Breakthrough to the Blue Mountains - May 6, 2018

The Blue Mountains are less than a two-hours drive from downtown Sydney, if it isn't rush hour. Due to this close proximity, it is a good idea to check them out if you are in Sydney for a few days. You can rent a car easily enough but then you may face the wrath of the wife because you don't really know where you are going and you haven't practised driving on the wrong side of the road. To avoid the inevitable back-seat driving and what will turn out to be an unpleasant experience, go to the internet for help. Remember, "Happy wife, happy life".

Gym had pre-booked a tour of the Blue Mountains from TripAdvisor. This sounds like it could be  risky but there was no disappointment on this trip. Generally, when you see that something has some good reviews and comes in on a TripAdvisor top-ten list, you should try it. Gym signed up with Southern Cross 4WD Safaris. The proprietor, Chris Reiken and his tricked-out 4WD land cruiser was the perfect call to experience the best of the Blue Mountains.

Essentially, the tour heads up the the Great Western Highway that links Sydney on the coast, to Bathurst on the Central Tablelands, over the spine of the Blue Mountains. Out of the Sydney Central Business District, one crosses the Napean River and then eventually starts ascending the Blue Mountains. Eventually you reach the summit, near the town of Blackheath. On the tour, Gym and Mrs. Gym would criss-cross the ridge forming the highest point of the Blue Mountains and drive through the picturesque towns of Katoomba, Wentworth Falls and Blackheath stopping to get out and stretch theirr legs on various trails leading to some pretty fantastic vistas of unparalleled scenery. Along the way, Chris the guide provided background on some of the history of the area in terms of the building of the highway and also some of the geologically significant points-of-interest as well. The intrepid couple also got a hell of a workout that day.

Notable vistas opened up at the end of bush trails or short walks leading to Lincolns Rock, Wentworth Falls and the Three Sisters viewpoints, in the morning and Mount Blackheath, Pulpit Rock Lookout and Anvil Rock, in the afternoon. The final walk that afternoon, to Anvil Rock, provided a view that looked beyond another beautiful Blue Mountain vista to Sydney in the distance. As it was a clear day and the sun was behind Gym at that point, the scene was breathtaking.

The part of the tour that really stood out for Gym, was the trail that lead from the Wentworth Falls Picnic Area, dropping down off the plateau and descending along a cliffside trail that traversed Wentworth Falls. The falls drop about a 100 meters below the elevation of the parking lot and the trail crosses Jamison Creek at the most spectacular point about halfway down off the plateau. The pictures can not do this experience justice.

Lunch was a one-of-a kind, unforgettable experience. After a few rousing morning treks and just when we needed some more fuel for an afternoon of more bush walking, Chris  took us to the Bakehouse on Wentworth where we each picked out a hot and fresh meat pie and proceeded to this great viewpoint just a few blocks away to devour the pies at the Elysian Rock Lookout. We sat on a bench perched on the edge of the cliff to dine. A meat pie never tasted so good.

A climb the equivalent of over 60 stories and hikes which covered 10 kilometers that day meant sound sleeps that night.

Chris Reiken and his tricked out 4WD picking us up at the hotel , in the morning.

A fern-lined overhang on the way to Jamison Creek

Vista opening up on the way to Jamison Creek as we drop
off the plateau

This is a aborigine painting "bowl" where the indigenous people
mixed paint which would then be applied to the walls.

As we were about to cut left along the cliff we could see. other
hikers across on the trail on the other side of the falls. The strata
is laid out horizontally and the trail cuts along ledges carved out
of the weaker rock by natural erosional forces

This is a scene looking up the falls as we crossed. The pool
 is only a few feet deep and that sets of falls is one of
may at the top as Jameson Creek drops down stair steps to the point that
the trail crosses it.

Erosion can cause many beautiful patterns in the rock
and here you can see a clear unconformity where the rock
strata meet at different angles.

Bakehouse on Wentworth - a must try!

This is pretty cool! Here we see hard volcanic rook looking like
it is being squeezed out of the softer sandstone.

another picture of the same thing as above.

A major overhang created by wind erosion near Pulpit Rock

This is looking down Wentworth falls from the same point where the trail
crosses Jamison Creek but in this view we look downstream.
The last half of the falls is straight down to the
valley floor (note the handrail, best to stay behind it).

The Three Sisters of the Blue Mountains

Looking down on Pulpit Rock - we would climb down there shortly

Lunch at Elysian Rock Lookout

Hanglider ramp neat on Mount Blackheath

The view back towards Sydney at Pulpit Rock

Gym and Mrs. Gym on Lincoln Rock overhang

cooler picture of above

After traversing the falls the entrrepid couple pose on the cliff 

Yes, that is the hero and heroine posing again on  Pulpit Rock Lookout

After spending the whole day humping around on the plateau we realized what a great day it had been. Chris was a great guide and the clear fall day made for excellent visibility on a day that was just about a perfect temperature, to be out hiking about.

Stay tuned.