Living in Sydney is in many ways like living in a sunnier, lusher version of London: Although the pace of life is definitely slower and more relaxed, it’s still a very busy place. Thankfully, the Blue Mountains are only a couple of hours by car from this bustling city.
The Greater Blue Mountains Area spans more than 10,000 km2, which is equivalent to one third of Belgium. The vegetation consists mainly of rainforest and eucalyptus habitats and the Blue Mountains are home to more than 400 species of animals, including koalas, kangaroos and cockatoos. Hence it comes as no surprise that the area has been declared UNESCO world heritage in 2000. The name comes from the blue mist caused by the eucalyptus trees, which often hangs over the valleys of the Blue Mountains.
A trip to this wonderful area was definitely on my bucket list for my 6-week assignment in Australia, so a couple of weeks ago, I headed there for the day with my friends Marieke and Scott. I had been there ten years ago as my first ever solo travel adventure in Australia was only just beginning. That time I went on an organised trip to go abseiling and canyoning. Not really knowing what I was doing (obviously!) I found myself hanging over the edge of a cliff and letting myself down a waterfall in an adrenaline-fuelled adventure weekend with High N’ Wild. The Blue Mountains with their vertical sandstone drops couldn’t be more perfect for a weekend like this.
This time, I thought I needed some relaxation so Marieke, Scott and I went for a 6-km hike called the “Grand Canyon Walk”. There are many wonderful hikes in this area but this one is often regarded as the most impressive trail. I also liked it because it’s a circular walk.
We started at the Grand Canyon loop car park. After just a short stroll, we got to the Evans Lookout, a beautiful but unfortunately also a rather busy spot. We didn’t linger for too long and just kept walking. The trail quickly starts descending into the canyon. The further steps down we took into the lush greenery of the forest, the more we could feel the temperature dropping. The large ferns can make you feel entering the world of giants. The air in the canyon was really refreshing and a bit humid.
We moved past waterfalls and crossed stepping stones over streams on our path through the canyon. At some point, we came past a cave filled with water, which beautifully reflected on the cave’s walls.
After a steep ascent back to the car park after just over 2 hours, we decided we’d also pay a visit to Pulpit Rock lookout. This multi-tiered lookout juts out on a dramatic blade of rock perched high above Grose Valley. Since this lookout was less busy, we were finally able to enjoy the breathtaking silence that is often prevalent in the Blue Mountains. Aside from the distant chatter of the birds, one often hears nothing when overlooking the vast canopy of eucalyptus trees. The lookout is also a starting point for the clifftop Pulpit walking track to Govetts Leap lookout, which is on my ever-extending Australia-bucket list for my next visit 🙂
PS: One of the most famous rock formations in the Blue Mountains is the Three Sisters. Legend has it that three sisters named ‘Meehni’, ‘Wimlah’ and ‘Gunnedoo’ fell in love with three brothers from the neighbouring tribe. Marriage was forbidden between the tribes however the furious brothers didn’t want to accept this rule and therefore decided to capture the three sisters. A tribal battle followed and led to the sisters being turned into stone by an elder of their own tribe to protect them. However the elder was killed in the fight and no one was able to return them to living. Now these ladies create a beautiful view in particular at sunset.
