10 new tours to book for 2026
We’re thrilled to unveil our extraordinary collection of new expeditions for 2026.
These carefully curated experiences combine hands-on conservation, deep cultural immersion, and once-in-a-lifetime encounters with Australia’s most remarkable landscapes and wildlife.
Here are our top 10 new tours departing this year.
1. Rewilding Scotia – New South Wales
Location: Scotia Wildlife Sanctuary, Western NSW
Deep in Australia’s red-sand Mallee country lies one of the nation’s most ambitious conservation success stories. The Rewilding Scotia expedition offers exclusive access to the Australian Wildlife Conservancy’s 65,000-hectare sanctuary, where visitors witness the remarkable return of species once extinct across mainland Australia. The sanctuary’s crown jewel is its 8,000-hectare feral-free area, one of the largest predator-proof zones on the continent, which protects endangered bilbies, bettongs, bridled nailtail wallabies, and malleefowl.
Led by AWC ecologists, guests explore via 4WD tours across red dunes and spinifex plains, participate in guided nocturnal spotlighting drives, and learn about the critical conservation work supporting these species’ recovery. Morning birdwatching walks reveal rare striated grasswrens and chestnut quail-thrushes. At the same time, visits to active malleefowl mounds demonstrate how fox control and habitat management are bringing these remarkable birds back from the brink.
2. Lord Howe Island Expedition
Location: Lord Howe Island
Just 600 kilometres off Australia’s east coast, this UNESCO World Heritage-listed island represents a near-pristine sanctuary where tropical and temperate ecosystems converge. Often called “the Galapagos of Australia,” Lord Howe Island hosts endemic species like the once-endangered Lord Howe Woodhen and provides critical habitat for seabird colonies. Guests work alongside leading scientist and naturalist Ian Hutton on citizen science projects, including seabird colony surveys that contribute to ongoing conservation monitoring. Guided walks explore the island’s unique geology, endemic flora, and rare fauna, while optional hands-on activities like habitat restoration allow visitors to contribute to the island’s protection directly.
The experience includes guided naturalist walks with a host who has been visiting the island since 1965, around-the-island boat cruises to outer islands and seabird nesting sites, and snorkelling in some of Australia’s finest coral reefs. Climbing the island’s dramatic peaks and swimming in crystal lagoons provides the perfect balance of adventure and natural wonder.
3. Outback Legends: Stories from Queensland’s Past
Location: Outback Queensland
Journey through Queensland’s heritage on this immersive expedition that brings the stories of Australia’s outback to life. Visit historic wool scours where the nation’s woolgrowers once brought their fleeces, explore stockman halls of fame celebrating the legendary horsemen and women who shaped the outback, and tour the Qantas Founders Museum to discover the origins of Australia’s iconic airline.
The tour ventures to remote stations where families carved out a life in one of Earth’s harshest environments, explores WWII sites that reveal Australia’s wartime history, and visits Aboriginal cultural centres where ancient traditions continue to thrive. Evening campfires feature legendary pioneering stories that capture the spirit, resilience, and humour that defined outback life.
This journey isn’t just about history—it’s about understanding the character of modern Australia through the lens of those who built it, from Indigenous custodians who’ve lived on these lands for tens of thousands of years to the European settlers who arrived in the 19th and 20th centuries.
4. Gluepot Reserve & Bowra Sanctuary Birding Safari
Location: Queensland & South Australia
Spanning two of Australia’s premier birding destinations, this safari offers unparalleled opportunities to observe rare and endangered species across mallee and mulga habitats. BirdLife Australia’s Gluepot Reserve in South Australia protects critical habitat for black-eared miners, striated grasswrens, and grey falcons. At the same time, the Australian Wildlife Conservancy’s Bowra Sanctuary in Queensland supports populations of Hall’s babblers, malleefowl, and numerous outback species.
Expert guides lead early-morning and late-afternoon excursions when bird activity peaks, using their intimate knowledge of the landscape to locate even the most elusive species. The tour employs a combination of vehicle-based spotting, walking tracks through diverse vegetation communities, and stake-out positions at known territories and water sources.
Beyond birds, participants encounter yellow-footed rock wallabies, red kangaroos, and a stunning diversity of reptiles. Night spotlighting reveals nocturnal species, including owls, nightjars, and marsupials. The expedition provides an authentic outback experience with comfortable accommodation serving as base camps for daily exploration.
5. Norfolk Island Expedition
Location: Norfolk Island
Rising from the Pacific 1,400 kilometres east of Australia, Norfolk Island combines dramatic natural beauty with a fascinating human history spanning Polynesian settlement, the Bounty mutineers, and a unique modern culture. This expedition explores the island’s endemic morepork owls (found nowhere else on Earth) while engaging with conservation projects that protect the island’s fragile ecosystem.
Visitors participate in conservation planting to restore native habitats, explore WWII history sites that reveal the island’s strategic importance during wartime, and attend cultural performances. Local artists share their work inspired by the island’s dramatic landscapes, while farm tours demonstrate sustainable agriculture adapted to the island’s unique conditions.
Hands-on environmental restoration projects allow guests to contribute meaningfully to Norfolk’s future, whether planting endemic species, removing invasive plants, or participating in wildlife monitoring. Guided walks traverse the island’s UNESCO-listed convict settlement and the dramatic coastal cliff formations that define its rugged shoreline.
