Sydney to Melbourne

Revisiting the Sydney Harbour area

We arrived in Sydney ready to experience a bit of the Aussie lifestyle. After picking the hire car up at the airport we drove down to see the Sydney Harbour area.  Having visited Sydney a few years ago, we just wanted a little taste before setting off to the Blue Mountains.

The end of the working week in Sydney

It was Friday afternoon on the 11.11.11 and the area around the Opera House and the Royal Botanic Gardens were crowded with several wedding parties and after work gatherings. It was a lively, early summer atmosphere. It was nice to spend a few hours reminiscing over the last time we were here.

Abseiling down the Empress Falls

Posing infront of The Three Sisters

The Three Sisters

Ferns in the Grand Canyon

In the early evening we started our journey towards the Blue Mountains, staying the night in Penrith and quickly moving on to the  Wentworth Falls area the next morning. The scenery was beautiful and lush, and so different from the Norwegian forests and mountains.  We walked to the Empress Fall from the Conservation Hut. The stream has made a deep canyon that look like a mini Grand Canyon but with a Rain Forest at the bottom. A popular Australian activity in this area is Canyoning and abseiling down the waterfalls. It looked like cold, but exciting. In Norway we walk up the mountains, here we had to walk down into the canyon and then climb back up again. Just before sunset we arrived in Katoomba where we enjoyed the view of The Three Sisters and the mountains which looked slightly blue in the distance. White cockatoos flew below us above the rainforest. These birds showed up really well against the lush vegetation below.

Walking in the Canyon

One of the many waterfalls

A visit to the The Scenic World was next. We drove on the reputedly steepest railway track in the world, walked the Scenic boarded walkway through the ancient rainforest and took the Scenic Skyway across the valley with a good view of the Katoomba Falls, The Three Sisters and Mount Solitary. We then drove on to Blackheath and The Grand Canyon Walk which had waterfalls, and a deep canyon that we followed for a couple of hours. We saw several Lyre Birds with nice tails. These birds are ground dwelling and seldom fly. We also saw some Red Crayfish in the streams we walked past. We also enjoyed the view from the Evans lookout which reminded us of the Grand Canyon in Arizona. In the evening we drove the Megalong valley which was more like pleasant English countryside. We enjoyed our time walking in the Blue Mountains and could happily have stayed there for longer, but it was time to head southwards.

Some Stalactites in Jenolan Caves

On the way southwards we stopped off at the Jenolan Caves. There are numerous subterranean limestone chambers. The night was spent in Goulborn before spending the next day in Canberra. Luckily we visited Canberra and the Parliament House the day before President Obama came to town.  The Parliament House was completed in 1988 and is situated next to Lake Burley Griffin together with all the other major monument. 

The Parliament building in Canberra

One of the many beaches along the way

Batemans bay was next on the agenda. We walked along the coast where we saw a number of black kockatoos eating some seeds from the trees. There were numerous quiet beaches surrounded by cliffs and trees. We only wished we could have spent more time enjoying them before the drive down to Lakes Entrance. The Gippsland Coastline has the largest inland lake system in Australia. The lakes entrance is the only entrance from the Gippslands Lakes to the sea. Again we marvelled at the lovely beaches and secluded coves.

Lakes Entrance

Before arriving at Melbourne we stopped off at Phillip Island to watch the Penguin Parade. We saw hundreds of penguins coming out of the sea. They settled in the dunes where they preened themselves and fed their hungry young. It was a wonderful sight, but the smell was not so sweet, smelling of fish and penguin pooh.

Melbourne by day

Melbourne by night

We had a couple of days in Melbourne before catching a flight to Perth to visit Elisabeth and the family. The day we arrived in Melbourne was really hot. We decided to make the most of it since rain was forecast. We wandered around visitng a number of the highlights. We were tempted to buy fruit at the bustling Queen Victoria Market before visiting St Pauls and   St Patricks Cathedral. We especially liked the St Pauls Cathedral designed by the English architect William Butterfield. It was finished in 1981. The style is described as Gothic Transitional. Afterwards we strolled in the the 18th century glass archades.

One of the Arcades in Melbourne

It was just as well that we spent the day walking around the city in over 34 C becasue the next day it rained all day. We spent the time in the Ian Potter Centre that is dedicated to Australian art.

Our drive down from Sydney to Melbourne is at an end. We are now going to fly to Perth where we will visit Elisabeth and Kristian.