Red Rock to Blue Mountains - the colours of Australia

In my last post, I almost promised not to show anymore rocks, but I knew the folly of that, especially knowing that we were taking a day trip to the Blue Mountains, just outside of Sydney. It was another early start, but we'd planned well and had a plan so I wouldn't have to eat right away, so it was all good.

Controlled burn in the background

We practically had a private tour, with just the guide and potential new hire who was auditing the trip. (It can't get much better than that, can it?) I'm not quite sure where our heads were at, but nothing about the word "Mountains" made us think "cold"...rather un-Canadian, no? Okay, so maybe it wasn't COLD, but it was chilly after days of anywhere from 27 to 32 Celsius. 

Blue Mountains

Despite the chill, the hike was invigorating and the sights were impressive, despite the controlled burns that could be seen in one of the valleys. The Blue Mountains get their name from a mist that is given off by the eucalyptus that grow there. The trees are like Bond Villains, engineering to  take over of the world. Yes, they would definitely have a white Persian cat on their laps. The trees release oil into the air, creating the blue haze that the mountains are known for and shed their bark over the forest floor in either strips or flakes. Why? In hopes of creating a forest fire. They have several mechanisms to survive or regrow after a fire, while their competitors would be mostly burnt to ash. Isn't that so survival of the fittest?

Oil haze in the background right

Anyhow, our guide Spiro, was a font of knowledge and showed us so many interesting things about the flora and fauna. It was a great day and we got to see the Three Sisters and had a very full day.

The Three Sisters

I'm a bit behind in the blogs, I'm afraid. I got super lazy while we were in Phuket and didn't do much of anything on the writing front, but up next will be about Sydney and all it has to offer. Hope to see you back soon!