2000/02 Australia trip - Blue Gum Forest |
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Sunday January 23rd
After our lazy day, we felt a bit fitter and wanted a memorable hike for our last day in the Blue Mountains, so we set off from Perry’s Lookdown (another clifftop) to the Blue Gum Forest. This one was labeled “hard, steep, experienced bushwalkers only”, but Sandie was feeling brave.
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Blue Gum Forest (20.02) |
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It was basically a set of steps in the cliff, but lots of areas had decayed or been damaged, so there’d just be f
oot holds and handrails in places. The total drop was about 2000 ft, past constantly changing vegetation as we got lower and into warmer and damper zones. We finally came to the Blue Gum Forest, a few miles of these giant bluey grey patterned gum trees, populated with parrots, kookaburras, and termite mounds. From here you could walk for days and still be in the forest, but we had to think about the climb back up.
We took a narrow path that looked interesting and came out on a fairytale beach on Govett’s Creek. It had clear water, a sandy beach for our picnic, and a swimming hole, all surrounded by dense forest and with the red cliffs above the trees. The climb back out was tough, with lots of stops for breath, but Sandie was pleased to do it in two hours, less than the average time.
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Pulpit Rock (2.57) |  |
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As this was our last evening in the Blue Mountains, we kept going until dark, with a stop off at Pulpit Rock to look down
on the forest from above, and then a last look from the cliffs in Katoomba and Leura. We ended up at Rooster Inn in Leura overlooking the Three Sisters, the most well-known rock formation. It is a restored guesthouse with beautiful ceilings and giant windows and mirrors so everyone can see the view. It had great service and. food, even the barramundi (fish) that Sandie was looking for, a great place to eat.