Thylogale Nature Refuge - Rainforest Marsupials Birds

Rainforest Wildlife

Welcome to Thylogale Nature Refuge
a wildlife sanctuary of the future

Lace Mojnitor - Varanus varius We are David and Diane Armbrust and Thylogale is our home and the base for our rainforest wildlife tour 'Australian Natural History Safari'.

Diane and I consider ourselves privileged to live in such a biologically rich and beautiful part of Australia. Our area (Far North Queensland Australia) is unique in the world as it contains two separately listed World Heritage areas side by side.

The great barrier reef and our wet tropical rainforests are considered to be two of the world's greatest treasure troves of biological diversity.

Red-legged Pademelon - mother and joey.
Red-legged Pademelon - Thylogale stigmatica

For those like us who have an interest and a love for the natural world this area is indeed one of Mother Nature's Gardens of Eden.

We purchased the property as a personal rainforest retreat in 1980. At the time we were operating the Daintree Ferry providing access into the Cape Tribulation area. In 1994 on the founding of our safari company we decided to share the property and the wildlife with small numbers of visitors. Today our discreet safari spends the morning here in the rainforest enjoying this friendly and abundant wildlife.

Thylogale is the first stop of the day for 'Australian Natural History Safari'. The safari begins here with an enchanting morning walk through the rainforest where normally shy and timid rainforest marsupials and birds emerge from the forest to greet us. An unforgettable morning tea or coffee break is held in the rainforest here with the company of this free living wildlife.

The Musky-rat Kangaroo (Hypsiprymnodon moschatus) is the most primitive of the kangaroo family and is commonly found at Thylogale Nature Refuge.
Musky Rat-kangaroo Hypsiprymnodon moschatus

The Swamp Wallaby ( Wallabia bicolor ) lives in dense undergrowth on the verges of rainforest. It is one of the most unusual of the Australian wallabies.
Swamp Wallaby - Wallabia bicolor

Thylogale Nature Refuge is situated to the west of Port Douglas in one of the most ecologically diverse regions of Australia.

The property has two distinct forest types. The majority is densely vegetated with well developed rainforest that has been classified as Complex Notophyll Vine Forest (Type 5) by Webb and Tracey. There is also a small area of closed forest that has been classified by Webb and Tracy as Vine Forest (Type 12b)

A report prepared in 1995 by the Queensland Department of Environment described Thylogale as being a significant habitat type which was not represented in Australia's existing National Park Estate.

Thylogale is one of those rare places on earth where man and wildlife, sharing land and resources live together in a respective and harmonious relationship.

From a botanical point of view, the high conservation value of our property comes from the known nine, rare, threatened or endangered plant species that it supports. Most significantly it is the largest protected habitat for the endemic and highly endangered tree Sankowskya stipularis.

Geographically we are located a 30 minute drive to the west of Port Douglas and over the Great Dividing Range. We are in the western watershed. At an altitude of around 500m we are in one of Australia's richest biological areas. In the surrounding area you will find both upland and lowland rainforest, melaleuca wetlands, a variety of eucalypt forest and a stunning diversity of wildlife.

Shy and timid, the Agile Wallaby ( Macropus agilis ) emerges in the late afternoon to graze in open areas.
Agile Wallaby - Macropus agilis

Rainforest butress roots - Thylogale rainforest.
Thylogale rainforest

Diane and I are inspired by Australia's wildlife and are committed to its conservation. We have instigated a voluntary conservation agreement with the Queensland Department of Environment to provide permanent protection to our rainforest and for its wildlife.

Over 75% of our property has been declared a protected Nature Refuge and the whole property is dedicated as Land For Wildlife. The property is also listed with the Humane Society International as part of their "Wildlife Land Trust".

In birds alone something like 300 species have been recorded within a 30 kilometre radius of Thylogale Nature Refuge. This is almost half of Australia's known bird species and includes all 13 of the Wet Tropics endemics.

The bird list for Thylogale includes a good number of the Wet Tropics endemics and is an impressive 127 species.

The plumage of the female Victoria's Riflebird is very differnt to that of the male.
Female Victoria's Riflebird - Ptiloris victoriae

Male Victoria's Riflebird - Ptiloris victoriae

Our resident wildlife has regained its trust in man and with care and respect may be observed at close quarters.

Your exclusive visit to Thylogale will be one of the major highlights of your trip to Australia. It will also aid nature conservation as funds generated by 'Australian Natural History Safari' go towards the maintaining of this wildlife sanctuary and for the acquisition of further land for similar wildlife conservation.

At Thylogale there is no fencing - here the wildlife is totally free.

Thylogale Nature Refuge is a private sanctuary and is not open to the public or other tours.
The only way to visit is with Australian Natural History Safari

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"We are a proud member of Wildlife Tourism Australia, a non-profit
organisation established to promote the sustainable development of a
diverse wildlife tourism industry that supports conservation."

This page was last edited
Monday, 25 January 2010 10:33:26

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