Wildlife Attaraction in Tasmania

Tasmania is full of wildlife but you will have to go looking for it as much of it is nocturnal and there is enough bush and wilderness for the daytime critters to safely tuck themselves away. Sadly, the prolific nature of the wildlife is evident by the amount of roadkill you'll come across on your travels. Motorists can help prevent this happening by slowing down at night and taking heed of wildlife warning signs.

The trick to spotting wildlife in Tassie is to try and become one with nature - walk quietly, slowly and use your ears and eyes to explore. The snap of a twig or a swish of scrub may be a wallaby nearby, tracks in the sand or dirt may lead to birds or animals, a splash in a creek or waterhole may be a platypus or some feathers and bones may be the remains of a Tasmanian devil's dinner - they're not the tidiest of eaters. Or take a walk at dusk with a torch to spot wombats, possums and wallabies. Mt William, Freycinet and the Narawntapu Parks are good for spotlight walks. Mt William is also a refuge for forester kangaroos, the island's largest marsupials, and they graze at dawn and dusk.

Specialist wildlife tours are widely available and are highly recommended, as they will provide you with the best opportunity to get camera-close to devils, wombats or quolls. Latrobe, in the northwest, is one of the best places to view platypus in the wild and the local Landcare group conducts tours.

The cute little echidna, the platypus's closest relative and the world's only other egg-laying mammal, can often be seen waddling through the bush or on the side of the road. Be careful if you see one on the road, it certainly won't hurry to get out of your way. This curious little creature is about the size of a small football and has spines, fur, a long beak, a sticky tongue and digging claws.

Birdlife also abounds with sea eagles hovering over the coastal cliffs, shearwaters (who make an annual trip north to the arctic circle and, amazingly, return almost to the day each year to nest in the same burrow!) and many rare and colourful parrots. You'll find rare swift parrots, orange-bellied parrots (particularly in Melaleuca in the Southwest wilderness), ocean-going albatrosses, fairy penguins toddling up beaches and pink robins darting about the rainforest floor. In the Tamar Island wetlands there are marsh birds, native ducks, black swans, herons, cormorants and pelicans.

There is also a rich marine life that includes dolphins, fur seals and whales and scuba diving opens up yet another world of wildlife.

One animal you probably won't come across is the thylacine, or Tasmanian tiger. The last one supposedly died in captivity in 1936 but many people have claimed to have spotted one since and some still believe it roams in the wilderness. Have the camera ready and you could become famous!