Our Walkabout in OZ: Stop 2 NSW/The Blue Mountains

The next morning (Monday April 26th) we checked out of the Y, caught a cab to the rental car office and before we knew it, we were headed up to the Blue Mountains.  It didn’t take long for the city to fade into the countryside.  Soon we were driving through fields and orchards in the foothills of the Blues with great views back toward Sydney.  I know they say that size doesn't matter, but when it comes to mountains, I fear poor Australia may have a bit of a complex.  These “mountains” reach the astronomical height of 1210m at their peak.  That being said, once we gained a bit of elevation, we were able to appreciate how beautiful they really are.  We stopped for a bite in cafe- and antique-filled Leura, at the Wayzgoose Cafe, where we shared a chicken/mushroom pie and a flowerpot scone.  From there we drove along the cliff road to the unimpressive Katoomba Caravan Park.  We pitched the tent, quickly ran into town for supplies, and then walked out on the cliff trail of the nearby valley trying to catch the sunset.  As usual, I was a bit overzealous in my attempts to get the perfect shot and lost my tripod as I was running down the trail.  Bummer.  Anyway, that evening as the temperature plummeted to about 40 degrees Fahrenheit, I cooked up a hearty meal of steak, onions, and mushrooms, all while Lindsay worked in the camp kitchen, barely able to type due to her shivering from the immense cold.  After dinner, we ran to the car, got settled in the tent and tried to get warm.   Overall I would say it wasn’t the best of all sleeps, but we made it through the night alive and at least I woke up with a smile on my face. 

We got up, had a bagel, and drove to Leura Falls.  From there we took a nice hike along the cliff side to Echo Point.  We had hoped to continue down into the valley, but due to an impending conference call for Lindsay's work, our hike was cut short.  So we walked back to the car and had a quick lunch of brie and ham sandwiches on a huge rock outcrop overlooking the valley below.  After lunch, Lindsay worked in the car while I went on a beautiful but challenging hike at Wentworth Falls along the Federal Track.  The final part of the trail exited the canyon through the Valley of the Waters, which contained waterfall after waterfall.

I arrived back at the car, soaked in sweat to find my little breadwinner sitting in the front seat working away.  We then drove back to base camp, had a quick shower, and endeavoring to avoid the nights chill, we went into downtown Katoomba to have dinner in a real restaurant.  We stumbled on a great place called Rene’s Pizza, where we shared a bottle of local Merlot in front of a wood burning stove.  Our bellies full of pizza, we drove back to camp. But before climbing into our tent, Lindsay was remembering how nice it was when we climbed up Kilimanjaro and the porters would bring us Nalgene bottles full of boiling water to put in our sleeping bags.  It didn’t take long for me to return from the camp kitchen with two sleeping bag-bound scorching bottles of water.  We both slept much better that night.

We awoke the next morning to a chorus of Kookaburras in a tree outside our tent.  We were up before dawn, and it was cold and dark as we left the camp and headed for the canyon.  As the sun rose over the hills, even Lindsay could admit that the beauty of the sunrise was worth the pain of getting up so early.  After stopping for some photos, we ate a trail bagel and proceeded down the Grand Staircase, a series of about a gazillion steps that take you from the rim of the canyon to the valley below.  From there we walked through the forest surrounded by the calls of lyre birds, cockatoos, and host of other birds.  We exited the canyon on “the world's steepest railroad.”  Fifty two degree angle, they say!

We ran back to the caravan park to pack up since we had to be off the property by 10:00 exactly or the two grinches that run the place would charge us for another night.  We left at 9:58.  We had decided to take a less traveled and more scenic route back to Sydney, so we drove further up the mountains to the town of Blackheath.  There Lindsay worked in a little cafe and took a work call while I wandered around town.  All that done, we had a beautiful and leisurely drive down the Blue Mountains and back into Sydney.  We dropped the car off and caught a cab, and feeling like George Jefferson must have, we checked into the (ooh la la) Sydney Sheraton.  That evening we went for $10 noodle night at The Argyle down in The Rocks before hitting the hay early.

The next morning the wake up call came at 5:15.  I had showered, shaved and put on my suit and tie ($8 and $3 from the Salvation Army, respectively) before 5:45, and I was in the cab heading 45 minutes out of town at 6:01.  Without going into any details, I had some important business to take care of.  By 9:00 I was back at the Sheraton writing blogs and taking care of some last minute itinerary changes.  Whereas the original plan was to take a car along the Great Ocean Road from Melbourne to Adelaide, our frigid Blue Mountain experience had reminded me how much happier our marriage is when Lindsay is not cold.  So, now we would be taking a camper van up the coast.  At noon we caught a cab to Circular Quay and went back to Manly Beach a second time where I went swimming and Lindsay relaxed.

Later in Sydney we went for a great run over the Sydney Harbor Bridge just as a big orange moon slid up behind the Opera House.  Later that night we had drinks overlooking the harbor on the rooftop of the Glenmore Hotel, ate a mediocre pizza at a small restaurant nearby, and then went to bed.  Next stop: Victoria!