Blue Mountains

About 1 hour's drive from where we stayed, is Blue Mountains. And no, they ain't blue. So why call it that? Well, if you want to know, best you head on down to Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Mountains_%28New_South_Wales%29

What it IS famous for, is The 3 Sisters... But before that, here is the layout of what the Blue Mountains is all about.

The 3 Sisters and in the background, Mount Solitary

If you're up to it, one can walk to the 1st Sister of the 3 rock formations. And only the 1st one. But along the way, you could get distracted, like below...

Missus already taking shelter from the heat or just wanted to feel cozy? :P

Almost there, at the 1st Formation.

It's a long way down from up there, where the land is safe and ... boring.

Right. So here we are, on the 1st Sister. Can't go further. And windy.

Looking back up...

It's certainly not easy growing on top of the Sister!

Going down was fun... Going up... well, you get the picture. Steps are narrow, so be careful.

In the Blue Mountains, you have a bunch of rides that you can take. This one is called, Skyway, which passes through the Jamison Valley below.

Missus is soooo lucky to have the 3 Sisters in the background for this shot! :D

Katoomba falls, named after the town nearby.

About 1 week just prior to us visiting Blue Mountains, a bush fire came by. And this is what it did. Amazingly, the Skyway station was untouched.

Another view of the 3 Sisters, from another angle. I think you must be getting bored of it!

Standing solitarily, this is known as Orphan Rock. One used to be able to climb and access it, but as it became dangerous, that practise has since been discontinued.

A last look at the Skyway.

And next, the Railway. The world's steepest Railway which is at an incline/decline (depends on which way you take it) at 53 degree's. Best you hold on to your stuff...

Some more 3 Sisters.

At the bottom of the Railway ride.

And I've got a sign to proof it!

The railway tracks. Believe me now? :)

And that's what they used to call it.

The original rail car cabin... if one could call it that.

And yes, they used to mine Coal here.

The original ventilation furnace.

And that's what we looked inside just now...

Push baby push! Why isn't she helping???

The entrance to the coal mine itself.

A simple explanation to the 3 Sisters.

And finally, the Cableway. Another fun ride with also another steep drop or climb...

And here ends the Blue Mountain sets.

Sydney - Harbour Bridge

So here we are, at wet, rainy and cold Sydney! We were here for almost 8 days to visit missus Auntie.

Sydney is famous for 2 worldwide landmarks: Opera house and the topic of this post, Harbour Bridge. While the world thinks its grand, the aussies don't really think so; and so it's been given the nickname, "Coat Hangar".

I guess from above, it says it all? :)

View from the side.

You can climb it up and it ain't cheap. But then again, it's a 3-4 hour climb/walk, so I guess, you get your $$$'s worth!

Missus with her auntie. At the background is a cruise ship called Rhapshody of the Seas...

Missus and moi.

Okay, finally, there was more favourable weather conditions and so, you get a better view... this was taken next to Luna Park, in North Sydney.

And yes, you can walk across the bridge, which most people do as there is a specific walkway. Heck, you can ride across it too; but that's on the other side of the bridge for pedestrian safety.

Admiring or just asking not to walk luv?

We made it to the middle!

The view from the bridge, down...

The brave souls who are going to make their way up...

Can see the long walk???

The plaque that commemorates the opening of the bridge

And we are going UP too, but albeit cheaper alternative! As you saw from the above photos, there are 4 pylons and one of them has been turned into a touristy thingy, equipped with a mini museum, souvenir shop and video theater. And you can go all the way up, to it's peak of 250++ steps.

And no, it's not as bad as it sounds, but if you're thinking that there is a lift for you, sorry. Climb baby, climb...

The following depicts the bridge history...

And some stained glass to get your attention

The view from the top. The roadway splits the train and cycling tracks from the pedestrian walkway, so you can't walk on the other side.

The above faces the famous landmarks known as "The Rocks"

Looking into south Sydney which is where the CBD is.

The End.