Bruny Island

The jewel in the crown of Tasmania’s birdwatching destinations is undoubtedly Bruny Island, located just over 30km south of Tasmania’s capital city Hobart and accessed by vehicular ferry from the seaside hamlet of Kettering. The ferry trip takes around 15 minutes. Bruny Island has the distinction of featuring as one of only 2 Australian destinations in “Fifty Places To Go Birding Before You Die - Birding Experts Share the World’s Greatest Destinations” (Chris Santella, HNA Books, New York, 2007) and is also the home of Dr. Tonia Cochran, one of Australia’s foremost birding and wildlife experts and the base for her tour company Inala Nature Tours which offers Australia-wide birding and wildlife experiences. All 12 of Tasmania’s endemic bird species are found on Bruny Island, the most famous and endangered of them being the Forty-spotted Pardalote. This species now only occurs in a handful of locations in Tasmania, and Bruny Island is one of its strongholds. It is inextricably linked with one species of plant, the White or Manna Gum and there are currently huge efforts being made to protect this endangered little bird after the discovery that its population has decreased by 60% over the last 15 years. Cochran is a member of the National Recovery Team for this species and is heavily involved with its conservation; her 500 acre property “Inala” is home to one of the largest remaining colonies and she has just placed a conservation covenant on the land to protect its tiny inhabitant and its habitat in perpetuity. She also works regularly with local school groups, who help grow and plant seedlings of the special tree required for its survival.

Most of the other 11 endemic species are also readily found on Bruny Island, with the exception of the Scrubtit, an elusive species that sometimes takes a bit of searching for and knowledge of its preferred habitat. Other noteworthy bird species found on Bruny Island include the Swift Parrot, one of a handful of migratory parrot species that is also on the endangered list, the white colour morph of the Grey Goshawk and other normally hard to find species such as Olive Whistler, Pink Robin (which in the males as its name suggests has a bright hot pink chest) and Beautiful Firetail.

The waters surrounding Bruny Island are also rich in wildlife, which can be seen by taking a cruise from Adventure Bay. In addition to spectacular coastal scenery and rock formations, the trip takes you to some offshore islands where you can view Australian Fur-seals and sometimes their cousins the New Zealand Fur-seal. Dolphins also regularly seen from the boat as are a variety of seabirds including albatross, gannets, gulls and cormorants.

As night approaches, the island is transformed. Little Penguins and Short-tailed Shearwaters that have been feeding out at sea during the day come back to their breeding burrows at dusk to feed their chicks in spring and summer (September to March is the best time to view them). Mammals also abound on Bruny Island (a good term to describe the abundance as most of them hop!). The island is world famous for its “white wallabies” an almost albino genetic mutation of the Red-necked or Bennett’s Wallaby, and a cute relative of the Tasmanian devil called the Eastern Quoll or native cat which comes in two colour forms, both of which have spots on the body. Eastern Quolls are now only found in Tasmania, as are a type of wallaby called the Tasmanian Pademelon. Both are very common on Bruny Island. Another mammal you may spot here if you are lucky is the Long-nosed Potoroo. All of these are marsupials or pouched animals; the Short-beaked Echidna is also common here and is particularly notable as it is an egg-laying mammal or monotreme. Strange and exotic names that suit this wonderful island paradise.

You may prefer to wander around and explore this smorgasbord of wildlife at your leisure, but if you want the benefit of local knowledge and an expert specialist wildlife guide then help is available through Inala Nature Tours (www.inalabruny.com.au). Tonia and her team would be pleased to design a personalised itinerary for your Tasmanian stay or you can just arrange a short tour of maybe half or full day. Accommodation is also available on the property at Inala and the cottages function as wildlife hides where the birds and animals come to you.

Good quality food and produce is not scarce on Bruny Island either. The island boasts a cheese factory, winery, fudge and chocolate factory, smokehouse and outlet for purchasing some of the best oysters you could ever wish to taste from some of the cleanest waters on earth. Top quality catering can also be found here, and the Hothouse Café’s Lemon Tart is world class!

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