Australia
Australia is renowned for a rather motley crew of inhabitants… including its wildlife. There are some of the most poisonous snakes and spiders in the world, countless kangaroos and wallabies, the misunderstood dingo, unique duck-billed platypus, Tasmanian devils, cute wombats, possibly cuter koalas, and much more.
The southern island of Tasmania, relatively tiny compared to the mainland, boasts plentiful wildlife. It has many beautiful beaches, mountains, countless national parks, and an untouched wilderness in the Southwest.
Tasmanian residents include wombats, platypus, marsupials, and – of course – the Tasmanian Devil.
The huge state of Western Australia, a third of the entire continent, and the Northern Territory. Both states are sprawling landscapes, encompassing sparsely populated desert regions, with some areas only see a few days of rain a year.
Throughout the regions are countless nature reserves, from Kakadu in the North to Esperance in the South. Unsurprisingly, this harsh, majestic landscape features wonderful creatures.
South Australia, borders every other mainland state, and is possibly the most diverse because of it. Victoria, the smallest of the mainland states and famous for the Great Ocean Road, matches the larger states for nature.
Melbourne, in Victoria, is known by the locals for having the most unpredictable weather in the country. While parts of South Australia are so arid, the desert provided the setting for the Mad Max films.
These two states cover most of the east coast, as well as huge swathes of outback territory. Contrasting the population centres of Sydney and Brisbane, move hundreds of miles inland and you’re as rural as any other state in Australia.
Here, you can dive on the Great Barrier Reef, roam the world’s largest sand island, explore Australia’s mountains, traipse through rainforest, and with them, a multitude of species.
New Zealand
New Zealand is almost completely devoid of native land-based mammals, although invasive species are now found there. Birdlife is in abundance, as is the marine life around the coasts of the two islands. Whales, orca, sharks, dolphins, seals and sea lions all inhabit the seas around the islands.