will check the tides for shore birding or maybe visit one of the many great reserves around the city.

Accommodation - Novotel, Darwin (https://www.accorhotels.com/gb/hotel-1748-novotel-darwin-cbd/index.shtml?adults=&children=&nights=&dateIn=)

Meals: (L, D).

DAY 2 : Pick you up from your accommodation in Darwin between 6 - 7 am. We will spend the morning exploring the many nature reserves around Darwin. The main species we will be targeting are Rufous Owl, Barking Owl, Tawny Frogmouth, Rainbow Pitta, Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove, Bush-stone Curlew, Brown Whistler, Northern Fantail, Forest Kingfisher and Little Corella. We will also spend time in the Mangroves trying to photograph Red-headed Myzomela, Mangrove Gerygone, Mangrove Golden Whistler and Torresian Kingfisher.

Lunch will be had at one of Darwin great Cafes before we spend the afternoon photographing anything we missed in the morning and depending on tides photographing some of the mangrove and shorebird species out at Lee Point and Buffalo Creek.

Driving Time - 1.0 Hours

Accommodation - Novotel, Darwin (https://www.accorhotels.com/gb/hotel-1748-novotel-darwin-cbd/index.shtml?adults=&children=&nights=&dateIn=)

Meals: (B, L, D).

DAY 3 : We head out early to one of Darwin’s best and famous birding spots, Fogg Dam. Targets here include Black-necked Stork, Little Egret, Intermediate Egret, Pied Heron, Comb-crested Jacana, Arafura Fantail, Paperbark Flycatcher, Royal Spoonbill, Crimson Finch and Forest Kingfisher. After our time at Fogg Dam we explore the Adelaide River Flood Plains and maybe Marrakai Tracks before making our way East towards Kakadu and our accommodation for the night.

After checking in at our hotel in Jabiru we will then head South toward Nawurlandja to bird our first Arnhemland Sandstone and watch the sunset. Targets here are Banded Fruit-dove, Partridge Pigeon, Chestnut-quilled Rock-pigeon, White-lined Honeyeater, Sandstone Shrike-thrush and the Sandstone race of Helmeted Friarbird.

Driving Time - 3.0 Hours

Accommodation - The Crocodile Hotel, Jabiru (https://www.kakadutourism.com/accommodation/kakadu-crocodile-hotel/)

Meals: (B, L, D).

DAY 4 : This morning we will enjoy an amazing buffet breakfast at the hotel before heading south along the Kakadu Highway to the Nourlangie, Nawurlandja & Anbangbang areas for the morning, these areas are great for all the Kakadu endemics including Partridge Pigeons, Chestnut-quilled Rock Pigeon, Banded Fruit-doves, Helmeted Friarbird & White-lined Honeyeaters.

The afternoon will be spent concentrating on the local endemic birds we missed.

Driving Time - 2.0 Hours

Accommodation - The Crocodile Hotel, Jabiru (https://www.kakadutourism.com/accommodation/kakadu-crocodile-hotel/)

Meals: (B, L, D).

DAY 5 : This morning we will be booked on a 2 hours cruise around the famous Yellow-waters Billabong, this is usually one of the highlights of the tour with usually thousands of water birds to point out lens at. Main targets are Little & Azure Kingfishers, Black Bittern, Nankeen Night-heron, Plumbed & Wandering Whistling-ducks, Black-necked Storks, Green Pygmy-goose and Great-billed Heron. After the cruise we will head back to the lodge for a big brunch before making our way South towards Pine Creek and our accommodation for the night.

The afternoon is spent around Pine Creek tracking down the endemic Hooded Parrot and Partridge Pigeon if we haven’t already found one.

Driving Time - 2.0 Hours

BOAT CRUISE - 2 Hour Boat Cruise in the Morning

Accommodation - Lazy Lizard, Pine Creek (https://lazylizardpinecreek.com.au/)

Meals: (B, L, D).

DAY 6 : A nice early morning to head just South to set up at a secret water hole for the morning, this is the best chance to photograph the spectacular Gouldian Finch, other birds that come into drink include Hooded Parrots, Long-Tailed Finch, Masked Finch, Double-barred Finch, Banded Honeyeater, Great Bowerbird and Brown Quail.

