Blue Mountains, Australia Part 3

Day 2 Katoomba
We got a pretty early start and spent the morning at Scenic World in the Blue Mountains.

There are may options here but all are included in the pricey entry fee: Scenic Railway, Scenic Skyway, Scenic Cableway and Scenic Walkway.

The only one we didn't do was the Scenic Skyway. It's a short cable car trip  across a small section of the top of the valley.

We took the Cableway down to the valley floor. Each car will hold 84 people but there were only a few in our car. We were there at opening time. We all stood at the front windows for the best views. It travels down from a height of 545 m (1790 ft) to the valley floor.

At the valley floor we walked along the 2.4 km (1.5 miles) boardwalk trail and enjoyed it so much! So nice to get out in nature. So nice to get out and walk!

They must have sudden storms because there were quite a few covered storm shelters.

Someone told us that there used to be koalas in the Blue Mountains but massive fires wiped them all out and they never returned. He also told us that he had seen wallaby a couple of time down in the valley. We didn't see wallaby, but we did see what he said was a relative of a bush turkey. The large bird searches for food by scratching at the dirt with its feet. First we would hear the bird, then we'd look for it. Great camouflage on the forest floor.

There are 100 km of tunnels in cliffs at this level down in the valley. Mining started here in 1878 and at various times there were as many as 40 mines here all looking for and removing coal. We could see remains of the old railway to haul the coal up out of the valley.

Here's me attempting a selfie with some interesting vines or roots behind me. Note: I can't seem to figure selfies out!

B on the boardwalk.

The mountain blue gum trees in this valley sprouted shortly after the mining was abandoned here in 1895 so the trees here are 116 years old.