English friend Brian Ratcliffe is visiting, so today we took him on an expedition to the Blue mountains. A lovely warm sunny day, just right for a bit of walking and sightseeing.
We drove to Katoomba and parked near the Three Sisters lookout – and had a look at the Three Sisters. After a fortifying cup of coffee we set off down the Giant Stairway. The guide says: “The Giant Stairway provides a spectacular entry to the Jamison Valley, descending approximately 300m (1000ft) via more than 800 steps and runways. . . .
Whilst many of the steps had to be hewn out of the cliff, and metal stairs installed at other points, an effort was made to take advantage of natural ledges, erosions and projections.”
The views are fantastic on the way down, although 800 steps does make my legs a bit wobbly. Then we walked through the forest at the base of the escarpment to the Scenic Railway. It’s the steepest railway in the world (Guinness Book of Records), and originally part of the Katoomba mining tramways constructed between 1878 and 1900.
We took the railway up to the top of the escarpment. The latest incarnation of the railway is a far cry from the original one we rode in many years ago. That had scary rattletrap steel and wood wagons with open tops and sides – it was a real thrill ride. Now the wagons are enclosed shiny steel, curved glass and fibreglass with automatically opening doors. Sigh! Lots of tourists, mainly Chinese, taking the trip.
We had some lunch in Katoomba, then headed to Sublime point for more views, then Wentworth Falls lookout. A good day.
