Plan your getaway around Queensland’s seasonal nature and wildlife calendar

Organise your own meet and greet with the native flora and fauna that call the Sunshine State home using Queensland’s seasonal nature and wildlife calendar. From swimming with whales to sneaking a peek at the resident dingoes, this guide guide showcases the animal-focused opportunities and operators on offer to you across the state, promising an itinerary rich in wildlife encounters.

Summer (December to February)

The start of the year is when you’ll be able to mingle with turtle hatchlings in Queensland. Turtle season officially commences in November when female turtles make their annual pilgrimage to the state’s beaches to lay their eggs. But between January and March is when the finale takes place, and newborns dig their way to the surface and down to the shoreline. While turtle hatchlings can be watched along the coast, hotspots include Heron Island, Lady Musgrave Island, Lady Elliot Island (making a base at Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort), Fitzroy Island, Green Island, Wilson Island and of course Mon Repos Turtle Centre, near Bundaberg. Or swim with the fully grown, spending the day snorkelling alongside green and loggerhead turtles aboard the Lady Musgrave Experience.

Summer also signals bat season. In the Capricorn region you’ll find one of only five recorded bent-wing bat maternity sites in Australia at Bat Cleft. Tucked into the Mount Etna Caves National Park nudging Rockhampton, Bat Cleft is home to 80 per cent of Australia’s known population of breeding females, making the area a hub for spotting bats in the wild. Join the Torchlight Tour for the chance to see around 180,000 bats emerge from the caves at sunset, scouting for dinner.

Summer is also when waterfalls across the state are in full force, particularly in the northern regions where summer rainfall creates extra-lush green surrounds, and low winds mean crystal water clarity by which to see the reef.

Autumn (March to May)

Slightly cooler temperatures welcome the arrival of newborn koalas. There’s no better place to spot them in the wild than Queensland, with habitats scattered across the breadth of the state, particularly in less densely populated regions like the Sunshine Coast and Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island). Koala breeding takes place from September, with koala joeys spending a handful of months developing in their mother’s pouch before emerging out into the big wide world come March. Didn’t get a chance to glimpse them in their natural environment? No matter - you can get up close and personal with a koala cuddle encounter at the likes of iconic Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary or Australia Zoo.

May also marks the best time of year to greet the manta ray in the wild. The cooler waters from May to see rays out to play in larger numbers, especially along the Queensland coastline. Any Queensland seasonal nature wildlife calendar should mention you keep an eye out if you find yourself in The Whitsundays, Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island), or Lady Elliot Island - the latter often dubbed the home of manta rays, thanks to the abundant population found in its surrounding waters.

Winter (June to August)

Welcome to whale season in Queensland, with winter well-known for its whale migration. You’ll be hard-pressed to find somewhere better to see these giants of the deep in the flesh than Queensland’s Hervey Bay, the world’s first whale heritage site. Between June and November it’s humpbacks that you’ll find in abundance, with 25,000 whales descending on Queensland’s warm waters en route down to Antarctica with calves in tow. Spy these majestic creatures (or even swim alongside them) as a part of the many whale watching tours available from Hervey Bay, as well as Mooloolaba, Redcliffe, Moreton Island and the Gold Coast.

Or make your way north to Cairns & Great Barrier Reef. It’s here among the endless outdoor pursuits at your disposal that you’ll find a cluster of the elusive minke whale for just a few months each year. Queensland is the only place in Australia where you can swim with these inquisitive creatures, with Mike Ball Dive Expeditions leading the charge.

Spring (September to November)

But any Queensland seasonal nature wildlife calendar should mention that it’s not just fauna that thrives here, but flora, particularly in spring. On your travels through Queensland keep an eye out for wildflower season, especially in the Western Downs which transform into fields of colourful wildflowers after September downpours. Not to mention the purple wash overwhelming the city with Brisbane, as well as the Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast and southern Queensland countryside when the jacarandas bloom.

It’s also around November’s full moon that the Great Barrier Reef hosts one of the largest reproductive shows on the planet when the coral spawns. The event, which sees a synchronised explosion of billions of sperm and eggs, lasts just a few nights but has become a popular tourist attraction, with dive operators along the coastline offering visitors a chance to experience it for themselves on an overnight dive or multi-day journey.

Year-round

But you’ll find the beauty of Queensland’s seasonal nature wildlife calendar lies in the impressive number of wildlife encounters offered year-round. Make your way to the state’s tropical north, where Daintree Rainforest, Mission Beach, and Cape Tribulation play host to the cassowary. As well as a hearty population of crocodiles, which have made themselves at home along the web of waterways under the luscious rainforest canopy, often spotted sunning themselves on the river banks by day.

Further south you’ll spot dingoes galore along the Fraser Coast, home to the world’s largest sand island, Fraser Island. Just below on the Sunshine Coast is where dolphins are out in full force, cruising by the likes of Tangalooma, Moreton Island and Tin Can Bay, on the Sunshine Coast. If you make your way out to the shoreline at dusk you’ll be able to come practically face to face.

Or stick to land to interact with the wallabies that have become famous at Cape Hillsborough, near Mackay, which come out to say g’day at sunrise. Mackay is also home to plenty of platypus - make your way to Eungella National Park at sunrise and sunset, which present your best chances of catching them at play.