8 Unusual Animals of Australia and Places to See Them

The story of Australian wildlife is not just one of fragility, but of incredible resilience and human dedication. Highlighting where conservation is winning provides a sense of hope and purpose to a journey, allowing you to witness the direct impact of rewilding efforts.

• Northern Quoll Recovery: In the Kimberley and Top End, participate in the luxury of "citizen science" by learning about the innovative "toad-smart" training programs. These initiatives are teaching these small marsupials to avoid invasive species, ensuring the survival of one of the Outback’s most spirited predators.
• Humpback Whale Migration: Witness one of the world's greatest wildlife comeback stories as thousands of whales return to the East Coast every winter. The luxury here is found in private charter vessels that allow you to witness these giants in total silence, far from the crowds of commercial tour boats.
• Kangaroo Island Glossy Black Cockatoo: Visit specialized sanctuaries to see the results of decades of habitat restoration that saved this bird from the brink after the 2020 bushfires. The experience of seeing a species recover is a rare and moving testament to environmental stewardship.

The Role of Indigenous Stewardship

Australian wildlife cannot be fully understood without the context of the world's oldest living culture. Indigenous Australians have managed these landscapes for over 60,000 years and their insights provide a profound, layered understanding of the bush.

• Traditional Fire Management: Join a private walk with a Traditional Owner to discover how "cool burns" are used to prevent catastrophic bushfires. Understanding this ancient technique reveals why the landscape remains so healthy and capable of supporting a high density of grazing animals.
• Cultural Tracking Skills: Engage with indigenous rangers who use ancient tracking techniques to monitor elusive species like the Great Bilby. The luxury of this experience is the ability to "read" the sand and soil, seeing a world of movement that is invisible to the untrained eye.
• Connection to Country: Gain an exclusive perspective on the spiritual significance of "totem" animals. Learning how these belief systems create a natural framework for species protection changes the way you view every bird and mammal you encounter on your journey.

The largest carnivorous marsupial in existence, the Tasmanian Devil is known for its incredible jaw strength and vocalizations. Once found across the mainland, they are now primarily restricted to the island state of Tasmania, where conservation efforts are vital to their continued survival.

• Observe behavior: Watch their social interactions during a private, after-hours communal feed. The luxury lies in witnessing their raw, unscripted power from a position of absolute safety and seclusion, far from the general public.
• Listen closely: Hear the raspy, guttural vocalizations that carry through the forest at night. This "unearthly" sound provides a visceral connection to the wild, reminding you that you are deep within a primal, functioning ecosystem.
• Support conservation: Visit the disease-free colony on Maria Island, a critical stronghold for the species' future. The luxury of Maria Island is its isolation. It is a car-free sanctuary where you can walk among the animals in complete tranquility.
• Identify markings: Look for the white "cravat" or stripe across the chest, which stands out against their dark fur. Your private guide will explain how these markings help individuals identify one another in the dim forest light.
• Notice movement: Watch their surprisingly fast, rolling gait as they move through the scrub. Observing their efficiency in their natural habitat highlights why they are the undisputed masters of the Tasmanian undergrowth.

Best places to see Tasmanian Devils

• Maria Island National Park
• Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park
• Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary
• Trowunna Wildlife Park
• East Coast Natureworld

For more information, take a look at Zicasso’s best places to visit in Australia.

The platypus is a biological marvel. It is one of only two egg-laying mammals on Earth. With a leather-like bill and a paddle-shaped tail, its anatomy was so strange that early European naturalists initially suspected it was a clever fabrication.

• Wait quietly: Experience the "luxury of silence" as you sit by a freshwater creek at dawn. This meditative wait is rewarded by the intimate sight of a platypus emerging, a moment of connection that feels entirely personal.
• Identify ripples: Look for the tell-tale "V" shape in the water. Learning to spot these subtle signs is a skill taught by expert trackers, allowing you to find wildlife that most travelers simply walk past.
• Marvel at anatomy: Observe how they use their webbed feet for propulsion and their tail for fat storage. Seeing this "hoax" of nature in person provides a profound appreciation for the sheer creativity of evolution.
• Respect power: Acknowledge the specialized venomous spurs on the hind legs of males. This rare mammalian trait adds an edge of wildness to an animal that might otherwise appear deceptively cuddly.
• Watch feeding: See them sift through riverbed silt using electrical sensors in their bills. The luxury of a high-end wildlife tour is having the time to stay and watch these complex behaviors unfold without being rushed.

