Airlie Beach: Kangaroos on the Beach at Sunrise Eco Wildlife Tour
Description
Before sunrise, the bus is at your door, it’s an early start but it is worth it. The drive south takes 1.5 hours and by the time you reach Cape Hillsborough National Park, the light is just coming up over the Coral Sea and the kangaroos are already moving down to the beach. These animals are completely wild. No fences, no feeding shows, no handlers. They approach on their own terms — to within half a metre — as they forage along the sand at dawn. Your accredited EcoGuide is beside you throughout, telling you what you are looking at and why Cape Hillsborough is one of the few places in Australia where this happens naturally, every morning. After sunrise, the group cooks the Drovers Breakfast together: bacon and egg damper rolls, hot French press coffee, and authentic Aussie Vegemite to try if you dare, while overlooking the coastal rainforest. Airlie Adventure Tours holds the 2026 Best of Queensland Experiences Gold Award.
Tour Options
Itinerary
3:00 am departure from your accommodation. Driver has a sign and wears a green shirt.Travel time approximately 1 hour 30 minutes south along the coast following hotel collections.
Enter the National park prior to sunrise before you make you way onto the beach.
Wild eastern grey kangaroos and wallabies emerge from the bush onto the beach at sunrise. Completely wild and free-roaming. The animals approach freely — often to within half a metre. Please note: no flash photography, feeding, touching, noise, speakers, or flashlights are permitted. The certified guides will brief you prior to stepping onto the beach.
After the sun is well and truly in the sky and the Kangaroos have departed, the group cooks the Drovers Breakfast together overlooking the water. Bacon and egg damper rolls, French press coffee, Vegemite to try the Australian way if you are bold.
We return to Airlie Beach with you being dropped at your accommodation at approximately 9:30am with the rest of the day to explore at your leisure.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Pickup is at 3:00 am from the front of your accommodation. Your driver will carry a sign and wears a green shirt. If you are not at your pickup point, the driver will call the phone number used at booking. Tour departs at 3:00 am and returns by approximately 9:30 am. Duration: 6.5 hours.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Pickup is at 3:00 am from the front of your accommodation. Your driver will carry a sign and wears a green shirt. If you are not at your pickup point, the driver will call the phone number used at booking.
- Cape Hillsborough is 1.5 hours south of Airlie Beach. The early morning is significantly colder than Airlie Beach, even in summer. A light jacket is essential. Wear layers.
- What to bring: light jacket (essential), comfortable clothing for walking, walking shoes, water, camera.
- Kangaroo and wallaby sightings are highly likely but cannot be guaranteed. Animals are completely wild. Wildlife behaviour varies.
- No flash photography, no feeding animals, no touching animals, no noise, no speakers, no flashlights or torches, no insect repellent.
- No smoking, no alcohol, no drugs, no intoxication, no unaccompanied minors.
- Not wheelchair accessible. Stroller accessible. Near public transportation. Infants on laps during transport. Most travellers can participate. Maximum 20 guests per departure.
- Tour departs at 3:00 am and returns by approximately 9:30 am. Duration: 6.5 hours.
Reviews(12)
Prima.,.........................Top
Vielen Dank for your 5-star review! We’re so pleased you had a top experience with us. It was a pleasure having you on our Kangaroos on the Beach at Sunrise tour, and we hope to welcome you back to the Whitsundays again one day!
I had an amazing experience. My guide was super informative and helpful. Being able to see there animals in their natural habitat was truely special, and a yummy breakfast was the perfect way to end the morning!
Thank you so much for your wonderful 5-star review! We’re thrilled you had such an amazing experience. Seeing kangaroos and wallabies in their natural habitat at sunrise is truly something special, and we’re so glad you enjoyed the commentary and the breakfast to finish the morning. We hope to welcome you back for another unforgettable adventure soon!
Magical Experience and a lovely little Breakfast
Thank you so much for your wonderful 5-star review! We’re thrilled you had a magical morning with us at Kangaroos on the Beach at Sunrise. There’s nothing quite like watching the sunrise alongside Australia’s iconic wildlife, and we’re so glad you enjoyed the breakfast too. We hope to welcome you back for another unforgettable adventure soon!
