We walked miles in the Blue Mountains, up and down, up and down. There were spectacular 'leaps' (waterfalls), rolling, tree covered hillsides disguising sheer and vast escarpments as well as trickling creeks. It was along such in Blackheath that Darwin first walked on one of his two visits to the region. I liked this walk the best, perhaps because it was on the flat! We visited Katoomba and were thrilled by the art deco buildings and of course Wentworth Falls where we stayed to look after the hens who thanked us by giving us 3 eggs a day!
And then we set off on what was to be about a 2000 mile round trip down the south coast to see some of the bays and beaches, many with beguiling names: Pebbly, Handkerchief, Mystery, Disaster, Gorilla, Billy's, to name but a few. We stayed in remote holiday cottages that put our little 'No Birds" car to the test of unsealed roads, did bush and beach walks, met some interesting people including a group of hikers who invited us to join their 2 day trek and a 'ten pound pom', actually she was a Scot, who had settled to farm on the shores of Lake Wallaga (A below) and from whom we rented a cottage for 3 days. There has been much more rain than usual this year which is why the grass is so green.
A
Birds and beasts were even more evident than the bays and beaches. We saw kites and eagles, spoonbills and pelicans, kangaroos at last, by the roadside as you can see., whistling ducks, an Australian crane, emus, a black cockatoo and a yellow breasted robin.
There were two more notable events before we left Sydney for the start of our trip to the Blue Mountains. The first and greatest treat, was a visit to see Ania Volkova, at 91 one of the very few remaining principal dancers of the Ballets Russes who, with her parents had to flee Russia for exile in France after the revolution. What stories she had to tell about her childhood and her dancing and she was so charming and elegant. Gilly gave her a film she had made using archive footage of the dancers at play on the beach in which Ania featured.
The second was to see Gilbert and George signing various, some unspeakable, some valentine, things and then being interviewed in the Gallery of NSW. It was a chance encounter just like the last time we saw them in their favourite, they've been having the same meal there for 30 years, Turkish restaurant in Hackney!The Blue Mountains are spectacular, they really do give off a blue haze, something to do with the moisture reacting to the gum trees, and vast. There are around 670 different types of gum trees( and over 600 eucalyptus), most of which are able to combust spontaneously, see below right. As if bush fires haven't started easily enough in recent times! 2 appear here: the scribbly gum and the stringy bark are especially interesting.
Birds figured immediately too. First we hired a car from a company called 'No Birds', to be different from 'Avis' that is! Then the tinkly call of the bell birds as we climbed into the mountains was compelling and when we arrived at our first port of call on Mnt. Irvine, there was a bower bird's nest in the garden(above) resplendent with all the blue decoration which included a whole pen!
Our first longish walk into the bush resulted in finding this aboriginal drawing; there are many scattered around, but it was a thrill coming across this one.
Also, below a very good example of a tesselated rock formation, created as a result of bubbling larva cooling very quickly.
