Elvie's Year in Photos 2011: Day 325 Katoomba

Monday 21 November

Just to finish off yesterday....once everyone woke up , we talked, and talked, and talked.... It's great to get on so well. The highlight of the evening, without doubt, was showing John Skype on the iPad. We called his sister and he took the iPad all around the house and garden to show her how it had changed since her last visit some years ago. He had a grin from ear to ear and looked like a kid given free run of the sweetshop! Today he texted to say he's bought an ipad2!

Anyway, this morning it was really sad to say our farewells. We'd had such a great time with really fantastic company. I think we're going to be giving John plenty of Skype practice! Sue dropped us off at the airport where we picked up a hire car and set off to the Blue mountains. The first stretch was a major highway through flat countryside . It took a couple of hours to reach some hills. The Northern Road was a bit disorientating as it took us from near Liverpool, through Penrith and Llandilo (no e - they can't spell here!), past Windsor to Londonderry and on to Richmond. Up into the mountains proper where there were some great views and on to Katoomba. We booked in to a motel overnight then drove the short distance to the canyon edge. First we took a cable car over to a viewpoint and back, past a wonderful very long waterfall which was too big for me to take a photograph of the whole, then we went down on the steepest funicular railway in the world to the forest below. There were walkways around the canopy. The huge tree ferns were really impressive but the whole walk was fascinating. Back up the railway and we walked to the topmost part of the waterfall and finally called at the big viewpoint of the rock formation known as the Three Sisters. There is an expansive view over the forest and distant hills, quite magnificent - but dull! The sun deserted us today. Anyway here's a selection of todays photos