where to see koalas on magnetic island

Best Places for Wildlife Photography In Australia

Wildlife Down Under

It is hard to think of Australia without thinking of its magnificent wildlife. From kangaroo’s hopping in mobs across the open outback, to koalas lazing around in eucalyptus trees, Australia has an abundance of wildlife. For wildlife photographers, Australia is high on the list of dream locations to go to capture these amazing animal in the wild.

I spent 2.5 years in Australia in the working visa program. I traveled over 30,000 miles around the vast continent and visited many National Parks. I had my Nikon D500 and Tamron 150-600mm with me the whole time, capturing as much of the wildlife as I possibly could.

Below are the best places I have visited for wildlife photography in Australia.

Kakadu National Park

  • Location: Top End of The Northern Territory

  • Nearest City: Darwin (160km)

  • Size: 4.89 million acres

  • Notable Wildlife: Brumbies, water buffalo, crocodiles, wallabies, 280 bird species

Kakadu National park is an amazing spot for wildlife photography. Covering 4.89 million acres of billabongs, waterfalls, savanna woodlands, and lowlands Kakadu hosts a large amount of wildlife. Approximately 280 different bird species, 60 mammal species, 25 species of frogs, and 117 species leaves no shortage of wildlife to photograph.

The wet season is from November-March and can be very inconvenient/ impossible for wildlife photography. Roads flood and become inaccessible and a lot of the park will close down. Rivers flood making it harder to find crocs on the boat cruises.

Read More: Best Way To See Crocodiles in Australia

Cape Range National Park

  • Location: Coral Coast Western Australia

  • Nearest Town: Exmouth (45km)

  • Size: 124,988 acres

  • Notable Wildlife: Emus, wallabies, dingoes, whale sharks

Cape Range National Park is an amazing spot to visit as a wildlife photographer. Black-footed wallabies can be seen in the lime stone range. Wallabies, emus and dingoes can frequently be seen as you drive the main road of the park. Most of the wildlife is accustomed to cars and will not flee when you get close enough to get a good shot.

The park borders the pristine waters of The Ningaloo Reef. There are plenty of opportunities for underwater wildlife photography if you have the proper equipment. Swimming with whale sharks is a popular activity when the largest fish is present in the area (March-August)

Magnetic Island

  • Location: North Queensland

  • Nearest City: Townsville (8km)

  • Notable Wildlife: Koalas, Wallabies, Echidnas, Death Adders

Located by just a short ferry ride from Townsville lies Magnetic Island. Magnetic Island is a 12,851 acre island and two-thirds of the island is a National Park. While there is an abundance of wildlife on the island, the main animal to go see and photograph would be koalas.

Watch On YouTube: WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY | Koalas, Wallabies, and a Spider

Magnetic Island boast about several hundred koalas. They are all over the island but are easiest to spot on the forts walk. Koalas can sleep up to 20 hours a day, so they can frequently be spotted sleeping in the trees. This Aussie icon is spectacular to see in their natural habitat and Magnetic Island would be my go to photograph and view koalas in the wild.

Watch On YouTube: Wildlife Photography | Koalas

Bladensburg National Park

  • Location: Outback Queensland

  • Nearest Town: Winton (20km)

  • Size: 209,792 acres

  • Notable Wildlife: Red Kangaroos, Emus, Bustards

Bladensburg National Park is a place that one would think of when the Australian Outback comes to mind. Large red kangaroos can frequently be seen hopping around in the first morning light and last light of the day. Wildlife can be easily spotted over the vast grassland plains and river flats. There is a campground at the park so you can set up a base as you wander around the dusty roads in search of wildlife to photograph.

Watch On YouTube: Wildlife Photography in Outback Australia | Kangaroos in Bladensburg

Bladensburg has amazing backdrops for photos. For photography, it really puts these amazing animals in the proper Aussie outback environment. The park is a bit off the beaten path and doesn’t get too busy, so there aren’t too many vehicles flying down the road to scare away the wildlife.

Watch On YouTube: Photographing Landscapes and Wildlife in Bladensburg National Park

The best place to see wild Koalas

Magnetic Island

AN Australian icon that is on every tourists list to see while in Australia is the koala. There is no better place in all of Australia to see wild koalas than on Magnetic Island. Magnetic Island is located on the north east coast of Queensland about 10km off the coast from the city of Townsville. The island is easily accessible on a ferry from Townsville. There are several small towns on the island with restaurants and accommodation. There is also a bus route and many places to rent small cars on the island so getting around in search of the koalas can be very easy.

The island holds a population of around 800 koalas. One of the largest koala populations in all of Australia. Koalas can sleep up to 21 hours a day. Being nocturnal they are mostly active at night. During the day they can be seen napping in the eucalyptus trees mainly on the eastern part of the island. Koalas diet consists mostly of eucalyptus leaves so be sure to know your flora so you know what trees to look for when searching for these animals.

Watch on YouTube: WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY | Koalas, Wallabies, and a Spider

The koalas are actually not native to magnetic island. They were introduced in the 1930s as a kind of backup population to protect them from threats on the mainland. With no predators and hunting not allowed the koalas flourished. Now the koalas are focused at ecotourism, and many people travel to the island just to see koalas in their natural habitat.

Watch on YouTube: WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY | Koalas

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Forts Trail on Magnetic Island

The Forts trail located on the northeastern part of the island and is the best spot to find wild koalas on the island. They can frequently be seen sleeping on the side of the trail high up in the trees. So make sure to be looking up as you take the 2 hour hike and you will almost be certain to see a koala. The hike goes up to an old WWII lookout tower providing excellent views of the island as well as some interesting history.

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I have done the hike several times and more often than not I have been able to find a koala or 2 with ease. A few times they have been high up in the trees so my long lens has bee very beneficial to help me photograph them. But sometimes they can be seen on the lower parts of trees.

Watch on YouTube: LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY | Forts Trail

If you ever find yourself in North East Queensland in the Townsville region Be sure to take a ferry to Magnetic Island and do the Forts walk to find some wild koalas.