Rodney & Sheryl's Travels: 2/15-16

Sydney is the most populous city in Australia with a metropolitan area population of over 4.2 million people. It is the state capital of New South Wales and is located on the country’s southeast coast. The first European colony in Australia, Sydney was established in 1788 at Sydney Cove by Arthur Phillip who led the first Fleet from Britain. Built around Port Jackson, which includes Sydney Harbour, the city of Sydney has been nicknamed the “Harbour City.” Sydney is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the east, the Blue Mountains to the west, the Hawkesbury River to the north and the Woronora Plateau to the south.¹

This is the third time we have had the wonderful opportunity to visit Sydney; it is one of our favorite cities in the world. On previous trips, we have seen the Opera House, climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge, wandered around The Rocks and all over the city. This time, we chose to take a “Discover the Blue Mountains” tour. The Blue Mountains are a UNESCO World Heritage Site – an area of breathtaking views, rugged tablelands, sheer cliffs and deep, inaccessible valleys covering more than 2.5 million acres.

En route to the Blue Mountains, we had lunch at a lovely B & B called The Mountain Heritage. Then we visited Featherdale Wildlife Park, which contains a variety of Australian wildlife including kangaroos, koalas, wallabies, reptiles, Tasmanian devils (they were hiding in their logs as they are nocturnal animals), wombats, and various species of Australian birds.

The Koomurri Aboriginal Centre is located at Echo Point, our stop to view the Blue Mountains. We enjoyed listening to the Aboriginal staff explain a little bit about their culture and a live high-energy traditional dance and didgeridoo performance.