Blue Mountains

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We had to be up before dawn today to be a block away for our tour pickup by 6:50am. After last night's thunderstorm, a cold front must have come through. We did not dress warmly enough. Plus we were going up into the Blue Mountains so at elevation it just got colder. It rained a little on us to but we were ready for that. The weather was the only downside of the day but we'd rather be too cold than too hot so it worked out.

We were the first of 17 people picked up by our driver/guide and his minibus. The bus would hold 21. Clay got the front passenger seat. We drove around downtown Sydney for an hour picking up at about 6 other hotels before leaving town. Our first stop was Leura for a tea/coffee/comfort stop. We had about an hour there so we could stroll up and down the main street. Next up was the main attraction of Scenic World at Katoomba. We were let off the bus at the Skyway East Station where we got wristbands. There we boarded the Scenic Skyway that took us over Katoomba Falls with views of the Three Sisters, a rock formation. We also had views out over the Jamison Valley. This is where Sydney's fresh water supply originates. It is covered with temperate rainforest. The guide met us at the Top Station at the other side. There we boarded the Scenic Cableway to the bottom of the valley. We took a guided boardwalk tour past the ruins of a coal mining operation on our way to the Scenic Railway Bottom Station. The cableway was a bit of a thrill ride but nothing compared to riding the train up. I imagine the train down would have been even scarier. This train was originally built to haul the coal up to the top from the mine below. At a 52 degree incline it is advertised as the steepest passenger train in the world. We met back at the top and got on the bus to go to lunch. Lunch was at the Conservation Hut in Wentworth Falls.  Our guide offered to take us to a better view point of the Wentworth Falls if we all left now, so we did. Lunch was good. After lunch we drove back to Blacktown, formerly a suburb of Sydney that is now engulfed by it. We were there to visit the Featherdale Wildlife Park.  We had about an hour again. Of the 3 of these parks we've visited now this one was my 3rd favorite. So, it was fine but I was glad to have done the others earlier. Our last stop of the day was in Parramatta to join the FantaSea cruise. This is where our guide left us. Our tour booking with Great Southern Rail specified return transfers but AAT Kings was not doing that. The cruise went to Circular Quay and then back under the bridge to Darling Harbor. Thinking it would dock near where we had docked on the Captain Cook White Bay Ferry, we stayed for Darling Harbor. They docked at the opposite end and it was a toss up as to walking back to Wynyard Walk for the train station or by land back through Chinatown. Clay decided to take the walk and look for a place outside Chinatown to eat. The first place we came to was Helm. They had their menu posted outside and when I saw a pepperoni pizza, I was in. It was good and had great views. Clay had a beer and fish & chips so he was happy enough. Then we walked back. It took us less time than we thought and we were home before 8:30pm. It has been a long day, but a good one. It seems like we prefer countryside to urban visits anymore. We don't have any firm plans for tomorrow though I have made proposals for it and Weds. morning. Right now my main object for tomorrow is sleeping in! I'll let you know.

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