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Australian Natural Adventures Custom
Australia, New Zealand & Pacific tours and travel
BARKBUSTERS |
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Australian Natural Adventures Custom
Australia, New Zealand & Pacific tours and travel
BARKBUSTERS |
flight. The Australian style is apparent—easy going, casually
efficient and very friendly. Qantas is known for its food and service,
so sit back and enjoy the meal and a movie. The seats have individual
video screens, and a range of entertainment options, and the movies
can be Tivo’d if you need to take a break. However, it will
be late before a meal is served, especially for those comnig from
the east, it is a long flight, and so we personally recommend getting
something to eat prior to the flight, placing a Do Not Disturb notice
on your seat back and trying to get some sleep. While there are several
food outlets in the all gate areas at LAX, the best selection is at
the rear of the Tom Bradley International Terminal, at the head of
the horseshoe that is LAX (
Arrive in Sydney (or Brisbane) early this morning, pass through customs
and immigration, after which you change to the domestic terminal for
your 9.15am Qantas flight 924 to Cairns. On arrival we are met and
transferred to our hotel on the Esplanade, looking out over the Coral
Sea. Although our rooms may not be ready, we are able to leave your
bags there. The rest of the day is free to explore Cairns, a pretty
and small tropical city. Our hotel fronts onto the best part of the
Esplanade for shorebirds, ranging from big pelicans to small peeps.
Tonight we have a welcome dinner to introduce everyone, and to learn
more of our plans over the next few days.
(*B,L) 
New
Guinea. On our trip today we experience two important features—a
coral inner-shelf reef, and the sandy vegetated cay formed on one
end. Michaelmas Reef lies about 22 
tly
colored fish, giant clams, beche de mer and coral outcrops can all
be seen. Easy swimming in shal
low
water brings you over coral “bombies,” heads of coral
with their assortment of fishes, and hard and soft corals. Parrot
fish glean algae from the coral, and small and medium predators search
for food. Schools of fish twist and flash between the outcrops. An
occasional sea turtle may be seen. We can also glide around the coral
in a glass-bottomed boat, dry and with our ordinary cameras, while
a marine biologist describes the species seen and some of the processes
at work. There are guided snorkel tours, and certified divers have
the option of two dives. On our trip out, one of the marine biologists
explains the development of this and other reef systems and gives
us an introduction to many of the animal species that you see. Lunch
is a tropical smorgasbord. In the afternoon we return to Cairns, under
sail if the winds are right. (B,L)
north a
long
the scenic Captain Cook Highway to 
on recent activity we’ll make several stops along the way to
look for wildlife, i
Cedar
at Gadgarra shows how impressive these trees can be. The walk around
Lake Eacham is very enjoyable, and may give good views of large Scrub
Pythons sunning on the lakeside grass, eels, and other wildlife. The
day's itinerary will be decided in part by Alan's experience, everyone’s
interests, and seasonal wildlife activity. After dinner you will spend
a couple of hours spotlighting for nocturnal wildlife, including the
attractive rare and endemic possums that occur only here, owls, with
luck the 8 to 10 inch leg and quite bizarre leaf-tailed gecko, and
especially the strange Lumholtz tree kangaroo, which lives in the
trees and not on the ground like other kangaroos. Alan is particularly
expert at finding these. (B,D)
t
detour inland to Granite Gorge. This dry area has a good selection
of dry country wildlife, especially parrots and bowerbirds. However,
the main attraction here is the population of rock wallabies, which
have become accustomed to human presence and although wild, are quite
tame. They are attractive small wallabies, and it’s usual to
see joeys – pouch young – hopping in and out of pouches,
or poking their heads and often their legs out. Continue to Kuranda,
where we are guided through the wonderful Butterfly Sanctuary; brilliantly
colored large butterflies may land on our shoulders, and rest a foot
or two away on l
eaves
and railings. We then head down the mountainside, from 1000ft above
sea-level to the coast on the 
ut
over the Coral Sea as it skims the treetops. There are two boardwalks
to stop at on the way down, enabling us to walk in the canopy. At
the bottom we are met once again by Alan who takes us to the airport
for our 5.15pm Qantas flight 927 to Sydney, arriving at 8.15pm. We
are met and transferred to our hotel, overlooking Darling Harbour
and close to the new 
for a full day out to the Blue Mountains. After traveling through
Sydney we’ll take morning tea overlooking the tranquil Nepean
River, then we head up the mountains to Evans Lookout, the best place
to view the wilderness of the Blue Mountains. At Wentworth Falls we
take a relaxing walk to the breathtaking falls. Lunch is taken in
Leura, a picturesque village in the mountains. After lunch we visit
K
atoomba
and the Katoomba Waterfall, and the famous Three Sisters rock formation.
You may enjoy an optional ride on the Scenic Railway to the forest
floor for a walk, then ascend back by the world’s steepest cablecar.
We return to Homebush, site of the Sydney Olympics, to board a fast
ferry back to Circular Quay. The evening is free to discover Sydney’s
excellent dining scene. (B,L)
bor,
an abundant bird life, and a colony of huge grey fruit-bats, whose
wingspans are approximately three feet. 
good range of loose and mounted opals in all price ranges. Both have
opal displays, and information about mining. A visit to the Opera
House can be followed by dinner at the fine dining restaurant, or
outside at one of the several outdorro cafes. Everything is within
walk
ing
distance of your hotel, although Sydney is extremely well-serviced
by buses and the underground. Lunch can be taken on a cruise on the
harbor, with views of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge, as well
as the boats and ferries of what is often called the most beautiful
city harbor in the world. A ten minute walk away is 
egin
the Barkbusters conference today. 
nd
in September also see migrating whales passing by. A full list of
the speci
We transfer back to Sydney airport for our 9am Qantas flight 419 south
to Melbourne, arriving at 10.30am. If we can’t check into our
centrally located hotel we will be able to leave our bags until check-in.
About 2.45pm we are picked up to travel south to Phillip Island, about
1.5 hours away. As the sun sets we watch Fairy Penguins waddle up
the beach, straight past our feet and into their burrows, after a
days’ foraging at sea. A Ranger is at hand to answer questions.
This is a wonderful wildlife experience, and you are very close to
these delightful creatures. Prior to watching the penguins we’ll
spend some time in the interpretive center to learn more about the
life of these, the world’s smallest penguin. 
Day
16 – Monday, September 28: Melbourne / Brisbane Ranges area/
Melbourne
uting
to the open eucalyptus forests and hills just west of Melbourne. Our
guide has been following and studying koalas here for many years,
and knows them personally. We’ll be looking for these iconic
Australian animals, as well as kangaroos, wallabies, emus and much
else; parrots are common, from large white cockatoos to small and
colorful red-rumped parrots. After l
unch
we head just a little north, to the