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Published: October 6th 2010
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(Bit belated as we've been to Hervey Bay, Fraser Island & Brisbane since but never mind!)
On last note on Adelaide - pink spaghetti!!! (Beetroot). Made for an interesting lunch....
Sydney Harbour YHA is the best budget place to stay! Clean, small rooms (ours was ensuite), interesting build over an archeological dig that you can see on the ground floor & amazing views from the roof terrace of the Opera House & Harbour Bridge. One night there were fireworks by the Opera House & we must have had one of the best views in the city!
Our first day we wandered around - up onto the bridge, back through the Rocks, Circular Quay, past the Opera House, through the Botanical Gardens where we saw grey-headed flying foxes & sat around for a bit before heading over to Darling Harbour before returning to the hostel via the corner store. We has planned to eat at the Sydney Tower one night (pricey but amazing experience apparently) but when Dawn called to book it turned out the Tower was broken (wasn’t turning) & we decided that that wouldn’t be half as fun so opted for a cheap pizza at the hotel
View from the roof...
...of Sydney Harbour YHA! next door - lovely pizza piled over an inch high with tasty toppings!
We then spent a day over in Manly paddelling in the cold sea & hiking over to North Head visitors Centre - an old gunnery training ground complete with old gun pits & the comman post remains. Saw several lizards & birds on route - I think the larger lizard is an Eastern Water Dragon & the smaller were Common Garden Skinks. Nice place to hang out but Manly Beach & the main thoroughfare from the ferry are very touristy!
Our last day we got the train out to Katoomba to visit the Blue Mountains. We got the Trolly Tours - hop on hop off bus that trundles around the main spots there. We first visited
Scenic World & rode the Skyway (glass bottom capsule) accross a gorge then took the Railway (steepest railway in the world apparently) down in to the valley. After a stroll through the rainforest on their boardwalks with several old mining shafts & equipment scattered through the valley from when it was mined for coal we took the Cabelway back up the cliffs & jumped back on the Trolley Bus. Our
next stop was Bygone Beauties where we had Devonshire Tea (= Cream Tea) & admired their vast collection of teapots & other nick-nacks. Luckily we got a 2-for-1 voucher for the tea from the Trolley Tours company! We then too the bus arounf to Gordon Falls & had an hours hike around the cliffs to the Leura Cascades. Stunning views all along the route! After some confusion about where the bus stop was we got back on & stopped off at Echo Point where we got more stunning views of the mountains & valleys including the Three Sisters (an aboriginal scared site). We took the short walk over towards them & I went partway down the Giants Stairway & over to the first of the sisters. Dawn sensibly decided to avoid the steep stairs & wait at the top! After that we took the train back to Sydney - the trains here are cool! Double deckers & you can reverse most of the seats by just pulling the back across the armrest!!!
Hervey Bay & Fraser Island were awesome (I am sorely tempted to emmigrate!)... More on that later! 😊
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Angela
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Hi Gwen, It has been great following your trip so far thanks for the commentary and the lovely photos. Now it is nearly time for Dawn to come back to the land of work! I know she would have loved to travel for a bit longer but it will be great to continue catching up via your blogs. Enjoy the rest of your holiday. Take care. Love Angela x