Stairway to Heaven

Our first destination after Sydney was the Blue Mountains. We found a caravan park in Katoomba, a hip little town bordering the Mountains, and settled in for our first night in the van. The sun faded around eight and the cold set in--cold like fleece jacket, sleeping bag, hat, socks, still shivering, cold. Morning was crisp--after some hot coffee, omelets, yogurt, we set off on foot to Katoomba's Great Round Walk. The Walk was four hours of lookouts onto gorges, stunning waterfalls, forests hued in blue, all at the cost of 2,000 stairs...986 down and 988 up. Yes, we counted. We saw the famed Three Sisters, jutting out over the valley, a monument to the aboriginal legend that three women were locked inside the stone, sealed in an eternal search for love.

On our way, we met Koos and Remon, a a blond and brunette duo from the Netherlands, coming to the end of a two month journey. After they took the rail up and out of the gorge and we climbed, step by step, we reunited at the caravan park for hot drinks and dinner. We spent day two in the jungles and waterfalls of Blackheath. Whereas the Great Round Walk was full of people, this trek was harder, less traveled, and more beautiful. We visited a number of lookouts--Govett's Leap, Pulpit Rock, and Wentworth--and reveled in the almost empty jungle like playground of the walk. The trees were unbelievably tall and everything was the green that says it sees water ever day. Little ponds were scattered throughout and fish, iguanas and little crabs made the trek with us. Each day's end finds us in the caravan park with a hot cup of coffee, reclining in our chairs. The four of us sat around til after dark, swapping stories, recipes, and recommendations about where to go and where to skip. After a quick breakfast the next morning, our new Dutch friends headed south and we took the road north.

To see photos of the Blue Mountains, please click me