Fantastic Adventure! I had a fantastic time. It was primarily a bird-watching tour with some bush walking. The tour leader, Matt, clearly knew his birds and the locations we could find them in. He shared his expertise and ensured that each person was able to track down their bird-favourites. We saw a wild Cassowary cross the road, and we saw dozens of others. The two lodges we stayed in were superb. I highly recommend this tour to anyone who has an interest in birds and general wild-life in the beautiful forests of the Tablelands near Cairns. I will definitely rebook another tour like this.

Deeply Memorable An exceptional experience. We travelled key birding places in FNQ with our expert tour guide Matt, his keen eye, alert observations, abundant knowledge, information and gracious courtesy in helping all tour members enjoy the wilds of FNQ.
With Matt’s thoughtful guiding I was able to see many birds I had never seen before and enabled to capture photos of extraordinary creatures, just to mention a few such as: The Lumholt’s Tree Kangaroo, the Striped Possum, Azure Kingfisher, Red-backed Fairy Wren, Cassowary, Golden Bower bird, Cranes, Double Eyed Fig-bird. Every day was one of awe and wonder.
Our accommodation, meals and transport were comfortable, easy and helped the whole trip feel like luxury. Matt’s attention to detail and care, helped make the small group easy and enjoyable. It makes my travelling experience outstanding, thanks Australian Geographic for making your love of FNQ something deeply memorable.

Atherton Tablelands Nature and Wildlife Tour FNQ Nature Tours did not disappoint! We love wildlife and were fortunate and so happy to see the rare tree kangaroo and had a brief glimpse of the elusive wild platypus on the Atherton Tablelands Nature and Wildlife Tour. Our guide was very accommodating and as our family of five were the only ones on the tour, it was nice to be able to change the sequence of itinerary on a whim for our benefit. Lunch was also delicious. The tour is pricey, but worth it!
Thank you FNQ!

Cassowary & Kingfishers Matt in the Atherton Tablelands and James in and around Mt Molloy were exceptional guides. Their passion for birds and other wildlife shone through from the very first email received from James.

Day 1: We saw platypus, pergrine falcon, had a 45 minute encounter with a cassowary in the Tablelands and clocked up a total of 58 species on a day that began very wet. Matt's itinerary was planned around the weather and our comfort whilst not sacrificing any opportunities to add to our bird sightings.

Day 2: Savannah plus more rainforest with James was another exciting day and 54 species noted. Lovely fairy wren, blue faced honey eater, bowerbird, chestnut fronted mannequin, double barred finch, black stork, nankeen night heron and azure kingfisher were a few of the highlights.

These guys know the local spots to go to and share their knowledge enthusiastically. All communication was efficient and prompt. Highly recommend a day with them.

Brilliant. First tour of our holiday was with them. They set the bar extremely high! We had Mel and David who are both so passionate about plants, animals and FNQ. Cannot recommend these guys enough. Thanks so much for a great experience.

I honestly don’t know where to begin. Myself and my family (hubby + 13 & 15) knew within the first 5 minutes of meeting Mel that this tour was going to be everything we hoped for. By the end of each day however, we couldn’t believe just how bloody incredible it actually was. Each experience was a whole new addictive high!

If you are reading this whist considering a tour as part or all of your FNQ holiday I can honestly say, this same trip done on our own would not at all have come close to the brilliance it actually became. What would have been a nice holiday turned into something that my kids (in particular my daughter) will carry with them forever. Also I’m pretty sure by the end of it my daughter wanted Mel as her new adoptive parent 😆

Lastly, I had a trillion holiday booking questions when organising this trip, some even unrelated to the tour, James happily helped me with everything I threw at him. You will absolutely NOT regret booking with FNQ Nature Tours!!

