Koalas, Kangaroos and Kookaburras

Today was brought to me by the letter "K".

I was supposed to get up this morning at 5:30.  My alarm was set plenty early to get ready for my big 12-hour tour of the Blue Mountains and a wildlife park afterward, and I needed to meet the bus promptly at 7:00 sharp.  That gave me plenty of time to pry open my sleepy eyes, get a quick shower, grab a bite to eat in the hotel restaurant and be my usual punctual self.  However, my brain decided to wake up two and a half hours before the alarm (you do the math), and it would not shut down again for anything- even self-bribery.

So I tidied up my room, checked my e-mail, watched some Aussie TV (not so entertaining), took an extra-long shower and filled in those two and a half hours as best I could.  By the time my tour bus arrived (and now with a large, hearty breakfast settling in my belly) I was beginning to nod off just a bit.  With the excitement of the busy day ahead and meeting fellow tour-mates as we boarded the mammoth-size mega-bus, thankfully I managed to stay alert.  Or maybe the caffeine from the three cups of coffee finally kicked in.

The two hour trip westward out of Sydney up into the Blue Mountains was fascinating.  I sat next to a very sweet, older woman named Mary from New Zealand who hails from Christchurch, the city that was struck by the devastating earthquake a few years back.  As we climbed into the mountains, our ears popping with the slowly-increasing altitude, she told me of the destruction and stress she and her family has endured in the aftermath.  Mary shared how her house was knocked completely off its foundation, how she was so stressed out for an entire year afterward that her hair began to fall out, and how her son has never quite been the same since.  The time flew by visiting with her.

The Blue Mountains, an ancient range similar to the Appalachians, are were named after that bluish hue that they emit.  Much of the mountains are covered in eucalyptus and gum trees, both of which are green-blue in color.  The original inhabitants of this region, the Aboriginal tribes, considered them sacred, and they are truly beautiful from a distance as well as up-close.  In early times, the mountains were a playground for the wealthy residents of Sydney or a hidden honeymoon destination for newlyweds, and now many working-class villages with quaint, gingerbread cottages punctuate the highway along the way.

 

Our first stop was a major tourist attraction called Scenic World, which I thought was sort of a lame name actually.  We made a few brief stops at some viewpoints to stretch our legs and take some pictures of the sweeping valleys which are frequently covered in a heavy blanket of thick, white fog.  The sight took our breath away; it was so ethereal!

Waiting for us at Scenic World were some thrilling rides.  The first was the steepest railroad in the world that dives like a rollercoaster down a gut-turning 62 degree slope for a distance of about 500 feet.  It was an Indiana Jones moment for me, and I laughed out loud it as we descended down the mountainside and through a pitch-black tunnel.  Too much fun to believe!

Next, we were able to ride a glass-bottom cable car, hailed as the highest cable car in Australia, that dangled precariously over a 900 foot deep canyon with the dense, formidable jungle below us and a gorgeous waterfall on the side. Of course, the children were screaming all the way across, and I found myself screaming silently right along with them.  

A brief trip to the local Aboriginal Center provided us with a cultural intermission in our day. We were treated to music, dancing, stories and a ritualistic purification ceremony, and it made me even more excited to travel to Uluru, the Red Center of Australia next week where most of the Aboriginal people are located.

The biggest highlight of my day today, however, as if all that wasn't enough, was the final stop on our excursion which was a visit to the Featherdale Wildlife Park.  For anyone who knows me, animals are pure magic in my book.  I saw an entire Noah's Arc of creatures there, including the three big "K's"- a half dozen koalas, hundreds of kangaroos (an albino one even), large nests of kookaburras, Australia's favorite bird! 

There were also scores of other species- ostriches, emus, wambats, crocodiles, a hungry little Tasmanian Devil, bats, snakes, dingoes, pelicans, lizards, birds of every feather, including the colorful, crested and magnificent cassowary with its brilliant blue neck and billowing plumage. 

The sounds from the wildlife park were incredible and so loud at times, but I was in 7th Heaven there. I could easily see myself working at such a place, even if it meant just cleaning out cages. To be with animals is to walk among gods.

 

But the biggest thrill of all came when I found my way to the King of the K's- the koala exhibit.  Qantas Airline adopted the koala as its mascot many years ago, and one of the very first things I thought of during my earlier 5th grade report about Australia (remember?) was this adorable, cuddly marsupial that makes most people melt.  It is the one of the great icons of this land, and most tourist flock immediately to this part of the park to see them first.

I was hoping to actually HOLD one, but the wildlife park's policy states that tourists are not allowed to do so since it would cause way too much stress on the koalas to be handed over repeatedly from one stranger to another all day long, day after day.  Understandable!  After all, koalas are sensitive little critters. BUT, I was able to have an extended (10 minute) private chat with one, stroke its back, look it straight in the eye (6 inches away), smell his rather wild (AKA stinky) scent and feel the texture of his fur.  I was NOT disappointed that I couldn't hold one.  For me, this was as good as it gets in the expectation department!  This was a moment I had hoped for on my adventure to Australia. 

So, after 15 hours of fun, culture, nature, thrills, many miles on the road, my long day came to an end.  It was after dark when I got home, and the overwhelming fatigue was setting in once again.

The good news is:  tomorrow is a FREE DAY for me with no tours, no cruises, no buses, no appointments, no alarm clock, no nothin'!  I plan on sleeping in, lying in bed watching TV for a brief time, taking lots more photographs for my usual boring slideshow that many of you will have to endure.  I am going to take it as easy as I can for a change. I might even get a nap.

Tomorrow will be brought to me by the letter "L".  L for leisure.