Photos: Australia Days 14 and 15 -- April 29 and 30

Notes: Australia Days 14 and 15 -- April 29 and 30

1. The night at the Hawkesbury Heights YHA was an interesting one.  I was the only one in the lodge that night.  I built a fire in the fireplace and it warmed it up a bit (no other heat source).  I even got up a few times during the night to throw another log on the fire.

 

2. Heading back to Sydney, I stopped at the historic town of Parramatta and walked around the park where there were some interesting structures.

 

3. The trip into Sydney was an adventure again.  The street names on my map were different than the names on the signs, so I made a few wrong turns in the heavy traffic and had to ask for directions at a gas station.   I was glad to get the rental car turned back in with no dents or dings.  Took a taxi back to the same YHA hostel I stayed in when I arrived.

 

4. One of the things I wanted to do in Sydney was to take a ferry ride in the harbor.  Well, when I got up in the morning it was a steady rain so I decided a ferry boat ride was not a good idea. Instead, I took a walk downtown, dodging the raindrops under the awnings, avoiding the umbrella tips, and jumping away from the bus splashes.

 

5. One of the buildings that sounded interesting was the Queen Victoria Building, so I figured that was a good place to be in while it was raining.  Well, it was a very interesting building.  Built in 1898, fell into disrepair, and then rejuvinated into a shopping center in the 1980's.  For anyone interested in geometric architecture; the dome, railings, and multiple levels were marvels to behold.  I took a lot of pictures there.

 

6. The rain continued off and on through noon, so I did get in a bit more walking around town and had lunch at a Thai restaurant.  Then I walked back in the rain to the hostel and rested my weary legs.

 

7. About 3 o'clock the rain let up, so I walked over to Darling Harbour and enjoyed the sights until it got dark.

Photos: Australia Day 13 -- April 28

Notes: Australia Day 13 -- April 28

1. Went back to the Pulpit Rock overlook where there were 70mph wind gusts on Sunday.  The gusts had diminished to 50mph today so I went all the way out onto the overlook.  Thank goodness for the handrails so I could hang on tight.  Nice view but no reason to stay and linger -- besides, it started to sprinkle.  While I was recuperating back in the car, I spotted another kangaroo hopping around.

 

2. Not far from the overlook in the town of Blackheath, there was a Rhododendron Garden.  Walked around there for awhile.  Very nice area with lots of pathways, ponds, and color.  Would be very nice in spring when the rhodies were in bloom.

 

3. Drove to Mt. Wilson, very nice area with lots of gardens.  A lot of the trees here were deciduous, so there was a lot of color and leaves on the ground.  There was also a walk down to a waterfall -- it was a rainforest area.  About an hour walk with a lot of up and down -- wheew.

 

4. Drove to Mt. Tomah Botanical Gardens.  Very extensive and lovely.  Lots of different shrubs, flowers, and trees.  I was surprised at how much was still in bloom at this time of the year (mid-autumn).

 

5. Drove directly to the Hawkesberry Heights YHA hostel.  What a surprise.  Had a hard time finding it.  I had made a Google map with the location shown, but it wasn't there.  I drove further up a winding hill for a couple more miles looking for a YHA sign while the traffic kept piling up behind me -- stopped a couple of times to let them go by.  I finally found it as it was getting dark -- just barely marked and up a long winding dirt drive, but it was locked and no one was there.  I finally found a nearby house with the caretaker for the place.  There was a bag with my name, linen and a key on the porch.  So I proceeded back to the building and made myself at home.  Interesting place, like a large cabin in Northern Michigan.  Looks like I will be alone in the place tonite.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photos: Australia Day 12 -- April 27

Notes: Australia Day 12 -- April 27

1. Winds subsided a bit this morning, but still quite breezy.  Cold front moved in, high in the mid 40's today.

 

2. Stopped at a few more overlooks on the way to the end of the Blue Mountains around Mount Victoria.  Descended into the valley below into the town of Lithgow.

 

3. Rode the Zig Zag Railway.  About a 2 hour ride on a vintage train down a historic rail line built in 1869 and used until 1910.  It got the name because it descended halfway down the hill to a switching station where the train was switched to the track going the opposite direction down the rest of the hill.  The train then went in reverse down this section to the bottom.  After we reached the bottom we toured a facility where they were refurbishing other antique engines then retraced the route back to the top.

 

4. I returned back to Katoomba on the road that circled back into the mountains.

Photos: Australia Days 10 and 11 -- April 25 and 26

Notes: Australia Days 10 and 11 -- April 25 and 26

1. Raining in Canberra in AM when I left.  Wet ANZAC ceremony.  Long drive to Katoomba.  Weather cleared along the way.

 

2. Checked into the Katoomba YHA.  Very large and well organized.

 

3. Blue Mountains have very sharp cliffs all around.  Lots of waterfalls drop straight down from the cliffs into the valley below.  A lot of overlooks along the cliffs give a great view.  There are many walking paths around varying from 15 minutes to several days in length.  Quaint small towns in the area.

 

4. Winds increased in intensity during the night and all day long.  I'd estimate 70mph wind gusts.  I had to be careful walking along the trails that were close to the cliffs.  Came back to the YHA about 1pm and decided the weather was too lousy to do any more sightseeing.  Hopefully better in the morning.

Notes: Australia Days 8 and 9 -- April 23 and 24

1. Traveled from the lush, green coastal area, thru the mountains, to the arid grasslands around Canberra.

 

2. Checked into the Victor Lodge.  Got a double bed with a sink -- toilet and shower down the hall,  real comfy tho and breakfast in the morning.

 

3. Streets of Canberra very confusing and busy.  Laid out in a geometric pattern with lots of circles and grids, and rounds at intersections, and an elongated lake separating the city with several bridges crossing over.  I kept missing the correct turns at the rounds so had to go turn around and try again while looking at my map and trying to keep left.  The Canberra motorists will be glad to see me gone.  They are very friendly though, they kept waving at me whenever they passed me.

 

4. Did a lot of walking around the government buildings and monuments and toured the museum and art gallery.  Some of the buildings were very interesting but others were very drab.  The war memorial was in a very prominent location.  ANZAC Day (Australia New Zealand Army Corp) (similar to our Memorial Day) is tomorrow, so there was lots of preparation going on for that.

 

5. Leaving early in the morning to travel to Katoomba and the Blue Mountain region.  Should be very pretty there and a bit cooler -- hope the rain stays away.

Photos: Australia Days 8 and 9 -- April 23 and 24