Fantstic Nature photography opportunity made possible by FNQ Nature Tours I am a keen Nature photographer and I joined a FNQ Nature Tour to the Daintree rainforest and Atherton tablelands (May 20-24 2025) led by two guides (Matt and Mel) along with 3 other guests. We had four nights accommodation in excellent lodges (Kingfisher Park and Chambers Wildlife Lodge) along with excellent meals at local restaurants and pubs. I wanted to personally congratulate FNQ Nature Tours (James, Matt and Mel) on providing an exceptional experience. The professionalism of our guides Matt and Mel, their attention to detail and responsiveness to all our needs, and their enthusiasm was outstanding. I have not been on a bird/photography organized tour in Australia before and I did not know what to expect. This met all my expectations and more. In particular, the balance of photographic interests and bird interests/opportunities was just right – I am not a “twitcher” and enjoy birds as fantastic subjects for nature photography in general. I think we “lucked out” with the weather, several special sightings/encounters and, of course, having a small group of people who hit it off very very well. Matt and Mel put us in the right places at the right times for some exceptional photographic opportunities. I am already thinking about the next trip, and I will be coming back to FNQ Tours for advice.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, an unparalleled experience HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

This is my fourth tour with FNQ, and they have consistently provided an unparalleled experience.

During the day and also at night, you can witness nature’s splendour and receive excellent tips for your own nature photography.
James, the founder and main person of FNQ, and his colleague Gavin, with whom I had an incredible four-day trip inland from Cairns, have a deep knowledge of Queensland’s ecosystem and landscape.

A tour with FNQ is a must-do.
They are passionate about sharing their connection to this land, plants, and animals, and they have a remarkable ability to comprehend and understand the complex relationships between human activities and the natural world.

I will definitely be returning with my family and friends!

Carlos

We had a great tour with Mel - she is an incredible guide, so knowledgeable and passionate. And she didn’t self-indulge over-conveying her knowledge to the point where it becomes uninteresting (like so many guides can do). Felt the tour was tailored just for us; her interpretation, speed, rapport and familiarity; we weren't just getting the same old tired lines doled out to every group. If you want to see crocs they know how to find them! Dougie the dog on the Solar Whisper is a darling and snuggles up for the best pats.

I would highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting the region! Book direct and support a small local business.

*My partner has some recent mobility issues and Mel ensured he was comfortable the whole time.

This is the one if you are lucky enough that they have room for you! I went on the Daintree Afternoon tour and had the best time! Little bit cooler in the afternoon and evening and it was amazing to see the rainforest come alive at night! Wouldn’t change a thing and my only regret was that my family wasn’t able to join me!

Trip of a lifetime James put together a private 3 day tour for me and my sister because none of the scheduled tours would work for us and it was the experience of a lifetime. James made sure we saw an amazing variety of Australian wildlife up close and personal. The accomodations and food were wonderful but the best part was seeing and learning about the unique animals. James was patient and more than willing to share his love of the animals and area. If you are planning to visit the Daintree and/or Atherton Tablelands look no further than this company!!!

Australia really is the land of weird animals, birds and plants Our trip was a custom trip for two for two nights and three days. We visited the Daintree Forest and the Atherton Tablelands. We basically like everything in nature and our guide, Mel, figured that out right away. She did everything she could to maximize our chances of seeing birds and animals while also really enjoying the forest. We went at a pace that was comfortable for us and our guide adjusted according to our desires. For example, upon hearing we hadn't seen kangaroos yet, we immediately went and found some. Seeing cassowaries and platypus was kind of like seeing unicorns, but the whole experience was fantastic-everything was cool. Mel was really great company and remained that way the whole trip. Good spotter and enthusiatically in love with the forests and its creatures.

The Daintree and Cape Tribulation! My husband and I took an all day private tour with Jim the owner. We did the Daintree and Cape Tribulation. We had a private two-hour Wildlife Cruise on the Daintree river. It was a solar-powered boat. We saw crocodiles, birds, snakes, and frogs. The biggest crocodile was Scarface who was 14 feet long!

After the boat tour and lunch, we did a hike in the Rainforest which led us to Cape Tribulation. The beach was amazing! This is where the rainforest meets the sea. One of the most amazing beaches we have seen. You could imagine Captain Cook's boat off the coast.

The day ended with a stop at the Daintree Ice Cream Company. The fruit that the ice cream is made of, is grown right on the property. Delicious!

It was a wonderful day. Jim was knowledgeable, professional, and easy to spend the day with. Highly recommend.

