Day Three - Tuesday 9th July
Katoomba
Well, we survived the night. But only by the skin of our (chattered) teeth. Even Elly had to admit he had woken up several times in the night due to the cold. One more night to get through, and then off to the warmer climate of the Hunter Valley.
We were woken early by our annoyingly noisy neighbours - I will never understand people who cannot comprehend the notion of sharing space. We hoped for an quick start but everything seems to take three times as long when you're camping/living out of your car. Even the simplest task of finding a clean pair of socks or locating the shampoo can be an arduous task of unpacking and reconfiguring the jam packed Land Rover. However we did have a closer look at the invoice for the campsite, and found our two night stay has only cost us $29. The facilities are good and the location is excellent - definitely a recommended camp site. We eventually set off for the boardwalk leading to the forest floor.
Winding our way down the track we passed the Witches Leap (leap being a Scottish term for Fall). The damp conditions have provided a haven for algae, and teamed with pollution from water falling from the road above has rendered the water poisonous. A sad reminder that human devastation reaches even remote places.
We passed through the old Miners Town, with a displayed mine entrance. Neither Elly or myself are terribly fond of reading all the information signs, and moved quickly away from the families and children occupying the area. We did manage to see the railway car on its journey up the side of the rocks, much faster than I imagined. Sticking to the steps suddenly seemed the more attractive option.
Once back at the top, we moved on up the road to the Eagle Hawk Lookout. There wasn't another soul to be seen, so we decided to sit and have our lunch in the peace and quiet, with only the spectacular view for company. The cloud had settled over us and rain looked imminent so we hurried back to the campsite, jumped in the car and headed for town. Elliot decided he wanted to buy a hat (both of us felt the cold in our ears and heads last night) so we popped into most of the mountain apparel stores available in Katoomba. Anyone who has tried shopping with Elliot will know how difficult it can be to choose even a single item; the combination of his choosy disposition and being colourblind does not a easy shopper make. We found a good hat and a fleece as well, picked up some food and came back to the campsite.
The rain had started so we covered the bikes, took shelter in the kitchen area and surrounded ourselves with atlases and Lonely Planet guides. We have decided we'll make an early start tomorrow and head north east to the Hunter. Hopefully I won't need to sleep in 5 layers (a personal record). A quick spinach and mushroom curry, 2 cups of tea and a great deal of chocolate later, I'm ready for bed.