Blue (sky) Mountains

We hired another little Japanese rollerboot and headed West for our ascent way up into the Blue Mountains, apparently, back in the day, Fe's Gran's favourite spot when in Oz!  It didn't take long to see why...

.... it's ten times older than the Grand Caynon and a world heritage area offering over 300 walking tracks. The Blue Mountains are not, as the name suggests, mountains, but in fact are dissected sandstone platueaux sheltering a rich diversity of plant and animal life.  The landscape is dominated by the Jamison Valley, Mount Solitary and the 3 Sisters.

The route took us inland to Katoomba located within the heart of the Blue Mountains National Park.  We had a quick pit stop in Penrith which funnily enough had road names like Kendall Street!  Mount Gibraltar, known as "the Gib",  at 863m it is the highest point in the southern highlands. The nearby town of Bowral derives it's name from the aboriginal name for the mountain.

At Echo Point the eroded ridge formation of the 3 sisters is part of the 7 sisters which had a profound spiritual significance of aboriginal people.  The giant stairway, 209 metres down to the valley floor was our workout for the day. Advice given prior to descent to the Dardanellas Pass... "warning contains many steps".  Call me old fashioned but come-on!   No idea how many steps it was but the old thighs were burning.  At the bottom the Dardanellas Pass weaves through the, thankfully, shaded Leura forest.

Not wanting to climb back up at Katoomba falls we hopped, some what angular, onto the funicular railway for a lift back up. This being the steepest funicular railway in the world!  She was a 1 in 1.28,  52 degrees, 128%  -  nose bleed material some may say, with a total length of incline topping out at a 450m with a vertical drop of 250m.

Once at the top all that stood between us our very small Japanese car and a cuppa back at the hostel was a gorge, or a very long walk round, so we opted for the short ride on the glass bottom cable car. With a drop of 230 metres that apparently would take 6 seconds to free fall (not sure how they know that stat but am hoping maths are involved assuming average body mass).

Govetts Leap in the Blackheath area, is home to Bridal Veil falls the highest in the blue mountains.

Mount Victoria was a very sleepy little spot but the highest settlement in the mountains. Great little train station connecting locals with the outside world with a picturesque train ride east getting to the bustle of Sydney's CBD in just 2 hours.