Above, sunset from the overlook view of the "Three Sisters" rock pinnacles. The "Blue Mountains" are actually a big plateau, dissected by multiple deep valleys. They are "blue" because of the haze from the eucalyptus tree forests.
Seeing as how it's autumn, and the start of school was imminent, we decided to take a quick trip down south to the Blue Mountains north of Sydney. Having done the 2+ day drive from Sydney when we first arrived in Australia, this time we opted for the quick, leisurely flight from the Gold Coast airport at Coolangatta, instead. To offset our travel, we purchased carbon credits and took the train from Sydney to Katoomba, in the heart of the Blue Mountains. Here is the bench at the Katoomba railway station, with Nancy eager to start in on some true Aussie birding.
Cheerful artwork along the side of a building next to a "carpark" (parking lot), including king parrots, kangaroos, flowers and seedpods among other things--reminiscent of aboriginal "dot" paintings.
Ok, they're non-native and are a little gaudy, but we enjoyed seeing the changing colors of oaks and maples in the towns along the way. We couldn't have asked for better weather, the contrast of the autumn trees against the blue sky was stunning, especially since we haven't seen a change of seasons for a long(!) time, living as we do among the greenery of the subtropics.
Elaborate tracks have been constructed here, for our viewing pleasure. The tracks (trails) here line the edges of the cliff, and include intricate stairways right alongside waterfalls (seriously wondrous), down into the rainforest at the bottom, and they even contour along the middle of the cliffs in places. There were signs posted for a 100km team endurance race along the trails (to benefit the Wilderness Society) that Nancy is hankering to do maybe next year--if she can get her "mates" from the US to come over to compete as a team!
Who needs a stairmaster for training? This was 1000+ steps down and back up! We were envious of the few runners we saw - this place has some amazing runs! Being the hardy souls that we are, we took the stairs instead of the tramway. It felt good to stretch our legs after the flatness of the coast.
We saw several waterfalls leaping over the edges of the cliffs, runoff from the "hanging" swamps at the top. We were intrepid birders, searching for (and finding!) some yellow-tailed black cockatoos that were carousing around the greenery of the cool, moist rainforest. We also spotted a pandemonium of colourful scarlet-red/apple green King parrots (a real term for a group of parrots! see http://www.parrotparrot.com/articles/aa061201.htm)! 
True to form, in a effort to see as much as possible, we raced time and descended this stairway late in the afternoon after a full day of sightseeing (sans flashlights or "torches" as they're called here). We were intrigued by the capricious nature of the trail, and couldn't turn around--we could see that it contoured along the middle of the cliff face, and disappeared into the forest of the next valley over. Dirk was certain we could make a loop walk out of it and make it back to the trailhead, no worries. Of course, darkness falls early this time of year, and Nancy nervously tried to pick up the pace (the infamous "I thought if I hurried, he'd try harder to keep up" line we heard from the lone hiker descending in darkness from Long's Peak without his partner). Nancy tried to encourage Dirk to refrain from picture-taking at this critical time of the day, which was beginning to distinctly display a lack of lightness. We passed under dripping water from the hanging swamps and peered over the edges of the railings down the cliff. Eventually, we came to the bottom of a waterfall which we had been searching for, and speculating as how there appeared to often be stairways along various other waterfalls that would lead up to the rim, we took the turn in the trail and started up into the gathering gloom of darkness, not knowing for sure whether we'd be foiled and have to turn around, or if we could "gain the summit rim." [she was lacking faith in my, umm. detailed glance at the map we were not carrying!] Dirk was exclaiming that this was the prettiest waterfall of all, while Nancy focused on ascended the water-slippery stairs in the inky blackness. [well we had been darked on] Dirk valiantly snapped more pictures, while Nancy scuttled to the top, anxious to make it back to the safety of the parking lot. A successful outing into and out of the depths of the Blue Mountains, and relief to be Out of All Danger, once more!
This might have been part of the waterfall that Nancy didn't see.
