A beginner’s guide to Wild Australia

You’ve chosen to adventure down under! Is it really true about the dangerous reputation that proceeds the country? What wildlife are you likely to encounter and where? We dig up the dirt for you on an Aussie crash course safari!

Australia is a vast country with unique wildlife, of which most categories (plants, fish, reptiles and mammals) have 80% or more that are found no where else on earth. So if you’re visiting for the first time, a lot will be unrecognisable! After the heartbreaking 2019/2020 bushfires, awareness and interest in all creatures big and small mean by getting out here to visit you will support locals and in turn the nature and rebuilding process. We aim here to give you an overview so you know where and when to be spotting what!

Chris is a licensed snake catcher, experienced Alice Springs tour guide and first worked at a native bird park so his passion for creatures here is exemplary. Meanwhile, I have completed my Horticulture diploma and developed an enthusiasm for Australian native plant species. Between us both, we have a keen eye for even the most elusive of wild Australia.

Mammals

Here we delve into animals cute, fuzzy & furry that breastfeed their young. Find the guide here if you are looking for any of these animals: Kangaroos, Koalas and furry friends in Australia

• Koalas
• Kangaroos (Including Wallabies & Tree Kangaroos)
• Wombats
• Tasmanian Devils
• Quokkas (Including small Australian mammals)
• Platypus
• Echidna

Birds

Australia is a paradise to explore for birdlife! Characterised by feathers, beaks, and laying hard shell eggs, here is our guide if you need to know where to spot any of the birds below: Take flight with the Birds of Australia!

• Emus (Including Cassowaries)
• Penguins
• Kookaburras (Including Kingfishers)
• Parrots (Including Sulphur Crested Cockatoos, King Parrots, Crimson Rosellas, Rainbow Lorikeets, Budgerigars, Galahs, Corellas & Palm Cockatoos)
• Wedge Tailed Eagles
• Lyrebirds
• Black Swans

Plants

If you are a green thumb or a tree hugger – we have got you covered with unique flora of Australia! See here for any of the Aussie favourites below: Going Gum Nuts for the Fabulous Flora of Australia!

• Gum Trees
• Banksias
• Wattles
• Figs
• Grevilleas
• Grass Trees
• Palms

Reptiles & Amphibians

For any of the cold blood creatures that may haunt many people’s nightmares, face your fears (in the safest way possible) with our guide here to the scaly and slimy animals below: Crickey! Australia’s Reptiles & Amphibians!

• Crocodiles
• Lizards (Including Shinglebacks, Blue Tongue Lizards, Frilled Neck Lizards, Eastern Water Dragons, Thorny Devils & Marbled Geckos)
• Lace Monitors
• Snakes (Including Carpet Pythons, Taipans, Eastern Browns, Tiger Snakes & Red Bellied Blacks)
• Turtles
• Frogs (Green Tree Frogs & Wilcox’s Frog)

Marine Animals

If hanging out with the animals at the beach is your idea of wilderness exploration, here are your best bets in Australia for the underwater creatures below: Under the sea and by the coast in Australia!

• Sharks (Including Great Whites, Hammer Heads, Tiger Sharks, Grey Nurse Sharks & Whale Sharks).
• Seals & Sea Lions
• Jellyfish (Including Irukandji, Box Jellyfish & Bluebottle Jellyfish)
• Dolphins (Including Bottlenose Dolphins, Indo-pacific Bottlenose Dolphins & Australian Humpback Dolphins)
• Rays (Including Leopard Whiprays, Broad Cowtail Stingrays, Short Tail Stingrays, New Zealand Eagle Rays & Manta Rays)
• Sea Horses (Including Leafy Seadragon & Weedy Seadragon)
• Whales (Including Southern Right Whales & Humpback Whales)