21 Animal Snaps That Will Make You Wish You Lived in Australia

We share Australia with some pretty astonishing animals – many of whom are found nowhere else on Earth. It’s our duty to respect and protect them in their natural habitat.

These gorgeous snaps highlight the diversity all around us – and might just make a few people jealous that they don’t live Down Under!

Just your standard morning traffic at #EmeraldBeach in @coffscoastnsw…. The surfers here regularly share the beach with the local eastern grey kangaroos, and apparently the morning this photo was taken a mob of roos had hopped down to the shoreline “to wet their paws” just as this lucky surfer walked past. It seems it’s not just the humans who love the beaches in this beautiful part of @visitnsw – and with excellent waves, clean sand and friendly locals, can you blame them?! Photo: @stimages

A photo posted by Australia (@australia) on Sep 16, 2016 at 2:28pm PDT

Why hello there, adorable rock wallaby – would you like to have your photo taken? It seems this gorgeous critter that lives on @magneticislandtourism isn’t camera shy – it even came right up to sniff @travelandwildlifephotography’s camera. It’s not just rock wallabies that you’ll spot on this gorgeous island off the coast of @townsvillenorthqueensland; it’s also home to northern Australia’s largest colony of koalas, as well as abundant bird and marine life.

A photo posted by Australia (@australia) on Aug 27, 2016 at 4:44am PDT

After three months of wintry weather in the @snowymountainsnsw, the resident wildlife seem pretty stoked that spring is now just around the corner! Although this part of @visitnsw gets rather chilly over the winter months, you can still find loads of animals here which are well adapted to living in alpine conditions. @charlesdavisphotography has been photographing wildlife in this region for seven years, and regularly encounters wombats, echidna, wallabies, kangaroos and possums.

A photo posted by Australia (@australia) on Aug 31, 2016 at 12:03am PDT

“Wally has been waiting all winter to get back onto the beach, and boy does it feel good to have his paws in the sand again” – @shells_travels was lucky enough to see this wombat casually strolling along at Tidal River in @visitgippsland’s #WilsonsPromontory National Park just before sunset. On an overnight trip staying within this 50,000 hectare reserve in #Victoria, @shells_travels saw about 10 different wombats, as well as emus, kangaroos and wallabies – proving that this scenic national park really is a mecca for native wildlife!

A photo posted by Australia (@australia) on Oct 1, 2015 at 7:05pm PDT

All aboard! Looks like @aloalomarcianoblog picked up a friendly hitchhiker on a recent road trip through South West Rocks, which is a sleepy coastal town that lies at the mouth of the Macleay River in @visitnsw. He looks pretty focused, we wonder just where this #kookaburra was heading to for his holiday?

A photo posted by Australia (@australia) on Jul 25, 2015 at 12:32am PDT

“Oh hey guys, are you looking for me?” – In what was a rare sighting, Ranger Emma Schmidt from @qldparks spotted this Australian #snubfin dolphin partaking in a leisurely spot of backstroke off Hinchinbrook Island National Park in @queensland recently. Emma has been working in the waters off this island for 12 years, but has only encountered these curious creatures twice, so capturing this photo really came down to pure luck.

A photo posted by Australia (@australia) on Sep 23, 2015 at 5:02am PDT

Double tap on this adorable fellow’s heart-shaped nose if you want to join him for a swim! Dan Paris spotted this rather photogenic Australian sea lion sunning himself on the beach at Cape Arid National Park, an untouched paradise which is located an hour’s drive east of #Esperance in @australiasgoldenoutback. Can’t say we blame him for choosing this particular stretch of sand in @westernaustralia to relax on, not only is it home to great beach fishing, it’s also a seriously stunning spot!

A photo posted by Australia (@australia) on Aug 30, 2016 at 4:32am PDT

The exact moment you find out you’re not really a bear 🐨 Though often referred to as ‘koala bears’, these famous Aussie animals are in fact not bears at all; they’re marsupials – which means that their young are born immature and they develop further in the safety of a pouch. @kittycatuk spotted this cheeky youngster in a tree on @authentickangarooisland in @southaustralia, which she described as “definitely one of the best places I have been to see koalas in the wild”. Sounds bearable to us!

A photo posted by Australia (@australia) on Jul 8, 2016 at 5:32am PDT

“This one’s definitely going to be my new profile pic!” – @beckobagel bumped into this cockatoo posing on the #SydneyHarbourBridge on her walk to work – not a bad morning commute, if you ask us! Thousands of people cross @sydney’s famous bridge every day by car, foot, bus and train, and it’s so spectacular that even Sydneysiders often stop to soak it all in. For a bird’s eye view, try climbing to the summit with @bridgeclimb – or if you’re short on time, you can just take the 200 stairs to the impressive pylon lookout.

A photo posted by Australia (@australia) on Apr 25, 2016 at 7:06am PDT

Say cheese – it’s not every day you get to pose for a photo with a gigantic Potato Cod! Although he appears rather cranky, this funny looking critter is completely harmless; in fact, he’s actually quite friendly – he and his buddies love following divers around at this particular dive site in the @gbrmarinepark known as ‘The Cod Hole’. You’ll find this spot near @lizardisland off the coast of @tropicalnorthqueensland, and it’s renowned for its sociable (and enormous) Potato Cod and Maori Wrasse. Photo: @islandjems with @mikeballdive

A photo posted by Australia (@australia) on Sep 14, 2016 at 12:09am PDT

“I heard you like boobies… well here I am!” – Alright let’s keep this PG, it’s just a bird, ok? 😉 This fluffy critter is indeed called a booby, and it lives on #CatoIsland in the Coral Sea offshore from @visitbundaberg. @barefootcharter captured this incredible photo on a sailing tour off Hervey Bay recently. The islands in this part of @queensland are packed with resident and nesting birdlife, including Wedge-tailed Shearwaters, Red-tailed Tropicbirds and three different species of boobies (of the feathered variety).

