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Published: December 10th 2006
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Catching the train from Sydney to Katoomba today, so packed up all our stuff and made our way via the Metro to Sydney Central Station. Passed a couple of late night revelers sleeping it off, propped up against a wall under a "No Stopping" sign - would have made a fab photo, but we were too loaded up to get the camera out! Main line services are great and again all the trains are double deckers so there was plenty of room. The journey out to the mountains was only 2hrs so we arrived about lunchtime and managed to find the new hostel.
It's very cold here and the wind is strong and really biting - must be coming from the Antarctic! Very strange to think that we were surfing on the beach only yesterday. The hostel seems to be some kind of re-developed care home and is good quality, but our room is like a fridge and there is no heating.
We wandered around the town, getting a feel for the place. Found the local mountain bike shop and have arranged to hire some bikes for the following day. Also managed to sort out some food as we
will be here for the next few days. Dinner was a warming chicken curry to fight off the cold. Decided to go out to the local pub, to keep warm and there was some live music on. It was not that great - just a "live mic" night for the locals but it was ok. After a couple of beers we decided to have 'one for the road' and a quick game of pool. This then went on for about 5 more rounds and about 3 hours. We slowly consumed all the bars peanuts before staggering back to the hostel. Jumped thankfully into our four season sleeping bags - knew there was a reason for dragging them to the other side of the world.
Both woke up feeling distinctly shabby after all the beer last night. Vowed yet again to not do that again - Beck feeling slightly better as she kicked Pauls butt all night at pool. Made our way gingerly down to 'Velo Novo', the local bike shop to pick up our trusty steeds for the day. They supplied us with some simple route maps, pumps, kits and helmets. The route went down to the ridge which
Burnt Cone
just along the biking trail runs past the town and lets you see lots of the local sights. The weather is not as cold today but its still pretty chilly. Was difficult to know how many layers to use - when the sun is out its fairly wam, but when it goes in and you are in the shade its chilly and the wind is still biting.
Passed Scenic World - the local tourist trap with a couple of cable cars, spanning a gorge and the worlds steepest railway. Got our first view of the 'Three Sisters' - a triple rock formation on one of the ridges. The blue mountains get their name from a blueish tint in the air which comes from sap from the local gum/Eucalyptus trees - cannot really see it in the town but its really visible when looking out over the valleys. The mountains here are really old and crumbled - most of them are sandstone and chalkstone that has become fractured over time as the water has eroded them. It looks like the mountains were once islands and the valleys were once lakes and underwater. We will only get to see a tiny part of the national park
as it is a huge place.
The biking track is a fire trail through the forest - its fairly wide, but a bit loose and steep in places - but not really single track (much to Pauls disappointment!) It can be a bit tricky with lots of gravel and sand on the steeper sections so care is needed on the brakes. We passed a manned fire tower so that forest fires can be spotted - but not too sure how the watchers get here - motorbike maybe? Stopped for a lunch of homemade sarnies a couple of Ks later. Started to make our way back to town for Beckie to make a leg waxing appointment (even in the bush a girls gotta look good!). We were out on the bikes about 5hrs so it was a great way to see lots of the local national park and work off the hangover.
Beck enjoyed the waxing in Aus much more than the threading in Vietnam - not as painful - and she returned a new woman. Dinner was a BBQ of roasted onions, garlic, peppers, sausages and risoles - beaut! Spent the rest of the evening shivering in the
TV lounge watching '7 years in Tibet' which was on the must see list after the time in Nepal. Was a good film to watch, but Brad Pitts accent is truly appaling!
Slept well in the quiet of the hostel - the sleeping bags came in useful again! Weather is a little better again, but it is still chilly - definitely fleece weather and not what we expected! Decided to walk along the cliff down to Leura and see some more of the park. Walked down through the town and took a photo of Beck 'up Duff St' - nothing in it - just thought it was funny.... Wandered though the town and retraced our route on the bikes yesterday. Passed the gondola station at Scenic World and then started walking along 'Price Henry Cliff Walk' which meanders along the cliff allowing some great views out onto the rest of the blue mountains. Passed Echo Point with the enigmatic Three Sisters and then came across a lady and her niece trying to entice a cat down from a tree they had heard crying. They left after a while and we decided to stop for some lunch, again trying to
get it down, but it was just not possible. The poor thing was turning around trying to get comfy, but unfortunately it had a 30ft vertical run down a trunk to make it down - sausage sarnies were not up to the job of getting it down!
Tied a plastic bag to a tree infront of the one the cat was in, to mark the place on the trail as they all look the same, and made our way along to try and get some help for the stranded moggie. Found a local restaurant and told a waitress where the cat was so that hopefully the firebrigade or a local ranger will be able to help out and get it down. Turned out we were just below some houses on the trail and it must have been where the cat was from. Finished the walk at Leura falls and then wandered up to the town to catch the train back to Katoomba.
Grabbed a hot drink and used the web and unfortunately then realised that Pauls sunny's had been lost somewhere on route - oops - might turn up in Sydney on the railway lost property - but
not likely as they were a nice pair!
Back to the hostel to get the second part of our BBQ from yesterday before watching another film this time 'Kiss the Girls' a thriller with Morgan Freeman before heading back to our chilled room for some shuteye. Back to Sydney tomorrow - back to the warmth!
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