




Scenic World at Katoomba is a bit touristy, but with only a day to spare and an injured ankle it seemed like a great way to see the mountains, The Jamison Valley and some rainforest. You buy a ticket and then get taken to the valley floor by the world’s steepest scenic railway. When you sit in the seat at the top station you are laid on your back, when you get to the bottom station you are leaning forward in the seat trying to stop yourself falling out. It was steep.
There is then an elevated boardwalk through the rainforest that takes you on a tour of the flora and fauna, with the odd story about ghosts from the mine and mining disaters. The whole place was originally a coalmine. After the walk you are transported back to the top on a Swiss built cable car.
You can then cross the valley on a glass floored cable car. Sounds a lot more spectacular than it is, but great views and fun. The Jamison valley is evidently 15 times older than the Grand Canyon, but less than a tenth the size!
I then drove back over the Darling Causeway and down through Richmond and Windsor. No not a trip west out of West London, but a fantastic mountain road that winds it’s way along the top of sandstone cliffs, drops down through Australia’s major fruit growing region and then crosses the Hawkesbury River valley. Soon after Windsor the Sytdney suburbs start again and there is a McDonalds every 10 miles, a couple of KFCs and three Red Rooster fast food restaraunts. I wonder if Mr Macdonald realised he was going to make the world so uniform?
Got back to the hotel about 6:00 pm. It was empty, had a phone call from reception to ask if I was planning to eat in the restaurant as they only had two other bookings and would close once they had fed them.
Got to read through the notes for tomorrow and get some sleep. The jetlag’s not been too bad so far, think my body has made the 13 hour adjustment, not sure my mind has.
There is then an elevated boardwalk through the rainforest that takes you on a tour of the flora and fauna, with the odd story about ghosts from the mine and mining disaters. The whole place was originally a coalmine. After the walk you are transported back to the top on a Swiss built cable car.
You can then cross the valley on a glass floored cable car. Sounds a lot more spectacular than it is, but great views and fun. The Jamison valley is evidently 15 times older than the Grand Canyon, but less than a tenth the size!
I then drove back over the Darling Causeway and down through Richmond and Windsor. No not a trip west out of West London, but a fantastic mountain road that winds it’s way along the top of sandstone cliffs, drops down through Australia’s major fruit growing region and then crosses the Hawkesbury River valley. Soon after Windsor the Sytdney suburbs start again and there is a McDonalds every 10 miles, a couple of KFCs and three Red Rooster fast food restaraunts. I wonder if Mr Macdonald realised he was going to make the world so uniform?
Got back to the hotel about 6:00 pm. It was empty, had a phone call from reception to ask if I was planning to eat in the restaurant as they only had two other bookings and would close once they had fed them.
Got to read through the notes for tomorrow and get some sleep. The jetlag’s not been too bad so far, think my body has made the 13 hour adjustment, not sure my mind has.
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