Brisbane, QLD


Friday, April 29, 2016

THE BLUE BLUE MOUNTAINS

The Blue Mountains is a rugged region west of Sydney in Australia’s New South Wales. Known for dramatic scenery, it encompasses steep cliffs, eucalyptus forests, waterfalls and villages dotted with guesthouses, galleries and gardens. Katoomba, a major town in the area, borders Blue Mountains National Park and its bushwalking trails.
It is believed the mountains have a blue tinge when viewed from a distance because of "mia scatterings" in the atmosphere which in turn is caused by a large amount of volatile terpenoids emitted by the large amount of Eucalyptus trees in the area.
 There are numerous lookouts which can be reached by car and many more on the walking trails. This  is Sublime Point Lookout.

 We could see the famous "Three Sisters" from Sublime Point but they are usually viewed from the other side at Echo Point Lookout. We couldn't find a car park there as it was so crowded.

 The Blue Mountains are part of the Great Dividing Range. They are made up of a series of ravines and ridges which made it very difficult for early explorers to cross the mountains. Officially the first Europeans to cross were Blaxland, Wentorth and Lawson in 1813. Before that, the aborigines found two routes across. In 1980 letters were found to suggest that John Wilson, a freed convict, who lived with the aborigines crossed the mountains in 1795. It is believed that this fact was suppressed at the time so that the convicts wouldn't try to escape from Sydney over the mountains.
 The mountains are not very high with the highest point just over 1,000m/3000ft

 It is great to see families enjoying the outdoors.

 The next day we went to Blackheath, one of the townships, in the mountains. The weather was overcast but we did visit Govett's Leap Lookout.

Even in the misty rain, the views were stunning.

Carol and David pointed out the trail that they have hiked and a waterfall.

Maybe you can see the waterfall in this shot.

The rain increased so we found a super coffee shop inside an antique emporium.
Then it was time for our young ones to drive us back to the airport to fly home to Brisbane. What a great weekend!

25 comments:

  1. Three sisters look fantastic what a great trip

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  2. Three sisters look fantastic what a great trip

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  3. These mountains are really beautiful. I remember we went down very scary speedy and steep in a kind of open rollercoaster. Then we had to walk back up by feet. The three sisters I have seen too.

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  4. Excelente trabalho e boas fotografias.
    Um abraço e bom fim de semana.
    http://andarilharar.blogspot.pt/

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  5. Hello, Diane! Gorgeous views of the mountains. The Three Sisters is neat, it is also a name for a rock formation in the USA. Wonderful post and photos. Happy Friday, enjoy your weekend!

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  6. Sorry I have been distracted and off the air since your visit. It was so lovely to catch up with you and Bill and a delight to meet Carol and David. Thanks so much for your hospitality.

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  7. Stunning views Diane,3000ft seems high enough for me :) Really like the sound of an antique emporium!

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  8. the views are spectacular and the cliffs are just stunning to behold.. and that family on the edge scares me silly... they look plenty high to me...

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  9. We were there for 5 days and only managed to see the 3 sisters on the day we were leaving. The rest of the time they were hidden by thick mist!!! You were lucky, wish we had of had weather like you had, the rain is a vast improvement on thick mist!! Take care and thanks for letting me see what we missed. T'other Diane

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  10. Those views really are stunning. I had assumed the mountains were much higher than 1000m.

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  11. I would have thought that a fence would have been erected where that family were able to view the mountains from. I am damn sure nothing would have got me out there to observe closer the valley and views - or where they over a fence??
    It is a very scenic area and flourishes with the tourist trade.
    Great photos with graphic, historical, topographic description of this area of Australia - well done, indeed.
    Cheers
    Colin

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  12. It appears quite unspoilt, partly because of its ruggedness. The blue haze is always interesting to see. As Rhodesia experienced, the mist was very heavy for our last visit and we couldn't even see the Sisters.

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  13. The views are absolutely stunning.

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  14. A place We've never been.
    Beautiful scenery and information Diane.
    You photos do the area well.

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  15. The Blue Mountains are beautiful! The foliage on them looks very dense and lush. I like the cris cross view at Govett's Leap Lookout

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  16. It's always interesting to see pictures of where someone has been when one has been there too. In this case we could almost have trodden in each other's footsteps. I didn't see any rain but I did break three ribs whilst I was there.

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  17. I would love to visit the antique emporium that sounds like a bloody great place I do like old things. Been years since I have visited the Blue Mountains

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  18. i've only been once. it was with my husband before our daughter was born. oh dear. that's a long time. very beautiful views. gorgeous photos as usual Diane.

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  19. Wow, what magnificent scenery! One would not want to venture too close to the edge of those lookouts!

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  20. It's so much fun that your dtr and SIL live in a such a different part of your beautiful country. Kind of like when we visit our 'kids' in Colorado -- totally different scenery and half the time the season even seems different (whether we are coming there from Florida or Oregon).

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  21. Oh my goodness...this place looks like pure PARADISE!! I would love to hike here. Thank you for the amazing photos.

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  22. Wow---you know me! I LOVE mountains... Your Blue Mountains are marvelous... Love the Three Sisters ---and of course the WATERFALL... Thanks for sharing.
    Hugs,
    Betsy

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  23. What a wonderful adventure, Diane. The mountain views even in the misty weather were breath taking. And popping into an antiques emporium for coffee and a look around is perfect on a rainy day...or any day,min fact!

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  24. Thank you for posting such a great blog. I found your website perfect for my needs. Read About Waterfalls Chasing Australia Blue Mountains

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