G'Day Mates!

If you are anything like me, then the term "bush" or "bushwalking" will have you chuckling every time you hear it. Australians probably don't find it as funny. To them, anything that is not a city and especially a terrain that is covered with some sort of vegetation is called the bush. So instead of hiking or talking a walk in the forest or in the woods, you go "bushwalking" which then makes you a "bushwalker". Ha ha. Sounds hilarious. I wonder if it will ever get old for me.  I sure hope no Aussies would be offended by my laughing at their terms, because if they did they would probably be mad as a cut snakes and think I've got kangaroos loose in the top paddock. But there's no reason for them to spit their dummy, I am just being a bit larrikin. 

Now that I got my practice of Aussie slang out of the way, I can tell you about the day trip we took on Sunday, October 5, 2014. We went to the Blue Mountains, specifically the town of Katoomba, which is located about 110 kilometers west of Sydney. We rented a car for the day which was a bit pricey at 140 AUD ($130) (we found it strange because a 2 week rental costs about $650). But anyhow, the money was well spent as we got a brand new car with only 14 km on the odometer and we saw beautiful Australian scenery. I added Blue Mountains to our Australian itinerary (back then it was a dream itinerary in my head only) when I first read about them in Bill Bryson's book In a Sunburnt Country and was curious to see the foggy town of Katoomba that he enjoyed so much. The town was not foggy at all when we got there. The sun was shining brightly and it was a lot warmer than in Sydney. As we reached Katoomba's scenic lookout called Echo Point, we were greeted by beautiful views of Blue Mountains spanning in front of us, as well as heaps of tourists from all over the world. Blue Mountains are now a very popular tourist destination. And for a good reason. 

Aside from the challenge of driving the car on the left side of the road with a steering wheel on the right, it was fairly easy to get to Katoomba and Blue Mountains. This was not always the case. When European settlers made Sydney their home at the end of 18th century, they struggled for many years to find their way through the Blue Mountains. Having trouble growing crops in Sydney, they believed more fertile land would lay past the mountains, as that region was closer to China. This reasoning may be funny to us today when we have maps of the world at our fingertips. However, back then, the settlers really had no clue how big the land they just landed on was. For the longest time the mountains were impassable to white men, only Aboriginals knew two routes. The official crossing by three Europeans: Blaxland, Wenthwort, and Lawson was recorded on 1813. In years after, a train line was built to a few towns that popped up in the region. Katoomba was one of them. It was first established as a coal mining town and when that resource ran out, it became a resort town. Today Katoomba's main industry is tourism as many people flock to it to see and experience Blue Mountains. 

If you are wondering about the name Blue Mountains and if the mountains are in fact blue I've got some answers for you mate! Blue Mountains do in fact look a bit blue as there is a blue haze over them produced by the way sunlight reflects on the tiny droplets of oils evaporating from eucalyptus trees which there are plenty of in the valleys. Pretty neat explanation. 

During our visit to Katoomba we decided to do a small hike to the famous rock formation the Three Sisters, which was a 30 min round trip down a dirt road and a staircase. The plan was to walk there and then re-park our car and for me to change into sneakers from flip flops I mistakenly wore out of the car. I know that any of my friends are shocked reading this as knowing me they would think there is Buckley's chance that I would be so ill prepared for any outdoor adventure. After all, I am known for putting safety first. Well not anymore! I live on the edge now! But anyhow... As we got to Three Sisters we saw another sign for the Giant Stairway consisting of over 800 steps (steel and stone) descending approximately 300 meters (1000 ft) into the valley. Even though I was wearing flip flops we decided we should "take a peak" and go down the stairs. How difficult could it be? Well, it was quite a workout I tell you. The stairs were narrow and very steep at times, the dust covering the rocks made some parts slippery. Once we got to the bottom we realized there were a few more hiking trails taking off from there, but all required proper footwear. Happy to get a workout in, we climbed back up and spent the rest of our stay in Katoomba in a little more pleasurable way. We went back to the scenic lookout, visited the oldest hotel in town, The Carrington, and had some beers at an outdoor beer garden before heading back to our "home" in Sydney. 

Overall this was a great day trip. We highly recommend seeing Blue Mountains if you have some extra time in Sydney.   Our brand new car with 14 kilometers on the odometer. (Sorry Tommy, we have no photo of this car but stayed tuned for Cairns posts and you will see our other car.)

Driving on the highway.  At Echo Point lookout in Katoomba.  Blue Mountains in their full glory.  Blue Mountains, AustraliaBlue Mountains, Australia Famous rock formation called the Three Sisters. Blue Mountains, AustraliaBlue Mountains, Australia Tourists taking photos and enjoying the view. Blue MountainsBlue Mountains Close up of the mountains. 

The infamous Giant Stairway.

   Steep and narrow in most parts.

Delicious beer helped us replenish fluids lost during our hike.  Climbing back up. Colorful stones at one of the gift shops.  Blue and red birds, Blue Mountains, AustraliaBlue and red birds, Blue Mountains, Australia We spotted these colorful birds near our car.

Pretty flowers.  On the way home, we made a stop by the Carrington Hotel, which dates back to 1883.  It was pretty charming inside.  Our time in the Blue Mountains came to an end and we drove back to Sydney. So long Katoomba!

For more photos, visit our Gallery Page

Guys, if you have any questions about any of the places we visited or want to drop us a note, feel free to use the below Comments section. We love hearing from you!