Best places to see platypuses

• Eungella National Park
• Nymboida River
• Lake Elizabeth
• Mountain Valley Private Nature Reserve
• Latrobe

While exploring the best places to view wildlife in Australia, you will have many opportunities to see the famous platypuses in national parks and wildlife sanctuaries.

Echidnas are the other member of the monotreme family, covered in sharp spines and possessing a specialized snout for finding ants. They are highly adaptable and can be found in a variety of environments, from snowy mountains to dry woodlands.

• Witness defense: Watch as they quickly curl into a protective sphere of spines. Seeing this natural defense in the wild rather than on a screen brings the stakes of survival in the bush into sharp focus.
• Observe digging: See them use their powerful claws to move earth with startling speed. Enjoying the luxury of standing just a few feet away as an echidna "sinks" into the ground is a highlight of Australian wildlife tours.
• Follow trails: Look for small, conical holes in the ground where they have probed for termites. Your guide will explain how these animals act as vital soil aerators for the forest.
• Find juveniles: On Kangaroo Island, use your guide’s expert eye to look for "puggles." Spotting a young echidna is an exceptionally rare treat that requires patience and deep local knowledge.
• Check burrows: Explore near hollowed-out logs where they take shelter. Understanding their habitat requirements gives you a richer understanding of the entire woodland ecosystem.

Best places to see echidnas

• Kangaroo Island
• Billabong Sanctuary
• Flinders Island
• King Island
• Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park

Echidna are found all over Australia. Enjoy some of the best sightings on trips to Kangaroo Island, which doubles as an excellent place for safari tours in Australia.

These small, nocturnal marsupials possess a thin membrane stretching from their wrists to their ankles, allowing them to glide through the trees. They are social animals that live in family groups and are found throughout the forested regions of the north and east.

• Look up: Scan the canopy in the early evening to see them launch from branches. On a private night safari, specialized red-light torches allow you to see the animals without disturbing their natural nocturnal pace.
• Listen for calls: Identify their high-pitched yapping, which sounds remarkably like a small dog. This auditory clue is often the first sign that you are being watched by the forest's "hidden" residents.
• Spot feeding: Watch them strip bark to feed on the sweet sap of eucalyptus. Understanding their diet helps you appreciate the complex relationship between the flora and fauna of the Daintree or Kakadu.
• Observe agility: Marvel at how they use their long, bushy tails as rudders. Witnessing such high-speed, three-dimensional movement in the dark is a testament to the specialized adaptations of Australian mammals.
• Check hollows: Look for the small tree hollows where they sleep. Wthout old-growth trees and their natural hollows, these gliders simply cannot survive.

Best places to see sugar gliders

• Daintree Rainforest
• Lamington National Park
• Atherton Tablelands
• Great Otway National Park
• Kakadu National Park

These nocturnal creatures spend their time in trees, mainly around the north and eastern coasts of Australia, along with the Kimberley region of Western Australia and the northern tip of the Cape York Peninsula, one of the best adventure destinations in Australia.

Unlike their ground-dwelling cousins, tree kangaroos have adapted to life in the high branches of the tropical north. They have shorter hind legs and long, thick tails for balance, making them some of the rarest and most specialized mammals in the country.

• Scan branches: Look into the high canopy of the Atherton Tablelands. The luxury of this experience is the "slow travel" pace required to find them; it forces you to stop, breathe, and truly observe the rainforest.
• Watch movement: See their ability to hop between branches or descend trees backward. This rare sight upends everything you think you know about kangaroos and reveals the incredible diversity of the macropod family.
• Appreciate rarity: Realize the privilege of seeing a species that exists in such a limited geographic range. This is the ultimate "insider" wildlife experience; seeing something that only a fraction of visitors to Australia will ever witness.
• Observe diet: Watch them feed on leaves and ferns found only in the upland rainforests. Your guide will explain how their specialized gut allows them to process plants that would be toxic to other animals.
• Support habitat: Visit protected areas where luxury lodges partner with local communities to prevent forest loss. Your presence directly contributes to the economic value of keeping these ancient forests standing.

Best places to see tree kangaroos

• Atherton Tablelands
• Yungaburra
• Wongabel State Forest
• Millaa Millaa
• Ravenshoe

You can find kangaroos across Australia, though many specifically request an opportunity to spot the iconic tree kangaroos on curated Australia kangaroo safaris.

