Discover the Blue Mountains

Travel by motor coach west to the Blue Mountains—an awesome Grand Canyon-like rock formation among deep valleys and cascading waterfalls. The Blue Mountains are a UNESCO World Heritage Site—an area of breathtaking views, rugged tablelands, sheer cliffs and deep, inaccessible valleys covering more than 2.5 million acres. Breathe in the fresh mountain air and relax as you marvel at a majestic landscape of waterfalls and awe-inspiring sandstone escarpments. En route to the Blue Mountains, you’ll visit Featherdale Wildlife Park. This amazing park contains a variety of Australian wildlife including kangaroos, koalas, wallabies, reptiles, Tasmanian devils, wombats and various species of Australian birds. You’ll have an opportunity to get up close to the friendly kangaroos and a see Australia’s iconic, cuddly koalas. Driving over the imposing Blue Mountains, see the famous rock formation known as the Three Sisters and enjoy the splendid panoramic views of the Jamieson Valley, Mount Solitary and the Ruined Castle. A highlight of your day will be a stop at the Koomurri Aboriginal Centre in Katoomba. The center showcases the extraordinary talent and celebrates indigenous culture, art and dance. You’ll be welcomed by the Aboriginal staff, who will explain the background of the unique art pieces on display. You’ll see high-energy traditional dancing along with a live didgeridoo performance. A delicious two-course lunch will be served at the Mountain Heritage Hotel. Boasting unrivaled views over the spectacular mountains, this quaint property lends an old-world charm to your dining experience. You will have free time here to relax and reflect on your day’s sightseeing adventure before returning to the ship.

FERNDALE WILDLIFE PARK

Kookaburra

Kookaburras (genus Dacelo) are terrestrial tree kingfishers native to Australia and New Guinea, which grow to between 28–42 cm (11–17 in) in length. The name is a loanword from Wiradjuri guuguubarra, onomatopoeic of its call. The single member of the genus Clytoceyx is commonly referred to as the Shovel-billed Kookaburra.

The kookaburra's loud call sounds like echoing human laughter. Kookaburras are not closely associated with water. They are found in habitats ranging from humid forest to arid savanna, as well as in suburban areas with tall trees or near running water.^{[citation needed]}

FAISAN MACHO

WOMBATWombats are short-legged, muscular quadrupedal marsupials, native to Australia, approximately 1 metre (40 in) in length, with short, stubby tails. They are adaptable in habitat tolerance, and are found in forested, mountainous, and heathland areas of south-eastern Australia, including Tasmania, as well as an isolated patch of about 300 hectares (740 acres) in Epping Forest National Park^[2] in central Queensland.

Koala

The koala (Phascolarctos cinereus or, inaccurately, koala bear^[a]) is an arboreal herbivorous marsupial native to Australia. It is the only extant representative of the family Phascolarctidae, and its closest living relatives are the wombats.^[3] The koala is found in coastal areas of the mainland's eastern and southern regions, inhabiting Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. It is easily recognisable by its stout, tailless body; round, fluffy ears; and large, spoon-shaped nose. The koala has a body length of 60–85 cm (24–33 in) and weighs 4–15 kg (9–33 lb). Pelage colour ranges from silver grey to chocolate brown. Koalas from the northern populations are typically smaller and lighter in colour than their counterparts further south. It is possible that these populations are separate subspecies, but this is disputed.

Koalas typically inhabit open eucalypt woodlands, and the leaves of these trees make up most of their diet. Because this eucalypt diet has limited nutritional and caloric content, koalas are largely sedentary and sleep for up to 20 hours a day. They are asocial animals, and bonding exists only between mothers and dependent offspring. Adult males communicate with loud bellows that intimidate rivals and attract mates. Males mark their presence with secretions from scent glands located on their chests. Being marsupials, koalas give birth to underdeveloped young that crawl into their mothers' pouches, where they stay for the first six to seven months of their life. These young koalas are known as joeys, and are fully weaned at around a year. Koalas have few natural predators and parasites but are threatened by various pathogens, like Chlamydiaceae bacteria and the koala retrovirus, as well as by bushfires and droughts.

Macrotis ( Bilby)

Bilbies are desert-dwelling marsupial omnivores; they are members of the order Peramelemorphia. Before European colonisation ofAustralia, there were two species. The lesser bilby became extinct in the 1950s; the greater bilby survives but remains endangered.

