http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Katoomba/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Oceania , Australia , New South Wales , Katoomba en-us Sat, 02 Jan 2010 04:51:52 +0000 Sat, 02 Jan 2010 04:51:52 +0000 Video of the Jameson Valley from Echo Point near Katoomba Blue Mountains. View of the 3 sisters. http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Katoomba/blog-463698.html Video of the Katoomba Scenic Railway ride at Scenic World in the Jameson Valley Blue Mountains. http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Katoomba/blog-463696.html Got up at 630 for our day trip to the Blue Mountains. Pulled back the curtains and could not see the harbour due to fog groan Still we got ready and walked to our arranged pickup point with Australia Pacific Tours was bucketing it down The arranged time came and went so had to share a taxi to the main office pickup point in time for the tour. APT did not want to know about the fact they http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Katoomba/blog-463684.html Except the rain actually. I would be happy with the rain staying the way it is or going away all together of course some sun would be wonderful but I am not going to be too picky. But please more of the best espresso every.single.time old churches more wonderful pubs more local beer I have never tried more drag queens and gay bars more breathtaking scenery and more fascinating people http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Katoomba/blog-451329.html Hello everyone In my third week here in the land of Aus and it is more amazing each day I spent 4 days in Jervis Bay with my new Friend Rosie at her beach house in St. Georges Basin. It was great and Rosie was a great tour guide We went to tons of beaches and the national park there visiting botanical gardens and little towns in the surrounding areas. Leaving there I spent two days getting http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Katoomba/blog-441632.html Wow what a temperature change At last we are feeling the benefit of carting walking boots fleeces thermals etc all around South East Asia where it was averaging 35 degrees. It's now averaging 15 degrees We arrived in Sydney after an all night flight from Bangkok and decided to stay awake the whole day to get our body clocks into Oz time we did very well and were looking forwards to feeling http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Katoomba/blog-418383.html ldquoWe live in a wonderful world that is full of beautycharm and adventure.There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes openrdquo.Jawaharial Nehru.A long time ago when the earthrsquos land masses were being formed and oceans shapeda mighty force must have looked down at a spot on Australiarsquos east coast and pondered on what to do with the craggycl http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Katoomba/blog-417651.html We made a last minute decision to do the Blue Mountains first instead of heading straight to Sydney and it turned out to be amazing We didn't realize we would have to take a cable ferry to get accross a river along the way and as we pulled up we were worried because we didn't have much cash on us. I was particularly pleased when we discovered it was free. We stopped for a picnic lunch just after http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Katoomba/blog-412759.html One of my favourite places I have been to in Australia. http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Katoomba/blog-405770.html 290509 Friday Day 287Since today was practically our last day in the van we decided to stay close enough to Sydney so as not to have a huge drive on our last day. We decided to go to Katoomba in the Blue Mountains. Oh my god is it cold up there. It was 9 degrees. Therersquos 1 caravan park in the town which is about 20 minutes walk including some rather steep hills. After some lunch and a w http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Katoomba/blog-403501.html First stop on our epic trip though Australia Left Sydney this afternoon after being busy busy picking up the campervan organising the rest of the trip and packing up. Driving again for the first time this year was a little stressful and doing it in the center of Sydney possibly wasn't the best place to do it but it went pretty well Slightly panicing about spending 2 months in the van but it http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Katoomba/blog-400176.html Helou Sydney Sydney. Olen oleillut tll jo viitisen viikkoa tit etsiskellen mutta kiven alla ovat kiitos maailmantalouden... Onneksi Sydneyss ja sen ympristss on paljon ihmeteltv. http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Katoomba/blog-389468.html Getting back to Sydney at lunchtime we headed over to ther Chinese friendship gardens in Darling Harbour which were quality really nicely laid out you could spend hours just chilling out in there we had about one hour but then the call of the pies was just too much so we headed out to quench that pastry thirst. Once refuelled we headed to the Australian Museum I wasnt holding out much hope http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Katoomba/blog-384774.html Day 2 of the mountain experience and no rain wicked........................we set off early to try and do three walks today none of which were to be hardcore and what a beautiful day it was too. The hostel gave us free breakfasy which is always a bonus as well. The first walk we did was about 5km and went round the top of the valley you go past a famous rock formation called The Three Sisters http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Katoomba/blog-384770.html From Sydney we took the short 2 hour train journey to Katoomba inland and west of the city. It is the gteway to the Blue mountains a huge area of amazing canyons gorges and countryside. We checked into our hostel The Flying Fox and got stared at for ages by 2 guests very odd it is a bit like a place out of The league of Gentlemen. Anyway dumped the bags and got out quick before they freak http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Katoomba/blog-384129.html We had met a number of Sydneysiders on our travels and whenever we asked them about the best places to visit they all said the same Get out of town and see the Blue Mountains. So we did.We ummed and oohed about how to get there but in the end we decided to accept our advancing years and get on a Darby and Joan style bus trip. We took the plunge picked up a leaflet in the hotel dialled t http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Katoomba/blog-370615.html WELL i really wish internet was cheaper and I had more time to use it as this will be an extensive blog covering the activities and exploits triumphs and disasters running jokes and running away that has occurred over the last few weeks... starting in... CAIRNSNot sure exactly what I covered in the last blog concerning Cairns but I shall cover from the beginning... We spent a heck of a lot o http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Katoomba/blog-369884.html Leaving Sydney we head off to the train station to catch our train to Katoomba in the heart of the Blue Mountains. A two hour journey with about 22 stops before ours and it was packed. We found our YHA dropped off the bags and decided to go for an afternoon walk well this turned into a 4 hour hike. We started at Echo Point where you look out into the valley below and the distant mountains http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Katoomba/blog-359235.html Sydney is surrounded by some beautiful places and one place that I had on my list of 'to do's' was the Blue Mountains. It's a mountainous area consisting of a sandstone plateau that includes gorges up to 760 metres in depth and has high points up to 1190 metres. It's namesake is derived from the blue tinge the range takes on when viewed from a distance. My housemate Kate also mentioned that she http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Katoomba/blog-351900.html Hi All we're just back from a very relaxing and well deserved long weekend away in the Blue Mountains. We hired a car and booked a couple of nights in a pretty BB just 90 minutes from Sydney. The blue mountains are known for the blue haze that rises from the forest of Eucalyptus trees. It's a bit like walking around in a forest of Vicks Vaporub. The weather forecast wasn't great but we reasoned http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Katoomba/blog-331660.html