43 Wallaby Way, Sydney please. Oh Finding Nemo, why must you tease us viewers like so? There is no such place called “Wallaby Way”. How do I know? I asked, googled, wiki’d, yahoo’d, searched every engine nameable in cyberworld. When I asked a Sydney native, they looked at me as if I just came off of Spock’s ship… please, I come in peace! Anyways, since that didn’t work out so well, I went onto  bigger, more important things in life: Blue Mountains National Park. Now, here’s a thing you guys should know about me, national parks are one of my most favorite things to go to when travelling. I do not like tours, but I like the parks. I am a mad wanderer and when I roam, I can roam for ages. I like to frolic about at my own pace and tours do not offer much leeway in the whole prancing about. I fell madly, deeply in love with the Blue Mountains. Before I set off on my hike, I did a little comparison to the states as I usually do whenever I visit somewhere new. I compared the mountains to the Grand Canyon in it’s epic-ness. The Blue Mountains is vast. More vast than what I can consume in an hour; and trust me, I eat. Anyways, as I began hiking up and down, panting up and slipping down stairs, I decided that it was more tiresome hiking the mountains than the canyon; but the canyon is much deeper and the mountains are much wider. Since we are on the topic of “width” I just want to interject with a funny story I read of Bill Bryson during this two week venture I set out on. I recently finished his book: The Lost Continent, which concerns his travels in America. One paragraph in Bryson’s “West” section of the book, he was talking about how the French stumbled across the Grand Tetons in Wyoming and named it “tetons” because it reminded them of the unfortunate/fortunate endowment ladies are gifted with. Tits is the translation of tetons. The funny part? It’s too good to paraphrase, and even if I did, it wouldn’t nearly be as funny as the actual writing.

French explorers who passed through north-western Wyoming took one look at the mountains and said, ‘Zut alors! Hey, Jacques, clock those mountains. They look just like my wife’s tetons.’  Isn’t it typical of the French to reduce everything to a level of sexual vulgarity? Thank goodness they didn’t discover the Grand Canyon, that’s all I can say.

Blue Mountains. No, they are not the color blue, but it’s due to the Rayleigh Scattering effect. This causes the rays of light that impinge on small particles to scatter freely in various directions. The blue haze is the uniqueness of the Blue Mountains. It’s a deeper hue and deeper than anywhere else in the world. Cool fact hey? I felt like I was writing a research paper on that part, back to my verbal writing ways…

I arrived in Katoomba roughly around 10:30 am. The train from Sydney to Katoomba is around 2 hours. This was my first time riding on trains and let me tell you, it was marvelous. I fell in love with them. I wedged myself into a single seat, propped my legs up on a foot ledge and began head bobbing to my music streaming from my Ipod. As I head bobbed, I gazed out the window and appreciated nature and the occasional pass-by train. The trains in sydney are two levels as well. I began my journey sitting on the basement level, sitting backwards of the direction of the movement; on the way back, I sat on the top level facing the correct way. Trains are great fun. I now understand why kids love trains so much. Upon my arrival, I signed up for a “hop on, hop off” bus. Basically, you can hop on at any time and hop off anywhere along the bus routes, as long as you manically wave your brochure at the driver. You can get off at point A and walk all the way to point Z; or if feeling particularly lazy (or are an elderly), can hop on and off at every point. I hopped off at stop 10 and began my hike. I had a goal to hike all of the mountains before the last bus, (last bus goes back to the railway station). I was going to fulfill this goal even if it meant I had to fast walk through the forest or maybe even a little bit mountain running? My hike was absolutely glorious. The weather was breezy and the sun was majestically bright, though no sunnies were needed. There are a few things you guys need note: the mountains is like a giant cereal bowl and the cereal swashing around in the bowl are the different rainforest/forests residing in the mountains. I tried to capture the beauty of each rainforest, but the shots all turned out to look like plain trees. Go figure.

The first hour wasn’t bad at all, well the whole four hours of straight hiking wasn’t too shabby. It was wonderful. Then I got to the Great Staircase. This staircase is terrifyingly steep. One slip of the foot, you go tumbling to your death. At least whilst you’re tumbling down, you befriend some nice rocks like I did back in Broome.

