[Model of the Sydney Olympic Village]

[The Real Thing[tm]]

Blue Mountains today. These are an hour's drive from Sydney, "Blue" because of the haze given off by Eucalyptus trees. We went on a tour from Oz Trek, who picked us up from the hostel at 8.15am. Our tour guide was an outgoing and informative guy called Jed. There were 20 of us on a small coach.

We drove to the Olympic Village en route. This was from Sydney 2000. Stunningly well planned, laid out, and used, even now. It's a real lesson in organisation. The whole area is self-sustaining environmentally, and built on a huge old rubbish dump. Well worth a trip if you're in Sydney.

[Roo]

[The Blue Mountains looking Blue.]

To visit some kangaroos was our next stop, sort of wild, but not scared of humans. Huge bushfires here recently have regenerated the landscape, which is pretty harsh - burnt out eucalypts and scrub. We clambered through a stream, where I thought I was putting my foot onto the bottom, and soaked my shoe, which then smelt all day.

We stopped in an area called Glenbrook, for views of sandstone cliffs, green valleys, blue haze and waterfalls; absolutely stunning. The group went for a walk, whilst I sat and enjoyed the view and solitude. We spent an hour in the most boring town (one street,

[Jed The Bus Driver addresses the tour group.]

tourist shops, overpriced food) I've ever been in, for lunch, then drove on.

[Random cliff in the Mountains]

[Seed pods]

[The Three Sisters (another obligatory photo)]

[Katoomba Falls]

We went to the famous Katoomba Falls, and Three Sisters (find the website for the legend). Again the group descended by foot, I took the cable car. I walked round a board walk to meet them, and spotted an animal in the undergrowth; possibly an echidna, too far away to confirm.

[The World's Steepest railway]

[The World's Most Scared Tourists]

We went back up via the world's steepest railway, which is like someone sticking a meat hook into your back and pulling you diagonally up something very diagonal. 52 deg apparently. Pretty fast and scary, glad we went up, not down.

[Sydney by night]

After a 90 minute drive back we fell asleep at 6.30pm, too tired to eat. Guess what. We woke up at 10.30pm, 2am, 3am, 4am. Still bloody jetlagged. Perhaps we're getting too old for this travelling thing.

Btw, the bus driver tried to pull one of the backpackers, and failed. Apparently parr for the course!