About Us

Mike & Gina Ostwald have a broad background in environmental and people oriented business.

In business for over 38 years, Mike and Gina have together managed businesses across a range of industries including:

• Operating mixed farming enterprises in Central Queensland (17 years),
• Real Estate businesses in Gympie and the South Eastern and Burnett areas of Queensland (12 years) specialising in rural sales and auctioneering
• And Tourism operations including accommodation & nature tours in the Northern Territory (9years)

Mary River Park, in the Top End of the Northern Territory, was home to NT Bird Specialists and was operated successfully for 9 years offering Accommodation and B&B Farmstay with:

• Restaurant
• Caravan park
• River cruises
• Wetland tours
• Fishing tours
• And birdwatching tours.

Mike Ostwald is a Brolga Award winner (2005) for Outstanding Interpretive guide in the Northern Territory. Mike is accredited with the Savannah Guide Organisation.

Gina has teaching qualifications and has taught in both Queensland (Gympie, Cooloola Mary Valley areas) and the Northern Territory.

Mike & Gina have a wonderful love of all things natural and enjoy a relaxed lifestyle in their Gympie home Bed and Breakfast Farmstay (www.eastwoodfarm.com.au) where they welcome new friends to share their incredible environment in the sub tropical southern Queensland areas of Fraser, Cooloola & Noosa hinterlands.

Mike is looking forward to working with Luke Paterson who is the resident guide for NT Bird Specialists in the Northern Territory. Mike will be available to assist Luke with large or specialized ‘birding’ groups by arrangement.

LUKE PATERSON

Luke’s interest in birds has developed over many years after camping trips around the state of Victoria with his family triggered off his passion for these winged beauties. After completing his studies of Natural Resource Management in Bendigo, he moved to Broome, where he worked as an Assistant Warden at the Broome Bird Observatory.

Luke led bird watching tours around the magnificent Roebuck Bay and surrounding environments, where he also assisted in the capturing and research of various bird species involving mist and cannon netting.

From Broome he moved to Darwin and has been working throughout the top end for more than eight years, His passion for birds has only got stronger through the years.

Luke has the necessary Kakadu permits and is accredited with Birds Australia.

He will be happy to meet with previous clients of Mike Ostwald who wish to return to the Top End of the Northern Territory and share the birds again from a different perspective.