Dream Come True: Australia Day, Part 2

Sydney Opera House

Since I was a teenager I had dreamed of visiting Australia. I longed to see the Sydney Opera House, spend time in the Outback and marvel at the Great Barrier Reef. It's hard to say when this dream actually started, but I think the seed was planted when I was about 13 and I got a small, stuffed koala as a present. A small collection soon followed.

Then in my late teens I saw this film that really set the dream in motion. The Man From Snowy River (1982) is a classic Australian film set in the mountains and flatlands of southeastern Australia in the late 19th century. It tells the story of a young man who becomes a part of a search for a wild horse. Why did a western from Australia make me want to go there? I have no idea, but it did lead me to watch other Australian films which led me, more and more, to wanting to visit this beautiful country.

Since Australia is so far away I never thought it would happen. I assumed that it would remain a dream. But five years ago I had the opportunity to accompany my husband on a business trip to Australia. My dream was finally going to come true!

Because of limited time we didn't really stray that far from Sydney. Which meant that I didn't get to see the Outback, the Great Barrier Reef or even the mountains from The Man From Snowy River. But that's o.k, because we still got to see some amazing places. One place in particular has stuck with me. It is now one of my favorite places.

The Blue Mountains

That place is about a two hour drive west of Sydney near a town called Katoomba - The Blue Mountains National Park. This very popular national park is a part of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area due to its many and varied examples of plant life which still produces great scientific discoveries. All I know, is that this was one of the most amazing sights I've ever seen in my life.

The Blue Mountains are technically a sandstone tableland and not mountains, but they still provide very challenging hiking trails nonetheless. My husband and I attempted one of these trails. I really enjoy being in the great outdoors but I am very far from being an outdoorswoman, but I knew that I had to do this.

The Three Sisters

Our hike started in the early morning at the Echo Point Lookout which provides the best view of The Three Sisters (above). One Aboriginal legend has it that these three pillars are three sisters from one tribe who fell in love with three brothers from another tribe that they were not allowed to marry. The brothers went to war over the sisters. An elder from the sisters' tribe turned the sisters to stone to protect them planning on reversing it when the war was over. Sadly, the elder was killed in battle and the sisters remained as stone pillars.

After a short climb down to the Three Sisters the difficult part began. We climbed down 872 steps and 1,000 feet to get to the valley. It was very steep in places and my left leg was incredibly sore the next day. But it was worth every step to see the view on the way down and the forest and the valley floor when we got to the bottom.

Ascending just a few of the 872 steps!

The walk across the valley was breathtaking. We saw such wonderful and unique trees and flowers. After walking 2.5 kilometres we were able to take a cable car back to the top. But the most interesting way to get to the bottom was the Katoomba Scenic Railway, originally built to haul coal out of the valley in the 1880s. So we decided to ride it down and then back up again. On the way down they played the Indiana Jones theme!

Katoomba Scenic Railway

I did get to experience one of my dreams on this trip. While visitors are no longer allowed to hold koalas they do allow visitors to touch and pet them. I was almost in tears when I touched this koala hanging out on his perch and munching on eucalyptus leaves. It is a prized memory.

Our other stops included The Barrington Tops National Park which includes a temperate rainforest, a ride on a train on the Zig Zag Railway, and a boat ride across Sydney Harbour to Manly Beach.

While I didn't get to see as many places as Ms. B did, I loved everything that I saw and every moment spent in this beautiful and amazing country!

Don't forget to watch for kangaroos or koalas crossing the road!

From the Catalog:

-- The Man From Snowy River [DVD] - the film that set the dream in motion!

-- The Man From Snowy River & Other Verses by A.B. Peterson - the poem that the film was based on.

-- Strictly Ballroom [DVD] - a hilarious look at an Australian ballroom champ who wants to break all the rules of dancing while his family desperately tries to stop him.

-- Breaker Morant [DVD] - Three Australian lieutenants are court martialed for executing prisoners as a way of deflecting attention from war crimes committed by their superior officers.

-- Muriel's Wedding [DVD] - Muriel longs for the big city life of Sydney in this Australian comedy.

-- Australia [DVD] - Baz Luhrmann's epic about an Australian ranch during World War II.


From the Web: 

-- The Lost Valley of the Wollemi Pine [Scientific American] - a 2012 article about the discovery of a species of tree thought long extinct found in the Blue Mountains.

-- How Australia Put Evolution on Darwin’s Mind [Smithsonian Magazine] - a 2015 article about Charles Darwin's little known trip to the Blue Mountains in 1836.

-- The Blue Mountains National Park - official page of the park.


--Post by Tracy