Nightcap National Park tour from Byron Bay – with night vision goggles

The Vision Walks night vision wildlife tour from Byron Bay allows you to get close to the wildlife of the Nightcap National Park. Because you’re wearing military night vision goggles, frogs, bandicoots and pademelons don’t see you coming.

The area around surfing lesson hotspot Byron Bay in New South Wales is a haven for native Australian wildlife, but some of the creatures can be rather difficult to spot. This is largely because many of the lovable marsupials are nocturnal. They prefer to make an appearance at night when possibly predatory humans can’t see them.

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Byron Bay tour company Vision Walks has come up with a novel solution to this problem. It offers night vision wildlife tours into the nearby Nightcap National Park, and departs at night with the express intention of seeing animals in action.

Nightcap National Park wildlife tours

Vision Walks picks guests up between 7.30pm and 8pm (depending on the time of year) and takes them for a walk in the Nightcap National Park. It’s a stroll with a difference, though – you’re equipped with military night vision goggles.

Using infra-red technology, these goggles present the world in an odd green filter, but they don’t shine any light. The animals don’t see you coming (although they may hear you). The major advantage of the night vision goggles is that torchlight is not needed. Nothing is going to spook a small marsupial like the flash of a torch. Without this blatant warning sign, it’s possible to walk much closer to the native wildlife.

8 amazing Byron Bay experiences worth booking today

Experience the region’s glorious natural landscapes from above – on a hot air balloon ride.
Go kayaking with dolphins – and get much closer to them than on a boat tour 🐬.
Learn to surf – on a half day surf lesson 🏄‍♀️.
Discover the local secrets – let a guide show you the hidden beaches and waterfalls 🏖️.
Go on a three habitat wildlife safari – spotting koalas, kangaroos and flying foxes 🐨🦘.
See glowworms light up the World Heritage-listed rainforest.
Explore the Byron Bay hinterland – including the rainforest walk to Minyon Falls.
Taste craft beers and spirits – on a tour of Byron’s breweries and distilleries 🍻.
Also try… Skydives | Sea-kayaking | Whale-watching.

Nocturnal Australian wildlife with Vision Walks

The secret is to look for “eye-shine”. Any bright white dots peering out of the vegetation are likely to be the eyes of something or other. And it’s like this that you end up spotting numerous frogs that you’d probably miss during daylight hours – they’re well camouflaged amongst the leaves.

Barred frog in Nightcap National Park — A barred frog in the Nightcap National Park, as seen on a night vision wildlife tour from Byron Bay. Photo by David Whitley/ Australia Travel Questions

There are also bandicoots scuttling across the road, birds of prey sitting on fence posts and snails with shells the size of tennis balls sat at the track’s edge.

The cutest finds of the lot are in the campground, however. Two pademelons – little hopping marsupials – stand warily at the edge. They’re skittish little things, so it’s best approach carefully. But guests on the night vision wildlife tour manage to get much closer than they would ordinarily.

Night vision wildlife tour details

The Nightcap National Park night vision wildlife tours from Byron Bay with Vision Walks are led by an environmental scientist and cost $149. Vision Walks also runs a variety of other tours from Byron Bay, including bush tucker experiences and walks to Minyon Falls.

The drive from Sydney to Byron Bay takes around eight hours. The shorter Brisbane to Byron Bay drive takes just under two hours, however. For more Byron Bay wildlife encounters, try kayaking with the Byron Bay dolphins.