Listening to this field recording of sounds you could be mistaken for being on a tropical island with waves lapping the shore. The waves that were rolling in on the day these ambient sounds were recorded were quite benign; but Tasmania, Australia’s island state lies in the path of the Southern Hemisphere’s Roaring Forties and is often blasted by strong, wild winds. Fortunately, this recording was made on the reasonably sheltered and beautiful Maria Island that provides a stunning walk through nature and history just off the main coast of Tasmania.

Welcome to the Wildlife & Wilderness Travel & Safaris show, the world’s first and only podcast on wildlife safaris worldwide and sustainable tourism. This show’s for everyone interested in eco-tourism, travel in the natural world and adventures to our planet’s wild places.

I’m your host, Dr. Steve Banner, biologist and Director of the travel company, Wildlife & Wilderness, providing high quality holiday experiences to thousands of clients for almost 25 years.

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Tasmania is a delightful island and one of great contrasts too. In the wild west are the forests of the Tarkine but Tasmania also has numerous mountains and deep cut valleys and spectacular beaches. Scenically it is a delight and we’d love to take you there. Nature abounds with the iconic Tasmanian devil, there are pademelons – a small wallaby, kangaroos and it is a great place for finding platypus; then wombats, spotted quolls and other marsupials make up a fine mix of terrestrial animals. Offshore dolphins, southern right whales, seals, albatross and little, or blue penguins can be found.

Tassie is also known for its birds, attracting over 200 species with 12 endemic species including some high endangered such as the forty-spotted pardalote and the orange-bellied parrot. It is a superb destination for bird watching and wildlife holidays, made more so by great guiding and wonderful local food and wine.

I hope that this podcast will take you to a different place in your imagination, something we perhaps need to do in this current pandemic. In the meantime If you’ve enjoyed our podcasts so far do subscribe and share with friends interested in wildlife & wilderness.

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