The Blue Mountains

Saturday, March 24

Laura, Mary and I decided to go to the Blue Mountains today.  I was the driver for the day...  now that was an interesting experience.  It was my first time to drive that long on a highway in Australia.  It quite easy once we arrived on the interstate, but on the path there, we had to weave in and out of a spaghetti bowl of streets.  It was a bit nerve racking, but the mountains were worth it.  The most iconic element of the Blue Mountains is the rock feature known as the Three Sisters.  

There is a commonly told legend that brought about the name of this rock spectacle.  However, the truth behind The Three Sister's formation is simply erosion by wind, rain and rivers, due to the soft sandstone in the mountains.  As the Indigenous Australian dreamtime legend goes, there were three sisters who fell in love with three men from the neighboring tribe.  Marriage between tribes was forbidden, so the three men used force to capture the sisters.  A battle began.  To protect the three sisters, the tribal leader turned the three sisters to stone, but consequently the chief was killed in battle, thus unable to turn them back.  The three sisters now stand immortalized in stone for all to remember their tragic love story. 

There were also manly trails, lookouts, waterfalls and bushwalks all throughout the Blue Mountains.  We only touched the main highlights, so I’ll have to go back again to dive deeper into the forest.  I really liked one of the hikes down to the first sister.  There were steep steps that led to a bridge to the rock formation.  Nestled in the rock was a carved bench for your sitting pleasure. 

The waterfalls were beautiful as well.  We had fun climbing onto the slimy rocks to pose for pictures.  We almost fell a few times… Well actually, I did fall and dropped my phone in the river.  Sad day- I’ll have to get a new phone now.  But it was a funny moment for sure.  Legs out from under me, I landed at least 3 different positions, until finally resulting in torn jeans, a bloody knee and funny pictures provided by my friends who thought it more necessary to capture the experience via picture than to assist in my slow-motion descent to the wet, slippery ground.  I, evidently, really know my way around a river.  

That evening we met up with some friends at a pub in Paddington.  It’s always difficult to make it downtown since you have to take so many buses and trains.  I think I prefer staying closer in for my nights out.  It’s less of a hassle.  However, Laura, Mary and I enjoyed the conversations at the pub with Tom, his friends and some other friendly Australians.  

Sitting on the bench, carved in the first sister

Three Sisters at the Three Sisters

Playing in the creek

Katoomba Falls

Out in Paddington with the girls