Kangaroo Valley

Kangaroo Valley, originally uploaded by zuctronic.

After a quick cup of coffee in Kiama, we programmed the GPS for Kangaroo Valley. We found some signs that indicated a "tourist route" so we followed them into the highlands.



My photos don't really adequately demonstrate the "windiness" of the road or the steepness of the cliffs... but this drive had me tightening my sphincter on several occasions. Each time we got out of the car to take some photos, we were swarmed by the most tenacious flies on the planet.



At the bottom of the valley was the Kangaroo River and the Hampden Suspension Bridge, opened in 1898. The bridge wore its age quite well and appeared to have at least another century of service to provide. After taking some pictures of the bridge and the river, we hightailed it out of there leaving a stream of flies in our wake.

Sydney to Kiama

Kiama Lighthouse, originally uploaded by zuctronic.

Sunday, 29th November 2009

This would be the last full day of my trip to Australia. We decided on a road trip that would take us to Kiama on the coast and then across the Southern Highlands through Kangaroo Valley to Fitzroy Falls and from there back to Sydney. The first part of this trip was fairly uneventful. We stopped at a scenic lookout called Sublime Point and took some pictures. Then we continued on to Kiama where we saw the Kiama Blow Hole and had some coffee.

St. Andrew's Day Dinner

Haggis, white pudding, potato, and turnip dinner, originally uploaded by zuctronic.

November 28th, 2009

While we were hiking around in Jamison Valley our phones had no reception. On our way back into civilization, my phone alerted me to the fact that I had missed a call from Cheryl. I called her back and she invited us to dinner with some friends in the city. "I'm told there will be a haggis there," she said. That sealed the deal.

This traditional Scottish dish is a type of sausage of savory pudding made by mincing the "pluck" of a sheep (heart, lungs, liver) with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, and salt ... then stuffing it all into the sheep's stomach. This preparation is then boiled in stock for a few hours and then served. In our case it was served with mashed potato, mashed turnip, and white pudding -- another savory pudding made with suet, oatmeal, salt, and spices.

I was the only one at the table who cleaned my plate. This was interesting because I am a notoriously picky eater. Well first of all I was really hungry... I also liked the haggis, but it was a little dry. Ian (our host) said it was overcooked, but I wouldn't have known the difference. I will definitely try it again if I come across it, but I won't go searching for it.

Thank you Ian for a great meal! Thank you Cheryl for introducing me to new friends! This made two non-Australian holidays I had celebrated in Australia in less than a week!

Katoomba and Scenic World

November 28th, 2009 - Katoomba

After breakfast at the Sydney Fish Market we headed west on the highway toward Katoomba, the so-called "Gateway" to the Blue Mountains. The drive there was a good way to get accustomed to driving on the left since it was mostly highway driving and pretty easy. The road started to get a little bit curvey once we got up into the hills, but nothing too challenging. When we reached Katoomba, we parked in a pay spot and started walking. Our first stop was the Queen Elizabeth lookout. This is the spot where Queen Elizabeth II first viewed the Jamison Valley in 1954.



We walked down to the lookout and saw the Three Sisters, Mount Solitary, and the expansive Jamison Valley. The commonly told legend of the Three Sisters is that three sisters fell in love with three men from a neighboring tribe, but marriage was forbidden by tribal law. Battle ensued, and the sisters were turned to stone by an elder to protect them, but he was killed in the fighting and no one else could turn them back. This legend is falsely claimed to be an Indigenous Australian Dreamtime legend. (http://www.newsroom.uts.edu.au/reviews/detail.cfm?ItemId=7378)

Regardless of the authenticity of the legend, the view is geniunely fantastic. Hopefully some of my pictures will give you an idea of what makes this place so majestic.





We decided to start hiking toward Katoomba Falls, as a sign directed us. We had paid for an hour of parking and had to keep in mind the time as we took in the views. I needed to stop every couple minutes to take another photo... a rock formation, another flower, some insects, a vista across the valley - everything was amazing! We accidentally stumbled into the terminus of the Scenic Skyway, a cable gondola over the valley floor past Katoomba Falls to Scenic World. From Scenic World, we could take the Scenic Railway or Scenic Cableway to or from the Scenic Walkway around the valley floor. We decided to take the Scenic Skyway to Scenic World and back, then walk back to the car and drive back to Scenic World.









Once back at Scenic World, we took the Scenic Railway to the valley floor. The Scenic Railway is actually the world's steepest funicular. This one was originally used by coal miners but is now an attraction for locals and tourists. From wikipedia:

"The Scenic Railway is said to be the steepest cable-driven funicular railway in the world, with an incline of 52 degrees over a distance of 415 metres. It was originally constructed for a coal and oil shale mining operation in the Jamison Valley in the 1880s, in order to haul shale from the valley floor up to the escarpment above. It was converted for use as a tourist attraction prior to World War II."







When we got to the bottom of the valley it seemed dark under the shade of the trees. We walked toward the north for a long time before deciding we needed to head back. Once we got back to the walkway, we walked around on the boardwalk for a while. The boardwalk takes hikers past some coal mining artifacts and a freshwater spring. There are also explanatory signs placed along the walk.







We made our way to the Scenic Cableway which takes people back up to the stop of the cliff and parking area. By now Matt and I were both pretty tired out from walking so much and the heat was starting to wear us down. We bought some water in the shop at Scenic World and got back in the car. I had missed a call from Cheryl, so I called back and she invited us to a friends' house for St. Andrews Day dinner. We punched the address into our GPS and headed back into the city.

Sydney Fish Market

November 28th, 2009



We decided to rent a car for the weekend to get better access to the area around Sydney. On Friday I called and made a reservation for one with Hertz. We walked over on Saturday morning and picked up the car. We decided that since the rental car was in my name and I had already gained experience a few weeks prior driving Cheryl's car, that I would be the designated driver for the weekend. Our first excursion was to the Fish Market. We punched the destination into the GPS and after some fits and starts we were off.





The Sydney Fish Market on Blackwattle Bay is the largest in the southern hemisphere. It is also the world's second largest seafood market, based on variety, outside of Japan. It is possible to get a "behind the scenes" tour of the market. I called to arrange one for Thursday morning, but they were booked through mid-December! They have lobsters the size of my leg and abalones bigger than my hand. The activity is almost frantic as people buy fresh seafood and eat it right there at picnic tables placed throughout the market.





After seeing the Sydney Fish Market for a few minutes on the 26th, we wanted to go back and try out some of the fresh specialties they offer. I was particularly interested in trying a few different types of oysters and abalone. Raw oysters don't necessarily make the best breakfast, but I can eat them any time. We started off with a dozen raw Sydney Rock oysters. Then we had three cheese-filled oysters, three baked abalones, and three baked scallops. After that we wandered around a little bit to see the market in operation, and then we set the GPS for Katoomba and headed for the hills!