SydneyMania, Part IV - The Blue Mountains

The Blue Mountains are a national park which is a two hours train ride from the city centre (Aussie spelling...). Once it was the great divide that slowed down the European settlement expansion to the west, but now it is almost at the city gates, and a bit overcrowded day trip.

The Blue mountains name originates from the blue mist that often surrounds them and is partly a result of the volatile oils released by the Eucalypt trees (it actually happens all over Australia, but it was the first place that Europeans saw this phenomenon).
















While we were there it rained on and off, so there was plenty of water all around. The spot below goes by the distinctive name of Cascade Falls.





















The following shots are of an area which is called Leura Forest. After a year of seeing only burnt out bushland and forests, this was one of the most impressive temperate rainforest's strips we've seen. It's all extremely wet and green and apparently it's like that almost year-round, with an independent micro-climate system in place.










































































Simply put, this area is called Floodlight Forest. Any additional explanation would be pointless.


































Finally, this is what most visitors to the mountains are hoping to see - on the left, the famous Three Sisters rock formation. What you don't see in the postcard images are the nearby railway (the world's steepest), cable car, platforms, floodlights, cables and other dark sides of the tourist industry. It's kind of a shame that people just can't enjoy natural wonders without feeling the need for constant stimulus.