Blue Mountains

This weekend we head to the Blue Mountains! The trip has come together at the eleventh hour (par usual). We are staying in a little cabin in the middle of 29-acres of wilderness, overlooking the eucalyptus treetops, and as a bonus, the property contains a fantastic cave that you can camp in. It all sounds very rustic and 'out there' to me. But first, we must get out of Sydney. Which brings up the issue of transportation. Which leads to the fact that neither Chris nor I have ever driven on the left-hand side of the road (queue the scene of Chevy Chase madly circling around Big Ben). But really, how hard can it be? Well, sorta hard. I knock the windshield wipers at least 30 times reaching for the turn signal. And, while I swear from the right-hand driver's seat that I am in the dead center of the lane, I'm actually kissing the curb on the left. It's a very strange feeling. Chris decides to be the brave one and gets behind the wheel for the 2-hour drive into the mountains. There is one tense moment on the M2, a toll road, where we encounter flashing signs informing us that without an 'E-Pass' there is no way to pay our fare. I'm frantic, but can see there is a number to dial for help. After 30-seconds of sheer panic, I'm informed that we can pay for our 2-day visitor's pass over the phone. Phew! Disaster averted. We reach the little town of North Richmond, and decide to stop off at the local grocery store to load up on supplies, since we'll be cooking all of our own meals. We arrive around 3:30 and are not disappointed by the surroundings. The views are amazing! Our cabin is situated at the top of a ridge that drops off on three sides, so that we are at eye level with the hundreds of eucalyptus trees. Aside from an absolutely GIGANTIC spider on the side deck, all is perfect! On Saturday, we decide to see some of the more picturesque parts of the area and drive up to Mt. Wilson and then head out to do some bushwalking. Unfortunately, the trail is closed because of fire damage so we hoof it up another trail that leads us out to the edge of some massive cliffs. What no one tells us is that there are spiders. Big spiders. Chris carries a long stick in front of him to break up the cobwebs, since it doesn't appear that many people have been walking along this particular trail. Before this experience, I would have told you that as I've gotten older, I've really gotten a handle on my fear of insects and other unsavory little creatures. This goes out the window when I see not one, but two alarmingly large spiders building webs on either side of the trail, only about 24 inches from my frightened body. On top of that, there are flies, another insect that featured prominently in a number of my childhood 'incidents'. There are stories, ask my parents. Needless to say, I work myself into such a state that I am soon flailing my arms at any sign of movement and swatting at imaginary things. I look deranged. By the time we reach the top, I am on the verge of a panic attack, but the view is amazing, and so we take it in for 2 minutes and 17 seconds before high-tailing it back down. In the evening, we head over to meet the owner, Mark, who leads us down to the beautiful, hidden cave. We are enthralled! It's a beautiful space and is outfitted with everything you need to live for a few days, even a sink with running water! There is a sort of swing/hammock contraption, several lounge chairs, a barbeque, cabinets full of plates and cutlery, and little nooks in the cave wall to unroll a sleeping bag. It's so much fun! Definitely the highlight of the weekend. On Sunday, we lounge around most of the morning and then, reluctantly, drive back into the city. We're just in time to see the Queen Elizabeth 2 and the Queen Victoria which are both docked in the harbour, and find out that it's a very special occasion. Both boats left New York on January 13th - Queen Victoria on her maiden sail and QE2 on her farewell voyage. It's the first time two Cunard Queens have been seen together in Sydney since the second world war when the original Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth visited the city as troop carriers. They blast their horns as each other as they pass by one another and it's rumored that you can hear the sound from 10 miles away!