Daintree/Cape Tribulation tour We had a wonderful private tour organized for us of the Daintree River and CapeTribulation Rain forest. Our tour guide, Melanie, was very knowledgeable and super friendly. She took us on a river cruise with David, who was able to find multiple crocodiles in the river for us to observe. We then had a wonderful lunch at a resort in the rain forest, and Mel even went for a swim in the creek with us. We had a nice walk on a guided path in the rain forest and were able to see more plants and creatures. This trip was one of the highlights of our vacation to Australia and we highly recommend it, and thank Mel for making it so enjoyable!

If you enjoy taking a walk on the wild side, do this tour! What a great experience. James was our guide and he is very passionate to share his knowledge of local flora and fauna. We saw two cassowaries (one a juvenile female feeding in an orchard) and harlequin beetle, a baby crocodile chilling in the forest stream, a number of endemic insects, glow in the dark fungi and get to experience Daintree at night. And James picked up a snake warming itself on the road at night (roadkill is sadly common) but it hissed and asked him to piss off.

A great way to maximise your chances of seeing NE Queensland's special wildlife James put considerable work into planning the ideal personal three day tour for me (which included an overnight stay in the Atherton Tablelands) to ensure I had the very best possible chance of finding four hard to see Aussie birds and animals on my wish list namely : Cassowary, Platypus, Tree Kangaroo as well as Spotted Catbird. James arranged for Melanie to be my guide and this proved to be great choice as we got on really well together and thanks to her enthusiasm and local field craft skill (and I have to admit some luck) we had great views of all the Aussie creatures on my wish list as well as many others along the way, including about 50 species of birds and even the difficult to see Musky Rat-Kangaroo - a small marsupial only found in the rain forests of NE Australia.
I would highly recommend Far North Queensland Nature Tours and James to anyone who really wants to experience the amazing wildlife found in this part of Australia.

Fantastic tour with James We were offered the alternative Tablelands tour due to the Daintree road conditions. Had an excellent set of afternoon and night walks with our knowledgable and enthusiastic guide- James. Particularly delighted to see a wild platypus, but the whole tour experience was fantastic

A true local experience with experienced and knowledgeable local guides! I just completely a 5 day, 4 night group guided wildlife tour of far north Queensland with FNQ Nature Tours. I was intentionally seeking out a tour that gave as much of a legitimate local experience as possible. FNQ Nature Tours is simply fantastic. It's a small business, run by two people, and both are extremely knowledgeable about wildlife, natural resource management issues, and both are actively involved in local conservation. I was impressed by how our guide, Matt, seemed to know everyone we ran into over the course of five days, including random people in towns. It was very important to me that my money benefited local communities. We stayed in locally-owned lodging, and ate exclusively at locally-owned cafes and restaurants.

Matt was simply a phenomenal guide. A little about me: I'm a college professor of wildlife management in the United States. I have a very high bar for trips like this, where my primary goal is finding and seeing wildlife. I understand that wildlife are wild and not all sightings are guaranteed, but Matt knew all the hotspots, knew all the other local guides we bumped into (and they worked together, sharing information on wildlife sightings, simply great comradery), and had such an innate understanding of where wildlife would be and when that we saw nearly everything we were looking for.

Please do not let my expertise scare you away if you are a relative novice, however. My group contained 8 people, myself, a colleague of mine, and 6 retirees with experience ranging from little to moderate. Matt did a fantastic job juggling these different skill-levels and expectations, still allowing me (the proverbial expert I guess) to have a fantastic time even among folks who weren't looking for such an intense experience.

If you are looking for a professional guide with a small company to get a personal experience finding various species of wildlife, while also being mindful of keeping your money local, this is the group for you. I really can't say enough good things about FNQ Nature Tours, my experience was excellent.

Birding, and other nature delights, in FNQ What a great time on a five-day Australian Geographic/FNQ Nature Tours birding trip!
Matt was a very warm, engaging and knowledgeable guide leading our diverse group of eight members. All very different and fun to be with. Lots of birds, including a couple of cassowaries, possums, platypus and a tree kangaroo. Great accommodation and good food. Highly recommended.

Brilliant day This was a fantastic experience. Mel was very knowledgeable and incredibly enthusiastic. It was a delight to spend time with someone who was getting as much joy out of the experience as we were. From the crocodiles (and their soap opera lives) to the amazing flora and fauna of the Mossman Gorge to the wonderful swim in the cold, soft water, the whole day was fascinating and memorable.

