The Blue Mountains

On Wednesday Louise and I went on a day trip to The Blue Mountains to admire the outstanding natural landscapes in the park. It was worthwhile going on the day tour as we got to see many places in a relatively short space of time which we would not have managed if travelling alone. Going to The Blue Mountains was in our plans ever since we knew we were going to Sydney so we were extremely excited to finally be visiting.

The Blue Mountains get their name from the blue mist and haze that appears above the Eucalyptus Trees. It is thought this occurs because of the mixture of eucalyptus oil, dust and water particles which scatter refracted rays of light blue in colour. From a distance the mountains do appear to be blue. 

Our guide explained to us that this was a unique mountain range as it's valleys and troughs were more significant than it's peaks. They are not a high rising mountain range but they are full of steep sided valleys and vertical cliff faces. That is why when searching for a route through the mountain range the three explorers who were successful followed the mountain ridges rather than trying to find a route through the valleys, where they would often get stuck.

Before we reached the mountains we stopped at the Nepean River, on the Western border of Sydney for drinks and snacks. It also gave us an an opportunity to buy tickets for Scenic World which we would be visiting in the afternoon and enjoy some of the views and wildlife; such as this guy...

After entering The Blue Mountains we went to Kings Tableland, a lookout over the wilderness of the mountains. We stopped at Lincoln's Rock to appreciate the view of the forests stretching across the wide valley. 

Our next stop was at the spectacular Wentworth Falls where there was another excellent viewpoint and the waterfall plummeting down the cliff face. We had to take a short walk down about 200 steps to get there through the Australian bush. It was coming back that was the problem unfortunately!

We stopped in Leura for lunch at a lovely cafe and we explored the town before boarding the minibus again. Unfortunately I did not get many photos of this quaint town but I managed to get one of the post office and of a road sign.. because I thought the name was hilarious (in mine and Louise's opinion).

After lunch we drove through Katoomba, which is the chief town in The Blue Mountains, and headed to Scenic World. This is an old mining area which has been changed into a tourist attraction, allowing guests to view the incredible scenery from 2 cable cars and you can ride the world's steepest railway into the valley to explore and admire the luscious vegetation from the boardwalks. 

The first cable car took us across Echo Point, a part of the deep Jamison Valley, with waterfalls cascading down the sides and spectacular rock formations sitting around the top such as the Three Sisters. There are many Aboriginal tales, as well as geographical knowledge, which explain the presence of these rocks but the one our guide told us is written below. It is written from memory so it is not entirely accurate!

The three sisters were the daughters of the towns magic man. He had to go to the valley to hunt/search for something and his daughters wanted to join him. Girls and women do not normally go into the valley and the father does not want them to come with him as it is unsafe. However, after begging and pleading he agrees to take them to the top of the valley so they can see it and it is where they must wait for him. 

Whilst they wait for their father the girls become bored and start throwing rocks into the valley. They have a competition and the rocks they throw are progressively bigger in size. They trigger an avalanche which wakes the beast at the bottom of the valley. He decides to attack the three sisters but the father, hearing the commotion and the scheming beast turns his daughters into rocks. When the beast changed direction and tried to attack the father he changed himself into lyre bird but in the ensuing melee he dropped his magic stick and could not transform either himself or his daughters back. That is why today there is the three sisters rock formation and also why lyre birds are often found scrabbling around in the dirt; they are searching for the magic stick. 

Following the cable ride across the canyon it was time for us to go on the railway, which I was more than a little excited about, being the geek that I am. The line is 415m long and altogether the railway drops 206m with the steepest incline being 52 degrees. Originally the line was used for transporting coal from the mines up the valley walls and when the railway first opened to the public a coal skip was still being used for passengers. Due to it's growing popularity the skip was replaced by the "Mountain Devil" railway car to allow more people to use it in a comfortable manner. 

At the bottom we could walk along the specially constructed boardwalks to explore and admire the vegetation which grows in the valley. They wound past the old mines where there were displays giving information about the history. 

We left Scenic World after nearly two hours spent wandering around enjoying the nature of The Blue Mountains. The drive back took us past the site of an Aboriginal rock engraving which is thought to have last been carved around 400 years ago. It is thought that the carving is off a dead kangaroo but it isn't exactly certain. 

Next stop was Homebush Bay, the site of the 2000 Olympic Games Park. I do not have any photos of this and it was a bit eerie to drive round a quiet area that was once buzzing for around a month during the Games. The stadium is now a concert venue and the majority of the sports arenas are still in use ensuring that the buildings do not go to waste. New offices and flats are being opened in the area to try and breathe life into it; problems which were also faced by our own Olympic Park. 

Our day ended with an afternoon cruise along the Parramatta River in Sydney Harbour, back to Circular Quay. The sun began setting and we had some beautiful views from the boat. 

Following a long day of being tourists (our favourite activity), Louise and I walked back 40 minutes through the city to the hostel which nearly killed us. We relaxed with a drink from the bar next door before crawling happily into our beds. 

Until next time.

A x