G'day --
Aussie cultural notes:
I know it's just been a week since our last postcard but I thought I'd send it out while we had reliable telecommunications in Sydney.
We arrived in Sydney via the train from Adelaide mid morning and did a few errands before we picked up our rental car and headed north to the Blue Mountains, about 111 km from Sydney. As the guidebook says, they are neither blue nor mountains but rather green rolling hills (reminding us of the Appalcians) and lots of unusual geologic features. Due to its proximity to Sydney, this is one of the premier vacation and weekend getaway areas. It is tourist heaven. This also means that a drive that normally takes a little over an hour elsewhere is a good two hours fighting big city traffic on one lane winding roads. No wonder Sydneyites come here to relax....they need it after the commute.
We got into the area just as the sun was setting so we hurried out to Wentworth Falls and took a few photos. We were blown away! As we stepped on the platform for the falls lookout, we realized that we were actually on the side of a huge continuous cliff (if you can call it that) which curved in and out for many miles. The towns of the Blue Mountains are on the top or plateau of this... it's like a one-sided gorge. You could see rolling hills far below you and other features like formations and waterfalls further down the "cliff". I know our photos won't do this area justice.
Then we drove into the town we were staying in (Katoomba) and took a very short hike to see the Three Sisters, a series of three huge columns formed by the erosion of lighter soils from the side of the cliff. Since Tim has three sisters and I am one of three sisters, we thought this an appropriate subject for photos as well....so does the tourist bureau, I guess, since this huge formation is lit up at night.
Armed with maps and other tourist propaganda, we set off the next morning for one of our more interesting hikes. It started with a short walk on the Cliff Top path and out to the Three Sisters we saw the day before. Then it was down the Great Steps...960 stairs down to the pathway that follows the cliffsides about half-way down. We were behind a huge group of 8-9 year olds and listening to their comments kept us smiling ("My legs are trembling", said one. "I heard we have to walk back up these...hey, stop pushing me!", complained another. "Yeah, well, I could ride my bike down these faster", bragged a third. ) By the time they got to the bottom, they were all pretty silent. The path continued thorugh some mud, past waterfalls and flocks of parrots, and fantastic views. After about 1.5 hours we reached our goal...the Katoomba Scenic Railway. This is the steepest railway in the world. It goes up the cliffside at a 52 degree angle. You get into cars similar to those on a rollercoaster and head up..up..up...and through a tunnel. The sign at the station states "Please do not place purses, cameras or babies on the seat..you may lose them." This sure beat going back up those stairs!
After lunch the famous Blue Mountain mist rolled in. This is true fog, you can barely see down the street, let alone over the cliff. They must be used to it here, the tourist maps list hikes that you can do in the mist and not fall off into oblivion....so we did a short one in the afternoon. Tim had been trying all morning to get a good shot of the local parrots.. in the mist they hung out close by and serenaded us loudly, teasing us because we couldn't see them.The locals have a good sense of humor about the mist, though. One BBQ restaurant in town was named "Grillers in the Mist" (if you don't get the pun, say it out loud).
The next day we headed out early for Jenolan Caves. This is a series of twenty caves over three areas, but we had no idea what we were getting into. You drive through a huge natural tunnel to get to the first cave site...even the toilets were built inside a cave. While I was standing in line for cave tour tickets, I talked to one of the visitors' aides and asked what cave we should see. I explained that we had seen lots of caves before and he arranged for us to go on a special tour (only four tourists, a guide, and his grandson) of a cave that has limited access. What a treat! We saw more variety of formations in this one cave than we had in all our others combined. Plus, our guide was really a cave afficianado so he told us a lot about the area's history, tales of the cave explorers, and explained the chemistry, geology, and biology of the cave. We were really lucky to get into this tour. As Tim says "It's better to be lucky than good". While our luck held we headed north to Dubbo, on our way to the opal mines of Lightening Ridge.
Dubbo, gateway to the Outback (one of many outback gateway towns we have travelled through). Our only reason for stopping here (apologies to Dubbo) was that we heard good things about its Western Plains Zoo. As you know by now, we try not to miss a zoo. But the drive from the caves took longer than we thought. We arrived at 3:30, the Zoo closes at 5:00, but we were told the animals go home at 4:00 (really!). However, due to our late arrival, we could get into the Zoo free the next day for the early morning walk. What a deal! So at 6:30 a.m. we arrived (with lots of other people) and were taken in small groups on a behind the scenes tour. This zoo is more like a safari. You could walk, bicycle, and/or drive around the 800 hectare park. There were no cages. Most animals were on huge areas of land that were surrounded by a wet or dry moat and a well hidden electric fence. So it was possible to see everything from maned wolves to hippos to kangaroos, etc. in as close to natural habitat as possible (for a zoo). (Up close and personal to a rhino, however, is not all it's played up to be.) This place specializes in breeding programs for endangered species and have been very successful. Natural predators have been eliminated and several species have been reintroduced to their native lands.
Then the long drive to Lightening Ridge, source of 99% of the world's black opals. This is truly a mining town. We stayed at the Black Opal Motel where the rooms had signs "Now Buying" on them. This is where the opal dealers meet the local miners to exchange hand polished gems for hard cash. We arrived late Sunday afternoon but made the rounds of the opal shops still open. We have been looking for opals since we got to Australia but were always told that the Ridge is the best for selection and prices. Yikes, I've never seen so many gems....all colors and sizes and prices. From a chip for $20 to black opals with red highlights for $16,000 each. Like art or wine, it's a matter of what you like and what you can afford....as with art and wine, what I like I can't afford. But we had done our homework and could bargain somewhat intelligently with the dealers, fufilling our meager shopping list. The next day we visited a mine. You tunnel underground and dig out the clay by hand or machine then wash the clay, hoping opal bearing stone will show up. Some miners have been here working their claims alone for over 30 years...still hoping to find "the big one". It's like gambling, I think, you're always hoping the next coin in the slot or rock on your shovel will make you rich. This obsession is what makes the miners of Lightening Ridge the real characters they are (so says a local). It's not for me, thanks. I'd rather wear them than dig them.
From the somewhat barren mining lands of Lighteneing Ridge to the lush vineyards of Hunter Valley, premier wine country, in one day's drive. We spent two nights here in Cessnock at a restored old hotel. During the day in between we drove around and tasted wines. With over 50 wineries in the area, we narrowed it down to only those we knew exported to the U.S...what good is tasting wine that you can't afford to ship home or find locally? Even then we were only able to visit a few places. Since we tend to like the heavy reds (like merlot, shiraz, cabernet), it made decisions a little easier. The tasting rooms are very liberal with their pourings so we had to limit ourselves (Tim was driving, I was navigating). But we could easily spend several days here and sample the wines, homemade cheeses, and local bakeries. Since this area is just a couple of hours from Sydney, it is popular and expensive. But it's illegal to charge for wine tastings in New South Wales (the state Hunter Valley is in) so entertainment (so to speak) is free.
Left early the next morning for Sydney, returning the rental car and hopping the overnight train to Brisbane. This is the last of our major loops around Australia...the east coast tour. Wow, has the time flown by. I'm just getting into this travel stuff. I keep telling Tim I was born to retire and travel but he won't listen. Ah, well. We'll talk to you from Cairns, we hope. Keep well and happy and in touch.
-- Di and Tim
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