Exploring Australia&NZ Day 14

Day 14 - Friday, April 29, 2011 - Excursion to the Blue Mountains; Three Sisters Rock Formations; Jamieson Valley

We left the hotel under blue skies and a temperature of 68º and humidity of 83%. Today the talk is all about the Royal Wedding.

When we went to the breakfast room many of the people were reading the newspapers and tabloids about the ceremony tonight. All TV networks will be broadcasting the festivities.

Leigh met us in the lobby at 9:00 and we left the city traveling over the Harbour Bridge and west on Route M7 and Route M4 into the mountains. Juliano was our driver again today. He and Leigh took turns telling us about procedures for getting a drivers license and motor regulations in Australia.

Our program today was a full-day excursion to the Blue Mountains region, named for the blue hue that rises from the eucalyptus trees in the valley and the vaporizing oils.

By the time we had arrived in the mountains there was a thick fog prohibiting any photos at the first scenic overlook. Leigh adjusted our schedule and we drove into Leura, a quaint village in full fall foliage. Seeing the town reminded us of some of the little towns in up-state New York.

This town is known for its gardens and lovely but not large homes built in the early 1900’s. We looked in the window of a real-estate shop and saw most houses were way out of our price range at $500 - $900 K!

We spent a bit more time in Leura hoping the fog would lift. As we walked the narrow streets I took a weather reading - 57º and 90% humidity.

Back on the bus at 11:40, we drove to the Blue Mountain National Park and Govett’s Leap overlooking Megalong Valley and Bridal Falls. The skies were not blue but they did lighten up enough for us to have a great view of the steep gorges.

Following Cliff Drive through dense eucalyptus forests we arrived at Scenic World for lunch and had time for photos of the local wild birds. There were many Sulphur Crested Cockatoos and beautiful Crimson Rosella.

Our view of the Three Sisters rock formation perched above Jamieson Valley was a bit foggy but at least we saw these iconic and fabled 3000 foot rock formations.

Legend has it that three Aboriginal sisters fell in love with three brothers from another tribe. They were forbidden to marry. A witch doctor turned the sisters into stone to protect them from harm.

The first attraction at the park was a roller coaster type ride down into the canyon on the Scenic Railway. Mary Ann, Gennie, and I rode in the first car and I was able to take a video of the screaming and chatter all the way down.

After a 10 minute walk through the rain and cloud forest we felt like we were back in Jurassic Park. At the bottom of the path we found the Scenic Cableway and rode back up to the Visitors Center with only enough time to use the restroom before our two hour ride back to Sydney.

When we got to the city we made a quick trip to Starbucks and then came to our room to have a light dinner. This was our last of six days in Sydney and two weeks in Australia.

We had to pack for our international flight to New Zealand in the morning.

Accommodations: Amora Hotel Jamison Sydney - - - Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

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