The Blue Mountains do have so much to offer...
Temperate Rainforests and spectacular waterfalls.
And in Katoomba you also ride the steepest railway in the world!
Click here for more info: Scenic World Blue Mountains that's where I got this photo too.
Length of incline is 415 m or 1360 ft at 52º
In the center you see Scenic Railway and this funicular railway line goes straight down beside Orphan Rock!
Through sandstone cliffs and a rock tunnel.
You emerge into a spectacular fern filled rain forest!
Wish we would have had many days for exploring it all in more detail!
Since we were there in 1988, so much has been added and greatly improved that you have a far better up close view of it all. Click here: Scenic World Explore our World Take a Look Videos.
Also this Blue Mountains N.S.W. video shows you beautifully what to expect.
It gives you a pretty good impression about Australia's Grand Canyon!
To the right you see Fairmont Resort Blue Mountains where we did start out with our lunch...
Jenolan Caves Blue Mountains Australia belong to the finest and oldest cave systems in the world!
We ended our Blue Mountains adventure with a lovely dinner at the home of mushroom friends John & Beryl Miller, in Windsor, N.S.W. together with Rob & Norah Tolson.
They were such generous tour guides and hosts!
Even did sell lots of my own design Lacquered Brass Window Decoration 'Mushrooms'.
We had a business Monday on the mushroom farms of Rob Tolson and had lunch at John Baker's with his daughter Patricia and his son.
Pieter also did review the Baker mushroom farm and I gave a harvest demonstration.
We enjoyed a dinner together with 58 mushroom farmers + spouses.
Organized by John Miller, see invitation in previous post...
Pieter gave a lecture and also answered questions.
Patricia Baker gave us a kiss + sweet gifts.
A set of 6 special placemats with Australian scenes, such as sheep shearing.
Each a sweatshirt with Koalo and a silver-plate spoon.
The placemats are worn out and gone...
Fond memories forever inside our hearts...
On Tuesday, I did do an entire day of harvest training and Pieter in the afternoon had a meeting with 3 compost makers.
Norah Tolson, with a friend, took me to a jewelry store and gifted me with a beautiful freestone blue opal and two white opals for having set as earrings.
We went one last evening home with them and watched Snowy River...
On Wednesday at 6:30 o'clock we got an alarming wakeup 'knock' on our door: HURRY! WE MUST LEAVE NOW!!!
Look out of the window and you know WHY!!!
We heard and saw a roaring river, a MONSTER that was already 3 m above bridgelevel!
A large flood of the Hawkesbury River.
We packed in a hurry and grabbed a bite for breakfast and started the 2 hours to the north, through the mountains to reach the HIGHER bridge there, then back 2 hours to the south to arrive in Sydney.
What an adventure and I was so car-sick from the wild ride through the mountains but we arrived at noon in Sydney for our flight from 14:00.
With tailwind we went from Sydney to San Francisco in 13 hours and 25 minutes.
On July 6, we got to Atlanta by 19:00 and home around 22:00 = 14 hours time difference!
Our luggage arrived next day around 18:00 delivered at our home...
That was quite an adventurous 1st Australia trip!
On July 10, we drove to Atlanta for picking up our Dutch guests who stayed with us 4 nights.
Pieter had to leave for Campbell Soup on the 12th, for the Hillsboro farm in Texas... back by 21:00 on the 14th.
Thanks for your visit and comment!
Related links:
With Hawkesbury Valley Heritage Tours to the BLUE MOUNTAINS | previous post by me
Sydney Centre Point Tower, Captain Cook Luncheon Cruise & Opera House | previous post
Surroundings of Melbourne Mushrooms in Mernda, VIC, Australia | previous post by me
Visiting Uncle Louis in the Australian Outback of Broken Hill, NSW | previous post by me
Sydney Centre Point Tower, Captain Cook Luncheon Cruise & Opera House | previous post
Surroundings of Melbourne Mushrooms in Mernda, VIC, Australia | previous post by me
Visiting Uncle Louis in the Australian Outback of Broken Hill, NSW | previous post by me
My 1st Trip to Work in Australia and also Meeting my First Cousin Liz | previous post by me
Husband Pieter's 2nd and 3rd Trip to Australia | previous post by me
Husband Pieter's 2nd and 3rd Trip to Australia | previous post by me
Trips to Australia | previous post by me
{Angels engraved on lucky calendar coin of 1969} | previous post by me
{My Teacher, Mentor, BOSS & Husband over 44+ Years} | previous post by me
{My Own Design of Brass Mushrooms} | previous post by me
Liebe Mariette,
ReplyDeletein gewohnter Schönheit.
Sonnige Grüße
Elisabeth
Danke liebe Elisabeth!
DeleteLiebe Grüße,
Mariette
Hello Mariette, Caves have always fascinated me, and the Jenolan caves obviously have some prime specimens and scenery. Australia is really blessed with all kinds of natural wonders.
ReplyDelete--Jim
Dearest Jim,
DeleteYes, those Jenolan caves belong to the finest and oldest in the world and they offer some fabulous sights.
One could easily spend there an entire week, also surrounding nature is beautiful.
Hugs,
Mariette
Dearest Mariette,
ReplyDeletewonderful memories of Australia!I am sure, it is great for you both, to see all those pictures again!
HAve a hay weekend,
Love and hugs, Claudiaxo
Dearest Claudia,
DeleteYes, we truly have been blessed for ending up at spectacular spots for seeing incredible things!
Hugs,
Mariette
Dear Mariette - The steep railway at Katoomba looks really interesting and great fun.
ReplyDeleteI have a large Bottle Bush shrub growing in my garden even though they are not supposed to thrive and flourish here. Every year it gives me a bountiful display of scarlet flowers.
