Australian Wildlife and Wine | Tasmanian Wildlife Tours

Kangaroo joining guests at the outdoor dining table - Pepper Bush Adventures

PLAY VIDEO - Wildlife Tours in Tasmania - Creating Memories

Quoll Patrol with Puggles & Bubbles

Tasmanian Tour Viewing Unique Australian Wildlife, Ben Lomond & Tassie Wines

The Experience – Tasmanian Tour – Private Charter – 2 days / 2 nights
Day 1 & 3 – Self-drive or Pepper Bush transfer arrival/departure
Day 1 – Ben Lomond National Park & Quoll Patrol
Day 2 – Platypus viewing & wine tasting in the Pipers Brook & Tamar Valley regions
NOTE – the days program is subject to vineyard opening days, and changes may be needed
Read more about our Quoll Patrol campfire dinner here – Dinner with the Kangaroos Blog Post

Australian Wildlife – Tasmanian Wildlife Viewing

Day 1 – Ben Lomond & Quoll Patrol – Reviewed as one of Australia’s best wildlife viewing tours
Premium Australian wildlife viewing tour – a day in the highland areas of north-east Tasmania. Self-drive to Scottsdale, or book a Pepper Bush Adventures transfer from Launceston to Scottsdale. Seasonal 12.00 – 2.00 pm departures from Scottsdale. Visit Ben Lomond National Park, a spectacular mountain of dolerite columns and scree slopes. Impressive views and a stunning array of alpine vegetation on offer. Leaving Ben Lomond, we travel through the Roses Tier forests to the Tyne Valley for a campfire dinner with the forester kangaroos.

The Campfire Dinner….With the forester kangaroos as your dinner companions, enjoy the ambience of campfire dining with a 3-course dinner. The meal starts with a Tasmanian tasting platter of cheeses and smoked meats. The main course is followed by Native Spice Salmon/Salad and dessert to finish. Settle back and relax with a Tassie beverage, watch the sun set, and see our field of dreams come alive.
Nocturnal Wildlife Viewing – You will be delighted as you sit by the campfire and watch wildlife at dusk. Kangaroos, eastern quolls, Tasmanian pademelons and brush-tail possums feed near the campfire while Bennett’s wallabies and wombats graze close by. Return to your accommodation 8.00 – 11.00 pm (seasonal)

Overnight: Scottsdale
Dinner – Campfire dinner on tour

Platypus and Tamar Valley Vineyards

Day 2 – Platypus Viewing and Pipers & Tamar River Wine Region – Overview – The Pipers River and the Tamar region in northeast Tasmania are the premier wine-producing country in Tasmania. But wine is not the only thing the area offers. The diverse landscapes complement visits to the vineyard cellar doors, perfect for a day out. The Tamar Valley in Tasmania offers stunning vineyard views, with rolling hills, lush vines, and the meandering Tamar River creating a picturesque landscape. Many vineyards in the region offer breath-taking views, often with cellar doors where you can enjoy local wines while taking in the scenery. The day’s program is:

Platypus Viewing – Pepper Bush Adventures offers an unforgettable platypus viewing experience. As you quietly watch from the banks of the local waterways, you’ll witness platypuses gliding through the water, diving for food, and surfacing gracefully. The experience is enhanced by the knowledgeable commentary on their behaviour. This intimate wildlife encounter makes for a truly magical start to the day Enjoy the remainder of the day tasting the flavours of the Pipers Brook and Tamar Valley wine regions.

Visiting the Vineyards

Delamere Vineyard – One of Tasmania’s longest-running family-operated wine estates. Delamere Vineyard produces distinguished sparkling and still wines from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay varieties.
Marion’s Vineyard – Monday to Wednesday – Marion’s is one of Australia’s most visually spectacular vineyard sites. Planted in 1979 and still owned by the same family, our protected macro pocket produces sparkling wines and full-bodied reds, packed with character and flavour from ancient vines.
Stoney Rise Vineyard – Thursday to Friday – Enjoy a relaxed wine tasting experience at Stoney Rise Wine Company, sampling small-batch cool-climate wines crafted with minimal intervention and full of distinctive Tasmanian character.
Lunch – Tamar Valley Wine Centre – Enjoy a relaxed lunch at the Tamar Valley Wine Centre featuring fresh Tasmanian produce, gourmet platters, and locally inspired flavours. The welcoming atmosphere and selection of regional wines make it an ideal stop for a leisurely dining experience in the heart of the Tamar Valley wine region.
Velo Wines Cellar Door – Velo has enjoyed success with an award-winning range of vibrant fine wines: Vintage Sparkling, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet/Merlot, and Shiraz

