Blogs from Blue Mountains, New South Wales, Australia, Oceania - page 6

On Thursday I took a 2 hour train ride from Sydney to the Blue Mountains. I had heard a little about them, and decided to go, not really knowing what to expect, except that it was a national park. On the way there I took the time to read the Australia Lonely Planet guide (mostly its history and then read the few pages about the Blue Mountains). The sights on the way there are totally different from what you can see in Sydney, it’s practically a rainforest. I got off in Katoomba (small touristic town) and walked down the main road (Katoomba Road), where I arrived at “Echo Point, the lookout of “The Three Sisters”, a renowned rock formation there. Of course, when I arrived, the whole valley that forms beneath the cliff was covered by ... read more

Day two of Jo’s visit started with an early morning wake up and walk down to Sydney Central station to catch the 7am train. To mark the accomplishment of getting up so early we celebrated with cheese & ham and almond croissants, and settled in for the two hour train journey to Katoomba station. Upon arrival we suddenly felt under dressed as it was a little chilly, so wrapped up in all our layers and jumped aboard the explorer bus. We quickly became acquainted with our driver Scott who was a joyful fountain of knowledge informing us that the bus actually came from from Scotland originally, as well as demonstrating his appreciation for foreign languages by greeting everyone in there native tongue. We soon arrived at our first stop, the Scenic Skyway which transported us across ... read more

Hi All, We hope everyone had good New Year Celebrations and are getting into the swing of 2012! Anton and I are now on a health kick as carbs, biscuits and chocolates have crept up on us and the clothes are feeling tight! We will hopefully be back to our normal sizes by the time we return home! Firstly I need to say 'woohoo' to Holy Cross as we came 1st in the Plymouth league tables! I'm so chuffed and gutted I wasn't there to share the celebrations. Well done everyone and a special shout out to Mrs Cotter who was instrumental in getting Holy Cross to the top!! Well, we had a few more days in Bondi after New Year and spent some time relaxing on the beach - which was full of gorgeous, fit ... read more

Hello again! It's been awhile since I have written but I have returned from New Zealand safe and sound! I headed straight back to Uni and I haven't had the chance to update this blog. However, my exams finish on November 26 so after that I will recount my adventures and add some photos from across the ditch. Suffice to say I had some amazing experiences and met some beautiful people. In the meantime I would like you to check out this competition I have entered to find the best pineapple recipe this summer (as voted by Australia)! The prize is $1000 and would be a great help in funding my next adventure. My recipe is Shaved Pineapple with Minted Sugar. It is simple, healthy and delicious so go out, buy an Aussie pineapple and try ... read more

Nach dem Frühstück geht’s los. Mit Janet und Frank fahren wir zum Echo Point mit toller Aussicht auf eine Felsformation, die „Three Sisters“ (Drei Schwestern) genannt wird. Die Blue Mountains sind atemraubend (nicht nur wegen der ca. 40 Buschfeuer, die in der Nähe zu sehen und zu riechen war). Irgendwie eine Hochebene mit tiefen Tälern und Schluchten, die in unglaubliche Farben leuchten. In der Nähe gibt es eine Touristenattraktion „Scenic World“ genannt. Ehrlich, wir hätten das nicht besucht. Die steilste Schienenbahn der Welt hinunter ins Tal, eine kurze Wanderung zur Seilbahn und wieder hinauf. Klingt sehr touristisch, oder? Mit dieser Meinung steigen wir ein. Es geht nach unten, nicht aber ohne vor dem die Titelmelodie von „Indiana Jones“ zu spielen. Mein lieber Spitz aber, die Bahn ist wirklich steil! Sie geht durch Felstunnels nach unten; es ... read more