So sadly this was our first trip that was actually "outside" of Sydney, although it's only about an hour and a half away. We spent most of our time just enjoying Sydney, soccer on Saturdays and beach days. We'll get back to Australia one day and do a big trip around the land.
This is definitely a cool experience. We drove, but they do have the fast train that gets up there and I've heard that's neat as well. They also have Blue Mountain bus tours that you can go on as well. You can check out more of the information here:
http://www.bluemts.com.au/ While we only did a day trip, you could easily spend a night or weekend up there- they have great spas, caves to explore, botanical gardens, horse back riding- you name it, they have it!
We got up early on a Sunday morning and took the short hour or so trip up. It was so funny since we've never been outside the Sydney city limits how drastically it changes- and quickly. I kinda felt like I was in Oklahoma again- no tall buildings, quaint little flower and fresh produce markets on the side of the roads. It was just a neat drive. There are actually many different small towns/suburbs that the "Blue Mountains" are located in, so you just have to choose where and what you're going to see.
We drove straight up and stopped to see the "3 Sisters at Echo Point" in Katoomba. Gorgeous! It was a bit nippy still when we arrived, but we had a gorgeous clear crisp day. Perfect!
We parked and walked the short distance to the main area. Of course, a little browsing in the gift shop was a must. Then off to the peak to view the "3 Sisters" Mountain. They have walkways that go up and down- and bushwalks that take you to other areas of the mountain. Henry was only 2 1/2 at the time, so we just walked around a bit, took pictures, then went on our merry way.
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| View before you get to the peak |
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| Stop off in a little "cave" hut |
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| 3 Sisters Mountain- the unusual formation of the rocks is told by an aboriginal tale that says that the represent 3 sisters that were turned to stone- who knows? :) |
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| A nice walk that leads all the way to the gondulas and over by Scenic World- a bit too far for us to walk with Henry! |
Of course, if you know us, it was about 11:30 or so, and what else do we need to stop and do, but grab lunch. On the other side there is a small strip of restaurants and shopping. A few coffee shops, ice cream parlor, and some souvenir shops. So we did a bit of walking around then chose the top restaurant- basic food and had a great view. I did have the most amazing scones and cream that I have ever had- so light and fluffy! Delicious. Like anything in Sydney though- it was expensive. Ah well! :)
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Not a bad view for our lunch!
We then went back to the car and took the short trip to Scenic World in Katoomba (as well). It was pretty neat too- especially for kids. Lots of walking but overall pretty stroller friendly. When getting your tickets- you can choose what you want to do- there are a number of different "rides" as in the skywalk, the cableway and the railway. You can do all or just some. Obviously you need to get down the mountain then back up, so we did the railway down and the cableway back up. Here's more info on ticketing, etc.,: www.scenicworld.com.au/
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| Steepest railway in the world! And it was! It was such a fun ride!!! |
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| Classic Asian shot- really?? |
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| Ready for the big ride- well it was pretty short, but steep and fun! |
We then spent about an hour and a half walking along the trails- their wooden planks, so again, stroller friendly. There are a few steps/stairs here and there but as long as you have someone with you to help, then it's okay. There are beautiful views and it's great exercise, just make sure you bring some water. There are no kiosks down in the mountain!
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| A view of the railway |
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| A picture of the old railway when they first opened up |
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| Suckers- as can tell by Henry's blue mouth |
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| Ha! Like I mentioned- lots of water breaks and rests were needed! |
After our walk and exploring down in the mountains, we then took the cablecar up. That was really beautiful. Again, a short ride but some amazing views. The boys loved it.
Of course we stopped in the BIG gift shop at the top. We bought some stuffed animals- Henry got a Koala bear that we named "Wally" and Jack got a kangaroo that we named "Coolie". Oh boys. The car ride was nice back home to Sydney. Then we got to relax, eat dinner and enjoy some American football- (thank heavens we have been able to record football- or even have it- here in Sydney!)
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