6. Flinders Ranges Photography Safari
Location: Ikara-Flinders Ranges, South Australia
The Flinders Ranges present some of Australia’s most dramatic and ancient landscapes, including 580-million-year-old geological formations that tell the story of Earth’s early history. This specialised photography safari, led by photographer Cam Blake, focuses on capturing the region’s sweeping vistas, dramatic rock formations, and remarkable wildlife against the backdrop of the outback’s famous golden light.
Yellow-footed rock wallabies, one of Australia’s most striking marsupials, inhabit the ranges’ gorges and provide exceptional photographic subjects. The safari visits ancient gorges where light plays across layered rock walls, explores sweeping vista points where the ranges’ dramatic folded geology creates natural amphitheatres, and stakes out water sources where wildlife congregates.
Under Bortle-1 dark skies (the darkest possible rating), participants capture spectacular Milky Way panoramas rising above the ancient peaks. Expert guidance covers landscape composition, wildlife photography techniques, astrophotography settings, and post-processing workflows. The expedition balances technical instruction with ample time for individual creative exploration.
7. Torres Strait Islands Cultural Immersion
Location: Torres Strait, Queensland
Between Australia’s Cape York and Papua New Guinea lies the Torres Strait, a region of extraordinary cultural richness where Indigenous traditions remain vibrant and central to island life. This cultural immersion provides rare access to Torres Strait Islander communities eager to share their heritage with respectful visitors.
Experience traditional dance performances that tell ancestral stories through movement and song, participate in art workshops learning techniques passed down through generations, and join island cuisine experiences featuring seafood prepared according to time-honoured methods. WWII history tours reveal the islands’ strategic importance during wartime and the significant contributions of Torres Strait Islanders to Australia’s defence.
Stargazing navigation sessions demonstrate traditional wayfinding techniques used by Torres Strait Islanders to navigate between islands long before European contact. Guests forge meaningful connections with local communities, learning about contemporary island life while respecting the deep cultural protocols that govern these ancient lands. The expedition emphasises cultural exchange and respectful tourism that benefits local communities.
8. Dark Sky Astrophotography
Location: South Australia (near Lake Eyre)
Journey to one of Australia’s most remote outback locations for an immersive four-day astrophotography experience beneath Bortle-1 skies, the darkest classification on Earth, where the Milky Way casts visible shadows and deep-space objects appear with startling clarity.
Led by award-winning photographer Will Godward, this masterclass teaches advanced imaging techniques, including star-tracker operation for capturing sharp star fields during long exposures, panorama stitching for dramatic Milky Way compositions, deep-space object location and imaging, and time-lapse creation that captures celestial movement.
Optional scenic flights provide aerial perspectives of Lake Eyre’s vast salt pans and the surrounding desert landscape. The expedition offers high-quality equipment for participants, including star trackers, intervalometers, and specialised lenses. Accommodation in remote bush camps maximises access to dark skies while maintaining comfort. Daily workshops cover technical skills, creative composition, and post-processing, with each night dedicated to field sessions capturing the spectacular southern hemisphere sky.
9. East Arnhem Land Cultural Immersion (Women-Only)
Location: Northern Territory
This women-only journey to Bawaka in East Arnhem Land offers an intimate cultural experience guided entirely by Yolŋu custodians, the traditional owners of this remote corner of Arnhem Land. Guests learn Yolŋu traditions, including weaving techniques using native materials, bush medicine walks identifying plants used for healing and food, and storytelling sessions sharing Dreaming narratives that explain the creation and meaning of Country.
Healing practices demonstrate traditional wellness approaches, while spending time on Country with elder women provides profound insights into Indigenous knowledge systems, kinship structures, and the deep spiritual connection between people and land. Participants attend traditional Kurrma feasts, visit sacred waterfall sites, and may join Bloomfield Track adventures exploring the dramatic coastal and rainforest landscapes.
The expedition includes rainforest restoration activities, allowing guests to contribute to environmental healing while learning about Indigenous land management practices refined over tens of thousands of years. This deeply respectful cultural exchange creates space for genuine connection and understanding between Yolŋu women and visitors.
10. Ancient Dreaming: Cooktown & Bloomfield
Location: Far North Queensland
Far North Queensland’s Cooktown and Bloomfield region represents one of Australia’s oldest continuously inhabited landscapes, where Kuku Nyungkul culture has flourished for more than 50,000 years. This cultural journey provides authentic engagement with traditional owners who generously share their knowledge and connection to Country.
Smoking ceremonies traditionally welcome guests, purifying and preparing visitors for deeper cultural engagement. Bush medicine walks reveal the extraordinary botanical knowledge that sustained people for millennia—identifying food plants, medicines, and materials for tools and shelter. Traditional Kurrma feasts feature native foods prepared using ancient techniques, from coastal seafood to rainforest fruits and bush meats.
Sacred waterfall visits provide opportunities to learn Dreaming stories that explain the origins and ongoing spiritual significance of these landscape features. Bloomfield Track adventures traverse dramatic terrain where rainforest meets the Coral Sea, while rainforest restoration projects with Indigenous healer Mooks allow hands-on participation in environmental healing. The expedition emphasises listening, learning, and respectful cultural exchange.
Ready to book your 2026 adventure? Browse our complete tour collection, or call 1300 241 141 to speak with one of our travel experts.
Jan 9, 2026
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