Did we mention how friggin' cold it is up here? As soon as the sun got low in the sky last night, the temperature dropped and we were left scrambling to put on all our warm-ish clothes. The sunshine first thing this morning helped, but a drink from a water bottle left outside overnight suggests that it was only a few degrees from freezing. Brrrrrr! But the sun warmed things up quickly, and by the time we had picked a hiking trail and filled a backpack, we were down to only two layers of clothes. The trail we would do today is a loop that skirts the cliff edge, descends into the valley, and comes back up where we started. We had our first vista within a few minutes' walk from the campground, and the view was spectacular. Orange sandstone cliffs dropped away on either side of us, opening up into the wide Jamieson Valley below. Thick rainforests blanketed the entire valley, and distant cliffs fringed similar plateaus way off on the horizon. It really was stunning. Every few minutes along the trail, there would be another lookout, giving a slightly different view from the last. Soon we had views of Katoomba Falls cascading down over the sandstone ledges, and dozens of noisy cockatoos flew from tree to tree on the canopy far below. After about an hour, the trail became wide, paved, and busy with tourists who clearly had no intention of venturing anywhere with mud or stairs (the high heels were our first clue). Then we knew where we were - Echo Point. This spot happens to have an amazing view out over the entire valley, and it has been spiffed up with pavement, benches, interpretive signs, wheelchair ramps, etc. Oh, and a busy tourist information centre (aka souvenir shop) and tour bus parking lot. We did our best to ignore the crowds long enough to take in the view, but after getting run down by rude people and accidentally spat on by a loud woman trying to organize a group photo.
Most people go as far as a walkway over to the Three Sisters (three pillars of rock that have been eroded out of a ridge), but we carried on along the trail with just the occasional hiker and a multitude of lookouts. When we reached the correct gully, we turned downhill and descended the endless steps that would take us down below the cliff face. The walk was spectacular, as the creek running through the gorge tumbled over a series of small waterfalls, surrounded by huge leafy ferns and boulders covered in moss. The tall trees shaded the gorge completely, making it unnervingly dark despite it being only noon. We stopped for lunch at the bottom of the steep descent, where the Leura Forest opened up amidst house-size chunks of rocks that were once attached to the cliffs far above.
The trail traversed the slope beneath the cliffs but above the valley bottom, giving us occasional views of people at the lookouts way above us and the sprawling plateaus beyond the valley. We spotted a few cockatoos in the big eucalyptus trees around us, and at one point I was lucky enough to have a lyrebird walk out onto the trail right in front of me. I had read about these birds and really wanted to see one - they're rare, endemic, and beautiful. This one was about the size of a turkey, with huge long tail feathers that curve out behind him and each had a different colour and pattern. I wasn't quick enough with the camera, but it was still pretty cool to have seen one!
(from Wikipedia)
When we heard distant shouting from above, it was obvious that we were underneath Echo Point, as people were shouting to see if they could hear an echo. Sun started to filter down onto the trail just as we reached the gully beneath our starting point, where the daunting Furber Steps began. It was over 1000 steps to the top, but the climb was easy and so scenic. Side trails led to lush little grottoes, ledges of sandstone hung over the trail like a ceiling, and sketchy stairs were chipped out of the cliff faces for a look-down-and-you-might-puke view of the whole valley. It was just awesome. Katoomba Falls rumbled just off the trail, and a few minutes later we could hear street traffic on the road above. Just like that, we emerged just in time to soak up the last of the afternoon sun. It was a great day of hiking, with views you just can't get anywhere else!
ps: A month from today, we will be home!
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