Guest Post: Katoomba, The Three Sisters, and The Blue Mountains

Rob again here, with a second back-to-back guest post.  Last weekend we decided to take Sheila out on a first test ride: a day trip westward to the Blue Mountains.  We're not really sure why they are called the Blue Mountains.... something about the morning mist perhaps?  They looked pretty green to us, with lots of forest area and tons of greenery.  To set the stage, here's what the route looked like: lots of straight and narrow on the highway, followed by all kinds of fun windy and twisty bits (the good stuff), and then back to some highway riding to get back into town.

So, the first question people ask is "how hard is it to ride on the other side of the road?"  Answer - it isn't!  Actually, I find it easier on a bike, since you aren't driving in the wrong seat of the car, with the gear shift on the left side.  That's weird.  On a bike, the controls are exactly the same.  So just once and a while, a friendly reminder from a backseat passenger that you should be in the left lane is helpful!  

The weather was incredible (especially for winter), so we headed west early on the weekend morning.  The first leg was boring on the M4, but by the time we hit the mountains, the elevation change made things more fun.  First thing to learn about maps in Australia - they really do not capture how hilly things are.  Sure, in Canada, you can get some ups and downs.  But here?  That middle section is some of the hilliest and most fun riding i've ever had.  Sure, it's twisty, but the elevation change is pretty intense.

Anyways, we stopped in Katoomba - no particular reason, other than it was a decent sized city.  We came across signs for the 'Three Sisters' which someone had suggested we stop to see.  So we first visited the Blue Mountains Cultural Centre, (pictured above, with beautiful blue sky) which included an Art Gallery and World Heritage Centre.  The art gallery was cool, with some interesting design pieces, and local art.  Tara liked this wall installation, specifically the shadows cast.  I thought it would be great in a room with a lot of sunlight, so every time you looked at it the shadows would be different!

The Blue Mountains are also a World Heritage Site (UNESCO link for details) and I can see why: it's some fantastic natural geography.  Included in this natural geography are some incredible plants and animals; no, we didn't see this cute creature on the left in person, but the heritage centre provided an overview of some of the inhabitants of the Mountains.










We eventually left the centre, and grabbed a quick bite to eat, walking down the main street in Katoomba.  We decided to jump back on the bike, and make our way down to the viewing platform to see the famous Three Sisters. Thanks wikipedia for the details (see blogging isn't that difficult!).  Sure, there's some meaning behind them, but honestly, they're three rocks out in a large valley.  I found the larger vista cooler than the three rock formations on their own.  What do you think?  Three large rocks, or an awesome valley full of cool stuff?

Now, if we really wanted to experience the Blue Mountains, we should have done a full day walk to see the area up close, but that takes away time from riding!  Next up, we rode to the Botanical Gardens.  I feel like any description of the gardens will be lacking, as we basically stopped, had a coffee and scones, and then got back on the bike and kept riding (notice a theme here :-) ) The ride back from here was a ton of fun, lots of downhill bits.  Had a bit of fun with a Multistrada, but he was way too fast to keep up with (I blame the small engine, not the extra passenger, or being risk averse!)

So, in general, it was a great day out on the bike.  Only 250km or so, but a nice way to get used to a new ride.  Building confidence is important when riding a bike, and understanding both your limits and the bikes limits (not that I was really pushing either) is important.  Oh, and the Mountains - they were really, really pretty!

Final message - it's a game of Where's Waldo Tara!  Find Tara in the (huge) crowd!  There was a second viewing platform, and Tara said that she would run down there and that I was to get a picture.... this was the best we could come up with!  Next time: the three day trip up the coast!