FNQ Nature Tours was an incredible company to tour the Queensland region with. Their rep Mel was an excellent source of knowledge and very engaged with our group. This is an incredible tour company and I highly recommend them!

The tour with Mel was amazing, perectly organised and her enthousiasm about nature makes you see so much more. We have learned a lot and she is so nice to be with, many thanks and we will recommend FNQ Nature Tours to family and friends

See the Daintree with Mel. What a great experiences! We went out with Mel who was very personable, attentive to our needs, and knowledgeable. We loved the wildlife boat ride with the crocs and kingfishers. She found us a cassowary which was great.

A fabulous experience James from FNQ Nature Tours guided me for three days in the Atherton Table Lands to find specific birds. It was a superb and spectacular experience. The guiding was enthusiastic, experienced, well planned, imaginative and very friendly. The accommodation and meals organised for me were excellent. James is not only a first-class ornithologist who knows many locations to find rare birds, but was prepared to be flexible to make changes in the itinerary as necessary. He was always thinking of how to help me and to give me a good experience. The wet tropics of northern Queensland are a fantastic ecological treasure and I could not have had a better guide to them.

Amazing Forest tour!! We were picked up by James from our hotel, and immediately his enthusiasm and passion for what he did was obvious.
He had a great sense of humour, and his knowledge was endless; combined this made for an entertaining trip to our first stop!
We saw a platypus, a mother and young tree kangaroo, and a colony of flying foxes at our first stop.
The next stop was an amazing fig tree, where we were also up close with Wild Turkeys, and a Boyd’s Forest Dragon.
We then stopped at a pub, where we had a great meal and waited for dark.
Once it was dark, we set off spotlighting where we saw 3 different types of possums.
It was a fantastic tour, which gave much more than I expected, and I cannot recommend this company enough.

Wonderful wildlife viewing near Cairns We spent a few days in Cairns on a recent Australia wildlife trip and had a day with James, from FNQ Nature Tours, exploring the Atherton Tablelands. This was a wonderful day, right from being picked up at the hotel after breakfast until being dropped off there in time for supper. James is incredible - his knowledge of the flora, fauna and history of the area is unparalleled and he was entertaining and informative about everything we saw. We were able to get great views of a tree kangaroo, a platypus, flying foxes, a huge number and species of birds .there seemed to be a better view around every corner. I would not hesitate to recommend James and his company to anyone looking to do some wildlife viewing in the Cairns area.

A day to treasure, full of experiences of nature, birds and animals. We cannot thank you enough for this extraordinary d We had an extraordinary day experiencing everything that the Atherton Tablelands has to offer with James of FNQ Nature Tours. His deep and heartfelt knowledge and enthusiasm for nature, the birds, the animals and the geology of the region is wonderful. It was just absolutely outstanding seeing the endemic birds, animals, Cathedral Fig, the Eacham Lake and the huge fascinating bats. James went out of his way to make our experience unique and wonderful.

Exceptional tour. It was a unique nature experience. Exceptional tour. It was a remarkable and thoroughly enjoyable experience.
James guided me through the forest, showing how to take great photos of the native fauna and flora while explaining the ecosystem, its evolution and challenges ahead.,
James is an outstanding guide and a wonderful “compagnon de route”.
I do recommend this tour. It is worth every minute.
Carlos

Wonderful nature, wildlife conservation safari We had such a fabulous time and our guide James was incredibly knowledgeable, fun and tolerant of all of our questions! We did the four day nature, wildlife and conservation safari in Daintree and Atherton Tablelands. We were fortunate to meet some fantastic conservationists/rehabbers/scientists doing such important work, in addition to seeing so many wonderful Australian plants and animals including Cassowaries, pademelons, crocodiles, bats, tree kangaroo, gray kangaroo, platypus, possums and so much more! Would highly recommend! These guys know their stuff and are extremely professional and engaging.

