Took the Blue Mountain tour today, an all day tour from 8am – 7pm. A bus pulled up to at the hotel and a big jolly guide called Michael got out, introduced himself and checked us on bus. There were about 15 people on the tour, Germans, Brits, Americans, Turks, Aussies, Dutch.
The first stop was at a national park, we were almost guaranteed to see kangaroos. We took a short bush walk with Michael, he showed us wallaby burrows, kookaburra birds, and wallaby dung (green and thick), and a family of bag pipe playing gypsies on the way to the ‘roos.
There was a group of people taking photos near a bushy area. We popped over to see, there was a ‘roo, a large male. We were quite close but not too close as to be intrusive. An Italian, from the group already there, was sneaking closer and whistling to it. Their guide got them all to leave but the Italian wouldn’t budge, he kept approaching the ‘roo, his guide told him off, he carried on. Michael said ‘why don’t you stroke him, see what happens’. Kangaroos can be very defensive, it was his territory, and the claws on him were scarily big. We were all thinking ’go on Skippy batter him!’. The Italians guide lost patience with him and told him to leave the tour, he left then’. We stuck around and got some pics then left.
Next stop was a view of the Blue Mountains gorge. An vast open canyon full of trees, some rain forest and a few joy ridden cars pushed over the edge. We all swapped cameras for the usual cheesy shots. Met a couple of Americans, Geoff and Angelique, from L.A. Then there was Tom from Chicago, so far he was late at every stop, but funny with it and never shut his mouth.
On to the Three Sisters and lunch, the Three Sisters are 3 large upright rocks and legend has it that blah, blah, blah. Had lunch and Michael then sorted out the tickets for the next stop.
At the next stop some of us got dropped off at a cable car across a canyon. There is a glass bottom floor in the middle. The trees looked like broccoli from here, and there is a good view of a waterfall.
Across the other side we got out and straight onto a downhill tram. It starts out quite steep then suddenly you go over the edge and are heading downhill at a controlled pace at 52 degrees, you aren’t strapped in and it feels like you could drop out.
At the bottom there are 3 walks available, all of different length, we chose the mid length one, it was just a boardwalk through trees, not really any variation, unless you’re a tree nerd. Pleased we didn’t do the long walk.
It was mid afternoon now and we set off to a small town. Here there is some small town shops. Also at this stop was a teapot museum, we had half an hour to kill and it started to drizzle. That’s how they get you! We had to go in the teapot museum, thrilling. This place was proof that it is possible to sleep with our eyes open.
On the journey back we nodded off, the only thing that kept waking me was Toms constant chat about nothing in particular, I think he loved the sound of his own voice, man he could stretch out a long pointless drivell about which car company sold the most year by damn year. A personal highlight was overhearing about his sleeping pattern, poor Geoff and Angelique had to join in the whole way back.
Michael dropped us all off at a dock to catch a boat the rest of the way back. It was quite a large boat and pretty quick too. There was indoor and outdoor seating. I pottered about. Three times I tripped over the same step going in and out the door, much to Beckys delight, I was starting to feel like a bit a lummox.
Becky got take away sushi for tea and I got a got a pie with a face on, from now on I will only eat pies with faces on.
The first stop was at a national park, we were almost guaranteed to see kangaroos. We took a short bush walk with Michael, he showed us wallaby burrows, kookaburra birds, and wallaby dung (green and thick), and a family of bag pipe playing gypsies on the way to the ‘roos.
There was a group of people taking photos near a bushy area. We popped over to see, there was a ‘roo, a large male. We were quite close but not too close as to be intrusive. An Italian, from the group already there, was sneaking closer and whistling to it. Their guide got them all to leave but the Italian wouldn’t budge, he kept approaching the ‘roo, his guide told him off, he carried on. Michael said ‘why don’t you stroke him, see what happens’. Kangaroos can be very defensive, it was his territory, and the claws on him were scarily big. We were all thinking ’go on Skippy batter him!’. The Italians guide lost patience with him and told him to leave the tour, he left then’. We stuck around and got some pics then left.
Next stop was a view of the Blue Mountains gorge. An vast open canyon full of trees, some rain forest and a few joy ridden cars pushed over the edge. We all swapped cameras for the usual cheesy shots. Met a couple of Americans, Geoff and Angelique, from L.A. Then there was Tom from Chicago, so far he was late at every stop, but funny with it and never shut his mouth.
On to the Three Sisters and lunch, the Three Sisters are 3 large upright rocks and legend has it that blah, blah, blah. Had lunch and Michael then sorted out the tickets for the next stop.
At the next stop some of us got dropped off at a cable car across a canyon. There is a glass bottom floor in the middle. The trees looked like broccoli from here, and there is a good view of a waterfall.
Across the other side we got out and straight onto a downhill tram. It starts out quite steep then suddenly you go over the edge and are heading downhill at a controlled pace at 52 degrees, you aren’t strapped in and it feels like you could drop out.
At the bottom there are 3 walks available, all of different length, we chose the mid length one, it was just a boardwalk through trees, not really any variation, unless you’re a tree nerd. Pleased we didn’t do the long walk.
It was mid afternoon now and we set off to a small town. Here there is some small town shops. Also at this stop was a teapot museum, we had half an hour to kill and it started to drizzle. That’s how they get you! We had to go in the teapot museum, thrilling. This place was proof that it is possible to sleep with our eyes open.
On the journey back we nodded off, the only thing that kept waking me was Toms constant chat about nothing in particular, I think he loved the sound of his own voice, man he could stretch out a long pointless drivell about which car company sold the most year by damn year. A personal highlight was overhearing about his sleeping pattern, poor Geoff and Angelique had to join in the whole way back.
Michael dropped us all off at a dock to catch a boat the rest of the way back. It was quite a large boat and pretty quick too. There was indoor and outdoor seating. I pottered about. Three times I tripped over the same step going in and out the door, much to Beckys delight, I was starting to feel like a bit a lummox.
Becky got take away sushi for tea and I got a got a pie with a face on, from now on I will only eat pies with faces on.
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