We got up early on Thursday, February 28, and set off in the car for the long drive up to the Blue Mountains. We had heard that it was about a 9 hour drive to Sydney, on the main highway, but it took us over 12 hours to reach our destination in Leura. As many of you know, we have a favorite bed and breakfast there, which, up until very recently was owned by very good friends of ours. They sold the B&B in January of this year, and have moved to another home nearby. We stayed at the B&B for four nights, which was very relaxing. Luckily, our friends Jim & Yoshi were in town while we were there, so we had dinner with them one night and tea together the day before we left. Jim misses the B&B, but they were ready to have more free time and flexibility.

The first day, we took the funicular railway into the canyon, where there is a boardwalk that winds around the base of the canyon for about 2 miles. Although developed for tourism, it is thoughtfully done, blends in nicely with the landscape and provides an opportunity to learn about the history and development of this magnificent area. It’s very dramatic- we liken it to the Grand Canyon, but with a lush landscape. It is, of course, not as deep or vast as the Grand Canyon, but is still very dramatic and quite awe-inspiring. Here are just a couple of the many photos we took while there.

This is known as "the three sisters" and is one of the most recognizable rock formations in the Blue Mountains. There is an aboriginal story about how the sisters became "frozen" in stone.

This picture shows the colorful walls of the canyon, and an interesting rock outcropping.