Between the city of Cairns and the once-thriving township of Mount Mulligan, there are ever-changing landscapes that showcase a bountiful of wildlife spotting opportunities. On this 3 hour road trip, take the scenic route through the Atherton Tablelands boasting the region’s ancient high altitude vine forests, through scattered farmlands where many raptors can be observed and finish your journey in the beautiful savannah escarpments of outback Queensland.

With the regions high diversity of flora and fauna, there are more than 450 Avian species recorded in the Wet Tropics of Queensland, including 13 endemics, this is Australia’s twitching mecca. Your knowledgeable tour guide will help identify as many types on the journey to (or from) the lodge. With a diverse range of birdlife to tick off your list, species that can be regularly spotted in the area may include Magpie Geese, Black Swans, Cranes, Bustards, Jacanas, Laughing Kookaburra and Blue Winged Kookaburra. Bee-eaters, Dollarbirds, Tree Creepers and Pardalotes are well represented as well as numerous Robins, Thrushes, Monarchs, Fly Catchers, and Wagtails. You might also catch sight of Lewin’s, Bridled, Scarlet and Macleay’s Honeyeaters, The Australian King Parrot, Eastern Spinebill, Tooth-billed Bowerbird, Spotted Catbird, Victoria’s Riflebird, Double-eyed Fig-Parrot and many more! It’s also not uncommon for us to observe a Southern Cassowary, Lumholtz Tree Kangaroo or even the elusive Platypus!

For those really keen twitchers and wildlife enthusiasts, this experience continues at Mt Mulligan Lodge. With 28,000 hectares of cattle station in Queensland’s outback, the lodge attracts a range of wildlife. At leisure, grab your binoculars and choose between the guided tours that include a spot of birdwatching or the self-guided walks to discover various flora and fauna at your own pace.