We awoke just in time to feed ourselves on the Flying Fox free breakfast. It's worth noting, I think, that this has been the ONLY hostel/backpackers to offer free breakfast in Australia. In Europe you get your cold meats as standard, and are able to make it for lunch also! Here, this morning, we get cereal and toast.

Alerted to the fact that coffee in local Katoomba is a thing, we head towards the main drag. See other blog for details, but we were quite disappointed by the experience truth be told.

Short for time in the Blue Mountains, last night we debated long and hard last night as to where we should focus our activities. In the end, we plumped for the suggestion Jaypee and Stacey had given us. Wentworth Falls.

Driving the 10 mins or so across, we set out on a short hike of 2 hours to the nearby waterfall. The waterfall was named after Henry Wentworth, one of the three original European explorers who had finally traversed the Blue Mountains. Until then, they had been considered insurmountable, and therefore the mountains acted as a natural boundary to confine the Sydney settlement on the other side.

As it happens, now there is a series of cute little towns on the top of the Blue Mountains range, with Katoomba being the largest. Felt awfully like the Sunshine Coast in this regard.

The Wentworth Falls track was fabulous. And although it was a cloudy day (boo!) the view was absolutely stunning. Whilst walking underneath large, overhanging cliffs and through thick vegetation, we resolve to do this kind of walking in the UK. Up until now, the temperature has always been quite oppressive when we've gone walking (with perhaps the exception of Tassie), but here it is 18 degrees and cloudy. Perfect walking weather... Like the UK perhaps??

Finishing the Wentworth Falls track in high spirits, we drive over to the nearby Conservation Hut. Built in 1961 to house the conservation movement in the Blue Mountains, it is now a restaurant that serves poor coffee.

We move on to the aptly named Sublime Point. It was so, so high... And we could see so so far. Incredible. We can also see the 3 sisters and Katoomba from here also. Which is pleasing!

Next, we check out the Blackheath Govett's Leap look out. Here we can spot the Bridal Vale falls off in the distance. And whilst lunching here, we were amused by the particularly loud, meowing magpies.

Heading off on our long drive to Canberra, we actually take the scenic route. It's adds another 40mins added to the journey time to an already long 3 hour drive, but it was absolutely worth it. Gone were the long, boring straight dual carriageways, and in were the windy laneways, sprawling across the Australian countryside. Hooray!

Unfortunately, the very last stretch was unavoidably boring. Ho hum.

A highlight was the Big Merino mid-drive. A very large sheep, cast out of papier-mâché. What's not to like?

When we arrive in Canberra, we're initially not impressed by the locale. And when we find our bnb, we're surprised to find the door wide open. What's all that about? Alice isn't pleased by this.

We then drive to woolies (via around Parliament House) and as its shrove Tuesday, make PANCAKES!!

AF