Eric Haslehurst and Donna McCade are the owners of KookaRidge, a property located in Cedar Creek, approximately 60 km west of Newcastle, NSW. The property is primarily used for recreation and as a private bush retreat. Eric and Donna wish to continue using the property for these purposes and maintain the native bush as a wildlife sanctuary.
KookaRidge covers approximately 40 hectares and is located on a ridge in the centre of Pokolbin State Forest. The property features uncleared eucalypt woodland punctuated by rocky outcrops.
The property’s eucalypt woodland provides habitat for wildlife such as bare-nosed wombats (Vombatus ursinus), brush-tailed rock wallabies (Petrogale penicillata), eastern grey kangaroos (Macropus giganteus), brushtail (Trichosurus vulpecula) and ring-tailed possums (Pseudocheirus peregrinus) and lace monitors (Varanus varius).
The property also houses a variety of birdlife including king parrots (Alisterus scapularis), crimson (Platycercus elegans) and eastern rosellas (Platycercus eximius), gang-gang (Callocephalon fimbriatum) and yellow tailed black cockatoos (Calyptorhynchus funereus), laughing kookaburras (Dacelo novaeguineae), powerful owls (Ninox strenua), welcome swallows (Hirundo neoxena), robins (Petroicidae spp.), superb lyrebirds (Menura novaehollandiae) and pied currawongs (Strepera graculin).