Thursday the 9th May. We arrived after dark, in the town of Thirroul for a reunion with the Verity's, who were our daughter Joanne's host family on her visit to the 2008 World Youth Day celebrations. We were staying with them for the weekend in Thirroul, some 100 kilometers south of Sydney. We met the family, Brad, Wendy, Nick & Elise when they called in at Horwich on a tour of the UK in 2010.
Nick, Elise, Brad & Wendy - The Verity's
Brad & I on the front balcony, overlooking the pool
Friday was a special day for me, it was my birthday & we headed out South after breakfast on a sight seeing tour.
Note the sting ray in the water behind the two pelicans.
At Carrington Falls
On our way through MACQUARRIE Pass we stopped at this plaque. The Campbell mentioned on it is my cousin Sam's wife's Uncle. We will be meeting up with Sam & Joan in Melbourne on Wednesday.
As we headed for home late afternoon we called at Bulli Beach to see the holiday chalets that Joanne & the rest of the Salford Diocese pilgrims were allocated when they arrived for World Youth Day in 2008, before meeting up with their designated host family.
Once back in Thiroull we got ourselves ready to go to my birthday party, dinner at a lovely restaurant in town.
Saturday morning was an early start for us, as Brad was driving us to the Blue Mountains, for a sight seeing/walking day of exploring. First stop was at Govett's Leap, the name given to the waterfall
At the Echo Point lookout, Anne posed for a picture with the Three Sisters rocks in the background. Legend has it that three brothers fell in love with three sisters but a tribal war prevented them from seeing each other. A clever man turned the sisters into stone until the feud was over, but unfortunately he was killed & the spell was unable to be reversed. So here they are, preserved in stone for eternity.
From Echo Point we commenced a walk which took us down the cliff face & into the valley below. Known as The GiantStairway, the winding path snakes its way down to the valley floor, with over 900 steps along the way, most of them cut into the rocks by one of the park rangers
Brad, putting the size of the Turpentine Tree into perspective.
At the end of the walk in the valley we came across a disused coal mine. Yet another photo shoot.
Fortunately the route back to the look out wasn't via the 900+ steps, but by the scenic railway, which is the steepest incline railway in the world.
The carriages are quite modern and safer than those used in the 1920s
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