Best way to see the Daintree Rainforest We had an amazing day with our guide, Aaron. From the moment he picked us up, he was friendly and knowledgeable. We loved the crocodiles, the afternoon walk in the rainforest, and a delicious dinner. Our favorite part was the nocturnal walk and all of the critters we got to see. Aaron took great care of us the whole day and taught us many interesting things. I highly recommend this all inclusive way to see the Daintree rainforest.

5 day Far North Queensland Birdwatching Tour- recommended This was an excellent excursion. James , our guide , was very personable and became a friend. His knowledge of bird song and likely habitat was a major factor in our seeing and enjoying many of the endemic species which we would not otherwise have found . He was able to work around the unseasonable rain to ensure we had an excellent experience. He is also an excellent and safe driver. Accommodation and food was enjoyable, with the dinner at the Mt Molloy Hotel very pleasurable. As well as the birdlife, this tour showed facets of this part of North Queensland which one might miss on one's own. Can be highly recommended.
Paul and Glennys

Over and Above Expectations! The August 2023 Aus Geo/Far North Queensland Birding Tour was excellent in all respects. Our Guide James was perfect for the job and went over and above any Guide I have experienced before. It was very difficult for him as it rained most days and at time with torrential downpours. Despite this we still managed to see and photograph most of the target species. Accommodation was very good in both Lodges and the food over the 5 days was exceptional. James's photography skills were great and he was constantly helping and advising on how to get the best shots in the circumstances we found ourselves. I have one piece of constructive feedback. The (unadvertised) 6km walk at Shared Earth Reserve was too long for this group of Baby-boomers. We wasted 4 hours of good birding time here and there were very few birds found. My suggestion is to scrap this walk. I suggest still go here for breakfast as we did but then go back and focus on the entry road which was a very rich habitat for birds on the way in. Do it again on the way out and forget the walk. Overall a terrific Tour and highly recommended to any birding enthusiast interested in NQ birding and habitat experiences.

A great wildlife experience My husband and I did the four day FNQ wildlife and conservation tour. It exceeded all our expectations. We saw lots of amazing wildlife including crocodiles, cassowaries, platypus, tree kangaroos and more. A highlight was meeting a number of people who do wildlife rescue, conservation or research and hearing about what they are doing. It was a small group tour which meant there was a lot more flexibility than with larger groups and we had a very nice group of people. Our tour guide Matt was amazing, very enthusiastic, knowledgeable and flexible. I think we saw a lot more because of him. We stayed and ate at local businesses which were all excellent. We would happily go back to any of them (in fact we did go back to one cafe at Mossman after the tour on our way to our next stay).
We would highly recommend this tour to anyone with an interest in our local wildlife. It's a truly beautiful area with lots to see.

My wife and I did both the Daintree Afternoon and Nocturnal group tour and a private bird watching tour with FNQ Nature Tours, and had an amazing time both days. Aaron did a great job keeping things interesting and fun in the Daintree, even with wetter than expected weather. We learned tons about the local flora and fauna, and got lucky enough to see a cassowary and chick which was awesome! The electric river cruise is nice and quiet and very cool, and walking through the rainforest at night is an amazing experience everyone should try! James guided our private bird watching tour through the tablelands, and this guy is the real deal. I don't know that I've met someone more passionate and knowledgeable about their local area and wildlife. Even just driving down the road, if we thought we spotted something he did not hesitate to pull over and turn the car around. It was exciting and fun and a fantastic day all around - sooo many birds (and even an echidna)! He even passed along some photography tips (which I desperately need haha). Many many thanks to James and Aaron. If you're looking for a small group (or private) tour that really focuses on nature and wildlife in Cairns and the surrounding area, you can't do better than these guys.

I did two tours with James of FNQ NATURE TOURS. One in the Tablelands and another with a small group, visiting the Daintree Rain Forest and Cape Tribulation. They included day and night walks, a river cruise, animal and plant observation and food. Everything was planned and conducted with extreme care and professionalism. For me the highlight was to be able to feel and understand the forest and its ecosystem in a way I totally missed in my 3 previous visits to these enchanted forests. James has a contagious passion for these wonderful places, allied with a solid body of knowledge and the capacity to share them with us. He is also a very skilled nature photographer and spontaneously gives us hints about how to improve our own technique. On top of watching platypus, cassowary, tree kangaroo, leaf-tailored gecko, crocodiles, multiple plants, birds and animals of different species, I fully enjoyed these days. James is great fun. He makes short the long driving journeys! The cost is different from the “normal” package tour operators, but it is a different experience altogether. It is worth the investment. I wholeheartedly recommend FNQ Nature Tours Carlos

A Wonderful Day in Daintree Park We spent a full day with James touring the Daintree Forest. We thoroughly enjoyed the tour and particularly liked that James was flexible and adjusted the tour based on our interests.

