Want a holiday with a difference?

Then think: Bat Eco-Tourism!

Many people think of bats as pests and un-wanted inhabitants of our suburban communities.

But others realise their value to our environment as essential night-time pollinators, seed dispersal artists and bug mitigation officers.

However, more and more folk are thinking outside the square and are recognising the un-tapped dollar value of our flying-foxes and microbats as a wildlife adventure tourism resource.

Table Of Contents

BAT ECO-TOURISM – AUSTRALIA

Bellingen Island (Bat Island) and Bat Trail Bellingen NSW

Check out the Flying-fox camps and walking trails managed by Bellingen Shire Council, NSW. Enjoy watching the mass fly-out of hundreds of flying foxes at sunset when these amazing flying mammals set out to forage up to 100km during the night.

Batty Boat Brisbane River Cruises QLD

Enjoy a late afternoon cruise on the fairy lights illuminated MV Neptune as she winds along the Brisbane River. With hors d’oevre and champagne available, learn all about bats as they fly over the river at sunset.

Photos courtesy of WPSQ and Tamielle Brunt

Run by Wildlife Preservation Society of QLD, get up close and personal with an Educational adult Flying-fox or two.

You may even get to see one of this season’s unfortunate orphaned baby Flying-foxes brought along by volunteers from Bat Rescue & Conservation QLD.

Maleny, Sunshine Coast Hinterland, SE QLD

Closer to home is Maleny, one of our ever popular townships in the hinterland of the Sunny Coast.  Popular not just by tourists and locals alike, Flying-foxes also call parts of Maleny their home.

Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve

Visit the Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve where bats can often be seen roosting near the Piccabeen Palm Grove section of the Reserve walk.

Enjoy their educational signage and use of binoculars to watch the colony as they twitch and twitter as they try to sleep during the daytime.

Pecan Park Along The Obi Obi Creek

Or head to Tesch Park, in the heart of Maleny, part of the Maleny Walking Trail. The boardwalk section through Tesch Park extends behind the Maleny Library. From there a short path leads into Pecan Park along the Obi Obi Creek.

Pecan Park Maleny, home to a wonderful colony of Black and Grey headed Flying-foxes
(photos courtesy of Irene Isaacson – iFotoTravel)

A large mixed colony of Flying-foxes of black and grey headed flying-foxes call this home. Above all, their fly-out at dusk is truly spectacular!

After that, follow up with a lovely bistro meal at the historic Maleny Hotel… A great wildlife adventure and on our very own home ground!

Capricorn Caves, nr. Mount Etna (Central QLD)

An insectivorous microbat cave roost on the Cathedral Tour at Capricorn Caves, Mount Etna
(photos courtesy of Irene Isaacson – iFotoTravel)

Enjoy one of many Cave Tours in the limestone Capricorn Caves, on Olsen Rd just 23km north of Rockhampton, near Mount Etna National Park.

A privately owned business, the Capricorn Caves house up to 5 species of microbat at any one time. For instance, these include Bent-wing and Ghost bats.

Check out their Education Centre in the Reception area to learn more about these wonderful inhabitants of the caves.

However, if you go on the renowned Cathedral Tour, there is a section of the cave system where there is sound of running water…Well, its actually the chatter of thousands of microbats. Hear them noisily roosting in their warm moist environment – an amazing experience!

At dusk, you can even witness their mass fly-out just from standing in the carpark of the Capricorn Caves.

Learn more about having a Capricorn Cave experience of a lifetime at: https://travel2next.com/capricorn-caves-central-queensland/

Ranger Guided Tours of Bat Cleft, Mount Etna Caves National Park (Central QLD)

For a nature experience unlike any other, Mount Etna Caves National Park, just 25km north of Rockhampton, is a ‘must do’!

Bat Cleft Tours – learn all about Little bent-wing bats – well worth a visit!
(map courtesy of Mt. Etna National Park)

Enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime Ranger-guided tour of Bat Cleft in Mount Etna Caves to see little bent-wing bats in their natural habitat!

Bat Cleft is a summer nursery for these tiny microbats. Be mesmerised watching thousands of adult bats stream out from their roost in Bat Cleft. They go off into the night to hunt leaving their young safely tucked up inside.

