Stickybeaking the Blue Mountains - Blog #8

One look at a view of the Three Sisters and the rest of the Blue Mountains and you will know exactly why it was worth it for us to spend a day there. But for the purpose of this blog, I will elaborate.

First, we hopped on a bus and drove to the amazing Blue Mountains, learning the general things, including legends on the Three Sisters, and why they call them "the blue mountains" I saw the most beautiful and awesome landscapes I have ever witnessed. Waterfalls, cliffs, sprawling forests of eucalyptus trees just some of the amazing things we saw on this hike. It felt great to get out of the city and see some nature, and hike with such an informed guide.

I feel like this was a big part of why we went on this adventure. Yes, Sydney is an amazing city and the sports scene is great as well, but unless we view other parts of what it means to be an Australian and what they hold as important, we can't get the most of this class, or this trip. As our guide pointed out, the state government puts a premium on preserving this land so we can all enjoy it. It was great to see someone so passionate about his job, and for him to give us such an in depth tour that informed us on all sorts of subjects, not just sports. Before this, I knew nothing about trees and plants indigenous to Australia, especially how the aborigines used them. This includes the "devils guts" which was used for rope, the "bandaid tree" (self explanatory) and many others. It was also important to me to learn the history of these mountains with that wonderful museum that was hosted in the town of Kotoomba. It had interactive exhibits that taught us all about the animals, wildlife, and culture surrounding this beautiful place. I am so glad we went all out and did that before we did the hike.

I never would complain about getting outside in this weather, but this was simply incredible. Another great thing about getting out to these mountains was to see the animals that call this diverse place home.   The sounds that I heard throughout the course of this hike were amazing. Just a place that was absolutely teeming with life.. Birds, insects and everything in between. We saw Bearded Water-Dragon Lizards, Blue Mountain Skinks, Cockatoos, and crawfish all in a three hour walk.

A trip like this just astounded me, I was awe-struck. Yes, some of this stuff really makes you think about the world around you, and how small we all our. Learning that every meter of the canyon we went through took a million years to make will do that. That being said, the biggest thing I will take away from this is motivation. I want to get out and see more of the world, and what other beautiful landscapes it holds. I have never been to the grand canyon, or many other places like Yosemite that are right in my very own country, let alone all the other countries out there. I know for sure now that I don't want to spend all my days inside staring at a screen, but rather to get out there and experience more of this world, and that makes this trip to the blue mountains all the more worth it.