We started by taking a boat ride on the Daintree River. It was a small private boat with a very knowledgeable guide/ captain. We saw birds and crocodiles and learned a lot about the area.

Next we went to a small cottage in the forest for lunch. The menu emphasized local foods, particularly a great selection of local fruits. They offered kangaroo, which we didn’t sample.

Finally we went into the park and explored the scenery. James was very knowledgeable about the area’s history and significance. We took a walk on a boardwalk through the forest to the beach. We were always on the lookout for wildlife and were rewarded by catching a glimpse of a cassowary through the trees. We also saw several very large spiders, but let’s not dwell on that.

We would highly recommend this tour company and its owner, our guide James.

Spectacular! We had a full-day tour of the Daintree Rainforest with James. It was absolutely amazing! James has a staggering breadth of knowledge and an infectious enthusiasm that kept our whole family fully engaged for the full 10 hour tour. His ease with the various spiders, lizards, snakes, centipedes, birds and bugs we encountered helped us all feel calm and comfortable. This was a real highlight of our two weeks in Australia!

Cannot rave enough about my experience with FNQ Nature Tours. James went above and beyond for our group, and I would absolutely recommend anyone looking for an incredible tour while they're in the Cairns area. In addition to our tour itself, James was able to provide thoughtful recommendations for our remaining time in the area. He regularly checked in to ensure we were comfortable, hydrated, and enjoying ourselves, and is essentially an encyclopedia of knowledge around the birds and other wildlife, as well as flora, of the region. He demonstrated massive respect for the nature and wildlife, as well as the Aboriginal cultures of the area. Would give more than 5 stars if I could!

Daintree Rain Forest Adventure I would highly recommend FNQ Nature tours, and particularly James as a guide. He curated an entire day trip for us (me, my wife and 21-year old son) which included a Daintree river excursion on a solar-powered boat, lunch at a fabulous teahouse, and two hikes in the Daintree rainforest. We saw plenty of tropical birds, fruit bats and baby crocs as well as an orange legged paddymelon! James was an expert on the wet tropics flora and fauna and also provided amazing digital photographs to us with his high powered camera. In all, we had a wonderful excursion!

Amazing experience with an all-day outing to the Daintree river and forest. Saw all kind of flora and fauna, highlights being oldest trees and ferns in the world, various birds, cassowary, crocodiles, spiders, snakes, frogs, etc. Our guide Simon was great and knew how to find quiet and off-the-beaten path places.

A great day in the Atherton Tanlelands An outstanding day in the Atherton Tablelands rainforests and
lake region. Matt and Rowen were perfect guides. Their knowledge about the rainforest wildlife and foliage was amazing. Each time a bird called Matt identified it, and he constantly had his binoculars out searching for tree kangaroos, dragon lizards, platypus and a possum unique to the area. We had mixed results, seeing several species but not all ..and clearly it was not for lack of trying. All in all a day well spent.

The team at FNQ Nature Tours truly go above and beyond to deliver the best experience possible! Their knowledge and passion for nature is endless, and we thoroughly enjoyed the Daintree Afternoon tour. We would highly recommend joining for a tour for anyone wanting to experience the Daintree with true experts. Thank you for being awesome FNQ Nature Tours!

The absolute BEST tour we could've asked for We cannot recommend this tour enough! Matt was the perfect guide with extensive knowledge about the rainforest and its wildlife. He even personalized the tour after finding out my partner and I are big wildlife lovers to give us the best chance of seeing and filming the elusive animals in the Daintree area.

