For the weekend we headed across to the Blue Mountains, to the west of Sydney. We had an image in our head that we’d approach them up a twisting country road, which was probably naive considering that loads of people from Sydney go there every weekend.

The reality was a major highway with lots of traffic, not helped by the torrential rain. After arriving and getting soaked going to the tourist information office we then turned up at the only campsite in Katoomba to be told that they were fully booked.

Govett’s Leap waterfall in the Blue Mountains

Still, it got better after that as the campsite in the next town Blackheath a) had spaces and b) was in a much nicer setting. The next morning the rain had eased and we returned to Katoomba to visit a place called ScenicWorld – effectively a rainforest in a valley accessed by a cable car, and also a ‘skyway’ which went across the top of the valley and had a glass floor through which you could see the huge drop down (slightly misted due to raindrops from previous storm).

Spot the cablecar

As we’d arrived early we had the place pretty much to ourselves apart from numerous coach loads of Japanese tourists who appeared to be on a whistle-stop day trip from Sydney. Having spent a good couple of hours there we went into Katoomba town and had some lunch, followed by a visit to the excellent new cultural centre and art gallery.

On Sunday the drive back to the coast heading northwards was much more as we had expected and we took a very scenic route that involved a state-run free ferry (at Wiseman’s Ferry) which effectively joins two pieces  of the same rural road split by a large river.

The ferry at Wiseman’s Ferry

Swansea Beach (New) South Wales!

Overnight at a campsite at Blacksmiths Beach in Swansea (the New South Wales, not Welsh Wales version, as identified by bright sunshine and golden surfing beach).

Bed rest at the Koala Hospital

Today we have been heading up the coast again and visited the Koala Hospital at Port Macquarie where they have about 30 koalas in recuperation – mostly having been either run over or attacked by domestic dogs. So far this is the only native wildlife apparent to us (apart from something heard but not seen rustling outside our tent at midnight in Bright!).