Dearest Rosemary,
DeleteYes, even at that time in 1988 it was great fun to ride this railway at Katoomba.
You are so blessed with a mild climate and such fertile grounds to enjoy even exotic species in your garden!
Hugs,
Mariette
The Blue Mountains Australia exquisit! And the Cave, wow! Of course I love the animals. The food, delicious. Hope to go the Australia one day too! Thanks for sharing Mariette. So a huge counry, it's lovely to learn more abut it!
ReplyDeleteDearest Debra,
DeleteYes, it is a vast country and you need lots of time for exploring it all.
We are grateful for the time we had and for that we treasure fond memories.
Hugs,
Mariette
I was impressed by that steep railway!!! The caves look so beautiful and I just loved the silver plated spoon, as I have a large collection of souvenir spoons!!! I also have a bottle brush tree in my garden, actually I was just admiring it, ten minutes ago, in full bloom with lots of bees on its flowers!!!
ReplyDeleteHave a nice weekend, dearest Mariette!
Dearest Marie-Anne,
DeleteThank you for your comment and yes we both were quite impressed with that steep railway and everything else around that; beautiful nature.
Enjoy your bottlebrush, they are so spectacular looking when in bloom!
The bicentennial spoon is very special to us; my very first visit in such a historic important year.
Hugs,
Mariette
I remember also going on that railway at Katoomba a few years ago when we visited friends that live in Sydney. We didn't visit the Caves though.
ReplyDeleteWhat a scary wake-up call before having to leave in a hurry!
Dearest Sami,
DeleteBet a lot has improved around Katoomba's railway since we were there in its early tourist days in 1988!
Yes, that wake-up call was scary and we had to get dressed military style; in a couple of minutes. Grabbing a coffee and a bite and GO!
Thanks for your visit and comment.
Hugs,
Mariette
Wauw...dat zou ik graag eens zien. De varens vielen me al op bij de eerste foto van dat 'bos'. En wat heb je veel bewaard... Jullie moeten toch wel veel plaats hebben in huis. Ik sleep ook altijd van alles mee naar huis, maar er verdwijnt toch ook wel weer regelmatig wat...zoals menu's en prijslijsten. 'Vroeger' plakte ik dat bij in de fotoboeken, maar nu ik die niet meer maak, heb ik dat ook niet meer...wel jammer eigenlijk
ReplyDeleteBeste Marian,
DeleteJa, dezelfde varens die we ook in Indonesië hadden; prachtige boomvarens.
Nee we hebben helemaal niet zoveel bewaard hoor. Het waren dia's en die had ik al langer ingescand. Nog een zestal plakboeken die ik voor en na plunder en inscan voor gebruik en dan gaan ook die weg. De oude brieven van die tijd heb ik nu onlangs uitgesorteerd en die ga ik ook inscannen en dan is àlles weg!
Er is tegenwoordig veel minder noodzaak om dingen mee te brengen of te bewaren omdat je op Internet alles kunt vinden... Maar ons huis komt lekker 'leeg' en alles veilig op iCloud!
Liefs,
Mariette
Dearest Mariette,
ReplyDeleteYou had at the blue Mountains NSW video a beautiful,Your both has lovely dinner at home of mushroom friends John & Bery Miller at NSW together, Pieter gave a answered question Patricla Bakes sweet gifts,Your sweet shirt with sweet Koala It most of in Sydney!
Be Hugs and Love to both!
michiko
Dearest Michiko san,
DeleteYes we again were enjoying your beautiful country and had a lovely, lovely time with our dear mushroom friends.
Great friends for spending time together and over a dinner, yes Pieter did answer there questions as we both felt honored that 58 of them had taken time off their busy lives to meet us!
Hugs back to you from both of us.
Mariette & Pieter
The ride on the steep railway must have been really fantastic! I love the design with all windows so that you can see sceneries both on your sides and above! Inside the cave looks gorgeous. Australia has such beautiful wildlife!
ReplyDeleteWhat an adventure you left with flood coming. Glad you arrived Sydney safely..even though you had to suffer car sick!
Love the sweatshirt and spoon. What special gifts :-)
Dearest Tamago,
DeleteOh those new railway carts do have great designed segments for optimum view. Ours were looking a lot more ancient but we still enjoyed the view. That location has improved so much as it attracted more and more tourists.
Australia has excellent wildlife, mainly because it is so scarcely populated inland. Not in the big cities though.
That flood was serious and it was quite an adventure and also for our dear hosts for making it back safely themselves. The other friend, the tour guide went out in his rescue boat. Very active people for that region.
Being sick for just one day was bearable.
Yes those gifts were very special and meaningful and I still have them!
Hugs,
Mariette
Bedankt voor de prachtige reis!
ReplyDeleteGroet voor Pieter
Beste Ingrid,
DeleteJa graag gedeeld en fijn dat je het volgt en een commentaar achter laat!
Groetjes terug van ons beiden.
Mariette
Lovely, just lovely, what a beautiful adventure..
ReplyDeleteDearest Krishna,
DeleteIndeed a beautiful adventure with a happy ending. Wish we had at that time our iPhone for capturing e.g. that roaring river and also the splendor in the Blue Mountains.
Hugs,
Mariette
What an exciting place,...and honestly the steep rail looks scary!
ReplyDeleteLove kangaroos!
Dearest Tomoko,
DeleteYes, very exciting and it might look scary, just imagine this is how those coal miners actually used to work there!
Loving kangaroo, you are right. We bought there 3 coin purses from kangaroo fur and it was so soft.
Unfortunately Pieter lost ours while biking in my hometown and it slipped out of his pocket and his Mom's got stolen at the nursing home. Have not seen my late Mom's so have no idea where that is.
Hugs,
Mariette