Misty Mountains: Shades of Nature Just Outside Sydney

There is a place outside (above?) Sydney where evaporating oil from a vast eucalyptus forest catches the sunlight, creating a blue mist.  This blue-ish shroud only adds to the immense natural beauty of this area, which is aptly named the Blue Mountains.  These mountains are actually a sandstone plateau that has been cut up by gorges.  The effect is stunning.  Sharp rocky outcrops and sheer cliff faces, many with waterfalls, dominate the horizon in an imposing way.


The many big (sometimes old) mansions, B&Bs, and upscale restaurants of the Blue Mountains (an area referred to as one, but is actually made up of several towns that sit on the edge of the mountains' valley) are a clear reminder that Sydney isn't far off.  The Blue Mountains are indeed a weekend playground and retirement haven for the many wealthy Sydney-siders with money to burn.

Here's how close the BMs are to Sydney:  We flew in, hopped in our rental car (a nifty Toyota Yaris), and were taking a great walk and snapping photos in about two hours. It is pretty amazing how fantastic the Blue Mountains are and how close they are to one of the world's largest cities.  We don't have an equivalent in the States, we don't think.  It would be a little like if you could drive from New York City to the Grand Canyon in two hours.

We didn't have time for any of the more spectacular multi-day hikes, but we did take in some fabulous scenery from almost every possible viewpoint around the rim and went on one really beautiful hike (and a few more short walks).  We also stayed at two of those charm-filled accommodations. 

The neatest place we stayed in the Blue Mountains was an empty bed and breakfast, where we had a tasty breakfast prepared by our always-smiling hostess and a fantastic night's sleep in a cozy, old room, with flowers in the place of fire in the fire place.

The strangest place we ate at in the Blue Mountains, and probably the whole trip, was a little cafe called the Common Ground Cafe.  This place had a real folksy vibe, laid-back, bearded and linen-pants wearing staff, and interesting little murals on the walls with quotes.  Somewhere between the offered organic, country style food and the nature and conversations of the staff, we figured out that this restaurant was a commune owned and operated joint.  Some literature they had at the front provided proof and entertaining bedtime reading.  The food was actually pretty tasty and even though the literature put the place somewhere south of a commune and a bit closer to a cult, we were glad for our strange and unexpected food experience.

The Blue Mountains provided a nice change of scenery from crashing coastal vistas, with an array of breathtaking mountains, cliffs, and waterfalls, all (deceptively) arranged in a valley or basin formation.  The mountains were less mountain and more valley, but they were all magnificent.