This small reptile is covered in thick, conical spikes that provide armor and camouflage. Found in the arid interior, it has a fascinating method of drinking water through its skin via capillary action, moving moisture directly to its mouth.

• Watch camouflage: Notice how their colors shift to match the desert sands. The luxury of a private Outback tour is having a guide who knows exactly where these tiny masters of disguise are likely to be basking.
• Observe feeding: See them sit by an ant trail and eat thousands of ants in a single sitting. This display of patience and efficiency is a perfect metaphor for survival in the harsh, beautiful Red Centre.
• Identify the "head": Look for the fatty protrusion on the back of their neck. Seeing this "decoy" in action explains the evolutionary arms race between the lizard and its predators.
• Notice the walk: Watch their jerky, rocking motion. This unique gait is designed to mimic a leaf in the wind, a fascinating example of how animals adapt to the lack of cover in the desert.
• Explore the red sand: Coordinate your search with a private guide during the shoulder seasons of spring or autumn to the lizard’s peak activity; because they rely on external heat to move, you can observe them basking on the red crests of the dunes in the morning sun.

Best places to see thorny devil lizards

• Alice Springs Desert Park
• Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park
• Shark Bay
• Karijini National Park
• Great Victoria Desert

From Gibb River Road, one of the best scenic drives in Australia, to more remote parts of the Outback, you might find the curious little lizards scuttling across the sand if you stop to take a closer look.

Wombats are sturdy, powerful burrowers known for their barrel-like bodies and surprisingly fast bursts of speed. They are the closest living relatives to the koala and play a major role in shaping the landscape through their extensive tunnel systems.

• Find evidence: Look for their distinctive cube-shaped droppings. This is a serious territorial marker, and seeing it in the wild provides a grounding, tangible link to the animal's daily life.
• Observe grazing: See them emerge from their burrows at dusk. The luxury of staying at a lodge in a region like Freycinet is that the wombats often graze right on your doorstep.
• Notice strength: Watch them move through thick scrub with ease. Understanding their physical power and "armored" rears gives you a new respect for these deceptively cute herbivores.
• Compare species: Identify the differences between the common wombat and the rarer northern hairy-nosed variety. This level of detail is what separates a generic tour from a deep, educational wildlife journey.
• Walk the trails: Explore the grasslands of Maria Island. The luxury here is the "shared space": walking alongside these animals in a way that feels respectful and unhurried.

Best places to see wombats

• Wilsons Promontory National Park
• Maria Island
• Kangaroo Valley
• Cradle Mountain
• Blue Mountains National Park

Exploring Australia’s best national parks and beyond, be on the lookout for these famous and unusual creatures.

Formally known as the Papuan tube-nosed fruit bat, this species gained fame for its unusual facial features. They are vital to the health of the rainforest, acting as primary seed dispersers for many native fruit trees.

• Examine features: Notice the prominent, tube-like nostrils and the wide jaw. Seeing this "icon" of the internet in its real environment is a thrill for anyone with a curiosity for the bizarre.
• Watch the flight: See them navigate the dense forest understory. The luxury of a guided night walk in the wet tropics is the chance to see the "night shift", the creatures that keep the rainforest alive while we sleep.
• Identify diet: Look for them near fruiting trees. Understanding what they eat explains why the rainforest is so vibrant and diverse; the bats are the forest's most important gardeners.
• Appreciate ecology: Understand their role in forest regeneration. This transforms a simple animal sighting into a lesson on the interconnectedness of all life.
• Visit the north: Focus your search in the tropical regions of Queensland. The luxury of the Far North is the combination of world-class reef and ancient rainforest, two distinct ecosystems in one destination.

Best places to see Yoda bats

• Cape York Peninsula
• Wet Tropics of Queensland
• Nightcap National Park

These fascinating bats are an integral part of the tropical ecosystem and an iconic spectacle to keep your eyes peeled for as you plan a trip for the best time to visit Australia for wildlife viewing.

A journey through the Australian wilderness brings you into contact with species found nowhere else on the planet. Feel the cool air of a Tasmanian forest, listen for the evening calls of the tropical north, and watch the sun set over the desert sands. These are the experiences that define an exceptional journey.

A personalized itinerary ensures your travel is built around the sightings you value most, from tracking rare marsupials to exploring the ancient rainforests of the north. Let your interests guide you by viewing our Australia tours and we will help you create a trip that exceeds your expectations. For further inspiration, please see our Australia travel guide.