Hello All Well we decided to let someone else do the driving and booked a trip to the Blue Moutains. We set off early in the morning and headed off for the mountains, it is about 100Km from Sydney. We had a short stop at the Olympic Village and got to see the Telstra Stadium and everything which was built for the 2000 Olympics - it was pretty cool but as it is outside the city it is a little like a ghost town as on a day to day basis nothing actually goes on there! The weather was beautiful and after another short stop at an amimal sanctuary we finally made it to the Blue Mountains. Early explorers of the area found it hard to get a route through the moutains and several explorers died trying to navigate it, thankfully due to a local tour guide and plenty of roads we didnt have any problems. The Mountains are referred to as blue because of the mist the Eucalyptus trees put into the atmosphere, sometimes they are more blue than other days - no one knows why? From leaving the city just a few hours earlier it was like stepping into a time warp and all the houses and people seemed to be from the 50's. The area has breathtaking views and it instantly gives you a feeling of a retirement area. We took a few walks down into the valleys and got to see some waterfalls and pools which seemed to call you to take a dip. One route we took led us down the side of a valley, the valley used to be a coal mine and although it was now unused it did still have the miners train which we used to get back up to the gift shop at the top. Apparently this train is the steepest in the world and although it was short it was comparable to a fairground ride. We returned back to the city at rush hour, once again giving a sense of the different words seperated by just a short distance. If we would have had more time it would have been nice to stay a little longer and explore and walk some of the routes, however our time there was nice and we got a good feeling for the mountains - a must see if you're ever in the area. I have some photos, as always and will get them up as soon as i can. Speak to you all soon Lots of Love ROB and KATE