Sydney, Australia - The Blue Mountains, Jenolan Caves and Historic Towns

The Blue Mountains, in all their majestic splendor, are located just 40 miles west of Sydney, Australia, a perfect day trip, with much to offer the visitor, with nearby and easily accessible historic towns of Parramatta, Windsor, and Richmond. Jenolan Caves, just a few miles further, are famous for ancient stalagmites, stalactites, and wondrous limestone structures.

The Blue Mountains is a misnomer, in a way. The mountains themselves are not really blue, but the blue haze that blankets the mountains and comes from huge stands of eucalyptus forest (prime koala habitat) is blue. The oils in the gum trees disperse into the air and light is refracted through the oils, producing a distinctly blue haze. The blue haze is truly beautiful during sunsets (I have heard it is beautiful at sunrise, but I am not a morning person!). Gaze at the magnificent Three Sisters, weathered and worn sandstone pillars, from Echo Point Lookout. Stroll the Giant’s Stairway down into the valley on a rather steep (but safe) 917-step trail, with well-dispersed rest stops and lookouts along the way. Take your time and be sure to stay on the trail.

Across from Echo Point Lookout, take a ride on the Scenic Skyway, a gondola car that travels high above the valley on a cable! Don’t worry, hardly anybody dies a gruesome death on this ride. (I am kidding, the rides are said to be extremely safe, and personally, I loved both! I would recommend taking the train, the steepest in Australia, called the Scenic Railway to the bottom of the cliff and taking the cable car tram, the SceniScender, back up over the forest and valley. Enjoy the easy stroll along the boardwalk, where you may see native wildlife, and will certainly see the ‘real bush’. This walk is perfect if you don't want to walk the sometimes arduous trail down into the canyon but still want to experience being down in the canyon. The boardwalk gives the visitor a glimpse into the past, through the 20-minute roundtrip stroll through temperate rainforest, artifacts and old coalmine areas.