Marco's Travel Update: From the highest Mountains to the deepest Caves <2009.8.20>

The last stop of our Journey through Oz brings us to the highlands which seperates Sydney from the Outback - The Blue Mountains.

Just an hour drive (if you are lucky and escape the rush hours)and you reach Katoomba the gateway to this area. They called "Blue" because the valleys are mostly covered in blue haze from the oil of the millions of eucalyptus trees.
Can you see it?

We drove along the cliff drive and stopped nearly at every lookout on the way - its hard to resist such view:

The celebreties of this area are called "3 Sisters" - there where more of them in the past, but this is what is left so far:

The first one reminds me of the Muppet Show:

:-)

How can such formations been established?
Just by the power of very little drops of water! Just plenty of them - like the famous Katoomba Falls

Best to view them from the Scenic World where we took the skyrail to the other side:

Here you view them from the beginning

until the big drop off

Idealy you stay here overnight to experience the sunset when this area becomes quiet as the tourist busses have left the showground and last chinese whisper as faded away when the blue haze starts to turn in all different kind of colors to welcome the cool night.

Than just lay back - 900m high over the cliff and feel the power and charm of mother nature at its nap:

On the next day we leave Katoomba and head further west into the country. I love to spend more time around here as this was just the beginning of the great lookouts - don`t miss blackheath city!

600m waterfalls

Searching for inspiration we head to the Jenolan Caves - one of the biggest and most impressive here in Oz.

Already when you arrive you pass through a huge cave-cathedral short before you reach the tour center. As you need to be on a guided tour - we quickly checked us in on the River Cave Adventure tour.

And here we are - 2 hours and 1.278 steps are waiting for us x-)