A photo posted by Australia (@australia) on Aug 31, 2016 at 4:32am PDT

A busy day in the surf at Duranbah – luckily there’s more than enough waves for everyone! 🐬This popular beach, known affectionately as ‘D-Bah’ by the locals, is @visitnsw’s northernmost beach, and it’s renowned as an excellent surf spot. Fun fact: this beach is actually located right on the border of #NSW and @queensland, so you can walk a few metres up onto the headland here and find yourself in a different Australian state! Photo: @hwrightphotos

A photo posted by Australia (@australia) on Mar 20, 2016 at 6:03pm PDT

“Not a bad spot for a cuppa!” – Even this local Crimson Rosella can’t resist the view from The Lookout Cambewarra Mountain, a tiny cafe perched high on the summit of the #Cambewarra Range in @visitnsw. The cafe’s panoramic views are popular not only with its customers but also with an array of resident birds and wildlife – and we can see why! Photo: @olenasyd #RestaurantAustralia

A photo posted by Australia (@australia) on Nov 28, 2015 at 5:05pm PST

“Good morning!” – Clearly this cheeky emu in @ausoutbacknt has already had his daily coffee hit 😂 The #NorthernTerritory is teeming with wildlife, and with now being the wet season it’s the ideal time to visit if you’re a keen wildlife or bird watcher. The resident wildlife are most active at this time of year, plus the waterfalls are in full flow and the freshwater swimming holes are filled to the brim. Photo: @lizzyallnutt

A photo posted by Australia (@australia) on Jan 6, 2016 at 12:03pm PST

When 🐋 and ✋combine, you get a simply magical shot like this! @kylextaylor had absolutely perfect timing to capture this incredible @goproanz photo near #ByronBay recently. He was out for a swim as the sun was setting and saw some breaching whales start to come closer towards him… but when he stuck his hand out of the water he had no idea that a #whale would show it’s whole tail like this. And just like that, an unexpected moment was captured forever!

A photo posted by Australia (@australia) on Nov 5, 2015 at 9:54pm PST

“Look, no hands!” – This underwater acrobat was spotted by @grumpyturtledesign at the #MontagueIsland Nature Reserve off the south coast of @visitnsw, which is home to hundreds of Australian fur seals and more than 90 species of birds. You can get to the island on a guided boat tour, and if a day trip’s not enough, stay overnight at a heritage listed lighthouse keeper’s cottage which comes with sweeping ocean views.

A photo posted by Australia (@australia) on Jan 29, 2016 at 10:32pm PST

Peekaboo! It’s baby quokka season on @rottnestislandwa, so keep your eyes peeled for these little cuties poking their heads out of their mothers’ pouches. Quokkas generally breed in the cooler months, and their young are born after about a month – then they spend around six months in the pouch. So quokka fans rejoice, because there’ll soon be even more of these adorable critters hopping around this lovely island off the coast of @experienceperth in @westernaustralia! Photo: @daxon

A photo posted by Australia (@australia) on Aug 17, 2016 at 4:33am PDT

“Right this way, I’ll just show you to your room…” – Believe it or not, you can actually stay overnight on the #GreatBarrierReef! There’s an amazing reef stay experience with @sunloverreefcruises which involves ‘glamping’ in deluxe swags on #MooreReefPontoon off the coast of #Cairns in @tropicalnorthqueensland. So if one day of snorkelling with tropical fish and turtles isn’t enough, picture falling asleep in the balmy open air under a starry sky with the world’s largest coral reef below you. Sounds incredible, wouldn’t you agree? Photo: @caitensphoto

A photo posted by Australia (@australia) on Aug 3, 2016 at 2:10pm PDT

“Pleased to meet you” – If we could describe dugongs in one word it would be friendly! These amazing marine creatures, which can grow to about three metres in length and weigh as much as 400 kilograms, are vegetarians so you can feel very safe if you’re lucky enough to come across one of them. Most of the world’s #dugong population occurs in northern Australian waters between Shark Bay in @westernaustralia and Moreton Bay in @Queensland, and this incredible shot was captured in the #GreatBarrierReef. Photo: @gbrmarinepark

A photo posted by Australia (@australia) on Oct 6, 2015 at 4:35am PDT

“Hey guys, come for a dip, the water’s beautiful!” – Imagine being out on a boat off the #NingalooReef and seeing one of these creatures pop up to say g’day! This spotted underwater giant is a whale shark, and there are loads of them hanging out off @australiascoralcoast at this time of year to feed on plankton. It’s nearing the end of whale shark season so if you missed out this year, don’t stress – they’ll be back next year, plus that gives you plenty of time to research all the other cool things you can do in this sensational part of @westernaustralia. Photo: @whalesharkdive

A photo posted by Australia (@australia) on Jul 1, 2016 at 12:35am PDT

Kangaroos in the mist… captured by @fulafoto at Childers in @Queensland. This spot is the southernmost township of the @visitbundaberg region, and is set on top of rolling hills of red soil framed by vivid green sugarcane, avocadoes and macadamias.

A photo posted by Australia (@australia) on Jun 30, 2015 at 4:26pm PDT

Think animals should be free to live in their natural environment, rather than confined to zoos, marine parks, and circuses that profit from imprisoning them?

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