I hiked all of Blue Mountains within those 4 hours. Huzzah! I shamelessly admit, I did run a fair bit of it…

As every traveller will tell you, they have certain rules they personally deem and follow. Here are a few of mine:

1. Never, and I repeat, never take pictures whilst treading on sharp rocks and narrow paths. You will trip and teeter off the edge.
2. Embrace your odor. It’s free perfume/cologne.
3. Smile

It’s a funny sight to see, whilst hiking, people dressed up as if they are about to attend a cocktail party with make-up caked on and enough perfume to suffocate a concert hall. I just don’t understand. I had a humorous encounter with an English man. As I was trekking up the Great Staircase, he stopped me and asked, “what’s down there?” I responded, “… everything.” He arrogantly asked if it was worth his energy to walk down the stairs to see whatever the mountains were hiding. How did I respond? I didn’t. So I thought to myself, why would you come to a national park? The word park itself insinuates sight seeing… let alone going to a park named “Blue Mountains” clearly indicates your desire to hike some… why come if you didn’t want to see what it had to offer? People these days.

So what is ” down there?”

Yup you guessed it! Trees.

And the most breathtaking view you can ask for. As I hiked through the narrow passageways, skipping on stone rocks and swinging off of hanging branches, I slowly but surely began a panting rhythm. When my legs began to shake and my feet felt like they were about to fall off, I would reach the top of a hill and the view would take my breath away. Figuratively speaking, “take my breath away” because let’s be honest, I needed all the air I could inhale.

The waterfalls that flow from one top to the bottom, are gorgeous. There were times where I would become a bit frustrated because I wouldn’t see/hear anything for ages, and then the sloshing sounds of water would strike my ear and I would break out into a trot, literally. I would trot up to a waterfall and would be in awe. It felt like a little achievement every time I reached a sign post or landmark. A great feeling that is. Since I was travelling alone, I had to embrace the awkwardness that I often emit and ask families, couples, children to take my picture. At first, I scoped out my potential photographers and then would shyly ask, once a target was selected. By the end of the day, (the third time of asking really), I would boldly walk up to someone and just flat out ask. All were willing! Luckily for me. Some though did seem hesitant at first, but then I kindly offered my photography skills to them.

Rule 4. Ask and you shall receive. A nice memory card filled with pictures of yourself.

OK, so I should let you all know that I tackled the mountains twice. Yes. I hiked this creation twice, all 100km of it, stairs included. That means, I tackled the Great Staircase twice. Surprisingly the second time climbing was a lot easier. Before I embarked on my second climb on the second day, a cute mother and daughter were picnicking next to it. As I took a couple first steps, the daughter loudly projects her question to her mother: “mommy, why do people climb up the stairs??” The mother then responded in a shouted whisper, “because they are crazy.” Thanks Lady.

The first time I completed the staircase, I think I profanely exclaimed my excitement. The second time… I proclaimed louder. Then immediately after people heard me, I would bask in redness.

I made it.

Rule 5. Leave your mark.

Throughout my 2 week adventure, I have left a piece of me behind in each place I visited, (unintentionally in the first two cases). In perth I lost my TCTW engraved leather bracelet that I have had for nearly 4 (5?) years; in Broome I lost (forgotten) my famous stickered nalgene water bottle, (I was upset for two full days), and in Sydney, I marked my territory in the Blue Mountains. Australia, you will forever remember me after I leave. If people do not, at least the streams in the mountains will forever carry my essence.

I’m a sucker for waterfalls.

Next to the sisters. Also, just finished climbing the hardest part of the staircase.

The Three Sisters.

The iconic site to visit at the Blue Mountains. Go to Echo Point and you can gaze in awe at this beaut.

I should also inform you all that I have successfully hitchhiked on this trip as well. On the first day, even though I did finish hiking all of the mountains in a days time, I did miss the bus back to the railway station. I saw a teenage gal and asked her for directions to the closest station. She went ahead and confirmed her thoughts with her parents and her parents whipped out a map and told me the right way to get to the station. This was about 5:30pm. So I began to walk out to the main road. Once I reached the main road, the family pulled up next to me and told me to hop in. I did just that. I remember telling them “thanks” and “thank yous” over and over again while I was in the car. Not a Wolf Creek experience, thank goodness.

After two days of hiking, you can bet I was sore as anything. I was sore to the point where I would have to clutch onto my butt as I walked up and down stairs. Didn’t matter if the staircase had one step or 50, my butt was sore and my hands were going to be grabbing it. I think I am set for a few months. No need for a stairmaster or Victoria Secret models leg workouts. TimTams hey?

“Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out going to the mountains is going home; that wilderness is a necessity…” – John Muir