SAFE & SOUND IN KATOOMBA

What I think will be the most stressful part of my drive across Australia is done. I have picked up my car at Sydney airport and got it through a driving rainstorm (The storm of the century according to the ever excited TV weather people.) and up into the Blue Mountains to Katoomba. For those from the Seattle area, this is not a long drive. Maybe like Sea-Tac airport to Snoqualmie pass, but driving on the other side of the road in a large city and having to pass through it due to lack of freeways was not easy. Here I will do the repacking for a driving trip and stock up on stuff to eat and drink along the way.

Classic view into the Blue Mountains from Echo Point, Katoomba

The Blue Mountains are part of the Great Dividing Range of Australia that runs most of the way north to south along the eastern coast line, sort of like our Appalachian mountains. I have been here before, and blogged under the title of “Going Down…..” Which is part of why the area is so unique. The roads and facilities are essentially on TOP of the range, and the hiking and such is all down into gorges and canyons. Like our Appalachians, these are extremely old, weathered mountains, all covered in dense forests of innumerable species of eucalyptus.

The Three Sisters. Maybe not quite as dramatic as the Three Sisters in central Oregon, but nice.

The “Three Sisters” are a big draw.  One motel somehow got the first use of the name, the 3 Sisters motel.  Right next door was the 3 Prospectors motel with an image of 3 very similar looking women on the sign.   Somehow, I doubt that the two owners speak to each other.