Wild Kangaroos..where to see wild kangaroos in Australia!A survey of tourists arriving in Australia showed that the two most favored tourism icons anywhere in the World were the Statue of Liberty, followed by the Kangaroo! Another survey taken when tourists were leaving Australia showed many were disappointed they didn't see any wild kangaroos! For those fortunate people who have seen large mobs of kangaroos in their natural habitat, it is a magnificent and never-to-be forgotten experience! If you are visiting Australia we provide below some places where you will be able to see wild kangaroos. Please be aware that you will need a vehicle ( or hire vehicle) in good condition to travel outback Australia. Outback roads are generally gravel and in poor condition. You must carry plenty of water, and other supplies in case of breakdown. A satelite phone can be hired with your hire vehicle, normally mobile phones can't get a signal outback if you do break down. Passing cars are few and far between. Please be careful. While driving around Australia you will see the odd kangaroo and wallaby (and emu perhaps) from the road, but for larger numbers, you need to visit a National Park or Reserve, or an otherwise Protected Area. When kangaroos are harrassed by farmers or shooters, they will move into areas where they feel safe.
Victoria One of the best places to see Grey Kangaroos in Victoria is the Puckapunyal Army Reserve, just an hour or so North of Melbourne. While the base is off-limits, a road completey surrounds the Reserve, and in the late afternoon kangaroos can be seen in medium sized mobs grazing inside the Reserve. Other areas include Cape Schank on the Mornington Peninsula, South of Melbourne, Anglesea, West of Melbourne, the Yarra Ranges National Park, the Avon Wilderness Park, and the Alpine National Park, all North of Melbourne. The swamp wallaby can be seen quite regularly throughout Victoria. South Australia In South Australia most of the kangaroos in rural areas have been shot out. One of the best places to see them is on Kangaroo Island, just a 1 and 1/2 hour drive from Adelaide, and a short boat trip from the Fleurieu Peninsula. It is a subspecies of the Western Grey, because the kangaroo has been seperated from mainland populations, and has developed differently to other Western Grey kangaroos on the mainland. Western Grey kangaroos are slightly different from the Eastern greys, and can be found in a few large National Parks in South Australia. The Danggali National Park and the Ngarkat Conservation Park are two areas where Western Greys may be seen. New South Wales Dont bother to go inland in NSW to see wild kangaroos, unless you go right out west where the kangaroo shooters can't get to. Kangaroo shooters have shot out most of the NSW rural areas, except in some National Parks which include Sturt National Park, Menindee Lakes and Mungo National Parks. Again as in Queensland, kangaroos can be seen at most National Parks and Nature Reserves along the NSW coast, North and South of Sydney, but as only 7% of NSW is protected form kangaroo shooting, they are not generally seen in large numbers. Western Australia Western Australia has the lowest numbers of kangaroos than any other State. Species include Western Grey Kangaroo , Red Kangaroo, Euro or Common Wallaroo, and in the tropics, Antilopine Wallaroos. Best places to see them are in small National Parks and Nature Reserves North and South of Perth. These include Wandoo Conservation Park, Lane Poole Conservation park, Mondyne Nature Reserve, and Moore River NP. Queensland In our view, the best place in Queensland to see wild kangaroos is Torbul Beach, just an hour North of Brisbane in the late afternoon. They graze in residents backyards, and laze arouond in the streets and beaches. As in most of the other States they have been shot out in most rural areas. From Torbul North, Grey Kangaroos can be found in small numbers at most beach settlements up the Queensland coast, especially near Cardwell and and inland from Innisfail, and at the Lakefield National Park in North Queensland, and the Idalia National Park in Central Western Queensland. Red Kangaroos can be seen in Diamantina NP in Western Queensland, and in the Simpson Desert NP. The Northern Territory The Northern Territory doesn't have a lot of kangaroos, but they can be seen North of Alice Springs. You can see Rock Wallabies, Wallabies, and possible the largest kangaroo, a large male Antelopine Wallaby. The Litchfield National Park is a good place to see wallabies and kangaroos. Tasmania The Tasmanian kangaroos are different from the mainland species. Known as Forester Kangaroos, they are restricted to Northeastern Tasmania and have been relocated to small areas in Central Tasmania. The Mt William National Park in the Northeast provides the best opportunity to see these animals. The Forester has also been introduced to Maria Island National Park, Three Hummock Island, and Narawntapu National Park. The Forester's prefered habitat is dry sclerophyll forest with open grassland clearings. ACT Dont bother, Canberra has very bad vibes, and they shoot the kangaroos in the Reserves....give it a miss, there are much better places to visit! For more information about wild kangaroos and kangaroo tourism, see
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