This is *not* where we stayed. We chose to forego rubbing elbows with this crowd, and not because we had forgotten our tux and gown!
Instead, we stayed at an old hotel that has seen better days. It was a bit worn and now serves as a "backpacker's" accommodation. But - it had skeleton keys for the doors and rabbit ears in the TV!
Cautionary warnings down on the impressive "Scenic Walkway" rainforest boardwalk. This is where we searched for (and found) Superb Lyrebirds scratching away in the duff, despite the herds of yakking tourists from the tramway obliviously tromping by.Click on picture to enlarge -Note #2 especially!
(In case you can't read the sign, we had to share the humor)
The following things may happen to you while on the Walkway...
1. The Walkway may be slippery under the following conditions
- The weather is cold and there is ice on the Walkway
- The weather is wet making the Walkway slippery
- It is berry season and there are squashed berries on the Walkway
Solution: Take care when walking and use handrails if it looks wet, icy or there is vegetation/berries on the ground.
2. A tree may fall over or a branch may fall from a tree.
Solution: If you hear a loud crack, run away ignoring point 1 above.
3. Off the Walkway, you may get bitten by leeches or stung/poisoned by plants.
Solution: Do not leave the Walkway, do not touch or eat the plants.
4. You may enjoy yourself, learn something or just be impressed by this magnificent area.
Solution: Go home and tell all your friends about it.
See - they were not making #2 up! We hoped that anyone on this bit of the walk was ignoring #1 when they heard the loud crack!!!
Lyrebirds are wonderful mimics - they can replicate the call of most birds - and other things. Check this link (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjE0Kdfos4Y) to hear this amazing vocalization (We were given the "inside scoop" from the local lyrebird expert that this recording was made of a captively-bred lyrebird. Lyrebirds pass their vocal variety and "local songs" along to their offspring, and they may include some quite mechanical sounds, as demonstrated by this lyrebird recording.)
Here we are yukking it up on a showpiece of the old tramway that comes down from the rim (so you don't have to walk the dreaded steps!)
The new tram is far more closed in.
A map of the Capertee Valley of the Blue Mountains, which is listed as one of the "50 top birding spots to see before you die!" Also called the "2nd largest canyon in the world" (1 km longer than the Grand Canyon but not as deep. I have no idea how they define largest or canyon!)
The gate at the wonderful house we stayed at in the Capertee Vally, a bed and breakfast of sorts. She has a big tree planting effort here to bring back habitat for the endangered Regent Honeyeaters and other birds and animals and bugs etc.
Lots of bird magnets on the Fridge!
umm - hope we don't need this! Or the snake ID booklet that tells you how to identify snakes with striped lips - as if you want to be close enough to SEE snake lips!
There appear to be a bazillion types of Banksia trees that bloom at different times of the year, including winter. The birds follow the food sources, sometimes migrating in huge flocks (as they were while we were in the Blue Mountains). If you squeeze this firm 5-inch long flower, you get drops of honey (nectar) on your fingers that are sweet to taste. There are also a bazillion possible species of Honeyeater birds that relish this nectar, and they pollinate the plants. Identifying honeyeaters confounds birders like us.
Fortuitously, we made the acquaintance of a local expert (excellent bird guide Carol Probets) who knew just the right tree to go to that was blooming in the Capertee Valley of the Blue Mountains and was favored by the striking and endangered Regent Honeyeater. This allowed us the fine fortune of spotting three of the maybe 1000 Regent Honeyeaters left in Australia. "The Regent Honeyeater, with its brilliant flashes of yellow embroidery, was once seen overhead in flocks of hundreds. Today the Regent Honeyeater has become a 'flagship species' for conservation in the threatened box-ironbark forests of Victoria and New South Wales on which it depends." http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/publications/regent-honeyeater.htmlWe saw some simply outrageous birds, Flame Robins, Spotted Pardelot, Zebra Finches, Diamond Firetails, Scarlet Robins, 10 species of honeyeaters - all wondrous names for some spectacular birds - 70+ species in 2 days!
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