Into the Mountains

We couldn't come all the way to Sydney without checking out the world famous Blue mountains (they really are blue you know, or at least they look blue at a distance). To get the best out of them we had booked a day tour, much of the Uncle Brian's ilke, but far less silly, and without the swimming in horrifically cold waters, OK, it was just a tour!

Still the mountains were quite spectacular, the blue hugh being caused by evaporated oil from the Eucalyptus tree forests or some such witchcraft. Got plenty of good views of the main ravines and peaks all full of waterfalls and rainforest as far as you could see! After a guided tour down into the depths via cable car we learned how the 100's of kilometers of coals mines weaving their way through the mountain's depths were constructed by skilled Cornish miners (among others) who were particularity suited to this sort of work as they were short and stocky.......cue inevitable short joke from Mike. I did find it rather amusing however that the metal statue of an average miner was taller than me!

As with all good tours they always end up in a gift shop (we had already stopped at a large candy shop! :) ) and after looking around the usual tat we found ourselves being pulled towards the hat stand (no we didn't buy a hat stand, although it was a particularly nice hat stand!) we bought some hats!! Much to the amusement of our tour guide, who thought we looked like a pair of pornstars! Cheek, well, I mean, Mike did, but I just looked good!

We were rather glad of them on our journey home (a cold, windy ferry). Not only were we not a cold as everyone else but we looked good with it! Chilling in style.

Only a few days left in Sydney now, plenty to look forward to and even though our stockpile of beer is rapidly diminishing, we will continue to venture further into this strange and daunting land.