Australia is home to many unique species of birds, reptiles and animals not found anywhere else in the world, including our iconic kangaroos, koalas, platypus and echidnas. Wildside Sanctuary is surrounded by Wollemi National Park, the largest area of untouched wildscape in Australia, which also borders on to the world heritage listed Blue Mountains National Park. Here you are truly able to experience wilderness at scale, a rarity these days. The Wollemi wilderness burst onto the global stage when its unique dinosaur tree, the Wollemi Pine (Wollemia nobilis) was discovered in 1994. Growing in an evolutionary time capsule, a previously undiscovered sheltered canyon, where this grove of trees had existed virtually unchanged for over 60 million years.
However, getting to see our amazing wildlife in their natural environment is not easy. Many are nocturnal, they are naturally shy and are masters of disguise! That’s where expert guidance brings a huge difference to your appreciation of the locally abundant wildlife. We are offering private wildlife and birdwatching tours for guests at our sanctuary. Expert ecologists will escort you and teach you how to become a wildlife detective, looking for signs of wildlife, identifying birds, and on evening spotlighting tours, observing them feeding and foraging.
You don’t need any background knowledge or fitness to have an amazing experience that will greatly deepen your understanding and appreciation of our unique wildlife. You will be walking on clearly marked trails through our property. You can prebook your wildlife tour when you book your accommodation through our website. Any special equipment such as binoculars or headlamps will be provided.
If you prefer a group tour, these will be scheduled monthly and you can book your places in these through our Facebook page, Wildside Sanctuary. Choose from birdwatching and wildlife detective tours, suitable for those who are new to wildlife watching.
Just like people, the behaviour and activities of wildlife vary throughout the year, so we don’t guarantee what animals or birds you will see, but we know that you will have a wonderful experience that will leave you feeling uplifted by your nature interaction. Your tour will start with you seeing a magnificent Wollemi Pine up close. Our resident parrots, cockatoos, gliders, possums, wallabies and koalas will be waiting in our magnificent forest for you to experience their world.
