BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//jEvents 2.0 for Joomla//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH BEGIN:VEVENT UID:2510460f1c18d511f2ff80c5ce547959 CATEGORIES:Australasia CREATED:20160727T160424 SUMMARY:Australia & Tasmania DESCRIPTION:Fall in North America comes as springtime ignites the vast eucalypt forests Down Under, signaling the rattling hilarity of Laughing Kookaburras initia ting courtship and defending their territories on the ancient island contin ent of Australia.  Approximately the size of the conterminous 48 states of the U.S., our tour in Southeast Australia is designed for anyone who has ev er imagined gazing straight into the eyes of a curious, 6’ tall Emu—second largest bird on earth, watching a powerful Malleefowl adding compost to its enormous nest, or witnessing flights of indescribably colored Rainbow Lori keets and dazzling Crimson Rosellas.  Australia is not only a continent whe re over 300 birds—40% of its 776 species—are endemic, it is a place where p igeons are often as colorful as parrots and where male wrens—actually membe rs of the fairywren tribe—wear brilliant shades of blue, red, or purple for their November nuptial plumage.  Boasting about 50 species of kangaroos an d their kin alone, Australia has been the center of speciation for the mars upial clan since Australia drifted free of Gondwanaland 55 million years ag o.  We hope to see three of the largest species of the kangaroo clan. We wi ll also make a special effort to find the primitive Short-beaked Echidna, p ossible on either the mainland or in Tasmania, an egg-laying mammal resembl ing a hedgehog or a miniature porcupine.  Our route additionally provides u s with a realistic opportunity to spot an endangered Koala.  Southeast Aust ralia is vast, and the enormity of the country is amplified by the variety of its landscapes.  Our loop through the states of New South Wales and Vict oria will take us over the Great Dividing Range through the tallest eucalyp tus forest in Australia—some trees are over 300’—into the vast plains of th e Murray River. Here we will bird savannah, salt bush flats, and river red gum riparian groves, before striking out for the chaparral-like habitat kno wn as mallee.  Some of the birds we may see include Chestnut Quail-Dove, Au stralian King-Parrot, Major Mitchell’s or Pink Cockatoo, Powerful Owl, Aust ralian Owlet-Nightjar, Tawny Frogmouth, Painted Honeyeater, Superb Lyrebird , and a host of other endemic birds.  One evening we’ll make a special effo rt to see the enigmatic Plains-wanderer, a nocturnal bird that Phil Maher o nly pinned down for birders and scientists alike in 1980.  Aside from this unusual species that looks like a cross between a quail and a shorebird, a Plains-wanderer excursion gives us a chance for other birds such as Inland Dotterel or one of world’s truly unique marsupials, the Fat-tailed Dunnart.  Next we’ll hop 160 miles offshore to Tasmania. The island state of Tasman ia hosts an additional 12 species of endemic birds, and we may see them all in our first 24 hours.  Beyond endemics, however, the wet temperate forest of Tasmania is home to one of the most beautiful avifaunas in all the worl d.  Species here include both Green and Eastern Rosellas, Shining Bronze-Cu ckoo, Masked Owl, Superb Fairy-Wren, Southern Emu-Wren, Spotted Pardalote, Striated Fieldwren, and New Holland Honeyeater, along with lovely Pink, Fla me, and Scarlet Robins.  A full day pelagic trip from Eaglehawk Neck on the southern coast of Tasmania brings us into the purlieu of no fewer than sev en species of albatrosses, as well as a wide assortment of petrels, storm-p etrels, prions, and shearwaters.  Evening spotlighting forays may reveal ma mmals as varied as Platypus, Eastern Barred Bandicoot, or the furtive Tasma nian Devil.  If you have always wanted to see the birds and the wildlife of Australia, we invite you to join us this November for spring “down under” in the southern hemisphere. \nLeaders: Steve Davidson (index.php?option=com _content&view=article&id=37:steve-davidson&catid=18:leaders-and -staff&Itemid=155), Phil Maher (index.php?option=com_content&view=a rticle&id=36:philip-maher&catid=18:leaders-and-staff&Itemid=155 ) & Rick Taylor (index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2 3:rick-taylor&catid=18:leaders-and-staff&Itemid=155)\nCost of Austr alia & Tasmania includes all accommodations, all meals, all ground tran sportation, and all entrance fees beginning and ending in Melbourne—$9,195. \nTO REGISTER: Print out a PDF Registration Form (images/borderland/borderl and_tours_reg_v4.pdf), call us at (520) 558-2351 or This email address is b eing protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. d ocument.getElementById('cloak2a2c346ab6f883b4becce6889930d522').innerHTML = ''; var prefix = 'ma' + 'il' + 'to'; var path = 'hr ' + 'ef' + '='; var addy2a2c346ab6f883b4becce6889930d522 = 'inf 11;' + '@'; addy2a2c346ab6f883b4becce6889930d522 = addy2a2c346ab6f8 83b4becce6889930d522 + 'borderland-tours' + '.' + 'com?subject=Tour%20registrat 5;on'; var addy_text2a2c346ab6f883b4becce6889930d522 = 'send us an email';document.getElementById('cloak2a2c346ab 6f883b4becce6889930d522').innerHTML += ''+addy_text2a2c346ab6f883b4becc e6889930d522+''; .\nPhoto: Pretty-faced Wallaby\nPhoto by: Rick Taylor \n (/component/joomgallery/australia-photo-gallery.html?Itemid=161)\nView Pho to Gallery (/component/joomgallery/australia-photo-gallery.html?Itemid=161) X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:

