Night Wildlife Walk In The Cairns Botanic Gardens

Great experience with Theo who is a true expert to find small spiders in the night! If you want to discover the Rain Forest at night you have to do the excursion

Bridgette is a great guide with a seemingly endless ability to spot the smallest of creatures in near dark and a huge amount of knowledge that she readily shares. Wonderful night of hunting small insects and animals with a camera and light. Our group was mixed with some just looking, some using a phone camera and others hiring a camera setup. I recommend hiring a camera setup from Bridgette. The result is far better than I could have hoped for on a phone camera. She also made sure I was okay with it and that I was getting shots I wanted. The highlight of the night was an echidna who seemed happy to let us watch them (just off the road edge) for quite a while.

Bridgette is a wonderful guide. Seems to be able to spot the teeniest of critters and is knowledgeable as well. I would recommend this tour to any and all and also recommend hiring a camera set up as well. Was a thrilling night of bugs and other animals topped off with an echidna who seemed happy to let us watch him

Our eyes were opened to see our wildlife from a different perspective at night time. Theo explained everything along the way and it gave us such an appreciation for what is unseen during the day.

A great way to spend an evening seeing lots of different critters and plants that are local to Cairns. Would suit those with a established interest in Macro photography or someone who is interested in trying macro phtoography, or even someone with just a interest in nature.

Really great experience seeing the bugs and wildlife at night, especially for beginners such as myself. Brigdette was a great guide and very informative. Put the meet up as 3 just because of the location as it was a little confusing. Brigdette was on time and had no problems.

Had a ton of fun with Bridgette. Part scavenger hunt, part wildlife experience, a great way to get out in the evening when so much of Cairns’ other in-city attractions are done for the day.

Yesterday I did the tour with Bridgette. She told a lot about the insects/ animals, showed me how to make the best pictures and encouraged me to make photo’s I normally wouldn’t make. Thanks so much!

Such a unique experience, being able to see botanical gardens at night with all its creatures, as well as deepening my macro photography skills at the same time.

I had a wonderful time learning about all of the animals we got to see on the tour. Bridgette tailored the tour around what we were most interested in seeing, and followed up the same night with a field report of what we’d observed. I learnt some good tips for spotting animals in the dark, that served me well for two more successful nights of solo spotting on my trip!

Saw the brochure in the hotel lobby and checked out the website for availability. Booked and later that evening went on the tour with Bridgette who was wonderful. Did the camera hire and had fun with trying macro photography. All in all a fun and interesting way to spend a night in Cairns.

We loved our private night walk tour at the Cairns Botanic Gardens with Bridgette. We did tours with Bridgette at Let's Go Buggin 6 years ago and enjoyed them it so we booked a Night Walk and Morning walk since we were visiting Cairns again. My 17 year old son, who is interested in macro photography, had so many great opportunities to capture amazing subjects like frogs, spiders, insects and some fascinating caterpillars. It was perfect for him. We also loved spotting wildlife like a striped possum, which was incredibly cute and something quite different, along with a bandicoot and even a freshwater eel. Bridgette was fantastic - very knowledgeable, great at finding wildlife, and excellent at pointing everything out so we didn’t miss a thing. Highly recommend this tour for anyone visiting Cairns, especially if you love nature or photography.

Had an absolutely brilliant time with Bridgette on a shrooming walk! I'm a big fungi nerd back in the UK where I'm from, and really wanted to learn about some Aussie species. Usually Bridgette doesn't run these tours during the winter as it's not as an abundant time of the year, but we'd had some rain and I was enthusiastic enough - and we ended up seeing plenty! I can't reccommend these tours enough to anyone who's passionate about fungi, bugs, photography and nature in general! Bridgette is a real expert with a fantastic scope of knowledge and passion.

ガイドさんが子どもにもわかりやすく、生き物がいる場所を説明してくれました。 日本ではできない体験で、子どもも大人も素晴らしい時間を過ごせました。 また次回も必ず参加したいです！ 今度はタランチュラの“足“ではなく、姿を見たいです！ The guide explained where to find the animals in a way that was easy for children to understand. It was an experience we could never have in Japan, and both kids and adults had a wonderful time. We would love to visit again. Next time, we hope to see a tarantula!

