Sydney, Katoomba, The Blue Mountains
World Trip Two
Sunday, May 31, 2009: Sydney-Katoomba, Australia
Main street Katoomba.
It was only a two-hour drive from Sydney to Katoomba, but our streak of good weather ran out today as it was foggy and raining all day. The city is located on the edge of the southern escarpment of the Blue Mountains. Somewhere under the white sheet of fog were spectacular views of sandstone cliffs and lush green rainforests.
Alas, we saw none of this because of the weather. Also, our party lifestyle caught up with us, as we both felt really drained of energy. We shuffled over to the main street of Katoomba for a look around and some lunch. Then we located the information office and bought a map to plan our hikes. All of this was done with little energy and not much enthusiasm. Perhaps after a good night's sleep, we will feel better in the morning.
Monday, June 1, 2009: Katoomba, Australia
The Giant Stairway.
With the start of the new month came renewed energy for Julia and me. We felt well-rested this morning and ready to go out and face the weather head-on. The foggy skies were still with us as we walked the Cliff Walk from the Scenic World car park to Echo Point. As we descended the Giant Stairway, the clouds lifted a bit, and the view broke through intermittently.
After half an hour of climbing down stairs, we reached the Dardanelles Walking Track. The thick canopy of the lush and overgrown rainforest blocked our view. But we were greeted by hundreds of birds singing and calling to each other - whip birds, bell birds, cockatoos, and other unidentified direct descendants of the dinosaurs. We walked on through the green world, climbing over three fallen trees blocking the path. Eventually, we arrived at Lila Falls, where we stopped to eat our cheese sandwiches. Then we turned back and joined the Federal Pass Walking Track. Once again, we found ourselves surrounded by deafening bird songs.
The Three Sisters in the mist.
The rainforest gave way to less dense Australian bush filled with gum trees, turpentine trees, and five-leaf water vines binding them all. We finally reached the bottom of the Scenic Railway, where the weather lifted just enough to give us a view of the Three Sisters in the distance.
We walked around the Ledged Boardwalk and then began the slow climb up the Furber Steps back to our car at the Scenic World car park. What a great day of walking and how beautiful the Blue Mountains are!
Giant Stairway Video
Tuesday, June 2, 2009: The Six Foot Track, Australia
The Blue Mountain uplift.
The fog and mist were still with us as we drove to Blackheath this morning. The ranger at the information office was very helpful and advised us to walk the Six Foot Track as it would keep us out of the fog.
The String Bridge.
The Six Foot Track is below the escarpment where Blackheath and Katoomba sit. Taking the ranger's advice, we drove down the Megalong Valley Road, which dropped us below the great Blue Mountain uplift. We passed through lush rainforest on winding roads until we reached the trailhead.
The first part of the walk took us through green farmlands, past vineyards, and through cow paddocks. Eventually, the track led us through inspiring Australian bush filled with bird song, kangaroos, gum trees, and turpentine trees. The trail followed the Cox's River, where we eventually came to the String Bridge. The bridge isn't really made of string - it's steel cable - but it looks like string. Crossing it took great courage. Julia attempted it but retreated after climbing the access ramp. I managed to cross and return unscathed, though midway across, I grew concerned as the oscillations from my steps seemed to increase, threatening to throw me off the spidery contraption.
We returned the way we had come, back to our car. It had rained on parts of the track while we were walking, but the rain completely missed us. Perhaps our luck with the weather hasn't been as bad as I first thought.
Six Foot Track Video
Wednesday, June 3, 2009: Mt. Tomah and Mt. Banks, Australia
The view from the ridge of Mt. Banks.
Julia was really hoping for clear weather on our last day in the Blue Mountains. She wanted to see unobstructed views of the vast gum tree forests and the golden browns, reds, oranges, and ambers of the cliff faces.
The wildflowers were surprising.
But the weather was as it had been since we arrived: overcast and foggy. The fog hung thickly over the roads as we drove to Mt. Tomah. Despite the weather, the Botanical Gardens there were a great experience. They were filled with exotic plants, trees, and birds. From here, we drove to the trailhead for a hike up Mt. Banks. The hike took us slowly climbing over an exposed and rocky ridge.
The view from the ridge was intermittent as the weather blew through quickly. The trail became steep and slippery as we approached the summit, which flattened out into a heavily forested area. Fog engulfed the trail and us along with it. A short climb brought us to the summit of Mt. Banks. While the summit was completely fogged in, the forest was beautiful and tranquil, with only the ever-present bird song breaking the silence.
We walked back down via the looped trail, passing badly burnt eucalypt trees regenerating remarkably well. This marked the end of our time in the Blue Mountains.
Mt. Tomah Video
Goodbye Australia Video
Trip stats
Miles Flown: 11,229
Miles Hiked: 179
Miles Skied: 2
Miles Driven: 4,152
Miles Sailed: 110