October 29
Sydney
A disturbed night's sleep. Both of my alarms worked and I was even able to work out how to switch them off again.
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Once outside - 8am being obscenely early whilst on holiday - it was bright and sunny. I had contemplated wearing shorts but decided that the temperature at 1000 metres on top of the Blue Mountains might be somewhat lower than the 25 degrees forecast for the central city. I compromised and put my shorts in my shoulder bag. The walk to Central Station was short and downhill all the way. The train ticket was much cheaper than I expected, probably because it was a weekend. Outside was a row of cafes and a dead clock, not a good look for a major railway station. I bought a coffee and a large chicken schnitzel roll, which I ate outside, surrounded by dubious looking birds. My efforts to photograph one were not entirely successful
Left: The Sydney Travelodge |
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I boarded the train which was busy, mainly older people. Like myself, they were probably heading to the Rhododendron Festival. Time will tell. We departed on time, passed through the inner suburbs and collected lots more older people at Strathfield. Many of them knew each other and appeared to be in a tramping club of some sort. One severe looking lady, obviously the team leader, wandered along the carriage at intervals, clutching a clip board and a pen.
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Much to my surprise, the walking party alighted at Blacktown, one of the less advantaged outer suburbs. I do wonder where they were going.
Penrith lies at the foot of the Blue Mountains and it was cloudy and hot. The line passes through gorges and cuttings, over bridges and through thick woodland. All is just about impossible to photograph. At Lawson, I saw cars with their wipers on. By Wentworth Falls it was obviously raining. Not a good omen.
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On the outskirts of Blackheath we entered into the mist and, by the time I disembarked, it was chilly. Malcolm was there to meet me and he suggested that we climbed into his 4WD and descended into the Megalong Valley, where it would be both sunnier and warmer.
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A narrow road took us down into a steep valley lined with rain forest. We stopped at a small walkway and took photos of the almost New Zealand-like vegetation and the small stream. It was very peaceful and a bit damp, just like home! The foot of the valley opened out into fields, many containing cattle and horses. Hidden amongst the trees was a small cafe in beautiful grounds, where we had lunch. The sun had appeared and it was much warmer than when I had arrived. |
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We drove up the hill again, detoured by Hargreaves Lookout for an extensive photo shoot and then returned to Blackheath. |
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 Above: The Megalong Valley from Hargreaves Lookout
Right: Hargreaves Lookout |
The Campbell Rhododendron Gardens were established about 40 years ago and, at a height of over 100 metres, are perfect for growing rhododendrons, azaleas and similar species. Whilst some of the rhododendrons were not yet in bloom, there were plenty that were and also lots of the azaleas. The colours on display were stunning. There were also a few ponds full of very noisy frogs.
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I spent ages trying to take flower photos and doing enough walking to remove some of my lunch.
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From there, we drove the short distance to Govett's Leap, another viewing point on a precipitous cliff. This one had a coach park and lots of people. The sun remained hot.
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Back at Blackheath, we ventured into the pub and had much needed cold beers. I then rushed along the road to the station and caught the train with a couple of minutes to spare. Much to my surprise, I stayed awake for the return journey as we crawled relatively slowly back to Sydney, eventually arriving about ten minutes late. |
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I strolled briskly back to the hotel, collected some emails and then crossed the road to Schwartz Brewery Hotel. The bar was dark and a touch dingy but the home brewed pale ale was very acceptable.
Dinner proved a problem. The Bay Hong, recommended by Wayne, was empty
but there was no room for me - unless I was to eat very fast. Not fancying
this idea, I walked along the road for about five minutes to the Xagi,
also recommended by Wayne. It was absolutely heaving. You could hear the
noise of the crowds from about 50 yards away. I didn't even bother to ask
if they had a table as I couldn't hear myself think. |
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Retracing my steps, I found the Nua Thai, almost opposite the Bay Hong. I had a seat in the front, open to the street, and the service was welcoming. The red curry arrived first, was warm without being hot, and full of fresh herbs. The seafood was even more full of herbs and was definitely hot. All in all, it was a good restaurant.
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Back at the hotel, the TV had room for only one news story, the shut down of QANTAS. Luckily, I vowed years ago only to fly with them if there were no alternative. My main concern was that it would mean chaos at the airport on Tuesday when I was trying to fly to Hobart.