Sydney - Blue Mountains Wildlife Day

Monday was our last day in Sydney. After the end of the Mensa Australia Annual Meeting and our visits to the Aquarium and Madame Tussauds, we are left with a final excursion to the surrounding area. In this case, to the Blue Mountains.

On Monday, we left from a nearby hotel at 7:00am for a full-day tour. This tour is a journey into the heart of a World Heritage region. We stopped first at Calmsley Hill, a working farm involving animal rehabilitation, with farm animals, kangaroos, koalas and other things as well.

Wombat

Koala

Kangaroo

Goats

Birds!

And of course, some sheep - in this case, before shearing.

First views in the Jamison Valley, on the road and then Cahill's Lookout.

Eaglehawk Lookout - to see the famous Three Sisters (and to hear at least one of the legends) of the formation.

Back on the coach to arrive at the Hydro Majestic for lunch. The rest of the afternoon included more scenic overlooks, including Govett's Leap and then Lincoln. This is one of the most famous views in Australia, where a waterfall drops 180m to the base of the cliff.

The scenery was just spectacular ...

Finally, we stopped at the Mt Tomah Botanic Gardens. This was a challenge. The gardens are beautiful, but from the Visitor Center it is a very steep walk downhill to see the whole thing, and we only had about 30 or 40 minutes. I did the best I could, but kind of wished for at least a couple more hours! After reading about my various travels, you all know how much I enjoy botanic gardens!

Tomorrow is a travel day, heading over to Auckland to start our time in New Zealand. Stay tuned for our adventures there!