A travel agency for Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands

OUR  NATURE GUIDES

While these guides are all experts in natural history - and that's what much of your visit to Australia features - they are also founts of knowledge about Australian culture, history and pretty much anything else about their home country.

Jonathon Munro lives on Warrigal, an area of regenerating and old rainforest he and his wife own near Ravenshoe, North Queensland. Jonathon is a superb guide with knowledge across a surprising range of disciplines. In addition to being able to identify mammals at night just by their eyeshine characteristics, Jonathon is an expert birder, and can create a complete rainforest birding list by ear alone. Since 1987 Jonathon has led over 3000 excursions into the highland rainforest to observe nocturnal wildlife, including Audubon societies and the BBC Natural History Unit, museum, universities and zoos. As well as Australia, Jonathan has traveled extensively to observe wildlife in Africa, Borneo, China, Mongolia, USA, Canada, the Arctic, Southeast Asia, New Zealand, Polynesia and Europe. In addition he has worked as a biologist for the Australian Parks and Conservation Service and for organizations concerned with wildfowl and wetlands conservation and captive breeding programs for rare and endangered species.

Denise Goodfellow - well, here's what she has to say about herself: "Denise Lawungkurr Goodfellow has had a career path 'like a mad dog's dinner,' rangin g from music teacher and buffalo shooter to biologist, guide, lecturer, cross-cultural consultant, author, and illustrator. A member of the Kunwinjku peoples of NW Arnhem Land, she is the family snake-catcher and a dab hand at catching pigs with a castnet! She also mediates in times of family trouble. Lawungkurr, a name given to her by the clan matriarchs is the name of a long-dead but still highly honoured woman of her clan. In 2000 Denise was contracted to work as interpreter/transcriber on the Lonely Planet's Guide to Aboriginal Australia. Denise also lectures in environmental studies for the University of New South Wales' summer school." In between all this she became an excellent birder, painter (the one of the Hooded Parrot is hers) and contributor to the Gouldian Finch Recovery Plan. Finally, she has written the definitive book on the Birds of Australia's Top End, plus two others - Fauna of Kakadu and the Top End, and Quiet Snake Dreaming.

Damon Ramsey is based in North Queensland, Australia. Damon has traveled many of the natural areas of the world in pursuit of his interest in wildlife. In Australia he guides in the north, from Queensland across to the Kimberley, Western Australia. As well as being an expert birder, and in addition to his guiding, Damon has worked in the field on bandicoots, bats, frogs, goannas and the rare and ancient tree Ididospermum. In the field Damon takes great care to ensure his clients are well-looked after, and he can cook up a great breakfast out of almost nothing if required. Damon has written two extensive educational guides to Queensland natural history, used on his educational school and college tours. Damon leads many of our multi-day tours all over Australia, and is our main guide for school and college groups.

Alan Gillanders is a local Tablelander who grew up on western Cape York Peninsula. His interest in natural history has been life long. While earning his living as a teacher Alan lead botanical, geological and birding tours for various local, interstate and international interest groups and operators; he's now guiding full time. Alan has been a national park volunteer for a decade, leading many public activities including spotlighting tours. Alan's wealth of amusing stories stem from personal experience, illustrating his points about the plants and animals you see. Alan is our primary guide for custom day trips on the Atherton Tablelands, North Queensland, Australia.

Del Richards has been birding for over forty years, all over Australia, and lives at Julatten, North Queensland. He knows his "patch" intimately, and follows and logs bird activity on every tour, and just daily as he birds for fun. This knowledge allows Del to find target species for birders, as well as provide a comprehensive morning or full day's birding - over half of Australia's species have been recorded with 200km of his home.

Janine Duffy
What can we say? This is a lady who can recognize wild koalas by looking at their poop dried on the ground. We don't mean koala in general, we mean individuals. Takes great pride in a board with koala scats arranged and mounted tastefully on it. Also happens to be an excellent artist, naturalist, researcher and bushwoman. You can see Janine talking about koalas in a 30-sec National Geographic Channel film clip here.

Paul Hackett
Paul has been active in the Australian birding scene for many years both as an avid observer and keen wildlife photographer. He has a close association with the Orange-bellied Parrot Recovery Team searching for these endangered birds on the Australian mainland and monitoring them at their breeding grounds in the wild south west of Tasmania. Special interests include migratory waders, raptors and birds of the mallee. Paul has also assisted in several research expeditions including a stint in the mallee successfully searching for Black-eared Miners and Red-lored Whistlers. He is a member of Birds Australia, Bird Observation and Conservation Australia and a past Secretary of Birds Australia (Victoria). Paul has a wealth of experience and knowledge to offer birders as they search for the spectacular bird life of Australia.