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Published: February 11th 2011
It seems that everything amazing about Australia isn't just located in Sydney. Barely one hundred kilometres out of the city is an area known as the "Blue Mountains". Cascading waterfalls, dramatic cliffs and an incredible diversity of flora and fauna can be found just outside this city's doorsteps. The Blue Mountains get their name from the microscopic droplets of blue eucalyptus oil that is in the air surrounding these majestic structures that tends to give them a bluish hue from a distance. Many of the small towns surrounding these mountains use Aboriginal names and co-exist with the people and share the land...how can anyone not be charmed by a name like "Leura", "Katoomba" or even the old dodgy sounding "Wentworth Falls"
When we first arrived out of the city our guide was determined to show us some kangaroos in the wild. He is a nature enthusiast and said he had noticed fresh droppings in a wooded area not too far out of the city and had spotted a mother and her "joey" the previous day. Of course, before anyone could leave the bus he gave us a ten minute spiel on snakes. Anything that begins with the opening line, "...four
out of the six most venomous snakes in Australia can be found in this area..." garners an automatic "I'll-wait-on-bus" reaction from me and then went on to torture us with their savage names like "Copperhead" and the "Black Adder". He went to great lengths explaining what we should do IF we should encounter one during our foray into the forest. The biggest thing he stressed was NOT running away but slowly backing away. Running, he pointed out, makes the snake assume you are prey trying to flee (no guff!) and will strike immediately. In fact, they are incredibly fast he stated...you would probably be bitten. Is a kangaroo really worth it? Why not just pull out a weathered copy of one of my "Winnie the Pooh" books and settle on the lovely illustration of "Kanga" and her young charge?
Hearing this I wasn't quite sure about this little impromptu adventure but being a fan of the "roos" I jumped off the bus and begrudged the fact that on this particular day I chose to wear anklet socks and not anything thicker. Those serpents were going to ruin my new socks!
Needless to say, we didn't encounter them (or
maybe they were watching us from a distance....yikes!) but we did find a "mod" of kangaroos. So exciting! And more exciting because one of them hopped and the distance was Olympic-worthy to say the least! And to add a bit of gush and mush to the whole picture, one of them had a "joey" peeking out of her pocket and joined Mum on the morning feed without alighting from the pouch (maybe he had been forewarned about those nasty snakes as well!). Nature, in this regard, up close and personal is truly awe-inspiring!!!
The rest of the day, as the pictures do tell was filled with wonderful postcard images that had suddenly come to life for me.
One needs a rest after communing with nature to such lengths. So, today I decided to go to the infamous Bondi Beach and enjoy a little sun and some "r and r"...big weekend coming up so I must reserve my strength! You know you are on the correct bus when several young people jump on the bus with their surfboards! Beautiful beach! The water was lovely and fresh and everyone splashed around and played in the waves to escape the 32
degree Celsius temperatures. There were wonderful bars, restaurants, concession stands...there was something for everyone. The water was crystal clear and the sand was very soft and clean. I'm impressed considering the number of people that visit this beach on a daily basis! Wasaga will never be the same!! And let's not forget one other outstanding feature of the beach...lifeguards and "Aussie Bum" designs galore! It's almost a shame I know how to swim!!!
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cindy
non-member comment
Kevin, love that 'suit' of yours!!! VERY nice! And I see you're getting up close and personal with those beach bums!! Cindy