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After 2 days of torrential downpours and a mild case of cabin fever, we headed off to the Blue Mountains - so called because the millions of eucalyptus tree give off a blue vapour in the heat of the sun.
I wasn't feeling too well so slept for most of the journey there, but perked up once we reached the small town of Katoomba. Close by is the "resort style" place called Scenic World where they run cable cars and trains up/down/across the Jamison Valley. For $35 you can take any number of trips so we decided to get the day pass as the skies were still overcast and we didn't want to get caught in a storm whilst hiking.
The "skytrain" cable car ride travels from one end of the gorge to the other with a dramatic view of the Katoomba Falls on the the left, the spectacular Three Sisters on the right and lush forest valley floor a mere 80 metres below! It's a loooooong way down... Once you reach the other side, it's an easy walk to a lookout point and also to the top of the falls.
We took the train down the gorge. It was nicknamed the "Little Devil" and originally transported the raw materials from the coal mines in the cliffs during the 1800's. However, once the miners left, it became a popular tourist attraction. The reason is that it has the steepest incline in the world - a white-knuckle 52 degrees! So, as we started the descent and I was scoffing and rolling my eyes at the cheesy Raider of the Lost Ark music that was being played on the speakers, we suddenly dropped and descended sharply into a tunnel. The drop was so sudden, that my knees were pushing into the passenger in front of me and things started falling. It felt like going down in a fast elevator through a forest - it was quite exciting!
We then walked along the raised platform through the forest canopy, which was so thick that we hardly felt the rain.
The afternoon was spent admiring the magnificent views from the heights of Echo Point.
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