Wildlife
Where to see cassowaries, platypus, wombats, koalas, crocodiles and more in the wild.
Over 80 percent of Australian mammals, 90 percent of its reptiles and 45 percent of its birds are endemic, which is to say found nowhere else on earth. Seeing them outside a zoo is surprisingly accessible if you know where to look. This shortlist covers the most reliable wild wildlife encounters across the continent.
Where the Jungle Meets the Sea
Southern cassowaries are the largest flightless bird in the southern hemisphere and the Daintree is the most reliable place on earth to see one in the wild. Dawn and dusk along the road to Cape Tribulation are the best viewing windows.
Penguins, Surf and the Grand Prix
The nightly Penguin Parade at Phillip Island is the most reliable platypus-free wildlife experience in the country, with 32,000 little penguins coming ashore after dark. Book well ahead.
Ancient Country, Living Culture
Saltwater crocodiles are essentially guaranteed on a dawn or dusk Yellow Water Cruise in Kakadu. The cruise also reliably shows jabirus, magpie geese, sea eagles and water buffalo.
Canberra's Wildlife Reserve in the Brindabella Foothills
Tidbinbilla is the easiest place in south-eastern Australia to see wild platypus. The sanctuary boardwalk around a small wetland regularly delivers sightings at dawn and dusk.
The Living Cathedral
The Great Barrier Reef is the best place in Australia to see humpback whales (July to November), dwarf minke whales (June and July, a Ribbon Reefs specialty), reef sharks, green turtles and giant clams.
The Whale Watching Capital of the World
Hervey Bay is the world's first Whale Heritage Site. From July to November, humpback whales pause in Platypus Bay to rest and socialise on their migration, making it the best land-based whale watching spot in Australia.
The Quokka Island
Rottnest Island off Perth is home to an estimated 10,000 quokkas, the small marsupial whose smile made it internet famous. They are semi-tame and easy to photograph, though feeding and touching are prohibited.
Australia's Galapagos
Kangaroo Island has the best sea lion encounter in Australia at Seal Bay Conservation Park, where a licensed beach walk takes visitors among resting Australian sea lions at a safe distance.
A few rules: always maintain safe distances, never feed wild animals, and use telephoto lenses for photography. Australian wildlife is protected by state and federal law and many species carry substantial fines for disturbance. Join an indigenous-owned or licensed guided tour if you want the best chance of seeing threatened or rare species.
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