NatureScapes.net Forums

I would appreciate any input of personal experience with a tour company that has good photo tours in Oz and NZ. Also best time of year to go.
Thanks.

Hi Paul,
I do not have personal experience with Inala Tours but I will in March 2019. I will let you know what I think. I am going to Bruny island in Tasmania with them for 3 days.
In the meantime ,you may want to google them,
Gail

I'll be making my second trip to Australia this year.   I went to New South Wales and Western Australia on my first trip and going to Tasmania and Victoria later this year. I have also been to NZ (South Island).  We have previously tried to offer tours through NSN to both places but have had a challenge in filling them due to the extreme cost.  Both places are very expensive to operate in and to get to for Americans which has resulted in pricing that makes it difficult to fill all of the slots needed to make the tour break even, much less make a little bit of money for the tour leaders.  I think tours run locally by Australian or Kiwi photographers are probably your best bet.

I agree that the local photographers/guides would be best. The problem is that there are so many on a internet search and some of those are for birders not photographers. And many are run by companies that are based elsewhere not local. I am hopeful that there will be some that have been there and had a good experience and will respond with the names of local tour leaders. Australia is huge and for one trip I also need guidance as to where to go to have a good photo experience with birds. I will not see them all but where to see many varieties in a week to ten days would be helpful.
Thanks to those that have responded.

As an Australian I can suggest if you are after birds then Victoria is a great place to start as we have many bush birds plus lots of parrots and a large range of raptors. If you visit in September to October and start up near Mildura in the Hattah National Park first before it gets too hot then come down to the southern areas you will see lots of birds. It will be spring time here so lots of activity.


Above Mildure you could do a day trip to Mungo nation park in NSW. There are very good aboriginal local tours to Mungo. Lots of old buildings by setterlers and lots of raptors. Mildura is on the Mighty Murry River and there are quaint little towns, Swanhill and Echuca with old setterlers villages you can see plus there are paddle steamers to take trips on. You can also hire cabin boats to self drive along the River.


Along the coast past Melbourne we have the Great Ocean Road, one of the top 10 costal road trips in the world. There are many sight along the drive and some very old costal towns to visit with lots of scenic oportunities.


SA is next to Victoria and has the Flinders rangers that are very scenic and ancient and are well worth a visit as is the lower part of WA, Tasmania is good in Febuary to March and October November. It is very scenic.

All these places are best visited in August September October when the weather is at its best.


For the northan parts of Australia plus the central areas, deserts, your best times are May to August, after that it is far too hot and it is the wet seasons in the far north, Very hot and humid. We have had several foreign visitors die each year from heat stroke during visits to the cental and north areas of Australia in our summer, December to March.