A beautiful Ribbon-tailed Astrapia in the Tari Valley, Papua New Guinea by Mark Harper. One of the many birds-of-paradise there.
AUSTRALASIA and OCEANIA
Lists such as this one are of course highly subjective but the destinations listed and linked below are the ones we believe are the best in the Australasia and Oceania region of the world. They have been chosen very carefully and for a multitude of reasons, but mainly based on personal experience of some of them and on dreams of visiting the rest, dreams resulting from what we have heard, read or seen.
Those destinations that didn't quite make it include Northwestern Australia, the Solomon Islands and Polynesia. If there are any other destinations you think should be on the list below then please Email us.
For each destination there is a very brief summary. For more details click on the destination name.
For more information click on Top 100 Birds, Top 100 Other Wildlife and Top 50 Other Natural Wonders.
Destinations
West Papua
The fantastic birds-of-paradise, the most amazing birds in the world, include Wilson’s Bird-of-paradise and Western Parotia, both of which may be seen
displaying and are absent from Papua New Guinea, as well as Red, Lesser, King-of-Saxony, Twelve-wired and King, supported by other spectacular birds
such as Palm Cockatoo, Western Crowned Pigeon, Blyth’s Hornbill, Rufous-bellied Kookaburra, Flame Bowerbird and MacGregor’s Honeyeater (a former
bird-of-paradise which is absent from the beaten track in Papua New Guinea). All these birds and the richest coral reefs in the world! The best
times to visit are May-September, especially July, for birds, and April-June and September-November for coral reefs.
Papua New Guinea
The fantastic birds-of-paradise, the most amazing birds in the world, include Blue Bird-of-paradise and Ribbon-tailed Astrapia, both of which are
absent from West Papua, as well as Raggiana, Lesser, King-of-Saxony, Twelve-wired and King, supported by other spectacular birds such as Palm Cockatoo,
Southern Crowned Pigeon, Blyth’s Hornbill, Rufous-bellied Kookaburra and Flame Bowerbird. All these birds and some of the richest coral reefs
in the world. The best times to visit are May-September, especially July, for birds, and April-June and September-November for coral reefs.
Northern Australia
A high percentage of endemic mammal species, seven endemic bird families and over 330 endemic bird species (about half of those which occur regularly)
make Australia unique in the true sense of the word. In Northern Australia endemic mammals include Black Wallaroo and endemic birds include Hooded
Parrot, Gouldian Finch and Rainbow Pitta, while more widespread spectacular birds and other wildlife include Brolga Crane, Black-necked Stork,
Blue-winged Kookaburra and Saltwater Crocodile. The best time to be there is October.
Eastern Australia
Platypus, Koala, a chance of other endemic mammals including Short-beaked Echidna, numerous fish on the Great Barrier Reef, the largest expanse of
coral reef on Earth, and birds such as Southern Cassowary, Superb and Albert’s Lyrebirds, two birds-of-paradise, Regent Bowerbird, Wedge-tailed Eagle
and seabirds including Wandering Albatross. The best time to visit is October-November.
Southeastern Australia
Platypus, Koala, Tasmanian Devil, kangaroos, wombats, possums and birds such as Emu, Superb Lyrebird, Satin Bowerbird, Superb and White-winged
Fairywrens, Plains-wanderer and Little Penguin. The best time to visit is October-November.
Outback Australia
Red Kangaroo, Yellow-footed Rock Wallaby, Southern Hairy-nosed Wombat and birds including Emu, Malleefowl, Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo, Letter-winged
Kite, Australian Bustard, Banded Stilt, Red-necked Avocet and Chestnut-breasted Whiteface. The best time to be in the Outback is September-November.
Western Australia
Dugong, Whale Shark, Southern Right and Humpback Whales, a good chance of Manta Ray and Green Turtle, Leafy and Weedy Sea Dragons, Thorny Devil, as well
as a chance of Short-beaked Echidna, Numbat, Honey Possum and Western Grey Kangaroo, with endemic birds including Emu, Malleefowl, and Splendid and
White-winged Fairywrens, and one of the best wild flower displays in the world. The best times to visit are September-April for Dugong, April-June for
Whale Shark, May-September for Manta Ray, and mid-September to mid-October for birds and wild flowers.
New Zealand
Sperm Whale, dolphins, close-up seabirds including Wandering Albatross and White-faced Storm-Petrel, and over 45 endemic bird species including penguins,
kiwis, Kea, Kokako, Kaka and Weka, all in some splendid scenery, notably glaciers and fjords. The best time to visit is November.
Subantarctic Islands
Millions of marine mammals and birds, notably Southern Elephant Seals, King, Royal, Erect-crested and Snares Crested Penguins, Wandering, Royal,
Light-mantled, Buller's, Chatham, Salvin's, White-capped and Campbell Albatrosses, and Shore Plover, in one of the wildest places in the world. Cruises
usually operate in November.
New Caledonia, Fiji and Tonga
Tonga is one of the few places in the world where it is possible to swim with Humpback Whales, while the whole region boasts some of the best coral
reefs in the world, with some spectacular seabirds overhead and endemic birds on land, not least Kagu on New Caledonia, parrots and doves on Fiji, and
Niuafo’ou Megapode on Tonga. The best time is August-September.
Western Pacific Odyssey
An incredible selection of seabirds including Little Penguin, albatrosses such as Wandering and Short-tailed, tropicbirds, frigatebirds, petrels,
shearwaters, storm petrels such as New Zealand and White-faced, terns including White, boobies and Japanese Murrelet, and a long list of possible
cetaceans including whales such as Blue and several dolphins, as well as endemic landbirds which include Kagu and Solomon Sea Eagle. Cruises usually
operate in April-May, from New Zealand to Japan.
Palau and Yap
One of the best places in the world to snorkel or scuba-dive with Manta Rays, the chance to swim in a lake full of jellyfish, and to see some of the
world’s most spectacular seabirds including White-tailed Tropicbird and White Tern, as well as some endemic landbirds such as Palau Megapode. The best
time to visit is January to June when underwater visibility is at its best.
Hawaii
A chance to snorkel or scuba-dive with Spinner Dolphins, Manta Rays and Green Turtles, as well as numerous spectacular coral reef fish. Also Humpback
Whale, Bristle-thighed Curlew, many seabirds such as Laysan Albatross, Red-tailed and White-tailed Tropicbirds, and White Tern, and about 24 endemic
birds not least those belonging to the endemic honeycreeper family, all on active volcanic islands with occasionally spectacular lava flows. Humpback
Whales are usually present from November to May and seabird diversity and numbers usually peak in March-April when many forest birds are at their most
active and attractive.