We saw many different animals on our walks in the rainforest and the night tour was a magical experience like no other. Just to name a few, we saw stripped possums, the Papuan frogmouth owl, many species of frogs, and even a spotted python on our way back home. I also managed to film a Boyd's forest dragon catching a cicada mid-air up close! The Solar Whisper crocodile cruise through the daintree river was also amazing and we saw many baby saltwater crocodiles and spectacled fruit bats. On top of all that, the dinner included in the tour was also absolutely delicious and the views at Cape Tribulation were wonderful.

Truly one of the best ways out there to explore the Daintree rainforest and we are already planning our next trip back out here!

Thank you so much Matt for making this trip amazing and teaching us so much!

Sensational tour. James was the perfect fit for our family trip. Knowledgeable, fun, organised, great with the kids and a real all-rounder. Don’t look anywhere else! Absolute champion!!

The sweetest music you'll ever hear. James Boettcher . what a legend! I had the pleasure of spending 4 days with James, in his absolute element, experiencing his infectious enthusiasm and willingness to impart knowledge.

He really opens your eyes and ears to the rainforest. It soon it feels like each and every living thing is a member of an epic orchestra; he makes you realise that each thing is perfectly designed to play their key part in their own unique way, and they all come together to create the beautiful music that is the wet tropics of FNQ.

What James and his team have created at FNQ Nature Tours is incredible! His passion and drive to protect and conserve the wet tropics and champion others to do the same really hits home from the moment you step into his vehicle.

He gave me such an immersive experience of his world. The animal and plant interactions were unreal!! Our experience with a jungle carpet python will forever remain one of the best moments of my life. He gave me 4 days of constant adventure, excitement, fun, education and relaxation. Perfectly balanced and perfectly tailored.

But out of all of our epic experiences, seeing James still get so stoked about an experience and seeing him still surprising himself was one of my highlights. These guys are truly passionate about what they do.

FNQ Nature Tours has allowed me to experience the most intimate feeling of connectedness with nature and on such a profound level. What a rare gift to be able to give people hey!

This experience surpasses all my other travel adventures. I honestly cannot speak highly enough of James, as a guide, a business owner and as a friend. His vision and his mission are strong!

Thanks for the memories mate

Sensational tour. James was the perfect fit for our family trip. Knowledgeable, fun, organised, great with the kids and a real all-rounder. Don’t look anywhere else! Absolute champion!!

An amazing wildlife experience This was truly exceptional trip - one of the best have taken anywhere or anytime. James took us into the Tablelands, where we saw a variety of animals,including tree kangaroos, red-legged pademelons, and a variety of birds and lizards. He identified bird songs, and even helped with visual identification - a challenge with the thick canope. The scenery was wonderful as well, including a beautiful blue-green lake with turtles and a variety of interesting fish. A day very well spent!

Fabulous day in the rainforest See the crocodiles "scarface" and "elizabeth in their natural habitat, informative walks in the rainforest. James is knowledgeable and personable.

Priceless Experience! We booked the private tour to celebrate our honeymoon and boy did it not disappoint! James was an incredible tour guide and we learned so much about the wildlife, rainforest and overall Queensland history. He was extremely passionate and knowledgeable and kept us engaged the entire time - we didn't want to go home, we wanted to keep searching for cassowaries! We also had the pleasure of searching for crocs with Dave & his sweet pup Doug and saw the mighty Scarface as well as many 'cute' baby crocs & wildlife. Out of our two week honeymoon traveling throughout Fiji & Australia, this was by far our favorite day!

Unforgettable Four of us took a private full day tour with FNQ Tours that included a cruise on the Daintree River, walks in the rainforest and on a beach, lunch and more. We saw crocs, a cassowary, rare bird life and lots more. Matt was our guide and his knowledge of the environment, flora and fauna was impressive. The tour was easily organised and well executed. A fantastic experience for all of us. Highly recommended.

