Tues 23 Feb - A Trip to the Blue Mountains

Emma had been keen for us to see beyond the western suburbs of Sydney so this morning we set off early to drive to the Blue Mountains. We were surprised at the severity of the congestion on the way out through Sydney but arrived at the edge of the mountains by late morning. After a stop for coffee and to check out the Visitor Centre we drove on to Wentworth Falls for our first view of the Blue Mountain scenery which was quite stunning. The main road had imperceptibly climbed on to a ridge with steep sided cliffs dropping down to a densely forested area below. Take away the vegetation and it could be reminiscent of a mini Grand Canyon. There were several viewing points along the road so we moved from one to another, enjoying a picnic lunch at one of the designated areas. Following a prolonged stop at Echo Point overlooking The Three Sisters rock outcrop we headed back to Sydney to meet up with Charlie for our final night out together. Before leaving for the meal at The Jellyfish restaurant in Manly, Emma and I had a last (for me) swim in Freshwater Bay behind the apartment. As usual the surf was pretty fierce!
Charlie had once again excelled with his choice of car for the evening – a bright red Mini cabriolet –, which though lacking the power of the previous evenings Beemer, was great fun to be driven in. The Jellyfish was a restaurant that Charlie had previously managed, so we were well looked after and enjoyed a really fabulous final meal.