Our first weekend trip took Scott, Juliet and me to the Blue Mountains, which borders on Sydney's metropolitan area. The Blue Mountain region, a spectacular showcase of cliffs, flora and fauna, encompasses 10,000 square kilometers comprising of seven National Parks and the Jenolan Caves system. Despite the descriptor, the Blue Mountains are not, as the name suggests, mountains, but in fact consist mainly of a sandstone plateau, dissected by gorges up to 760 meters deep. 
Since the Blue Mountains are rich in coal and shale, mining for these resources began not long after the building of the first road. Construction of a road across the mountains was begun in 1814. Thirty convict labourers and 8 guards completed the road in January 1815 after 27 weeks of hard work. Shale mining failed in the long run because it was not financially viable.
Landform diversity and fluctuating climate have created a botanical paradise, with over 80 distinct vegetation communities. Australia has almost 700 species of Eucalypts, with over 100 species living in the Blue Mountain. Eucalypts are the dominant tree across the entire region. It is widely, but incorrectly, believed that the famous blue haze is created from light reflecting off vapors from Eucalyptus leaves. The tinge is actually caused by mie scattering which occurs when incoming ultraviolet radiation is scattered by particles within the atmosphere creating a blue-grayish color to any distant objects, including mountains and clouds.
The region is home to 1/3 of Australia's birds, some 265 species, from finches, wrens and honeyeaters to brightly colored parrots, owls
and other birds of prey. Each morning outside our hotel room we sa
w at least 20 cockatoos in the tree tops and several other very colorful birds.
Since the Blue Mountains are rich in coal and shale, mining for these resources began not long after the building of the first road. Construction of a road across the mountains was begun in 1814. Thirty convict labourers and 8 guards completed the road in January 1815 after 27 weeks of hard work. Shale mining failed in the long run because it was not financially viable.
Landform diversity and fluctuating climate have created a botanical paradise, with over 80 distinct vegetation communities. Australia has almost 700 species of Eucalypts, with over 100 species living in the Blue Mountain. Eucalypts are the dominant tree across the entire region. It is widely, but incorrectly, believed that the famous blue haze is created from light reflecting off vapors from Eucalyptus leaves. The tinge is actually caused by mie scattering which occurs when incoming ultraviolet radiation is scattered by particles within the atmosphere creating a blue-grayish color to any distant objects, including mountains and clouds.
The region is home to 1/3 of Australia's birds, some 265 species, from finches, wrens and honeyeaters to brightly colored parrots, owls
and other birds of prey. Each morning outside our hotel room we sa
w at least 20 cockatoos in the tree tops and several other very colorful birds.Our first excursion took us to Wentworth Falls where we did some bushwalking (hiking).
One of the finest walking tracks in Australia, the National Pass hiking track was built with picks, shovels, crowbars and dynamite between 1906 and 1907. The 
track runs along a claystone ledge separating massive sandstone cliffs above and below. Access to the mid-level of Wentworth Falls was the most 
challenging - solved by cutting a zig-zag staircase into the sheer cliff face from the bottom up, then quarrying into a corner of the cliff to create a pathway to the stairs. The Grand Staircase, as it came to be called, is the tallest outdoor staircase in Australia. The National Pass is 5 kilometers long and approximately a 3-hour walk for anyone with reasonable aerobic fitness. Needless to say, we did not do this walk due to time restraint and it would have killed me! The easy trail we hiked had enough steps to make my calves start barking!
track runs along a claystone ledge separating massive sandstone cliffs above and below. Access to the mid-level of Wentworth Falls was the most 
challenging - solved by cutting a zig-zag staircase into the sheer cliff face from the bottom up, then quarrying into a corner of the cliff to create a pathway to the stairs. The Grand Staircase, as it came to be called, is the tallest outdoor staircase in Australia. The National Pass is 5 kilometers long and approximately a 3-hour walk for anyone with reasonable aerobic fitness. Needless to say, we did not do this walk due to time restraint and it would have killed me! The easy trail we hiked had enough steps to make my calves start barking! 
We saw two Eucalyptus trees that stood out for us. One was the Scribbly Gum Tree which is named after the "scribbles" on its bark. These zig-zag tracks are tunnels made by the larvae of the Scribbly Gum Moth and follow the insect's life cycle. Eggs are laid between layers of old and new bark. The larvae burrow into the new bark and, as the old bark falls away, the trails are revealed. The diameters of the tunnels increase as the larvae grow, a
nd the ends of the tracks are where the larvae stopped to emerge.
nd the ends of the tracks are where the larvae stopped to emerge.
The other Eucalyptus tree I really liked was 
the White Stringybark. Part 2 of the Blue Mountain area will feature our trip to Scenic World where we experienced the Scenic Skyway, Cableway and Railway.
the White Stringybark. Part 2 of the Blue Mountain area will feature our trip to Scenic World where we experienced the Scenic Skyway, Cableway and Railway.
Yeah, Judy, I've been waiting for your next installment...must say it was well worth the wait. Y'all are really doing some great sightseeing! That trail along the cliff edge makes my knees weak!
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