From walking with kangaroos to swimming with giant squid, animal experiences in Southern Australia are worth planning a trip. Here are some of the top experiences worth wishing on.
Take a Dip with Thousands of Giant Chameleon Squid
Once a year, in the shallow waters of Spencer Bay and Wai Ara Beach, thousands of giant squid swirl in the sea. This is the only place in the world where you can see this seemingly wild creature, which is actually a swimming mollusk. (Their shells are inside.) ）
Between May and August, males change color, giving off a vibrant color similar to healthy coral to attract females. While with a guide, you can easily wade and snorkel at Stony Point or Black Point, both of which have platforms for you to get into the water. But be prepared to put on a thick wetsuit – it’s the middle of winter in the Southern Hemisphere and the water is cold.
Listen to Humpback Whale Songs in the Great Gulf of Australia
Winter is the most beautiful season for Southern Australia’s wildlife, including endangered southern right whales and humpback whales, penguins, white-bellied sea eagles and Australia sea lions with adorable puppy eyes.
Between June and September, you can spend five days on the water and waterside on the Australia Coast Safari (one of the Australia Wildlife Tours exclusives) and enjoy a range of intimate experiences such as listening to the unique songs of humpback whales, watching Australia seal pups learn to swim and visiting the only wild koala colony on the Eyre Peninsula.
Wander Among Kangaroos, Emus, And Rock Kangaroos on a Luxurious, Multi-day Hike
The Aqaba Reserve was converted from a sheep farm and is now a private game reserve. Nestled in the ancient and magnificent Flinders Ranges, the reserve and its luxury estate span 60,000 acres that have been shaped over the past 600 million years. Rewilding efforts have brought native marsupials back to earth, and you can hike with them and other animals, including kangaroos, rock kangaroos, emus, wedge-tailed hawks, parrots, and more. The Acaba Walk is a four-day hike – one of the best in Australia – where an expert guide will not only provide you with fascinating insights but also top-notch comfort.
Take a Helicopter Flight with a Marley Ringnecked Parrot
Start your high-altitude hike by helicopter and fly over the Chace Mountains and land at Gregory Gap, from where you’ll be rewarded with stunning views of Flinders. However, the scenery is set against the local ring-necked parrots, whose dazzling tropical colors make you stop and admire.
Be sure to keep an eye on the ground for at least some time, though: the five-mile-and-a-half-mile return to Ronsley Park Station is mostly a steep descent, with red kangaroos and other critters to see along the way.
Cage Dive with Music-Loving Great White Sharks
Swimming with sharks in cages has been controversial over the past decade, with claims that the practice is neither sustainable nor true, further confirming the stereotype of bloodthirsty beasts tumbling in the water and greedily devouring fish. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Instead of casting bait or other bait in the waters around the Eyre Peninsula, Adventure Bay Charters uses music to lure great white sharks aboard. The best performing artist? Australia’s own AC/DC, of course.
Kangaroos, Sleepy Sea Lions, And Hairy Butts on Kangaroo Island
Kangaroo Island lives up to its name: a true sanctuary for Australia’s most famous marsupials, and is also home to Australia sea lions, monitor lizards, wallabies and koalas – or rather, Kangaroo Island Odyssey guide Nicky Redman calls them “hairy butts”, who has an encyclopedic knowledge of the island and its creatures.
More than a third of the island is protected, but on this exciting tour of Kangaroo Island, you can get up close and personal with rare Australia sea lions, take a private sunset tour through nature reserves, dance with hundreds of kangaroos, and drink tea on rocky cliffs by the sea and look for sharks in turquoise waters.
Join Researchers for a Behind-the-Scenes Look at the World’s Oldest Animal
While the echidna rat may look like a porcupine (or more likely a dry shrub) at first glance, it is more closely related to the platypus. It is the oldest living animal on Earth, dating back 120 million years. Researchers believe that they were able to live longer than dinosaurs because of their strange ability to withstand high concentrations of carbon dioxide.
Today, they can only be found in parts of Australia and Papua New Guinea, and in Extraordinary Kangaroo Island, you can go behind the scenes with Dr. Peggy · Reesmiller, who researched the short-beaked echidna, to learn more about this fascinating animal.