Birdlife Bendigo-Echuca Annual Birding Excursion – Mildura/Hattah Kulkyne Monday October 5th – Thursday October 8th 2026
It’s that exciting time of year again—we’re thrilled to announce that the destination for our 2026 annual getaway will be Mildura! This area is renowned as a premier birding hotspot, boasting a wonderful array of Mallee-specific birds and the chance to glimpse some elusive inland specialties, such as the beautiful Crimson and Orange Chats.
Our itinerary also includes a visit to the iconic Hattah Kulkyne National Park, where we’ll be on the lookout for Regent Parrots, Mallee Emu-Wrens, Striated Grasswrens, Striped Honeyeaters, and the striking Pink Cockatoos. We’ll also explore Etiwanda Wetlands, a site where more than 150 bird species have been recorded—a real treat for any keen birder! Other highlights could include the Chestnut-crowned Babbler, Red-backed Kingfisher, or even the Australian Pratincole.
The getaway will run from the 5th to the 8th of October 2026 (that’s four days of fantastic birding). Many members have elected to stay at the NRMA Mildura Riverside Holiday Park, which offers both comfortable cabins and powered sites. If you’re keen to join, you can contact me, Melissa Falconer, on 0419 577 675 for more information or to register your interest. Alternatively, feel free to visit the Caravan Park’s website and book your accommodation directly—I’ve already secured my spot!
Our Mildura adventure begins with the journey north, giving everyone time to settle in and get checked into their accommodation before we start exploring.
4:00 pm – First Birding Outing: Macs Road Once everyone is settled, we’ll meet up and head out for our first taste of Mildura birding at Macs Road, a local hotspot that should give us an opportunity to find some of the birds and habitats that make the region special. It’s a relaxed start to the trip and a chance to get the cameras and binoculars working!
6:30 pm – Casual Dinner After our first afternoon in the field, we’ll head back to the NRMA Holiday Park Camp Kitchen for a relaxed dinner and a chance to get to know everyone before the main birding begins tomorrow.
We’ll make an early start today, heading out to the Hattah–Nawingi area for a morning of exploring this fascinating Mallee landscape. With the cooler morning temperatures and plenty of habitat to explore, it’s a great opportunity to get out early and see what’s about.
2:00 pm – Local Birding with BirdLife Mildura After a break during the middle of the day, we’ll regroup in the afternoon and head to a recommended local birding spot with a BirdLife Mildura leader. This will give us the chance to discover another of the region’s special birding locations and perhaps pick up a few local tips along the way.
5:00–6:00 pm – Guest Presentation Back at the NRMA Holiday Park, we’ll enjoy an interesting presentation by Dr Victor Hurley, covering two fascinating topics: Pink Cockatoos at Pine Plains and Peregrine Falcons in Melbourne’s CBD.
Evening – Casual Dinner We’ll finish the day with a relaxed dinner at the NRMA Holiday Park Camp Kitchen, swapping stories about the day’s sightings and getting ready for another day in the field.
This morning we’ll head to Etiwanda Wetlands, one of the interesting wetland habitats around Mildura. We’ll take our time exploring the area, looking for the wetland species and other birds that call this part of the Murray region home.
Morning – Etiwanda Wetlands An opportunity to explore the wetlands and see what we can find. As always with birding, there may be a few surprises waiting for us!
Afternoon – Your Choice After a busy couple of days in the field, the afternoon is deliberately left a little more flexible. We may choose to revisit one of the sites we’ve already explored if there are birds we’d like another chance at, or you might prefer to head off and explore somewhere of your own choosing. It’s a chance to follow up on a favourite location, chase a particular bird or simply enjoy a quieter afternoon.
Evening – Pub Dinner We’ll come together again in the evening for a relaxed group dinner at the Mildura Brewery Pub — a great opportunity to share the day’s highlights, compare sightings and enjoy a meal together.
Our final morning will begin with check-out before we set off towards Bendigo. But there’s one bird we’re not quite ready to give up on yet!
Morning – The Malleefowl Mission One of our priorities for the final morning will be to try to track down the elusive Malleefowl. We’re currently exploring a number of options and local possibilities to give us the best chance of finding one before we leave the Mallee.
The final location and arrangements will be confirmed once we know what opportunities are available. Hopefully, with a little persistence and a bit of birding luck, we can finish the trip with this very special bird on our list!
Afterwards the Journey Home Following our Malleefowl adventure, we’ll begin the journey back to Bendigo, bringing our Mildura birding adventure to a close —  with plenty of new bird sightings, photographs and stories to share along the way.
Traveling there: As we get closer to the dates we will explore the option of carpooling as well as discussing prospective birding stops on the journey to Mildura.
Cancellation Information for Outings: Activities will be cancelled if, during the activity period; severe weather warnings are in place, temperatures over 35C or persistent rain is forecast, a Total Fire Ban has been declared or other safety issue is identified. Please check BirdLife Bendigo/Echuca District Facebook page on the evening before a walk, in case the event has been cancelled.
Outing Leader: Multiple leaders
All are welcome!Â
