About – Gondwana Guides

About Gondwana Guides

Gondwana Guides is owned and operated by Barry Davies, one of Australia’s most experienced guides and the only person to twice be named Australian EcoGuide of the Year by Ecotourism Australia.

Gondwana Guides, which is based at Beechmont on the edge of World Heritage listed Lamington National Park, provides a range of birding services in Australia and overseas all led by Barry Davies and enthusiastic and professional local guides.

Birding services include private day and extended tours in South-east Queensland; scheduled and private tours Australia and overseas; planning and tour leading for inbound birding groups coming to Australia, Papua New Guinea and Sabah. See the Tours page for details.

All guides working with Gondwana Guides have current Senior First Aid or Wilderness First Aid certificates. All vehicles used are registered to carry passengers and Gondwana Guides has Transport Operator Accreditation and Public Liability Insurance.

Barry uses Swarovski binoculars, a Kowa Prominar 773 spotting scope and a Manfrotto tripod.

Barry Davies Eco Guide Certified Eco Toursim Australia

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It was a pleasure traveling and birding with you. That is great about it being a record-setting trip!
Ted Cable - USA, February 2015 (228 Species in 5 days in South-east Queensland)

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Thank you very much. It was a wonderful introduction to the world of birding trips. On all occasions we had good company, good food and a comfortable bed. Thank you for your gentle and effective leadership.
Elizabeth Mackenzie - Sabah, 2015

“

I just wanted to thank you very much for what was the highlight of my recent Australian visit. It was not only the birds, but your knowledge and enjoyable company that made it this way. I surely will contact you again next time I am in the area.
Jack Cochrane - USA

About Barry Davies

Barry Davies is an experienced Naturalist, Environmental Interpreter, Tour Guide and Tour Leader and is a Certified EcoGuide with Ecotourism Australia. In 2005 and 2009 he was Australian EcoGuide of the Year.

Barry is based in Beechmont on the edge of Queensland’s Lamington National Park. He grew up in New Zealand, where he developed his passion for wildlife, before moving to Australia to complete an environmental science degree in the 1970s. After 3 years with Queensland National Parks as an Ecologist he spent 20 years as a Guide and Activities Manager at Binna Burra Mountain Lodge. At Binna Burra he established a reputation for excellence as an Interpretive Guide, Naturalist, Trainer and host. In 1993 he won the prestigious Gold Coast Supreme Hospitality Award.

In 2004 he started Gondwana Guides, to provide a freelance Interpretive Guiding service, and Gondwana Environmental Consulting to work with ecotourism operators, mining companies, developers, local government and educational institutions consulting on interpretation and training and wildlife and vegetation management.

In recent years Barry has specialised in organising and leading bird watching, natural history, cultural and walking tours in every state and territory of Australia & New Zealand, Norfolk Is, New Guinea and Sabah (Borneo). He has lead tours for Wildside Birding Tours (USA), Birding Ecotours (SA), Sunrise Birding Tours (USA), Zoothera Birding Tours (GB), Cheepers Birding Tours (USA), International Park Tours (AUS), Auswalk (AUS), Zegrahm Eco Tours (USA), Asian Transpacific Journeys (USA), Stanford University Alumni (USA) and for Gondwana Guides. He leads bird watching and wildlife tours for individuals and small groups all over Australia and has clients from around the world. He is also a field lecturer with the University of Georgia Athens (USA) and other American universities for their study abroad programmes in Australia.

He has lead five tours to Papua New Guinea and has developed a close relationship with local communities in key areas visited by travellers to that wild and mystical country as well as knowledge of the culture and wildlife. In 2015 he led a very successful birding and wildlife tour to Sabah.

In association with wildlife photographer Michael Snedic he runs a birding and photography tour to Bowra Sanctuary in August and whilst not a photography himself he is very familiar with the special requirements of wildlife photographers.