What a wonderful sunrise amongst the wallabies ! A real wonder of the world . D’Artagnan and Cara were amazing and organised the trip perfectly! It is definitely worth waking up early to observe the wallabies in their natural environment on the beach! Amazing time with amazing team and amazing wallabies ! An experience not to miss while on Airlie Beach !
What a beautiful description of the experience! 🌅🦘 We’re thrilled that the sunrise and close encounters with the wallabies made such a lasting impression. D’Artagnan and Cara will be delighted to hear your kind words. They’re passionate about creating memorable experiences, and it’s wonderful to know everything came together perfectly for you. Thank you for your enthusiastic recommendation — we couldn’t agree more, it’s an experience not to be missed when visiting Airlie Beach! 😊
Guide was friendly and knowledgeable. Was very cool getting to see the kangaroos on the beach at sunrise. Worth getting up early for
An early start definitely pays off for moments like that! 🌅🦘 We’re so glad you enjoyed seeing the kangaroos on the beach at sunrise and that your guide helped make the experience even better with their friendly and knowledgeable approach. Thanks for joining us — we’d love to see you again on another adventure!
Incredible experience. Our tour guide Cara was very friendly and nice. It's worth getting up at 3:00 am.
Thank you so much for your kind review! We’re so glad to hear you had an incredible experience and that Cara made your tour even more enjoyable with her friendly approach. And yes—getting up at 3:00 am is definitely worth it for moments like these! 😊 We truly appreciate your support and hope to see you again on another adventure soon!
Dee was very informative and passionate about kangaroo and wallaby wildlife and provided us with knowledge. He was very attentive and friendly. Would recommend this trip to anyone who wants a unique Aussie experience!
Thank you for your wonderful review! We’re so glad you enjoyed learning about the kangaroos and wallabies with Dee. He’ll be happy to hear your kind words. Thanks for the recommendation, we hope to see you again! 🦘
Wow ! What an experience . So worth the very early alarm call . It’s was amazing to see the kangaroos and wallabies on the beach at sunrise. There is a warden on the beach who lays out treats for the kangaroos . You can get quite close . Once the sun rises you also can see the beauty of the Park and beach area . When we arrived there was not many people , a little later on quite a few more people arrived . We were collected from our hotel at 2.24am, it’s was approx 2 hrs to get there , on the way back we stopped in an ‘ ‘American Diner ‘ for bacon and egg burgers , they were gorgeous. Back at our hotel just after 9am Our driver was Cara , she was lovely and chatty and was giving us information about the area . It was a small group of 6 , just right .
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re absolutely delighted to hear how much you enjoyed the sunrise experience with the kangaroos and wallabies, it really is something special to witness them on the beach in those early morning hours. It’s also great to know you enjoyed the breakfast stop and the peaceful atmosphere before the crowds arrived. I’ll be sure to pass on your kind words to Cara. She’ll be so happy to hear she made your journey even more enjoyable with her company and local insights. We truly appreciate you joining us and hope to welcome you again for another memorable adventure in the future!
Thanks to our guide, D, for a great experience! We saw kangaroos and wallabies close up. D is extremely knowledgeable and I learned many new things about these animals. We also stopped at a beautiful waterfall on the way back where you could take a dip. Park fee and a hot breakfast were included in the price so you don't have to think too much before getting on the bus in the wee hours of the morning.
We are so happy you had a great experience with us! Our goal is to make our sunrise tours as easy and enjoyable as possible, so we’re glad the inclusive park fees and hot breakfast allowed you to just relax and enjoy the ride. It’s wonderful to hear that D’s knowledge and the waterfall stop made the trip even more memorable. Thank you for choosing us and for sharing your feedback!
We had a wonderful trip with D. He is super nice, gives any info and makes the trip very entertaining and fun :) The breakfast was delicious and was totally lovingly prepared. The highlight was of course the kangaroos on the beach! Insanely impressive and you have over an hour there. Since we still had a bit of time, he also drove us to a waterfall. Thanks for everything!
Thank you so much for the wonderful review! We are thrilled to hear that you had such a great time with 'D.' It’s fantastic that you enjoyed the 'lovingly prepared' breakfast and had plenty of time to soak in the magic of the kangaroos on the beach—we agree, it’s a truly impressive sight! We’re also glad 'D' could take you to the waterfall as a little extra bonus. We’ll be sure to pass your kind words along to him. Hope to see you again soon!
