Last week we took a train from Sydney up into the Blue Mountains Region. It didn’t look very promising as we set out from Central Station amidst grey skies and high humidity. As we passed the soulless western suburbs of the city seemingly full of business parks and car lots, it struck me how awful arriving in any city by train can be. After an hour though we started climbing and then went through the more picturesque suburbs of Emu Plains, Warrimoo and Bullaburra – you have to love the Australian names. Arriving in Katoomba we found the bus to take us to Echo Point and The Three Sisters lookout. As we stepped out of the bus the cloud broke and the sun pierced it’s way through and the full weight of the heat struck us.
After admiring the views for a while I decided to head off on one of the bush trails past Kedumba View which looks out over the Kedumba River to Mount Solitary. It was too hot already to contemplate the longer, more arduous boardwalk you can access from over at Scenic World, but I think you’ll find that even on a shortish walk (40 mins one way) there is a lot to see.
I continued along the trail which would lead to another viewpoint, before retracing my steps. The views were amazing, but I was also interested in the flora alongside the trail, much if looking like the fynbos found in the Cape Peninsula, South Africa.
The path became muddier and less easy to traverse with short steps along the route, but the joy of discovering different things to see every few yards made me continue until I reached Lady Darley’s Lookout.
Where I found the most wonderful views, and a group of French youngsters posing for photos on the edge of the overhang! What makes people do this? Do they not realise that one false step and they are over the edge? Looking at my options of either the ladder going down (and the steps in the distance to the next viewpoint at Katoomba Falls) and the steep staircase going up to the Cliff Drive, I decided that this would be my turnaround point. By now that sun was hot too!
and a final few photos of the flora…
The following day there were severe bush fires in the Blue Mountains – a common occurrence and one which must put fear in the hearts of those people who live in this vast ‘bushland’.
(Why are the Blue Mountains blue? The distinctive blue haze is always present. The phenomenon is known as ‘Rayleigh Scattering’ and caused by scattering rays of light coming into contact with the fine dust particles and droplets of oil dispersed from the eucalyptus trees in the valley.)
If you enjoy a walk, short or long, then you may enjoy visiting Jo’s Monday Walk where you are in for a treat.
TRAVEL WORDS 
Thanks for the walk, Jude….now I’m not up to such things, it’s great to have a virtual walk! BTW I didn’t see the ladder……
Not surprised – that is a small image!
It is between the top and second levels of the rock face:
sorry, still rather hard to spot. I wonder how to make it larger?
Great walk but I’m not sure I’d enjoy the heat. I think I may have been to the lookout. Are there others similar?
Echo Point is the main lookout for the views and also the Three Sisters. It’s the place I have been to previously.
Spectacular scenery, Jude! Thanks so much for sharing 🙂 You just know I’d have had to do the ladder! Hopefully I would remember water though 🙂
Enjoy the rest of your trip! Still got ages to go 🙂
You must have better knees than me Jo. I went up and down steps on the Clovelly to Bondi walk on Wednesday and my knees and calves are still complaining! And yes, water, very essential to carry water – and wear a hat, though oddly not many Sydneysiders appear to do so.
Some great shots here Jude, and dramatic views indeed. I do like the names as well, they make the places sound ‘friendly’.
I agree about arriving in cities by train. The journey from Heathrow into Paddington is pretty dismal, and I recall being unimpressed when entering Rome by train from the airport..
Regards as always, Pete. x
I wonder if there is anywhere that looks nice when approaching by train.
I have seen some nice places on ‘Great Railway Journeys’, but they are almost never large cities. x
That’s my thought too. I love that programme – even like Michael Portillo despite his being a Tory 😀
Hah, hah. I’m out of breath after all that climbing. The photos are gorgeous and much appreciated as we sit covered in snow. Anyone within 50 feet of an overhang is nuts. I would stay at least 50 feet away. 🙂 Breathtaking views.
Nuts indeed. I wonder if they realised what was (‘nt) below them? Glad to bring some warmth into your world Tess. Hope you are not in for another long winter…
Yes, thanks for the warmth. Winters are always long here. We’ll have snow from November to March for sure. Sometimes longer.
I DO love those Aussie words, and your trek in the Blue Mountains. Do the eucalyptus trees/leaves have a scent? The dried ones in bouquets do, but I wonder if it’s a true scent or one sprayed on by florists.
Some of the eucalypts have a very strong scent, others not so much. I went around trying to find the smelliest as I had a shocking cold last week and couldn’t breathe well at all, When I found one I’d stand there breathing in deeply – the OH standing well away pretending not to know me 😀
I’d say ‘hilarious’ except it sounds like you were suffering! I have a eucalyptus bath oil for when I have sinus problems.
Hope you’re feeling better 😊
Much better thanks! Living on citrus fruit seems to have helped a lot too 🙂
Love the Aussie names 😉 Seems so strange knowing you are in an Australian summer as it gets colder here (but no frost yet
) Lovely photos and I agree, what is with the overhangs? So very dangerous and only one false step. Lovely to read about your visit, happy, safe travels Jude 🙂 xx
It is very weird I must admit. But I don’t miss England at all! Even though it is so hot here at the moment at least the sun shines and the sky is blue (although there were some grey skies last week). It is the sun I love, not the heat, I wilt in heat. I think I need to persuade the OH to move to Portugal. Now that looks sunny without the intense heat. Hope all is well with you Sherri – I’ll pop over to check your blog later 🙂
Have a good (warm) weekend xx
Yes, I know what you mean about the sun and not the intense heat. Portugal does look so beautiful doesn’t it from Jo’s posts? Thanks for thinking of me Jude, you haven’t missed anything, I only managed one post this week but hope to get something up shortly. We’re in for more rain today, tomorrow better. Hoping to go to Barrington Court tomorrow for a Christmas fayre with hubby. Looking forward to reading more of your adventures with gorgeous pics…enjoy every minute and see you soon 🙂 xx
I will Sherri! Thanks 🙂
😀
What an amazing walk and probably just the right distance in that heat. You know, I’m slowly starting to review my lack of desire to visit Australia.
I look for shade Gilly – and I have a wide-brimmed hat. Probably look like an idiot but who cares. No-one here knows me. It actually surprises me how few Aussies wear hats. Australia is a fascinating country / continent. You would love the aboriginal history, though a lot of that will get lost as the Aboriginals become more westernised, sadly. The trick is to get out of the major cities – though they have their good points – but to me the true Australia is beyond the coastal suburbia.
Beautiful! I have actually been there too!!! And on my birthday years ago! I was with my dad on a two-week tour of Australia and we went to the Blue Mountains which were lovely! 🙂
A beautiful walk, Jude. I think I would have decided to turn around when you did, but I know hubby would want to carry on down that ladder. 🙂