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See Australia's unique animals and birds in their natural environment on a rainforest wildlife-spotting tour in the Atherton Tablelands. Led by an expert nature guide, your small-group nocturnal tour visits a number of locations including lush tropical rainforest and a volcanic crater lake. See tree kangaroos, lizards and musky rat kangaroo by day, and search for platypus at dusk. Enjoy afternoon tea at Lake Barrine and dinner at a country restaurant, then go spotlighting for possum, bandicoots, owls, bats and tree kangaroos by starlight on this fascinating nocturnal wildlife tour.
Specialized infant seats are available
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Children must be accompanied by an adult
Please wear closed toe shoes and a jacket for night time.
A moderate amount of walking is involve. Low fitness level required
Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking
Please bring insect spray as this is not provided
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Local guide
Hotel pickup and drop-off
Afternoon tea
All equipment (binoculars, spotlighting gear, rain ponchos, reference materials)
Dinner
Air-conditioned vehicle
National Park fee
Drinks, unless specified
RainForest by Night Cairns: Atherton Tablelands Rain Forest by Night from Cairns
Pickup included
Operated by Wait-a-While Rainforest Tours
373 reviews
Pam U,
Feb 4, 2025
I appreciated the tour guide's depth of knowledge and attention to detail. The platypus sightings are quite regular and are the highlight of the trip.
Charles F,
Sep 8, 2024
This was one of the best wildlife tours i’ve ever taken! It was wonderful to see so much of Australia’s legendary creatures in their native habitats like Platypus, Wallaby, Flying Foxes, and too many types of birds to mention. The rainforest was lush and beautiful and the majesty of the famous Curtain fig tree was simply breathtaking!!! Paul is a top-notch guide who knows his local wildlife as well as any biologist. He’s a got a great sense of humor and he always made sure we were in the perfect spots to get a clear view of all the critters. Dinner at the beautiful old Yungaburra was delicious and the old world atmosphere of the place is really something worth experiencing in itself !!! If you’re ever in Queensland, don’t miss this tour!!!
Julie W,
Aug 10, 2024
This was a wonderful experience. Great guide and so much to see. This was probably our favorite tour. Highly recommend.
Ross M,
Jul 25, 2024
We had a brilliant afternoon and evening with Paul. His knowledge of the area was extensive and he knew exactly what to look out for. The journey there and back was comfortable despite previous reviewers grumblings. We had four stops and did see several possums, a sooty owl, two platypuses and some wallabies. The weather was pretty damp and miserable but we enjoyed the experience nonetheless. The dinner in Yungaburra was excellent with lots of options. Will have to return though to see the starry night sky. We did have two family groups on our trip, though I'm not sure how much the young children got from it other than adding lots of noise to scare off animals! Paul was great at telling them off when their parents didn't!
Danny C,
Jul 7, 2024
We had a great trip on this tour. We saw many animals and learned a lot. The dinner was also delicious. Seeing the clear night sky was remarkable! We did have two children (11 & 7) with us and the guide was a little short and impatient with them. But overall a good tour and would recommend.