Katoomba

Yesterday we drove up to Katoomba in the Blue Mountains, with the intention of walking in the sunshine, taking in the scenery and spotting our first kangaroos. Some things just never go according to plan. It has been raining continuously ever since we got here (36 hours ago). We have done some walking, but not in the sunshine. We have no evidence that the Blue Mountains are indeed blue, since they are almost invisible in fog as thick as pea soup. It’s cold, and the kangaroos have all emigrated.

Apparently there are signposts on the road pointing out spots with wonderful views, but the fog has been so thick that we have not seen the signposts, let alone the views.

Katoomba is considered the honeymoon capital of Australia, and this seems entirely appropriate since you’re better off staying in bed.

It was John and Marianne Prynne who suggested Katoomba as a must-see destination for footloose wrinklies. They will have some serious questions to answer on our return.

And of course the weather that should have cured Peter’s cold has in fact made it rather worse. He has still not found his voice (considered a blessing by some), and has now developed a nasty cough. We are off to Sydney Opera House tomorrow night for The Magic Flute, and there is a good chance that Peter’s coughing will give Mozart some serious competition.

On the first evening we had a very good Australian Angus fillet steak in a local restaurant, washed down with a cheeky little local wine. The only good thing about the wine is its label (see the photo). The bottle, its contents and its label add an entirely new dimension to the phrase “bad taste”.

In spite of the adverse weather conditions, we did manage to do two things today. In the morning we went to Jenolan Caves, about an hour’s drive away. We felt that there was a good chance it might not be raining in  the caves. The caves are worth a visit, but the site is very little different from any other limestone cave such as Wookey Hole.

However, the surroundings are quite spectacular, and while we were waiting for the tour to start we saw a duck-billed platypus (ornithorynque pour les français). Most exciting. You don’t often see them in the wild.

Then in the afternoon we went down into Jamison Valley from Katoomba by the Scenic Railway, had a walk through the rainforest, and came back up again by the cable car.

We were captivated by the rock formation known as the Three Sisters and the aboriginal legend behind it. Go to www.aussie-info.com/places/nsw/bluemts/legend.php to read all about it.

All great fun, but it could have been so much better with good weather. Never mind, it’s a good excuse for coming back another time. No worries.

Back to Sydney tomorrow morning.