To fully appreciate the wonders of the Little Desert you can take part in a range of activities that we offer.
4-Wheel-Drive Tours
Little Desert Four-Wheel-Drive tours showcase the tranquil beauty, unforgettable scenery and unique wildlife that the Little Desert is renowned for. Half day and three quarter day tours are available, specialising in photography, natural history, wildflowers, bird life and art group tours.
Each season brings a different array of flowering plants and flocks of migratory birds to the Little Desert. Spring sees a vast garden of wildflowers bursting into life, a must for keen nature lovers.
Our guides have extensive knowledge gained over the many years living in the midst of the little desert which provides visitors with an unforgettable insight into the aspects that make the little desert so unique.
Costs per person (minimum 6 persons to run a tour):
- ½ Day with morning or afternoon tea $65 (9am-12noon & 1.30pm-4.30pm)
- BY PRIOR BOOKING
***PLEASE NOTE*** Four Wheel Drive Tours will be cancelled on Total Fire Bans days due to Parks Victoria Regulations and in the interest of the Safety of our guests.
Malleefowl Aviary
Located on the Lodge property, the Malleefowl Aviary is the only captive breeding program for Malleefowl in Victoria. Observe the birds as they work on their huge incubation mounds, constructed from leaf-litter, sticks and sand. The guided tour of the aviary takes between 30-45 minutes, incorporating a nature trail along the way, where examples of native Little Desert Flora and Fauna can be observed.
- Adults: $12.00
- Children $6.00
- BY PRIOR BOOKING
Open Monday to Saturday - 9.30am to 4.30pm
Sundays 1.30pm to 4.30pm or by appointment
Closed on total fire ban days, Christmas Day & New Years Day.
Malleefowl Sanctuary & Birdwatching Tours
A tour to the Malleefowl Sanctuary provides a rare opportunity to see the endangered birds in the wild. Over the years, a unique relationship has been established with the breeding birds such that they can be observed at very close-hand. This is quite remarkable considering these are usually one of the shyest and most elusive birds in the Australian bush. Along with Malleefowl, the sanctuary’s pristine Mallee-broombush habitat is home to a number of sought-after bird species, including Southern Scrub-Robin and Shy Heathwren – a must for any avid birdwatcher (click here to go to the birdwatching page).
Malleefowl Sanctuary Tour. 2 - 3 hours.
- 1 - 2 people - $110.00
- Group price (4 or more persons) @ $38pp
- BY PRIOR BOOKINGS
Night Spotlighting Tour
Take a night walk to see nocturnal creatures of the bush including Sugar Gliders (pictured), Brush-tailed Bettongs and Bush-stone Curlews. Listen in amazement as our guides interpret the many sounds of the night such as Boobook Owls, Nightjars, Bats and Banjo Frogs (45 minutes).
- Adults: $12.00
- Children $6.00
- BY PRIOR BOOKING
Gift vouchers available for tours, accommodation & meals - please ask our team to tailor a gift voucher to suit your needs.
Bushwalking
The Lodge property contains a number of nature trails, taking in a variety of native vegetation. Trails are marked with numbered posts, which identify the plant species that you encounter along the way. Trails also lead from the lodge into the adjacent National Park and connect onto the Lodge Loop (2.15 km), Stringybark Loop (1 km) and Stringybark Walk (1km). For the truly adventurous walker, the Lodge can be the start or end point for the impressive Desert Discovery Walk (84 km, 3 days), which incorporates much of the eastern section of the Little Desert National Park, through to the Wimmera River at Dimboola. We can arrange drop-offs and pick-ups at various spots in the Little Desert National Park, so that bushwalkers can tailor a route to suit their own level of fitness and experience.
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Environmental Studies
As part of our environmental education facilities at the lodge we are undertaking a number of research programmes, aimed at understanding more about our local wildlife.
Bird-banding: catching and tagging of birds to learn about bird migration and population dynamics.
Echidna Tracking: monitoring movements of these elusive egg-laying mammals by radio-tracking individually marked animals.
Pitfall Trapping: Catching small ground-dwelling mammals such as the pygmy possum and silky desert-mouse, insects and reptiles for the purposes of population surveys.
Participation with these projects can be arranged by appointment.