5th June 2015

What a cold night! Adding to the discomfort, we had rain and wind, and Jamie’s late-night trips to the loo rattled and rocked Sheila enough to disturb my sleep. That said, I must have managed a fair bit of rest as I woke around 9 a.m. to find Jamie returning from a walk to Katoomba Falls. He had observed the mist lingering over the depths below. Normally, I’d be annoyed that he ventured out without me, but today I was grateful he let me sleep.

Breakfast was a simple bowl of muesli. Unfortunately, we’d run out of the coffee sachets from the Arts Hotel, so no warming drink was on offer. To make matters worse, our fridge was so efficient that the milk was practically a block of ice.

After Jamie’s (mad) decision to take a shower, we headed off to the ‘Scenic World Centre’ we had visited briefly the day before. We bought an all-day roamer ticket ($35) and boarded the train down the precipice. Apparently, it’s the steepest train in the world, a claim I can easily believe after taking a video of the descent. The ride through a lush landscape of tree ferns, gum trees, and turpentine trees, all draped in lianas, felt like stepping back in time.

At the base station, which was still only halfway down the cliff face, we joined the other tourists on a boardwalk that at first snaked along and then down the escarpment. We passed the base station of the Cableway (our planned route back up) and continued along the circular trail.

Earlier, we noticed an ‘off-piste’ track leading to some fascinating mining relics, remnants of the area’s coal mining history. We couldn’t resist following this more challenging and winding path along the escarpment’s edge. Initially, we planned to explore it for just half an hour, but the intrigue of “What’s around the bend?” extended our journey to over an hour. The views were breathtaking, and many photos were taken to capture the dramatic scenery.

On this secluded path, we encountered just one other person, an ‘authentic’ Australian girl (a Sheila) heading the way we had just come. We paused briefly for a chat, carrying on. Eventually, we reached a point where the path seemed to descend deeper into the rainforest, losing the spectacular views. At that point, we decided to retrace our steps and return to the main trail.

We accessed the top of the canyon via the Cableway, where we treated ourselves to two large, hot coffees in the café before boarding the Skyway. This took us directly over the falls, providing a thrilling view through the glass floor of the carriage. From this vantage point, we could see the base of the falls and the treetops of the forest far below, truly a breathtaking experience.

Upon reaching the far side, we followed the path leading to the famous ‘Three Sisters’ rock formation. The view was, once again, spectacular, with the sheer cliff faces plunging dramatically into the valley below. The scale of it all was awe-inspiring.

Though the top of the canyon was quite chilly despite a mostly sunny sky, earlier, it had felt noticeably warmer down in the canyon. Was it the sheltered environment, or simply the exertion of descending into the depths that had made it feel that way? Either way, the contrast was striking.

We found another café and treated ourselves to another hot chocolate. Mmmmmmm… warmth!

We returned to Shiela via another path across the top of the canyon, taking in a final glimpse of the stunning scenery before I took the wheel and drove into Katoomba for provisions. Once we had stocked up on fresh supplies and loaded them into our trusty steed, we decided to walk into the town centre.

Unlike the chaotic traffic of Hanoi or Saigon just a week ago, the experience here was quite surreal; the moment you so much as glanced at a zebra crossing, cars would come to a halt. It was a strange feeling walking across the tarmac without the usual furtive glances in all directions, bracing for “incoming.”

As we strolled through town, we passed a hairdresser’s. Jamie, in desperate need of a haircut, seized the opportunity and took the hot seat while I sat and watched. Unsurprisingly, the stylist turned out to be English, having moved to Australia 30 years ago. Apart from our fellow hiker, so far, we’ve only met one person who seemed a genuine born Aussie, the chatty guard on the Cableway, who was full of macho advice and had a strong desire to visit England. Definitely authentic!

We had a pleasant conversation with the hairdresser as she snipped away, and she even offered some useful tips for our travels. Afterwards, we continued exploring the town, eventually stumbling across a charity shop selling bobble hats for just $3. I picked up a green Wallabies one, and Jamie chose a yellow Australia hat.

We both donned our new headgear as soon as we left the shop; the chill in the air made it easy to see our breath, and we’re in no doubt these hats might become permanent fixtures for the rest of the trip!

We returned to the campsite in Shiela as darkness descended, greeted by a spectacular night sky filled with stars. Oooooooooh… chilly!

While I sat in the driver’s cabin and began typing up this blog, Jamie took charge in the kitchen (or rather, the compact galley of the van). He whipped up two excellent kangaroo burgers, complete with cheese and onions (smelly!). Perhaps not the wisest choice in a small, confined space, but they were absolutely delicious.

After dinner, we headed back into Katoomba and found The Edge Cinema. The evening’s film choice came down to ‘Spy’ (my preference) or ‘Mad Max ‘(Jamie’s pick). Much to the cashier’s amusement, we settled the matter with a game of rock, paper, scissors. ‘Spy ‘ won, and I have to say, it was probably the funniest film I’ve seen in years. A great plot paired with laugh-out-loud moments made it an absolute must-watch for anyone with a sense of humour. Bonus: the free WiFi in the cinema lobby came in handy too!

Afterwards, under a clear but freezing night sky, we returned to the campsite. To keep the chill at bay, we ran the engine for a while before settling in. A radio warning advised drivers on the M4 of potential icy conditions overnight, something we’ll need to be mindful of tomorrow.

We rounded off the evening with a warming cup of coffee before tackling the nightly puzzle of assembling the van’s beds. Another day, another adventure!