I’m on the top of the world, looking down on creation....

We have a trip to the Blue Mountains today which requires an early start and 5 hours of train journeys. This meant leaving with Martin at 06:30 and then travelling west from Sydney. The train to Mt Victoria will stop at Katoomba, where we will get off, and then a trip to the Three Sisters and the rainforest is planned, although today we definitely won’t be seeing any rain!
The township of Katoomba was settled in the late 19th century after mineral deposits, including kerosene (paraffin) shales and coal were discovered. The sandstone rock is quite soft and has been lifted and eroded over millions of years to form a smaller version of the Grand Canyon, but unlike the GC it is very heavily forested with gum trees, tree ferns, turpentine trees etc. So, after a skyway ride across the steep sided valley we take the cableway down into the forest to explore. To protect the forest floor there is a boardwalk which allows light from the canopy 75 metres above to penetrate where it should.
We were fortunate to have the cableway ride with 50 school kids from Lawson School who were on a trip. They were very excited and when the car plunged down the side of the rock there was the predicted screams of mock fear! Great fun!
We didn’t want to get too tangled up with them whilst we were exploring so let them go ahead. As a result we quickly saw lyrebirds. These look a bit like small grey pheasants with their long tails and seem to make their living out of scrabbling around under leaves and around rocks and tree roots. Hopefully the picture gives you the idea.
Part of our trip will include a train ride said to be the steepest in the world. It runs at 55⁰ to the horizontal and brings us back to the top of the canyon in short order. The railway was formerly used to transport coal but when this operation ceased another form of revenue was needed!
We travel around Katoomba and Leura on an ex -London Transport double deck bus (Atlantean) around the rim of the canyon and beyond. This would otherwise be a 10 hour walk would be needed to see everything. As it is we could have spent three days here and not done every walk, and the museum.
As some of you know M is planning a patchwork using fabrics from around the world. Well that was the excuse she gave when she headed off for the Fudge shop, (I have the photographic evidence). The fact that it also sold fabric was a lame excuse as I’m sure you will agree despite her anticipated protestations!
Hang on a minute, I’m not having that! I didn’t even see the fudge sign until I got near the door..I was following the patchwork one! AND before we have any more fudge nonsense, all I came out with was 2 small pieces of fabric and 1 skein of embroidery silk...NO FUDGE!!
We are seeking the shade as much as we can as the temperature is in the high 20’s and will be making our way back to Sydney for dinner with Martin, Elizabeth and Ryan this evening. Even Philias is cultivating marsupial tendencies to keep out of the sun. He doesn’t want his fur bleached or to have highlights!
We have again been watched very closely by scavenging birds. This time the bird is about the size of a magpie and very vocal. It’s called a koolagong or similar. I shall have to look it up!! They seem especially partial to potato chips, but before you even think it, they weren’t ours!
Back in Sydney we meet up with Martin before travelling across to Manley for supper. Ryan and Elizabeth are travelling from home with Ryan navigating, whilst we are taking a leisurely ferry crossing to the east coast. We haven’t seen this part of Sydney yet and certainly not the heads of the harbour. We see a regatta of yachts racing in the harbour under a setting sun with bronze shades on the water as we land at the quay. We are going tomeet E & R near the restaurant and suddenly see Ryan running full pelt towards us in his England football shirt and sporting a new hair cut, very pleased to see us.
After our supper, Ryan decided that ice creams where required by all. But first we were required to run the gauntlet of the vertical water jets. Adrenaline pumped we take it in turns to traverse the 6 water fountains each with probably a dozen spouts. These rise and fall in random order and the result of getting caught is a wet BTM and a soggy ride home. Fortunately, Martin and Elizabeth’s car remained dry. Wet car smells almost as bad as wet dog, so that was a result.