47. Sydney - Part three

It may be very expensive to eat out in Australia, but when it comes to public transport, it is incredibly cheap. In Sydney you can travel on the bus, train and ferry over an area the size of Wales for a maximum of A$15 per day. So, with this in mind we went down to the Central Station and bought some tickets for the two hour train ride up to Katoomba in the heart of the Blue Mountains. 

The region between the city and the foothills of the Mountains is pure suburbia but once the railway starts to climb, there is only a forest of trees to see. These are mainly eucalyptus, but at this time of year, the jacaranda are in full bloom and it's quite a spectacle to see these brightly purple trees standing out against a sea of green.

Once we got to our stop, we took a half hour walk down to the most scenic viewpoints....and it really is a breathtaking panorama looking out over the cliff top over the valleys and mountains of the Range stretching for miles into the distance. Photo opportunities galore!

We also had a delightful lunch in Katoomba with a very friendly sandwich shop proprietor. Upon asking for a slice of home made carrot cake to go, he gave us at least half the cake saying that as it was Friday it was only going to go stale. This provided us with extra sustenance for the train journey back to the city.

So we are now back at our hotel and packing bags once again, but this time for the last leg of our Australian adventure, back again to Perth where we will be spending a few days with Claire's brother. I suspect that it will be a visit spent mostly at wineries and microbreweries, but I shall report back again in due course!