Exploring the Blue Mountains

Sadly, I'm back in Australia after an amazing 4 and a bit weeks in Italy... but happily I'm still out exploring.

I've been to the Blue Mountains quite a few times over the years, but this was the first time I've actually been up with the intention of bushwalking. After dropping our bags at the hotel, S & I headed out to explore some local spots. We started with a short walk to the Sublime Point Lookout, with its stunning views over the Jamison Valley.

The weekend we visited was the end of the Leura Gardens Festival. Sadly, we didn't have time to visit any of the open gardens, but this hedge creature caught our attention. I was thinking dinosaur, S went with whale.

After a short break for lunch & checking into the hotel, we headed out again later in the afternoon. This time we were heading for Gordon Falls & the Prince Henry Cliff Walk. There are steep metal stairs on most of the walks around this area.

The valley doing a really good impersonation of a smoke machine.

The dense fog gave the valley a really eerie feeling.

The Cliff Walk had been closed as recently as a few days before we got there due to a bushfire.

A couple of magpies singing on the edge of the cliff.

Just after this the skies opened & we spent the next hour or so getting progressively wetter as we made our way back to the next track up to the road and back to the hotel. I had a rain jacket, but no rain pants, so I was pretty cold & miserable until I was able to have a hot shower & change into some warm, dry clothes.

That evening, we headed into Katoomba for dinner and afterwards, stopped off at The Carrington for a drink.

Next morning, we headed out for a wander around Leura. It's such an atmospheric village, but I think this street wins the prize for being impossibly pretty.

Under much clearer skies we tackled another section of the Prince Henry Cliff Walk, this time heading to Leura Cascades. One of my favourite things is seeing the shadows that clouds cast on the bush below.

Bridal Veil Falls from the Bridal View Lookout.

S doing his photographer thing at the bottom of Leura Cascades.

After the Cascades we decided to head down the valley further to the bottom of Bridal Veil Falls. My walking downhill sensor was on high alert, but there wasn't much I could do about it - I wanted to see the falls.

They were so beautiful, even the climb back up didn't phase me.

There was so much we didn't get to explore of the Mountains because of bad weather and not having a car. I can't wait to get back up there to do some longer walks.