Hear stories about Mount Etna, its history and why these tiny animals are so important to Queensland’s biodiversity.

Bookings for Bat Cleft Tours open from January until mid-February and are essential to secure a spot on this intimate wildlife experience.
Book by visiting: https://parks.des.qld.gov.au/parks/mount-etna-caves/things-to-do#tours

Tolga Bat Hospital Visitor Centre (North QLD)

Touring the Tolga Bat Hospital can be a life changing, memorable experience!
(photos courtesy of Irene Isaacson – iFotoTravel)

Situated in the Atherton-Cairns area this multi-award winning Bat Hospital offers a unique close up Flying-fox experience.

Open daily all year round, experience the work of the onsite hospital which deals particularly with the beautiful Spectacled Flying-fox. Actually get to meet some Flying-foxes and microbats on a guided tour from 3-6pm.

Tees and ‘other stuff – all things batty! (photos courtesy of Irene Isaacson – iFotoTravel)

Buy some great batty souvenirs and tees from the Tolga Bat Shop for family and friends.

And at the end of the day, why not visit the nearby Tolga Scrub and watch the most amazing fly-out at dusk of thousands of flying foxes.

BAT TOURISM – INTERNATIONAL

When international travel resumes once the Covid-19 pandemic is no longer a threat, you may wish to travel away from our Australian shores for greater wildlife adventures.

Then put some of these international ‘batty bucket-listers’ on your travel plans!

Gomantong Black Cave of Sandakan, Borneo

Entering the Black Cave at Gomantong, home to millions of swiftlets during the day and microbats at night (photo courtesy of Irene Isaacson – iFotoTravel)

A visit to Sandakan in Malaysian Borneo is not complete without testing your nerves for everything dark, creepy and crawly. So why not head to the infamous Black Cave in Gomantong!

Globally it is known for its Black Cave swiftlets (swallows) and the harvesting of the bird’s nests as an exotic food source. But the 95m high cave is also home to millions of microbats.

Inhabited by mainly Wrinkled-lipped free-tailed microbats, the cave floor is actually 4-6m deep in bat guano. And with that rich food source come other inhabitants such as snakes, rats, roaches and dung beetles, to name but a few.

As an added bonus, you may even get to see the odd orangutan in the neighbouring rainforest as you approach the Cave.

In summary, the Black Cave is easily accessible by bus or car, and open to the public. Gomantong is 35km from the nearest town Kota Kinabatangan and 110km from Sandekan.

The World’s Largest Mammal Migration – Kasanka National Park, North Zambia

Kasanka National Park in North Zambia, home to millions of Flying-foxes in October-December each year (courtesy of DW News, Germany)

Over 10 million Flying-foxes migrate from the Congo and other parts of nearby Africa to a small stretch of land in Kasanka National Park in North Zambia.

Only 1000 x 400m is size, this small stretch of forest becomes home to millions of bats foraging for food. The months of October to December are when waterberries, mangos, loquats and red-milkwood berries are in abundance.

Education of the local communities has overcome their fear of bats and is spreading the word to international wildlife and adventure tourists alike. It has now become an increasingly popular Eco-tourism destination.

For instance, in one recent year alone this migration had a value of over US $200,000 in tourism dollars. The monies raised go towards protecting the Park’s habitat and other inhabitants from poachers and wild fires.

Congress Avenue Bridge, Austin Texas

The Congress Avenue Bridge at dusk in bat season (photo courtesy of Trip Advisor)

In peak season (March to September), see up to 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats enter the Austin sky at sunset.

The Congress Avenue Bridge has been home to an ever increasing number of these wonderful microbats since its renovation in 1980.

So grab as spot near the bridge along the public walkways or from nearby Lady Bird Lake via the Butler Hike and Bike Trail. Or cruise the river on your own kayak or on one of the local Bat Cruise Tours.

But best of all, join in the fun and frivolity at Bat Fest Austin. Held in late August it’s THE biggest bat-viewing party of the year! There’s even a hugely popular Bat Fest Concert held on the same weekend.