OWL

EMU

The emu (/ˈiːmjuː/,^[6] sometimes US /ˈiːmuː/;^[7] Dromaius novaehollandiae) is the largest bird native to Australia and the onlyextant member of the genus Dromaius. It is the second-largest extant bird in the world by height, after its ratite relative, theostrich. There are three subspecies of emus in Australia. The emu is common over most of mainland Australia, although it avoids heavily populated areas, dense forest, and arid areas.^[8]

The soft-feathered, brown, flightless birds reach up to 2 metres (6.6 ft) in height. They have long thin necks and legs. Emus can travel great distances at a fast, economical trot and, if necessary, can sprint at 50 km/h (31 mph).^[9] Their long legs allow them to take strides of up to 275 centimetres (9.02 ft)^[8] They are opportunistically nomadic and may travel long distances to find food; they feed on a variety of plants and insects, but have been known to go for weeks without food. Emus ingest stones, glass shards and bits of metal to grind food in the digestive system. They drink infrequently, but take in copious fluids when the opportunity arises. Emus will sit in water and are also able to swim. They are curious birds who are known to follow and watch other animals and humans. Emus do not sleep continuously at night but in several short stints sitting down.

Tree-kangaro

The tree-kangaroo is a marsupial from the family Macropodidae (macropods, meaning 'large foot') adapted for arboreal locomotion. They inhabit the tropical rainforests of New Guinea, far northeastern Queensland and some of the islands in the region. Most tree-kangaroos are considered threatened due to hunting and habitat destruction. The tree-kangaroo is the only true arboreal member of the kangaroo family.^[2]

FEEDING CROCODILE

DINGO

ALBINO KANGAROOAlbinos are extremely rare among these animals.

Cassowary

he cassowaries (IPA: /,kæsɵwæri/) are ratites (flightless birds without a keel on their sternum bone) in the genus Casuarius native to the tropical forests of New Guinea, nearby islands, and northeastern Australia.^[2] There are three extant species recognized today. The most common of these, the Southern Cassowary, is the third tallest and second heaviest living bird, smaller only than the ostrichand emu.

Cassowaries feed mainly on fruit, although all species are truly omnivorous and will take a range of other plant food including shoots, grass seeds, and fungi in addition to invertebrates and small vertebrates. Cassowaries are very shy, but when provoked they are capable of inflicting injuries to dogs and people, although fatalities are extremely rare.

CASSOWARY

Tasmanian devil

The Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) is a carnivorous marsupial of the family Dasyuridae, now found in the wild only on theAustralian island state of Tasmania. The size of a small dog, it became the largest carnivorous marsupial in the world following theextinction of the thylacine in 1936. It is characterised by its stocky and muscular build, black fur, pungent odour, extremely loud and disturbing screech, keen sense of smell, and ferocity when feeding. The Tasmanian devil's large head and neck allow it to generate amongst the strongest bite per unit body mass of any extant mammal land predator,^[2] and it hunts prey and scavenges carrion as well as eating household products if humans are living nearby. Although it usually is solitary, it sometimes eats with other devils and defecates in a communal location. Unlike most other dasyurids, the devil thermoregulates effectively and is active during the middle of the day without overheating. Despite its rotund appearance, the devil is capable of surprising speed and endurance, and can climb trees and swim across rivers.

It is believed that ancient marsupials migrated from what is now South America to Australia tens of millions of years ago during the time of Gondwana,^[3]^[4]^[5] and that they evolved as Australia became more arid. Fossils of species similar to modern devils have been found, but it is not known whether they were ancestors of the contemporary species, or whether the current devils co-existed with these species. The date that the Tasmanian devil became locally extinct from the Australian mainland is unclear; most evidence suggests they had contracted to three relict populations around 3000 years ago. A tooth found in Augusta, Western Australia has been dated to 430 years ago, but archaeologist Oliver Brown disputes this and considers the devil's mainland extinction to have occurred around 3000 years ago.^[6] This disappearance is usually blamed on dingoes, which are absent from Tasmania. Because they were seen as a threat to livestock and animals that humans hunted for fur in Tasmania, devils were hunted and became endangered. In 1941, the devils, which were originally seen as implacably vicious, became officially protected. Since then, scientists have contended that earlier concerns that the devils were the most significant threat to livestock were overestimated and misplaced.

Tasmanian devil

ECHIDNA

Echidnas /ɨˈkɪdnə/, sometimes known as spiny anteaters,^[1] belong to the family Tachyglossidae in the monotreme order of egg-layingmammals. The four extant species, together with the platypus, are the only surviving members of that order and are the only extant mammals that lay eggs.^[2] Their diet consists of ants and termites, but they are not closely related to the true anteaters of the AmericasThey live in Australia and New Guinea.========================================================

On the way to Blue Mountain we traveled through:

Blacktown, Penrith Valley, Hazelbrook, Lawson, Katoomba and other small towns

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THE MOUNTAIN HERITAGE HOTEL
YESTER ROAD, WENTWORTH FALLS NSW

we had lunch here on the way to the Blue Mountains
we had FLAT FISH, and for desert the famous
PAVLOVA

www.yestergrange.com.au