Blue Mountains
100Km west of Sydney in New South Wales exist the Blue Mountains, a heritage listed area of outstanding vast views and natural beauty. The mountains stretch to hieghts of 1190 metres above sea level while 760 metre deep gorges, much of the area filled with eucalyptus, wollemi pine, button grass reeds, a few swamps. The name Blue Mountains comes from the blue hue that is created from the release of oils from the eucalyptus. A few of us had a day out, driving across from Sydney, taking in a walk or two and having a ride on the Skyway and the world’s steepest railway.
This park, which is part of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area, protects an unusually diverse range of vegetation communities. There are rare and ancient plants and isolated animal populations tucked away in its deep gorges. This is a vast and special place. Early settlers to the area were at a loss when it came to crossing the area. In 1813 Blaxland, Wentworth and Lawson finally crossed the area by following the ridges of the mountain points to get across.
The area around Katoomba is the most visited area of the Blue Mountains. The town has grown into a tourist area now with numerous hotels, hostels, cafes, restaurants and shops. The early settlements and road were built by convict labour. Coal and oil shale were mined in the area up until the 1930s.
The rock stacks were created by erosion of the sandstone of the Blue Mountains. Although it has taken a few millennia to create the erosion continues and the Three Sisters, as well as other areas of the mountains will slowly erode further. The Sisters will disappear one day.
The Three Sisters are named Meehni, Wimlah and Gunnedoo. The Aboriginal Dreamtime story tells of the sisters falling in love with three men from a nearby town but marriage was forbidden and a battle erupted between the two tribes. A witchdoctor turned the sisters into stone to protect them from the battle but he was killed and so the sisters could never be turned back.
The World’s Steepest Railway. 415m down takes the ride through a cliff tunnel and into the rainforest below. It is basically a 415m, 52 degree slide. Originally built for the coal mines, the railway now takes passengers on a quick ride down the mountain. Another choice for the tourist. The aerial cable car travels through the Jamison Valley rainforest either up or down. We took the railway down and the Sceniscender back up again for a pair of fun rides.
For safety reasons the conductor has full authority to limit the number of passengers travelling on the Sceniscender. During thunderstorms the Sceniscender will be held in whichever platform it is in when the storm arrives. It is very likely there will be an interruption to the power during a storm, which would result in the ride stopping in midair. We are sure that you would rather be safely on the platform, so please wait patiently. Storms usually take 10 to 20 minutes to pass over. We apologise for any inconvenience.
