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WESTERN AUSTRALIA including Christmas Island

Birdquest's Western Australia birding tour is one of a series of Birdquest tours that comprehensively cover this island continent with its huge number of endemic birds. Our Western Australia tour offers the most comprehensive coverage of this scenic and diverse state available. The Christmas Island extension adds in this remote tropical island that is far nearer Java than Australia, home to the strange Abbott's Booby, Christmas Island Frigatebird and some interesting endemic landbirds.

Wednesday 25th September - Thursday 10th October 2013
(16 days)

Christmas Island Pre-Tour Extension from Saturday 21st September (4 days)

Leaders: Guy Dutson and assistant

Group Size Limit: 12

Tour Category: Easy for the most part, occasionally Moderate

The stunning Black Grasswren is a highly-prized Aussie 'mega', which can only be found by penetrating deep into the remote and inaccessible Kimberley Mountains (Mark Beaman)

Australia, the smallest continent or the largest island on earth, depending on how you like to look at it, has been cut off from the rest of the world for more than sixty million years and as a result has evolved a remarkable and unique flora and fauna. The birdlife has followed its own evolutionary path and Australia has more endemic bird species (over 300) than any other country and many bird families which are entirely restricted to it or which do not extend beyond Australasia.

Australia’s immense geographical area means that it is simply impossible to see the great majority of its endemic birds during a single visit of just a few weeks, so it is far more sensible to regard the island continent as a place where one should make two or more visits. Superb, mostly easy, birding combined with good travelling conditions make for an unforgettable experience.

This exciting tour has been specifically designed to concentrate on the many endemic specialties of the western region of Australia. Western Australia is one of a series of classic Birdquests that between them cover every corner of Australia and achieve a level of coverage of its specialities that is unequalled.

Our journey begins in Perth in the state of Western Australia and from there we will go on to explore the verdant southwestern corner of the continent, an area with a splendid variety of endemics, including huge Carnaby’s and Baudin’s Black-Cockatoos, Elegant Parrot, the dazzling Blue-breasted Fairy-wren, Western Bristlebird, Western Whipbird and the famous Noisy Scrub-bird, and some of the finest displays of wildflowers anywhere in the world.

Next, in total contrast, we will visit Broome in northwestern Australia, where the largest concentrations of trans-equatorial migratory waders in the whole of Australia are to be found, with star attractions including Great Knot and Asian Dowitcher. Other likely highlights include the localized Dusky Gerygone and both White-breasted and Mangrove Golden Whistlers.

Moving on from Broome, we will explore the Kununurra region, one of the foremost birding locations in the western half of the continent. As we search for the area’s varied birdlife we shall take a boat trip on Lake Argyle and explore irrigated farmland and dry woodland. Here we shall be seeking such specialities as Oriental Plover, Spinifex Pigeon, Northern Rosella, Sandstone Shrike-thrush, the rare Yellow Chat and Yellow-rumped and Pictorella Mannikins, as well as a host of other fine birds ranging from the stately Brolga to Australian Pratincole.

We will also penetrate deep into the spectacular Kimberley massif, to the remote Mitchell Plateau, in order to look for four special birds that are endemic to northwestern Australia; the sought-after Black Grasswren, White-quilled Rock-Pigeon, the exquisite Purple-crowned Fairy-wren and Kimberley Honeyeater.

During the optional post-tour extension there will be an exciting opportunity to enjoy a few days on remote Christmas Island, a truly oceanic Australian island with a totally different feel to it. Its rich and well-protected rainforests are home to the entire world breeding populations of the enigmatic Abbott’s Booby, Christmas Island Frigatebird and the extraordinary Golden Tropicbird, and also hold such endemics as Christmas Island Goshawk, Christmas Island Imperial Pigeon, Christmas Island Hawk-Owl and Christmas Island White-eye, as well as some of the most remarkable crabs on earth.

Birdquest has operated tours to Australia since 1985.

(Note: The above is a summary of the tour. For more information please download the detailed, day-by-day itinerary. The button is at the top right of the page.)

Accommodation & Road Transport: The hotels/motels are of normal Birdquest standard throughout. Road transport is by minibus or 4x4 vehicles and roads are mostly good (even the dirt roads are mainly well graded).

Walking: The walking effort is mostly easy, but there are a few moderate grade walks including one or two optional hikes in uneven terrain.

Climate: In the southwest conditions are changeable with periods of warm, dry and sunny weather alternating with cool, overcast and wet spells. In the interior and north most days are warm or hot (sometimes very hot), dry and sunny (although it can get very cool at night in the interior). While overcast conditions are not infrequent, there is only a low probability of rain. It is generally rather humid near the north coast.

Bird Photography: Opportunities are quite good.

Part-Tour Option: Subject to space being available, we can accept bookings for the Perth-Perth section of the tour only, or for the Christmas Island extension, or for a combination of the two. Please contact us for further information.

Linkable Birdquest: Southern Australia including Tasmania

Tour Price: (provisional): $6140 Perth/Kununurra. Pre-Tour Extension: $2840. Price includes all transportation (including the Perth-Broome-Kununurra flights and the very expensive Perth-Christmas Island-Perth flights), all accommodations, all meals, some drinks, all excursions, all entrance fees, all tips for local drivers/guides and for accommodations/restaurants, leader services.

Single Room Supplement: (provisional): $972. Pre-Tour Extension: $324.

Deposit: 10% of the tour price (excluding any single supplement).

Air Travel To & From The Tour: Our in-house IATA ticket agency can arrange your air travel in connection with the tour from a departure point anywhere in the world, or you may arrange your own air travel if you prefer. We can tailor-make your itinerary to your personal requirements, so if you would like to travel in advance of the tour (and spend a night in an hotel so you will feel fresh when the tour starts), or return later than the end of the tour, or make a side trip to some other destination, or travel business class rather than economy, we will be happy to assist. Please contact us about your air travel requirements.

The superb Purple0crowned (or Lilac-crowned) Fairy-wren is another brilliant speciality of this tour (Mark Beaman)

The gorgeous 'Golden Tropicbird' is endemic to Christmas Island. The form fulvus may represent a distinct species, but is probably best treated as a form of White-tailed Tropicbird (Mark Beaman)