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The Ultimate Rainforest & Outback Experiences

Established in 1982 Wait-a-while has earned the reputation of being the region's best tour operator for true ecologically focused day & night in & around Australia's Wet Tropics World Heritage listed rainforests. It specialises in very small group (typically 6 or 10 passengers max.) & private charter nature focused rainforest & outback tours led by professional Naturalist guides giving unsurpassed levels of spotting, identification & interpretation of wildlife (flora & fauna) in its' natural environment. Our tours visit remote & restricted access places (rainforest, forest & bush) on the Atherton Tablelands, Daintree & Cape Tribulation Wet Tropics World Heritage rainforest areas & nearby reaches of outback Cape York of Tropical North Queensland offering the very best RAINFOREST & OUTBACK experiences - far more than the standard scenic tour. Each safari is suitable for all people with an interest in wildlife in its' natural environment - from a casual interest through hobbyists to scholars/study groups & professionals. Wait-a-while safaris are more than a scenic drive offering superior qualities of experience avoiding typical tourist routes taking guests into the heart of the rainforest & nearby outback. All of the venues we use are natural & the wildlife is truly wild & not encouraged by feeding, etc.- indeed every last scrap of evidence of our presence in the wilderness is removed prior to our departure from it. We work on the basis of take only memories & photographs & leave only footprints.

The majority of rainforest wildlife is nocturnal & mostly resides in the more remote refuge areas of the rainforest which we visit. Accordingly most of our tours have a nocturnal element taking people to the rainforest when it is awake (night time) & above 350m elevation to upland & highland rainforest where most wildlife resides - comparatively very little is found in coastal rainforest. Wildlife spotted typically includes mammals (Musky Rat Kangaroo, Platypus, Lumholtz's Tree Kangaroo, Green, Lemuroid and Herbert River Ringtail Possums), birds (Chowchilla, Spotted Catbird, Golden Bowerbird, Victoria's Riflebird, Southern Cassowary), reptiles (Boyd's Forest Dragon, Northern leaf-tailed Gecko, Amethystine Python), amphibians (Platypus), butterflies, moths & many other invertebrates.

All trips include transfers, park permit fees, use of binoculars, reference books & spotlighting equipment, refreshments & usually a restaurant meal (Tour 2 is a gourmet picnic in the rainforest) (unless stated otherwise).

Wait-a-while tours give the very best & most thorough rainforest experience taking people to the heart of the rainforest when it's awake rather than merely over its' top or along its' edge whilst it's asleep!