I can't believe it is my last full day here in Australia. In some ways it seems so long ago that I arrived and even seems long ago that I was with the tour group, but now that I have reached the end of my stay it has seemed to go by so quickly. This morning there was still loads of rain and it was very windy but the weather is supposed to be better in the Blue Mountains, which is about two hours north of Sydney. I had breakfast in the hostel and was talking to the guy who runs the place (very nice guy). When I told him we were planning to go to the Blue Mountains he asked if I wanted to see his photos of his trip there, and then showed me a photo of someone holding an umbrella with total fog behind her. Too funny. This is really the first bad weather I have had while here, so I think I have been pretty lucky. I got everything and met Ethan as planned at the bus shelter across from my place and we rode the bus into Sydney. Unfortunately it was rush hour and by the time we got to Central Station we had missed our intended train, so we had to wait an hour for the next one. That would have been fine except for some screaming and crying and totally annoying children, which made Ethan a bit cranky.
At Katoomba station it wasn't raining but was still pretty chilly, so as we walked up Katoomba Street on the way to our destination I bought a woolly hat which really helped.
The Blue Mountains is a World Heritage area with lots of incredible scenery and natural sights, and many trails and areas in which to walk and enjoy it all. There are so many things to see and do, but we chose a pretty active but somewhat abbreviated plan as we had to make sure to get the train back at a reasonable time. Also, as I mentioned, the sun sets rather quickly, and you don't want to be out walking in the middle of the wilderness when total darkness descends. One of the amazing and interesting features of the Blue Mountains is that there really is this blue-hazed beauty that you can see.
We walked from the station to Echo Point (a pretty long walk!) and the Katoomba Forest, and were able to look over to the Three Sisters rock formation. From there we decided to walk down the Giant Staircase (over 800 steps) - the scenery was beautiful and we chatted with various people who were also walking, in particular a man from DC who was visiting his daughter, also at UNSW and coincidentally in the same Marine Environment class as Ethan. It was quite a long and tiring walk, and at the end of the Staircase we walked another 2.5km to the Scenic Railway. There we got on the railway cars that looked like an amusement park ride open train. When you get in you are facing backwards and the way you sit makes you lean back. The reason is quickly apparent, as the cars shoot VERY quickly up a very long and steep track, and you are facing the bottom looking down and trying hard not to fall out. Ethan and I of course chose the front seat and it was fabulous!
The railway ended at a different place than where we originally entered, and our walk back to town was almost completely uphill, and fairly steep hills at that. Somehow we managed to get back to the station in time to catch the earlier train, so we got into Sydney early. We arrived only to find that it was still raining and very chilly, so instead of staying in Sydney for dinner we decided to go back to Coogee. After again trying to decide where to eat we ended up back at Five-O, our favourite hang-out. With the rain chucking down it seemed the best place to enjoy our wonderful meal and my last round of Pure Blondes. Back at Ethan's for after-dinner goon and Tim Tams and we watched the all-star Aussie footie game between New South Wales and Queensland. All too soon it was time to say goodnight and goodbye, as Ethan's friend Veronica is arriving early in the morning and he is going to the airport to meet her. My plane is at 1:00pm and I have booked a shuttle to the airport at 9:15. It has been so wonderful being with Ethan and having the opportunity to soend all this time with him, and I am really going to miss him a lot. I can't believe I am actually going back - even though I knew it was coming I guess I am never quite ready. It has been an incredible adventure, a real learning experience, a fabulous holiday and another small step for me in creating a life for myself.
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