If you play, you pay, and after all my dietary indulgences of late, I have to do a whole lot of paying back and working out! There’s no time like the present so I wake up early and run this town! I head straight to Echo Point where I take a minute to stop and enjoy the breathtaking views across the valley and of the famous Three Sisters. Running to Echo Point is downhill and dandy but uphill is a bit of a struggle. I manage to go up and down and all around for 5km before heading back and undoing all my good work with Jenny’s home cooked breakfast! Ooopsie!
David drops us ladies at Scenic World which I can only explain as the Mountains’ answer to Disneyworld, just without the cute characters. Today we’re going to try the Scenic Skyway and the Scenic Railway but first we have a bit of a bush walk!
We take the glass floored Scenic Skyway ; a cable car that floats out across the valley to Echo Point. Beverley and I are taking photos like it’s going out of fashion but poor Joan is clinging on for dear life. She does however, manage to stay awake for the three minute ride which is quite an achievement as she is proving to be rather partial to power napping when in a moving vehicle! On arrival at Echo Point, I splash out and purchase a bottle of water and some candy for a survival kit! I reassure my friends that should we get lost out bush, our trusty water and jungle chews will keep us going until we are rescued. I am sure that my snack pack gives them an enormous sense of well being!
First we embark upon the Prince Henry Cliff Walk to the Giant Stairway, where we descend all 910 steps and then continue along Dardanelles Pass to the Scenic Railway. Bush walking is hard work but big fun. The sky is perfectly clear and the views of the famous Three Sisters, the Jamison Valley and the rainforest floor are breathtaking. On a day like today, it’s easy to see why they call this the “Blue Mountains.”
Finally we arrive at the Scenic Railway which holds the dubious title of being the steepest railway in the world. Taking a seat is a feat of engineering in itself, and once ensconced Joan looks truly terrified which sends me and Beverley into uncontrollable laughter. I’m just relieved someone is more scared than me! We shoot up through the rainforest, into a cliff side tunnel and back to Scenic World where David and our chariot awaits.
We spend the afternoon in the pretty town of Leura. It’s a quaint little place with country boutiques, stores and cafes. We meander up the main street and indulge in a bit of window shopping before stopping to refuel and recharge in one of the gourmet cafes. There’s just time to restock our weekend wine cellar before we go back to our digs to enjoy some down time!
Back at the B and B, the Feeder Programme is working in reverse. Jenny has kindly left us some delicious chocolate cake for tea. It’s feather-light and choc-a-licious! I must have the recipe!
In the evening, we celebrate our mountain gig with dinner at the lovely Swiss Cottage and later we have a laugh and a half at the RSL watching “Night Fever” which I can only describe as a comedy-theatre-band. It’s more cheesy than the fondue at the Swiss Cottage but it’s side splittingly funny. What a night – it’s been as wild as mountain goats!
