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('cloakb6154ee8ff7d1fe9ae751aa4c3c9f888').innerHTML = ''; var prefix = 'ma' + 'il' + 'to'; var path = 'hr ' + 'ef' + '='; var addyb6154ee8ff7d1fe9ae751aa4c3c9f888 = 'inf 11;' + '@'; addyb6154ee8ff7d1fe9ae751aa4c3c9f888 = addyb6154ee8ff7d 1fe9ae751aa4c3c9f888 + 'borderland-tours' + '.' + 'com?subject=Tour%20registrat 5;on'; var addy_textb6154ee8ff7d1fe9ae751aa4c3c9f888 = 'send us an email';document.getElementById('cloakb6154ee8f f7d1fe9ae751aa4c3c9f888').innerHTML += ''+addy_textb6154ee8ff7d1fe9ae75 1aa4c3c9f888+''; .\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 Taylor. Copyright <strong>Borderland Tours</strong>. All rights reserved.Fall  in North America comes as springtime ignites the vast eucalypt fore sts Down Under, signaling the rattling hilarity of Laughing Kookaburras ini tiating courtship and defending their territories on the ancient island con tinent 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 ever imagined gazing straight into the eyes of a curious, 6’ tall Emu—seco nd largest bird on earth, watching a powerful Malleefowl adding compost to its enormous nest, or witnessing flights of indescribably colored Rainbow L orikeets and dazzling Crimson Rosellas.  Australia is not only a continent where over 300 birds—40% of its 776 species—are endemic, it is a place wher e pigeons are often as colorful as parrots and where male wrens—actually me mbers of the fairywren tribe—wear brilliant shades of blue, red, or purple for their November nuptial plumage.  Boasting about 50 species of kangaroos and their kin alone, Australia has been the center of speciation for the m arsupial clan since Australia drifted free of Gondwanaland 55 million years 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 Echidna , possible on either the mainland or in Tasmania, an egg-laying mammal rese mbling a hedgehog or a miniature porcupine.  Our route additionally provide s us with a realistic opportunity to spot an endangered Koala.  Southeast A ustralia is vast, and the enormity of the country is amplified by the varie ty of its landscapes.  Our loop through the states of New South Wales and V ictoria will take us over the Great Dividing Range through the tallest euca lyptus forest in Australia—some trees are over 300’—into the vast plains of the Murray River. Here we will bird savannah, salt bush flats, and river r ed gum riparian groves, before striking out for the chaparral-like habitat known as mallee.  Some of the birds we may see include Chestnut Quail-Dove, Australian King-Parrot, Major Mitchell’s or Pink Cockatoo, Powerful Owl, A ustralian Owlet-Nightjar, Tawny Frogmouth, Painted Honeyeater, Superb Lyreb ird, and a host of other endemic birds.  One evening we’ll make a special e ffort to see the enigmatic Plains-wanderer, a nocturnal bird that Phil Mahe r only pinned down for birders and scientists alike in 1980.  Aside from th is 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 Inla nd Dotterel or one of world’s truly unique marsupials, the Fat-tailed Dunna rt.  Next we’ll hop 160 miles offshore to Tasmania. The island state of Tas mania 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 for est of Tasmania is home to one of the most beautiful avifaunas in all the w orld.  Species here include both Green and Eastern Rosellas, Shining Bronze -Cuckoo, Masked Owl, Superb Fairy-Wren, Southern Emu-Wren, Spotted Pardalot e, Striated Fieldwren, and New Holland Honeyeater, along with lovely Pink, 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 than seven species of albatrosses, as well as a wide assortment of petrels, stor m-petrels, prions, and shearwaters.  Evening spotlighting forays may reveal mammals as varied as Platypus, Eastern Barred Bandicoot, or the furtive Ta smanian 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 unde r” in the southern hemisphere. 

Le aders: Steve Davidson, Phil Maher & Rick Taylor

Cost of Australia & Tasmani a includes all accommodations, all meals, all ground transportatio n, and all entrance fees beginning and ending in Melbourne—$9,195.

TO REGISTER: Print out a PDF Registration Form, c all us at (520) 558-2351 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need Jav aScript enabled to view it..

Photo: Pretty-faced Wallaby
Ph oto by: Rick Taylor 

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