The Blue Mountains

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I visited the Blue Mountains world heritage area in Katoomba on Saturday, July 5th. Having been told previously that Australia doesn't really have mountains, at least by Canadian standards, and that I wouldn't be much impressed with the area, they had been quite downplayed and I wasn't expecting much in terms of views. I think you get spoiled living in Vancouver, with the mountain views and proximity to ranges!

So I thought it was going to be a fun hiking day, some cool shots, but nothing really spectacular. I was pleasantly wrong... Driving up to the area, there are no jutting peaks or views that capture your attention (apart from bad Sydney drivers, that is...), but once you get out and go to Echo Point, the magnitude of the area takes your breath away. Absolutely amazing... True, there are no mountains, but the area itself is absolutely gorgeous. rolling peaks and of course, the three sisters rock formation that captures everyone's attention. They are truly spectacular. Rob and I strolled around a bit at Echo Point and then decided to hike down to the actual Three Sisters formations. The hike was punctuated by many non-hikers (kind of like the Chief hike?) and many staircases built into the sandstone. Apparently, you used to be able to climb the Three Sisters, but erosion and time have had an effect on the formation, and you can no longer do that 😞

We kept heading down the many stairs to the bottom after taking some quick snaps of the area near the Three Sisters and found ourselves on a deserted hiking trail - the one that tourists don't get to, since they never get that far... We traversed on this hiking trail and arrived (after a few kilometres) to the World's Most Vertical Train. We had to wait a couple turns so that we could get front row seats, but the $10 one-way trip to the top was definitely worth it! Especially since we didn't have to climb back up those stairs!!

All in all, it was a wonderful day of hiking and nature-watching in a gorgeous area. We got back to the car completely exhausted and parched and opted for some warm soup at a local eatery (The Parakeet Cafe) in Katoomba. The Cafe also had a section of used books for sale, so I got a nice little geography lesson with the 1982 Atlas we found there... I still can't believe they were selling it for $5! Haven't most countries/cities/regions changed dramatically since then? How can you justify charging $5?!?! I did find a nice little funny Australian book about house sharing that I did buy though... Bringing back a little piece of Australian humour won't hurt anyone right? As long as I can understand it....

On Sunday, the Rocks in downtown Sydney is hosting the Aroma Festival which has to do with everything coffee, chocolate tea and spice. I couldn't ask for more really!

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Photos

The Three Sisters
Famous Three Sisters as seen from Echo Point in Blue Mountains, Katoomba

View from Three Sisters
View of the valley from the Three Sisters hiking stop (Sister #1 on right)

Under the Three Sisters
Me sitting on a bench at the Three Sisters hiking stop, under Sister #1