Overnight – Scottsdale
Dinner – At own arrangements at a local eatery

Product Reviewed June 2026

Download Brochure

Duration	Private Charter Tour 2 days & 2 nights + transfer 2 person price minimum departure
Departure	Day 1 – Self-drive – departing Beulah 12.00-2.00 pm (seasonal) Day 1 – Pepper Bush transfer from Launceston – 11.00 am-12.00 pm (seasonal)
Schedule	Day 1 – Self-drive or Pepper Bush transfer from Launceston Day 1 – Visit to Ben Lomond National Park – Quoll Patrol – return to Scottsdale Day 2 – 9.30 am Platypus viewing followed by Pipers Brook and Tamar Valley Wine Tour Day 2 – dinner – own arrangements Day 3 – 10.00 am self-drive of Pepper Bush transfer departure
Inclusions & Terms	Pepper Bush Vehicle/Guide 2 nights B&B in Scottsdale Pre and post tour transfers to and from Launceston if not self-driving All meals and tour activities and some beverages Cancellation – 30 days prior to departure date – forfeit 100%

Great personalised tour of Ben Lomond I did a personal tour of Ben Lomond National Park in early November 2022. I enjoyed my experience thoroughly. You need a certain type of vehicle to get into Ben Lomond National Park and I found it fascinating. My guide made plenty of stops along the way, I had lots of photo opportunities and the scenery is just stunning. I highly recommend. It's a great spot off the beaten track that a lot of tourists dont' think to go to. The wildlife is lovely as well as the lookouts and scenery. Very peaceful place. Even received some delicious fresh sandwiches from the award winning scottsdale bakery. Yum :) Thanks for a great half day trip.

Michelle P

25/02/2023

Tassie wildlife We did a 3 night / 2 day tour enjoying both Mt William & Ben Lomond NP our guide was informative and the meals supplied were more than sufficient The best part was watching the playful baby quolls enjoying their evening seach for food, so small, playful and moved so fast

MAW

09/12/2022

Lifelong memories My wife and I had booked the Canopy Capers’ excursion with ‘Pepperbush Adventures’ as part of our road trip in Tasmania. Ben came promptly at 5 pm and we were taken to a nearby irrigation pond to look for platypuses. Whilst there were a few glimpses it was very difficult to see as it was quite windy so the water was quite rippled. We left there and drove to an area of private land where there was a small cabin overlooking a lake. There were some kookaburras, and we saw some pademelons and some possums. Ben prepared a meal for us to eat - there was an appetiser tray of smoked wallaby and smoked chicken, salmon, grapes and strawberries. After that he cooked steaks on the barbecue which we had a with some beans, new potatoes and salad. We finished off with some cheesecake and fruit. There was wine and soft drinks to accompany our meal - pre-arranged with the company. We stayed until it got dark. Although the animal sightings were rather scant, this was offset by the passionate and educational input from Ben. He is the consummate host / guide and we greatly enjoyed learning so much about the flora and fauna of the area. The next day we enjoyed a full day out with Ben on another excursion - aptly named ‘The Quoll Patrol’. Ben arrived just before 11 am as arranged. We had another look for platypuses but again the sightings were fleeting even though it was much less windy. We then had a long drive into Ben Lomond National Park in the extreme north-east of Tasmania. We had periodic stops, whenever there was a wildlife sighting or a point of interest. We had a stop at a lookout where we had lunch - rolls and sandwiches bought from the cottage bakery back in Scottsdale. We drove further up to reach Ben Lomond village - it was only 5 degrees there. We stopped to look at the interesting geological formations - 300 metre tall dolorite columns with huge areas of rocky boulders beneath. Ben dropped us at the village - we did a short trail for about 20 minutes where we met up with him again waiting for us in the car. We drove back down from the National Park and again made a number of stops, smelling and tasting some of the roadside plants. We reached our final destination, a cabin surrounded by pasture. Ben set the fire and we were able to view and feed the kangaroos which lived there - it was an unofficial nature reserve of about 100 acres. The original kangaroos had come from Bonorong and now numbered about 40. It was a very engaging experience watching the kangaroos as we had our first course - a range of appetisers similar to the previous day. Ben then prepared wallaby meatballs with onions and courgettes. We thought this was the main course but later we were given some salmon and salad - my wife couldn’t eat any more as she was full already. The dessert course was chocolate fudge cake served with raspberries and blackberries. During the evening we sat beside the fire, watching the Eastern Quolls appearing, followed by the pademelons and finally the possums. As it got dark there was a long drive back to Scottsdale. We were exhausted at the end of the day but felt utterly thrilled by the experiences we had. As a guide Ben is truly fantastic. His personable nature, coupled with his commitment to the natural world, will remain in our memories. We thoroughly enjoyed his company - such a kind and generous spirited man. PS. We went to the irrigation pond on our last day as we were leaving Scottsdale and guess what - we saw two platypuses at the surface of the water. We managed to bag some quality photos - result! Thanks again, Ben. You’re a top guy. Good luck with your new hobby of crafting in metalwork.

