The local travel agency quotes $210 per person for a day excursion to blue mountains near the town of katoomba. They throw in a lot of touristy gimmicks like cable car ride, fancy scenic lunch, champagne, also they pick you up from the hotel.
I decided to do it on my own, not just to save cost but also to get the full travel adventure experience.
I got up late and wolfed down my 3 course buffet breakfast. This meant I would reach my destination late but it was a worthwhile sacrife for getting good rest and fully charged!
I took the train (a train replacement bus service was involved; it took us to Penrith which looks like a typical East Australian town; actually the ride was rather refreshing).
On the bus and train an old lady Cheryl gave me a running commentary of various sights along the journey. She also filled me in on some local cultural knowledge.
When I reached Katoomba I hopped on the local hop-on-hop-off bus. I alighted at Echo point to catch sight (and photos) of the majestic 'three sister gorges', I covered also the leura cascades; did a reasonable amount of hiking and walking including the walk back to the Leura station through its town centre. I can't really put into words but it is rather fascinating that people live such a different lifestyle here in a foreign country town.
It really is pleasant, the place. I draw upon my experience in the UK and there are some similarities except food and the weather in Australia are much better.
And yes, my trip cost about $50 in transport and refreshments.
I prefer doing trips this way; I may appear a sad old man but I really am having a blast and chilling the shit. Everything is just on my terms; I can take as much time I want to make a good photo. I got lost several times but I made a laugh out of it and I enjoyed the view on my way back from the detour.
* Sunscreen should be 50spf; anything lower is simple not good enough. Also remember to apply and reapply throughout the day; any less frequent than that is simply not good enough.
Sunscreen just one of the several things we should do to protect ourselves against harmful UV rays. First and foremost you should stay out of the sun, then if you can't avoid it wear protective clothing items like a hat or a scarf, lastly apply sunscreen properly as the last line of defence.
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