Wildlife Watching in Oceania

South Australia’s ‘zoo without fences’, where kangaroos, koalas, echidnas and sea lions roam wild. Watch the sea lion colony haul out at Seal Bay, spot fur seals below Admirals Arch, and explore the wind-sculpted rocks and bushland of Flinders Chase National Park.

Famous for its nightly Penguin Parade, when hundreds of little penguins waddle ashore at dusk. This Victorian island also shelters fur seals, koalas and rich birdlife, all an easy day trip south of Melbourne. Come at sunset and dress warmly.

A World Heritage reef fringing remote Western Australia where you snorkel straight off the beach. Between March and August it is one of the only places on earth to swim alongside gentle whale sharks, as well as manta rays, turtles and reef sharks.

A car-free island off Perth beloved for the quokka, the perpetually smiling marsupial behind a thousand selfies. Ride a bike between turquoise bays, snorkel over reefs and shipwrecks, and watch for dolphins and seasonal whales offshore.

Australia’s largest national park teems with saltwater crocodiles, wallabies and a third of the country’s bird species. Cruise the Yellow Water billabong at dawn when the wetlands come alive, and admire the ancient Aboriginal rock art at Ubirr and Nourlangie.

The whale-watching capital of Australia, where humpbacks pause to rest and play in sheltered waters from July to November. Boats get remarkably close as mothers and calves breach and tail-slap, and curious whales often approach to inspect the vessels.

New Zealand’s wild, remote third island and one of the best places on earth to see kiwi in the wild. Join a guided night walk to glimpse the elusive bird, and by day watch for penguins, sea lions and abundant seabirds on nearby Ulva Island.

The world’s oldest rainforest meets the reef in tropical Queensland, home to the flightless cassowary, tree kangaroos and estuarine crocodiles. Cruise the Daintree River, walk the canopy boardwalks and watch for wildlife found nowhere else on earth.

A rugged Tasmanian island of rare white wallabies, fur seals, little penguins and migrating whales. Boat tours nose along its towering sea cliffs to find the wildlife, while the land rewards you with superb local oysters, cheese and birdwatching.

One of the best places to see wombats grazing in the open, alongside pademelons and echidnas, with spotlit Tasmanian devils at nearby sanctuaries after dark. Walk the Dove Lake circuit beneath the jagged peaks of Tasmania’s alpine icon.

New Zealand’s vast wilderness of fiords shelters fur seals, bottlenose dolphins and the rare Fiordland crested penguin. Cruise Milford or Doubtful Sound to see them set against sheer cliffs and thundering waterfalls, often in dramatic mist and rain.

The largest living structure on earth, a marine wonderland of coral, turtles, reef sharks and more than 1,500 fish species. Snorkel or dive from Cairns or the Whitsundays, or take a glass-bottom boat to glimpse the underwater spectacle without getting wet.

The world’s largest sand island shelters a famously pure strain of dingo, along with sea turtles and migrating humpbacks offshore. Its freshwater dune lakes, rainforest and long beach highway make for a wild 4WD wildlife adventure off Queensland.