It was a dry season, so we didn’t expect much first. However, when we went into a forest, we spotted so many creatures. We couldn’t stop looking around to find more creatures! If you like animals and insects, you should try this one. You will be surprised how many creatures you can find and how close they are from where you’re walking.

Incredible, fascinating, illuminating and so. Much. Fun! I've done this tour a few times now, both morning and night and both are a fantastic experience. You'd couldn't get a better guide than Bridgette who really knows her stuff about both the wildlife, plant life and photography. It feels like you're unlocking a new world when you're taking photos - pro tip, spring for the intermediate or professional camera hire if you can as the photo results are well worth it. You don't need to be a whiz to be able to take some awesome photos! I'm a Cairns local and this is a tour I think even locals can gain a lot from. 🕷️🐌🪲🐝🦟🪰🦋🐛🪱/10

My son and I had a wonderful time. We hired cameras and it was great to learn how to shoot macro. We enjoyed seeing all the amazing little creatures and Brigette was an amazing host who certainly knows her stuff. Highly recommend.

We arranged a private trip for our family of 10. 4 youngsters aged 2,5,8,11 plus parents and grandparents thoroughly enjoyed our night exploration through the dark and peaceful rainforest. Our particular highlights were 2 Papuan Frogmouths, a possum, a pademelon and a white lipped frog. We saw some amazing spiders - the tent spider being a stand out for me - and learnt lots about them from Bridgette, our guide, who very patiently listened and responded to a stream of questions particularly from 8 year old Luke. He and his older brother were able to use macro cameras, lent by Bridgette, to record some of their sightings. We would highly recommend a night out bugging with Bridgette in Cairns, Australia.

Bridgette was very knowledgeable and a great eye for spotting the smallest insect. The rain forbade are very peaceful at night and it wasn’t a rushed tour.

Searching for critters in the dark has never been so easy! Had lots of fun and saw more bugs and creatures than expected. Bridgette showed us her fantastic photos of the tiniest insects, which helps viewers appreciate nature in close up all the more. We were lucky enough to not just see tarantulas, huntsman, orb weaver and cast net spiders, but an array of moths, stick insects and bugs. A few feathered friends showed up too, such as a Papuan frogmouth, and roosting scrub fowl. Shy mammals in the form of a pademelon and a bandicoot made appearances, but the highlight was seeing THREE striped possums (separately) up high in the trees and even bamboo!

100% I will eventually be going on a tour again in the new future! This was an absolute blast and Bridget is bright, bubbly and insightful!

Phenomenal experience! There were a diverse array of insects to see! Some of the highlights included seeing a Fig Longicorn Beetle, a Four O'clock Moth Caterpillar, Social Tarantulas, and of course the many incredible Jungle Huntsmans we saw. Despite it being the dry season we were also fortunate enough to spot some White-lipped Tree Frogs too. Bridgette knows her stuff and will ensure you have an awesome time no matter what you find. We also rented the macro cameras and were provided with an informative tutorial that ensured we got some great snaps, despite being novices.

What a fantastic walk. 2.5 hours spotting so many bugs. The passion and information shared was incredible by the tour guide! Everyone on the tour got so into all the bugs and critters, and we saw so many different ones! Would highly recommend.

Had a wonderful night with Bridgette discovering the critters of Cairns Botanic Gardens. Have done this walk at night before (solo), but saw 10x more on a guided tour. Really packed a lot into 2hrs and totally worth it! Will definitely go again!

Amazing guide and experience, best excursion ive done in Australia. Id really enjoyed having someone experienced to show me the many cool insects.

What an incredible experience! This bug photography tour was a dream come true for any nature or macro photography enthusiast. From start to finish, the tour was well-organized, relaxed, and filled with fascinating opportunities to get up close and personal with some amazing insects, including frogs and tarantulas!! Bridgette is not only super knowledgeable about local species and their behaviors, but also incredibly patient and passionate. The pace of the tour was perfect—plenty of time to shoot, ask questions, and enjoy the surroundings. Plus, the small group size made it feel super inviting and personable. Definitely a must do in cairns!