Daintree Rainforest up close and personal What an awesome tour this is! Matt was such an enthusiastic and knowledgeable guide who ensured that each guest had the best experience possible. We were able to see lots of flora and fauna along the way with the highlight being the night walk and seeing the very rare Sooty Owl along with a cassowary.
The dinner by the beach was superb as well.
A truly memorable experience

James from FNQ tours was not only a highly knowledgeable tour guide, we found him to be extremely personable and fun to hang out with. His knowledge of the local plants and animals, in particularly the birds was highly informative and presented with enthusiasm. His tour van was very clean and comfortable and he was a very confident and safe driver. His passion of nature shines through and his optimism is contagious. I will be recommending FNQ tours to anyone heading to Cairns and I know you won’t be disappointed. Adam and Nikki WA

A smorgasboard of tropical wildlife experience An amazing mix of birdlife, mammals and ineresting land forms- from coastal rainforest, and volcanic lakes to drier elevated savannah landscapes. Matt our driver and guide for the 5 day adventure was flexible, tolerant, friendly, enthusiastic and very knowledgeable in sharing his obvious passion for the region. We were fortunate to see the majority of the regions endemic birds as well as possums, tree kangaroos and multiple platypi. Night sightings were a particular highlight.

Exceptional experience We joined this tour following to Sanctuary’s recommendation. Our guide Matt was amazing! Friendly, helpful and fun to be with and also full of amazing knowledge of wildlife and plants, We learned so much from him and experienced something we never did or saw before. River cruise and night rainforest walk were awesome! We are only 6 of us and had Matt’s full attention all the time. He is a ex policeman so there is nothing he cannot handle. A few surprise happened but he just took care of it, no problem, and everything calm. I feel very safe with him in a pitch dark rain forest at night. Utterly enjoyed the experience!They are booked up very quickly, so I highly recommend to book in well in advance.

Phenomenal experience. This experience was phenomenal. James is such a knowledgeable and personable guide. We thoroughly enjoyed our adventure to Cape tribulation and the Daintree rainforest after dark. Special shout out to Dave and the crocodile tour down the Daintree River. Would recommend anyone

North Queensland Tropical Birding Tour We enjoyed 5 days and 4 nights of the North Queensland Tropical Birding Tour with our guide Matt. The trip was fantastic and exceeded our expectations! Matt was knowledgeable, patient and fun, and passionate about environmental conservation. Each day was better than the day before! We saw so many birds from our wish list, with bonus sightings of tree kangaroos, platypus, different species of possums, bandicoots and spectacled flying foxes. The nocturnal spotlighting trips were another highlight!
In addition to birdwatching, we learnt a lot about the local wildlife and the areas we visited. We couldn’t be happier with the trip, which was well organized and tailored to our needs. Highly recommend this tour.

North Queensland Tropical Birding Tour - Wonderful North Queensland Tropical Birding Tour with Matt, 5 days, 4 nights.
The whole trip was exceptional - Matt was an enthusiastic, positive, caring and flexible guide with a great deal of knowledge and many stories to tell. We saw everything we had hoped to. Highlights - the 20 minutes or so watching the mother and young tree kangaroo stroll through the trees and slide down the trunk in great view only a few metres away, cassowary, golden bower bird, displaying rifle bird, black necked stork on the Daintree River dawn cruise. Loved the rock wallabies, the red backed fairy wren amongst hundreds of other birds. Great nocturnal possum and owl sightings as well. The accommodation was charming and eating at all the local eateries a delight.

An immersive experience in the Daintree rain forest Spending much of the day leading from our guide Matt. In each of our varied experiences, the nature river cruise, the daytime and nocturnal rainforest walks he was was very knowledgeable and focused on making each of us have a great trip.
Cocktails and dinner at sunset on a beautiful beach was an extra bonus.

We had a full day nature tour with James. Service was exceptional and in fact… outstanding. This is how every tour should be. Nothing was too much trouble and James went out of his way to show us so many endemic birds and uncommon species along with a wealth of knowledge of everything nature. He knows almost everything about flora, fauna and photography!! We’re booking another tour next year.

North Queensland Tropical Birding Tour We have just completed the 5 day, 4 night North Queensland Tropical Birding Tour to the Daintree Rainforest and Atherton Tablelands with James. His knowledge, energy, enthusiasm and passion are second-to-none, making this a really memorable trip for us. While it was a birding trip, we learnt and saw so much more, even down to the tree kangaroos (which we thought we'd never see!) and playpus. James went out of his way to share many 'hidden gems' of the Tablelands with us, including great places to eat and perfectly located accommodation. Thanks for a great all-round experience James.