Pretty-faced Wallaby. Photo by Rick Tayl or. Copyright <strong>Borderland Tours</strong>. All rights reserved. Fall in North America comes as springtime ignites the vast eucalypt forests Down Under, signaling the rattling hilarity of Laughing Kookaburras initiating courtship and defending their territories on the ancient island continent of Australia.  Approximately the size of the conterminous 48 sta tes of the U.S., our tour in Southeast Australia is designed for anyone who has ever imagined gazing straight into the eyes of a curious, 6’ tall Emu— second largest bird on earth, watching a powerful Malleefowl adding compost to its enormous nest, or witnessing flights of indescribably colored Rainb ow Lorikeets and dazzling Crimson Rosellas.  Australia is not only a contin ent where over 300 birds—40% of its 776 species—are endemic, it is a place where pigeons are often as colorful as parrots and where male wrens—actuall y members of the fairywren tribe—wear brilliant shades of blue, red, or pur ple for their November nuptial plumage.  Boasting about 50 species of kanga roos and their kin alone, Australia has been the center of speciation for t he marsupial clan since Australia drifted free of Gondwanaland 55 million y ears ago.  We hope to see three of the largest species of the kangaroo clan . We will also make a special effort to find the primitive Short-beaked Ech idna, possible on either the mainland or in Tasmania, an egg-laying mammal resembling a hedgehog or a miniature porcupine.  Our route additionally pro vides us with a realistic opportunity to spot an endangered Koala.  Southea st Australia is vast, and the enormity of the country is amplified by the v ariety of its landscapes.  Our loop through the states of New South Wales a nd Victoria will take us over the Great Dividing Range through the tallest eucalyptus forest in Australia—some trees are over 300’—into the vast plain s of the Murray River. Here we will bird savannah, salt bush flats, and riv er red gum riparian groves, before striking out for the chaparral-like habi tat known as mallee.  Some of the birds we may see include Chestnut Quail-D ove, Australian King-Parrot, Major Mitchell’s or Pink Cockatoo, Powerful Ow l, Australian Owlet-Nightjar, Tawny Frogmouth, Painted Honeyeater, Superb L yrebird, and a host of other endemic birds.  One evening we’ll make a speci al effort to see the enigmatic Plains-wanderer, a nocturnal bird that Phil Maher only pinned down for birders and scientists alike in 1980.  Aside fro m this unusual species that looks like a cross between a quail and a shoreb ird, a Plains-wanderer excursion gives us a chance for other birds such as Inland Dotterel or one of world’s truly unique marsupials, the Fat-tailed D unnart.  Next we’ll hop 160 miles offshore to Tasmania. The island state of Tasmania hosts an additional 12 species of endemic birds, and we may see t hem all in our first 24 hours.  Beyond endemics, however, the wet temperate forest of Tasmania is home to one of the most beautiful avifaunas in all t he world.  Species here include both Green and Eastern Rosellas, Shining Br onze-Cuckoo, Masked Owl, Superb Fairy-Wren, Southern Emu-Wren, Spotted Pard alote, Striated Fieldwren, and New Holland Honeyeater, along with lovely Pi nk, Flame, and Scarlet Robins.  A full day pelagic trip from Eaglehawk Neck on the southern coast of Tasmania brings us into the purlieu of no fewer t han seven species of albatrosses, as well as a wide assortment of petrels, storm-petrels, prions, and shearwaters.  Evening spotlighting forays may re veal mammals as varied as Platypus, Eastern Barred Bandicoot, or the furtiv e Tasmanian Devil.  If you have always wanted to see the birds and the wild life of Australia, we invite you to join us this November for spring “down under” in the southern hemisphere. 

Leaders: Steve Davidson, Phil Maher & Rick Taylor

Cost of Aus tralia & Tasmania includes all accommodations, all meals, all grou nd transportation, and all entrance fees beginning and ending in Melbourne— $9,195.

TO REGISTER: Print out a PDF Registration Form, call us at (520) 558-2351 or This email address is being protected from sp ambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Photo: Pretty-faced Wallaby
Photo by: Rick Taylor 

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DTSTAMP:20260812T061810 DTSTART;TZID=America/Phoenix;VALUE=DATE:20171028 DTEND;TZID=America/Phoenix;VALUE=DATE:20171114 SEQUENCE:0 TRANSP:OPAQUE END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR