blue mountains

Well hello. A few more posts from Australia and then we move on to San Diego! Things are getting pretty busy around here with summer fun and lots of travels coming up. Should be a great summer. Anyway, on one of our days in Sydney, we took a bus up into the beautiful Blue Mountains...

First we stopped at a wildlife park, where we saw and interacted with some creatures both adorable and strange

Then we moved on to a lookout on the edge of some cliffs. A little bit of bravery and vertigo, gorgeous views, and amusing inscriptions from people who really loved the place

After that it was a walk alongside a cascading creek, and another amazing vista. I have new camping dreams, and they definitely involve this area

Next, a glass-bottomed cable car across a ravine, and a ride down the mountain on the world's steepest railway. Really more like a roller coaster. (I've included a found video of this at the end of the post, there's really nothing to compare to the experience of seeing the cars in front of you just seem to vanish as they go over that first decline.)

And then a walk through stunning rainforest, which just so happened to be host to a sculpture exhibit

Orphan's Rock. I love a good ominous moniker

We even spotted a lyrebird, and watched him do his dance and sing his oddly beautiful calls 

And a stop to see the Three Sisters on our way back down

Finally, we cruised back into Sydney on a ferry. Watching the moon rise, gliding past tiny little coves filled with sailboats, and pulling into town under the great Harbour Bridge. A fantastic day. 

 Katoomba Railway Video

kuranda

Alright, really need to power through these last few Australia posts. It's just so bittersweet, looking back at all the fun things we did and then knowing that to go back and visit those beautiful places and see the wonderful people I miss is just such an ordeal. Oh well. It's a blessing to have found those people and places, and I'm lucky to have found the love I did and have something to miss so intensely, right?
Another Cairns adventure this time. We took a train up the rainforest covered mountains to the little town of Kuranda. Did some exploring there, wandered around a wildlife park and had some adorable encounters, then made our descent in cable cars suspended high above that green wildness. You know by now how in love I am with a verdant landscape, and this was no letdown. Looking below, and out to the horizon and seeing nothing but green. Fantastic.

On the way up we saw gorgeous waterfalls...

scenic vistas...

and impressive monoliths

Then a walk through town, and straight to the wildlife park, where we saw plenty of crocodiles

cuddled with koalas

fed wallabies and kangaroos

(how precious is that face?!)

were dared to step any further by brave lizards

and had some silly times with colorful, cheeky, and assertive birds

and finally made it to the butterfly house. Yes please!

it was beautiful, delicate, fluttery, crazy butterfly chaos!

And then the trip back down. Endless views, and a few stops, including another rainforest boardwalk, and some remarkable flora and fauna. It breaks my heart a little to see wonderful creatures in captivity, so I was beyond thrilled to see amazing spiders and whatnot thriving in their natural environment.