• Australia 2024
    That's J9 trying to show this is our first day that we're hiking with only ONE layer of clothing!
    On the far right behind Janine is what they call the Three SistersThere are 2 entrances to Three Sisters; this is Entrance 1 (w/ a temporarty sun break!)Walking path to the Three Sisters; the work done to create these paths is amazing!Entrance #2 to the trailLots of staircases down the face of the hillAnd sometimes the staircases are built into the natural contour of the land.And sometimes no 'building' is even necessary.Isn't that a cool tree?Katoomba FallsThe return path up...These are the 'Giant Steps' (998 of them!); a twisty path; those handrails were appreciated!Nice lookout on the way back up the hillView of Katoomba Falls closer to the basea little caption of our evening entertainment

    Katoomba Falls hike:Gordon Falls lookout

    October 18, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 73 °F

    Hello Blue Mountains!!! Waking up to rain and looking at the radar, we were in no rush to get started. J9 worked on future travel arrangements while Mark wandered the internet. The weather looked to break around noon with around 5 hours of clear weather; so late-morning we headed off to the Echo Point which has an information booth and access to a number of trails. Luckily, the attendant/ranger wasn't too busy, so we were able to work with him and develop a three day hiking plan. Once again, the Australians are incredibly nice folks and incredibly helpful. With only a couple hours' window, the ranger helped us determine a plan for a short hike in the area with exit plans if it started raining. It was fun to finally hike in the Blue Mountains. After the hike, we found a local bar with live music at 9p; we could dine and listen (our favorite combination). They were a great local band for the evening.Read more