This tour exceeded my expectations! There were so many critters out and about, we saw everything from rarer bugs, possums, night birds and lots of frogs. Was absolutely amazing and something you must do if you have time in Cairns.

5🌟 I Highly recommend this tour / experience. Bridgette is very knowledgeable and shared her passion for Australian wildlife. Bridgette's eye for detail was amazing, finding insects right down to the smallest critters. Good fun night out spot lighting for solo guests, couples or families.

The experience was very fun, very insightful and full of surprises. Bridget was a great guide, extremely knowledgeable and had a great eye looking out for all the bugs and critters lurking in the grounds. The walk was completely safe as you walk on a raised platform so your not walking on the ground or anything like that. You're also part of a group so if your a solo traveler, you will be part of a group and not on your own, but at the same time you can walk through the tour at your own pace if you want

Really great night exploring! Saw lots of animals - spiders, frogs, moths, snails, bandicoot, frogmouth! Brigette was very informative and answered all our questions! Would recommend!

Been several times. Absolutely love it. Lots of wildlife to see. Bridget is very friendly and knowledgeable. I take all my guests here.

It was a great experience. 😊 highly recommended 😊! Bridgette is knowledgeable and loves to share the beauty of the forest and its amazing living creatures. With her, one discovers animals and plants that are disguised in their natural camouflage or hidden behind a tree or a leaf. We would have missed them. She is also an excellent nature photographer and shares her tips with the group, specially if you rent a camera already prepared for night macro photography, what was my option. I had an extremely good evening and some of the photographs are breathtaking. Carlos

I had such a wonderful time walking through the Cairns Botanic Garden with Bridgette. We were able to see so many cool insects along with three scrub pythons and three possums! The camera hire was easy and I was given a good tutorial before the walk began! Highly recommend this tour!

As an amateur photographer (with no macro experience), I knew I'd love it, but I didn't know my whole family would love it, even my wife, who freaks out if we have a bug in the house! She couldn't get over all the little eyes (eye shine) you see everywhere at night, it's quiet and peaceful, and the variety of creatures is incredible. Bridgette is wonderful, she spots so many things you'd never find, and will also teach you how to take amazing photos (see attached!). The midrange camera rental is a must, I can't believe the photos we got, but you can get nice pictures even with a cell phone. Downsides? Mosquitos in the parking area. Get into the jungle and they won't bother you! A must-do experience in Cairns and Australia! Thanks Bridgette!

Highly recommend doing this if you are interested in the wildlife up in Cairns. A great opportunity to see some of the awesome bugs and reptiles in their natural habitat’s. Ros was an amazing guide. We saw white lipped tree frogs, eels, spiders, bandicoots and many other cool bugs and animals.

A great night photographing spiders, frogs, stick insects, snakes, dragonflies etc. The guide was very informative.

We had a really fun night. I was happy to use my iPhone for photos to improve my skills but you can hire cameras or just enjoy the walk. Bridgette was very knowledgeable. Opened my eyes to a whole new world at night. I’d recommend this to anyone, even if you’re not into bugs or photography you might be afterwards and you’ll have fun none the less. It was a small group (4) which was a nice change from some of the bigger tours you can do. Also a lot cooler at night. A supine experience. Great value for money. I’ll go again on my next trip for sure.

Awesome night very easy walk on level boardwalk Would recommend this for any age and disability Lots of critters and not rushed

This tour was an absolute thrill! Bridgette and Ros were accommodating and easy to communicate with to book the tour. Plenty of information was provided in advance and the tour itself was so fun and we learned so much! Our tour was led by Roz and she coached us on how to use the camera we rented to get excellent shots. She was also fantastic at describing the techniques of how to find insects and other wildlife, and had a lot of great knowledge regarding the different insects and other creatures that we spotted and photographed through the evening. We saw so much amazing wildlife! The whole area was so rich with life and I'm so grateful to have had such an enthusiastic and knowledgeable guide. They also sent a field report afterwards with a list of all the things we saw and additional photos. I can't recommend this tour enough!

This tour was fabulous. Ros was a great guide. Very knowledgeable and we captured great photos of many creatures - spiders, mantis, frogs, possums and many more.

