Threatened Species Birdwatching Tour ex Brisbane

Fly with Rex Airlines from Brisbane to Cunnamulla (via Toowoomba and St George), arriving late morning to a warm welcome from your expert local guide. Enjoy an alfresco brunch at Club Boutique Hotel before settling into your boutique accommodation for the week. In the afternoon, ease into the adventure with a guided orientation walk at the Cunnamulla Bushlands Reserve—your first introduction to the region’s mulga woodlands, wetland edges and birdlife.

(Brunch, D) Accommodation: Club Boutique Hotel, Cunnamulla

Depart before dawn for a multi-generation sheep and cattle property northwest of town, closed to the public and rich in threatened species habitat. This property has been in the same grazing family for over 100 years! Arriving at first light maximises sightings during the peak early-morning window. Today’s key species include Australian Painted-snipe, Painted Honeyeater, Pink Cockatoo and—if luck is on your side—the elusive Grey Falcon. Return to Cunnamulla for dinner and your first “Twilight Tally Session” to review and record sightings.

(B, L, D) Accommodation: Club Boutique Hotel, Cunnamulla

Another early start takes you west along the Adventure Way to a second multi-generational family grazing property offering access to permanent waterholes, nesting hollows and undisturbed mulga country. Explore the Mulga woodlands for Bourke’s Parrots, Hall’s Babblers and a broad mix of endemic dryland species. This late-afternoon session makes the most of cooler conditions and heightened bird activity leading into sunset. Return to Cunnamulla for dinner and your evening tally session.

(B, L, D) Accommodation: Club Boutique Hotel, Cunnamulla

We’ll travel around 40 minutes south today to Francvilliers Station, a sprawling 50,000-acre sheep and cattle property renowned for its pristine birding habitats. Explore diverse soils, creek edges, wetlands and open mulga country—prime territory for expanding your species list. During the warmest part of the day, enjoy some restful time by the creek—perfect for spotting waterbirds or simply unwinding in the shade of the river gums. After dinner cooked over the campfire, join a guided nocturnal search for Southern Boobooks, Barking Owls and the elusive Spotted Nightjar.

(B, L, D) Accommodation: Club Boutique Hotel, Cunnamulla

Travel west via Eulo towards Thargomindah. Spend the next two days exploring one of Australia’s most significant birding landscapes. Begin with Lake Bindegolly National Park, a unique freshwater–saline lake system supporting more than 180 recorded species. Expect excellent opportunities to observe waterbirds, migratory waders and dryland species that rely on the region’s interconnected wetlands. Continue deeper into the heart of Currawinya National Park, the crown jewel of Queensland birdwatching and home to more than 228 recorded species. The internationally important wetlands of Lakes Numalla and Wyara attract enormous aggregations—sometimes more than 100,000 birds during peak conditions. Your expert guide tailors routes based on water levels, current movements and any special-interest species identified by the group. Each afternoon, return to thecomfort of Club Boutique Hotel for dinner and your nightly “Twilight Tally Session.”

(B, L, D) Accommodation: Thargomindah or Eulo

Today we stay close to home as your guide leads you through a curated selection of public and private birding hotspots around Cunnamulla. Begin at the Allan Tannock Weir, a reliable Warrego River site with 100+ recorded species and excellent viewing of waterbirds, raptors and riparian specialists. Continue to the evaporation ponds, where contrasting sandhill and woodland habitats attract a diverse mix of dryland and wetland birds. Finish at Bandy Paddock, an emerging favourite with river access, black floodplains and sandhill tracks supporting a wide variety of species. Return to Club Boutique Hotel for your farewell dinner and final Twilight Tally Session, celebrating the week’s sightings.

(B, L, D) Accommodation: Club Boutique Hotel, Cunnamulla

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast and free time to explore Cunnamulla—perhaps the heritage trail, art trail or a relaxing soak at the Cunnamulla Hot Springs—before transferring to the airport for your Rex Airlines flight back to Brisbane.

(B)