Stunning Three Sisters - MUST SEE for all

Blue Mountain, named from the blue haze caused primarily by Eucalyptus trees. It emits oil vapour into the atmosphere and scatter the blue light more than any other colour in the spectrum. Why blue then? errmm.. all I know in science, if not mistaken, blue light is the shortest wave-length.

Blue Mountain is listed in World Heritage, and since then housing and tourism here have been spurring. I heard from the tour guide, houses surged from $10,000 before listed to $200,000 right now. The guide also mentioned Blue Mountains is so tough and rugged that it took Captain Tench, the explorer, a quarter of century to discover a way across Blue Mountains. The view of cliffs, valleys and the pale looking hills were simply magnificient. The landmark is simply the Three Sisters rock formation, and we walked the Giant Stairway which contradictory from its name, it was the 400 steepest and tinest steps I ever seen.

Pui Shez and I also visited Paragon Cafe, one of the Art Deco cafes, which Katomba, the town was quite famous of its arts and antiques, and to some for its chocolates and coffees. Paragon's hot chocolate was the super chocolatey, and pure. I had the biggest Continental breakfast, served with bacon, sausages, eggs, hash brownies, mushrooms, tomatoes and toasts. Australia typically has many good breakfast restaurants, and I also realised the mastery of bacon - rough, meaty and tasty.

We visited also the heritage-listed hotel, The Carrington which looked almost from another era, with lifts still functioning without sliding doors and only fit 3 persons. We just missed the Winter Magic Festival, and also the Yulafest, kind of a dinner feast and exchange of gifts. Yulafest is basically a country self-declared Christmas for the sake of celebrating Christmas in winter. Yes, this is what you get Down Under!!! :)

Next day, still around Blue Mountain, we took a full day guided tour to the limestone Jenolan Caves - adopted the Aboriginal lang means high mountain. It's a favourite destination of travellers for more than a century; but yet I cant imagine me being a tourist, yet a century ago, we had tourists visiting the same thing. How bizarre!

I heard the cave was discovered by an European, when back then it was initially used as a hideaway, who was a thief who stole and hide cattles. The European wanted to retrieve his animals, so he followed the trail and found this impresive limestone formations. The caves inside was simply amazing. We explored every corner, crawled, climbed the staircase, went through tunnels and I also learned performances, carols, concerts and mass are being held in the cave. We were demonstrated of the 5mins sound effect knowing where the prayers and priests stood. It did sound good, very spiritually sounding indeed.



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