Owen Thesaints

07/12/2022

A fantastic wildlife experience The 2 days we spent with Craig was the highlight for us of a month travelling around Tasmania and a fantastic opportunity to see wildlife, especially the nocturnal creatures you don't usually get to meet. Craig has a wealth of knowledge and experience of living in the bush, so we learned alot about the flora and fauna of the north-east part of Tasmania and saw platypus on several occasions, along with wallabies, echidnas , kangaroos and, padmelons during the day. The Canopy Capers and Quoll Patrol experiences are both amazing. After a great meal in the open air, we watched as the wildlife drew near at dusk - possums, quolls, wombats. It's an incredible, magical experience, I can't recommend enough.

Island Sue

10/04/2020

A great wildlife experience A great day with Bushy seeing visiting Ben Lomond, learning so much about the flora and fauna of Tasmania, topped off by a delicious bush meal, sharing the site with possums, quolls, wombats and more

D H

31/03/2020

A Wonderful Backwoods Experience With Bushy The Ben Lomand and Quoll Patrol adventure was fantastic. We drove up Jacob's ladder at Ben Lomand and Bushy took us into the forest for exploring. Dinner at the cabin and the night adventure with the Kangaroos, Wallabies, Paddymellons and Quolls was a highlight. You can't believe the wildlife here.

Laura R

24/03/2020

Marvellous Some good walks and opportunity for wildlife viewing. The evening barbecue with kangaroos, wallabies and quolls was magical. A very good insight into local life - the farming and cheese making. Fabulous scenery all around.

Sally G

11/03/2020

Amazing We had a 1 day tour with Craig and it was truly amazing. Started with a sighting of a platypus and then an echidna. A great scenic drive up Ben Lomond via Jacob's ladder and then sightings of some iconic wildlife including wombats, quolls, tawny frogmouths and wallaby's and kangaroos. The bush supper with quality wines was a great success. We loved the whole experience.

LondonWelshboyo

07/02/2020

Outstanding bush experience, some of the best wildlife viewing in Tasmania We thought we had already had some amazing wildlife experiences in Tasmania, but Ben's Quoll Patrol with us was truly over the top. Lots of wildlife, including a number of elusive quolls. You have to see it all to believe it! Kangaroos, wallabies, pademelons, bushy-tailed opossums, eastern quolls, short-snouted echidna, come to mind. Meeting his mob of kangaroos is an experience not to be missed. And on top of it all, Ben cooked us an excellent meal out there in the bush. All in all, a very memorable experience.

LafayetteJohn

Outstanding experience in the Tasmanian bush We spent 9 hours with Craig who took us to the Ben Lomond National Park and its surroundings, watching for a wide variety of Tasmanian wildlife. This ended with an excellent and copious dinner he cooked around a fire in the open surrounded by Kangaroos, Wallabies, Wombats, Pademelon, Possums....and even sighting a platypus and a quoll. We are amazed by the extent of Craig's knowledge of the bush, its flora and fauna and his ability to communicate his passion for them to us. He enabled us to experience at first hand many examples of the plants and animals unique to Tasmania. An amazing and unforgettable experience.

Peter B

26/01/2020