After a productive morning we travel South to Katherine for a delicious lunch, after checking in to our accommodation for the night we will be exploring an area West of Katherine. Here we will be looking for Chestnut-backed Button-quail, Hooded Parrot, Gouldian Finch and Northern Rosella.

Driving Time - 2.0 Hours

Accommodation - Ibis Styles, Katherine (https://www.accorhotels.com/gb/hotel-3112-ibis-styles-katherine/index.shtml)

Meals: (B, L, D).

Day 7 : An early start to head South to look for one of the Northern Territories most wanted birds the Northern Shrike-tit, this location is also a great area for Finches, Woodswallows, Button-quail and Black-tailed Treecreepers. After a morning of birding at this site we start the big drive South toward Tennant Creek and our accommodation for the night. If we get to Tennant Creek in time we will spend the afternoon around the beautiful and mostly unexplored Honeymoon Range, here our main target is the rarely seen and photographed Tennant Creek race of Dusky Grasswren. In the same area we will also be looking for Painted Finch, White-winged Fairy-wren, Spinfexbird, Australian Ringneck and Spinifex Pigeons.

Driving Time - 7.0 Hours

Accommodation - Three Ways Roadhouse, Tennant Creek (http://threewaysroadhouse.com.au/)

Meals: (B, L, D).

DAY 8 : On this morning we will head back to the Honeymoon Range, we will be looking for better views or to find anything we missed the previous day. We will also be checking out the Tennant Creek Sewage ponds which can be very productive and sometimes turn up a rarity or two.

After lunch in Tennant Creek we will making the big drive South to Alice Springs, we will be actively birding along the drive and depending on what time we get into Alice Springs will depend on if there is any birding done this day.

Driving Time - 5.5 Hours

Accommodation - Hilton, Alice Springs (https://doubletree3.hilton.com/en/hotels/northern-territory/doubletree-by-hilton-hotel-alice-springs-ASPDADI/index.html)

Meals: (B, L, D).

DAY 9 :

For the next three day we will spend time exploring in and around Alice Springs, birding targets will be White-browed Tree-creeper, Grey Honeyeater, Budgerigars, Cockatiel, Rufous-crowned Emu-wren, Dusky Grasswren, Red-capped Robin, Bourkes Parrot, Mulga Parrot. Banded Whiteface, Spinifex Pigeon, Redthroat, Redthroat, Dusky Grasswren, Chirruping Wedgebill, Masked & White-browed Woodswallows and maybe Black-breasted Buzzard or a Black Falcon.

Some of the site we will visit will include Alice Springs Botanic Gardens, Kunoth Bore and surrounds, West McDonald Rangers, Santa Teressa Road and possibly a couple of secret watering holes.

Accommodation - Hilton, Alice Springs (https://doubletree3.hilton.com/en/hotels/northern-territory/doubletree-by-hilton-hotel-alice-springs-ASPDADI/index.html)

Meals: (B, L, D).

Driving Time - 2.0 Hours

Day 10 : Exploring Alice Springs as above.

Accommodation - Hilton, Alice Springs (https://doubletree3.hilton.com/en/hotels/northern-territory/doubletree-by-hilton-hotel-alice-springs-ASPDADI/index.html)

Meals: (B, L, D).

Driving Time - 3.0 Hours

Day 11 : Exploring Alice Springs as above.

Accommodation - Hilton, Alice Springs (https://doubletree3.hilton.com/en/hotels/northern-territory/doubletree-by-hilton-hotel-alice-springs-ASPDADI/index.html)

Meals: (B, L, D).

Driving Time - 3.0 Hours

Day 12 : Today is departure day so depending on flights will depend on what we can do this morning.

Meals: (B, L).

Depart Alice Springs

Inclusions : All meals, drinks, accommodation, transport, internal airfare to Alice Springs, airport transfers and guides during duration of the tour.

Exclusions : Airfare arriving into Darwin before the tour & Airfare departing Alice Springs on the last day of tour.

Cost -  $21980.00 AUD - All inclusive for two people | Twin or Double Accommodation

Single Supplement $1100.00

For larger groups please contact me for pricing and numbers etc.

Contact me about this tour | Terms and Conditions 

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