Summer Wildlife Spotting
Photo Credit: Phillip Island Nature Parks
Summer is just around the corner which means the Christmas and New Year holidays aren’t far away either! If you’re planning a holiday away and enjoy Australian wildlife spotting, we have a list of Aussie creatures for you to see over the upcoming summer months.
Turtles – QLD
Photo Credit: Bundaberg Tourism – Mon Repos
Photo Credit: Bundaberg Tourism – Mon Repos
Seeing turtles in the wild is an experience you do not want to miss! And one of the best places to have a turtle encounter is right here in Queensland at the Great Barrier Reef. The turtle season is around November to March, with egg-laying early in the season, and hatchlings usually beginning to emerge in January.
There are a few different areas to encounter the turtles, with one being at Mon Repos in Bundaberg. They offer nightly tours where you can see the turtles nesting and then later on hatching!
The BIG4 Cane Village Holiday Park is just a short 22-minute drive away from Mon Repos, and offers powered sites suitable for large and small caravans. You can also stay at the Turtle Sands Caravan Park, primarily catering for group style bookings, located right at Mon Repo!
Glow Worms – QLD
Photo Credit: O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat
Perhaps not the wildlife animal you were expecting, but glow worms have been described as magical, luminous, and fascinating little creatures. You can see them better in the warmer, wetter summer months from December to March.
Australia’s largest glow worm colony can be seen at Natural Bridge in Springbrook National Park, about an hour’s drive from the Gold Coast. You can venture out at night to see these glow worms yourself, or can go on a guided tour. Just be aware that these little creatures are sensitive to light, sound, and smoke, so make sure to follow basic cave rules.
The Log Cabin Camp is located at Natural Bridge and caters for camping, caravans, and motorhomes. The best part is, the Camp is only a 3-minute drive away to the Natural Bridge Springbrook National Park entrance!
Another great spot to view glow worms is at O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat in Lamington National Park, located a 2-hour drive south from Brisbane. O’Reilly’s offer glow worm tours on a nightly basis at 8pm. You may also be lucky and spot a pademelon, possum or bandicoot along the way.
Penguins – VIC
Located in Victoria, “Phillip Island is home to the largest Little Penguin colony in the world”. You can see the penguins all year round, but being at the beach makes for a great Australian summer getaway! The island is also an ideal location for bird watching.
The Penguin Parade offers many activities for you to be able to see the seabirds. The General Viewing area gives you a grandstand view of the penguins’ arrival, or the Penguins Plus gets you up close and personal. You also have the opportunity for an Underground Viewing, and there are tours available too.
One of the places you can stay at on the Island with your caravan is the Anchor Belle Holiday Park. It is located in Cowes and is just a short 10-minute drive to the world-renowned Penguin Parade. If you’re looking for something extra fun, you can stay at the Phillip Island Park Lane Holiday Park which shares grounds with the award-winning A Maze’N Things theme park.
Quokkas – WA
Photo Credit: Rottnest Island Authority
Photo Credit: Rottnest Island Authority
If you’re visiting the south coastline in Western Australia this summer, you’ll have to add seeing a quokka to your itinerary! A quokka is one of the cutest Australian mammals that are native to Rottnest Island. Although they are also an animal you can see year-round, you get to enjoy seeing them at an ideal coastal location for an Australian summer!
Something important to note is that Rottnest Island is car-free, meaning you can’t bring your vehicles. Ferries, boats, or planes will get you there, but once on the Island, you’ll get around via bike, bus, foot, or the Quokka Hopper. It’s worth it though for the snorkelling, beaches, natural attractions, island tours, bike and walking trails, and the chance to take a selfie with a quokka!
There is Island accommodation available, but if you prefer to stay on the mainland with your caravan, there is the Fremantle Village or the Discovery Parks Woodman Point Holiday & Caravan Park in Cockburn.
There are countless other Aussie creatures you can encounter on your travels. Many native animals can be easily spotted from your vehicle all-year-round, including kangaroos, wallabies, emus, echidnas, snakes and turtles. Many of them venture onto the road – so please make sure you are extra careful when driving, especially at dawn and dusk – to avoid an accident and harming the wildlife.
What has been your greatest Australian wildlife experience?
If you have a photo of you out on your caravanning adventure, please share it with us via our Facebook page!
Feel free to contact us direct at Winjana RV for any van or service/repair questions you may have.
Winjana RV (Adventure RV P/L)
Contact: Andrew Brennen on (07) 4638 3576