Had the BEST time on the Let’s Go Bugging tour with Aussie Macro Photos in Cairns! Bridgette, our guide, absolutely nailed it – her photos put ours to shame, but we still felt like total pros for the night (even though we borrowed a camera 😆). We saw everything from tiny beetles and caterpillars to epic tarantulas, stick insects and frogs. Oh, and did I mention bandicoots, pademelons, echidnas, and flying foxes? It was like a real-life Pokémon hunt, but with way more legs 🕷️🦋🐸. Definitely worth it for anyone who loves nature, photography, or just wants to say they hung out with a tarantula (without the scary part). Perfect for all ages – whether you're 5 or 95, you'll walk away with an appreciation for all things creepy-crawly. Highly recommend!

Whole family loved it. Discovering cool and unknown bugs was great fun, and our guide Bridgette was very knowledgeable. We hired a camera which was great, hundreds of amazing macro photos.

This tour was such a pleasure to experience! We've never done something like this before, and Bridgette was the perfect guide. We were handling the camera we rented quite awkwardly but she was very patient with guiding us. We recommend getting at least the E-M5 III Complete Macro Package. The shots we took were beautiful. We'd recommend this tour to anyone visiting Cairns.

A nocturnal experience you don’t wanna miss! Without Bridgette’s uncanny knowledge of these creatures and habitat, there’s no way I would’ve seen this beautiful world. I’m a cultural visual storyteller- artist but macro night photography is a whole different skill set that I appreciate more -thanks to her passion. “Let’s Go Buggin”

My first night in Cairns I went with Bridgette on a night walk, I also rented a macro camera setup from her and loved every second of using it. Despite the rain we saw lots of things, spiders, bugs, Papuan Frogmouths, frogs, Pale-lipped Shadeskink, plus a few padymelons. Weirdly as I am scared (well was) of spiders they were actually my favorites, we saw so many varieties, lichen hunstman, giant grey banded huntsman, netcasting spider, jungle huntsman, mirror ball spider, Northern St Andrews Cross Spider, northern jewelled spider to name a few! Brigette taught me how to take a photo close up of a spiders face and they are actually quite nice, I got really up close to them and my fear of them has kind of gone (still not keen to have one live in my room however). Brigette is very knowledgeable about all the creatures that call this place home and is an amazing photographer with lots of tips on how to get a good photo, I didn't want the night to end despite having had a long day of travel and it raining. I have lots of cool photos as a memory of the walk and really think I would like to do more macro photography after this experience. I highly recommend doing this if you are in the area, you wont be able to walk around the garden the same after this!

This activity is for experienced photographers. If you don’t have a macro lens, rent the equipment from Bridgette. Don’t expect tips on taking photographs because few to none are given. I was told to put my camera on automatic. End of advice. Bridgette has an eagle eye for finding spiders, slugs, beetles, and more. While I enjoyed walking in a tropical forest at night, I left early because one hour of not learning anything to improve my skills was more than enough.

Our experience with Brigette on the Let's Go Buggin Night Walk was sensational. I'd never done anything like this before but was sad when I realized we'd missed the Botanic Garden regular operating hours, so we booked this last minute and didn't really know what to expect... we were not disappointed!! 2 hours of a carefully guided and well planned tour through the rainforest, with headlamps (and an optional nighttime macro camera) on a mostly paved trail. Moments of spontaneity as we discovered a creature here and there, Brigette taking the time to make sure everyone saw (and was able to photograph) these otherwise mysterious creatures. I can honestly say that a fear of spiders can easily be cured after this incredibly informative, up close and personal experience!! We encountered several spiders, tree frogs, a toad, a couple snakes, baby possum and more. Highly recommend!

This was my third tour with Lets Go Buggin/Shroomin. I have learned so much and had a fantastic time. Bridgette and Ros are both knowledgable and enthusiastic about the night time residents of Centenary Lakes area. I hired a camera this time which really helped my photography improve. I 100% recommend both the bug and fungus tours. Thanks again Mishe

It's extraordinary what you can miss without the help of a trained eye, and both Bridgette and Ros have two each! On this night walk, you will see not not only see common insects but frogs, possums, bats and gliders. The spiders and their webs are a highlight!