Blue Mountains

I took a packaged tour to the Blue Mountains, and though they told us to bring cash, they did not tell us to dress warmly. And I wasn’t smart enough to put together the logical equation “Autumn temperatures in Sydney + trip to mountains = put on extra layers.” Other than freezing most of the trip, I enjoyed it.

The Blue Mountains are a small range about an hour from Sydney. The mountains look blue at certain times because of the eucalyptus trees. In summer there are frequent forest fires, evidently eucalyptus burn quite easily, but our guide emphasized that the vegetation regenerates incredibly quickly compared to the average forest. Here is a view of Katoomba Falls from inside a (mostly) toasty gondola at Scenic World. One of the most famous rock formations are the Three Sisters, here seen from inside the temperate rain forest. We took the funicular which WAS incredibly steep from the bottom of the valley. When you first sit you’re practically angled on your back, and then when you end you’re sitting straight up: As usual, I became obsessed with anything that reminded me of surfing, and this large rock for some reason has what looks to be peaking waves all over it. And here is a gorgeous view of the Jamison Valley. What struck me was the undulating forest underneath the cliffs.