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July 7th 2005

Published: May 18th 2008

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The Smifs

Blue Mountains

These flat-topped mountains are like a hazy 'blue labyrinth', built in jumbled layers of rich yellow rock.

The mission is to introduce Josh to the family and we are NOT nervous (ah-hem). As Darwin is the destination, a few side trips are definitely in order before we venture to the Top End. We flew into Sydney, hung out with some friends and then escaped the city by train to the Blue Mountains...ahhh, fresh air.

Well, the Blue Mountains are incredible!! Although our pictures don't really portray them as 'blue', from a distance they definitely have a hazy blue look about them. There is tonnes of climbing to be done but unfortunately its way colder than expected right now. I guess that is understandable in the middle of winter. We found it really hard not to at least try a few routes but eventually gave up. Instead, we went on a few hikes. The 'Three Sisters' (which were once Seven Sisters) were neat but heavily bombarded by tourist buses and is more of a five minute meander. The best hike so far has been the loop trail down to the base of the mountains, a side trip to Bridal Veil Falls, and back up. It gets pretty steep and the metal staircase looks dodgy but this is our

Sunset at the Blue Mtns.

kinda hike. Don't do it if you are afraid of heights!

We then caught ourselves a Virgin Blue plane to Darwin which was surprisingly on time for once (doesn't have a very good reputation with timeliness) but Dad was then late to pick us up. Where is the happy medium? Darwin is much smaller than I remember but the isolation and humidity is clearly ingrained in my memories and now truly unforgettable. The World War 2 and Cyclone Tracey museum in Darwin is well worth a visit.

But my favorite part about Darwin is that it is the gateway to a bunch of wildlife and national parks. As a kid, my favorite place was Wangi Falls but now this is replaced with UDP Falls. To get into UDP Falls, you need a permit as they only allow a certain amount of people there in a year. We think this is great crowd control but this also means you need to be more organised (and we have Dad to thank for that). UDP Falls is a series of large pools (see photos) that cascade into one another. From the car park, you start at the bottom pool (which I

Long Way Down

would never swim in due to the possibility of crocodiles) and walk up stream to the next pool and so on. Between pools, the walk becomes steeper until eventually it requires actual rock climbing. Of course, crocs are not into jumping up 20 meter water falls or rock climbing, so you have a wonderful reward of a gorgeous outback view and a refreshing swim.

Besides seeing my Dad again, the highlight of the trip had to be attending the Garma Festival. Half of the fun was getting there. We drove two days straight to get to Gulkula, which is in North East Arnhem Land of the Northern Territory. For anyone who does not yet have an appreciation of an Australian dessert and Aboriginal culture, this is a must do. Once past Katherine and out in the dessert, we probably passed a mere 6 creeks (with water) and 2 stores. Obviously then, you have to be self sufficient and have ample food, water and lots of gas. The festival was incredible. Men were able to learn to make spears and didgeridoos, while women could learn to gather medicinal herbs and food, and weave baskets. There was Nuku Dhulang (traditional clan

Sydney Opera House

From a new angle.

painting on bark) on display, bungguls (ceremonial performances), field trips, academic forums to attend and so much more.

Well, we are going to have to go back again sometime soon. We missed seeing a lot of family and there is so much more to do. Until next time....

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