Sydney and The Blue Mountains

Some catching up to do - so this will be a longer entry than the last!

My first full day in Australia I visited Paramatta - a town near where Nicola lives - that's now part of the Sydney connurbation, and was one of the earliest towns to be established in New South Wales. It's definitely got its own identity,and I enjoyed exploring the town and its parks on foot. Then yesterday we had a day out in the big city, catching the river ferry to central Sydney - which is a great way to get a first look at the iconic Harbour Bridge and Opera House. We had lunch and explored around Darling Harbour in hot sunshine. The Christmas Tree picture was taken in Darling Harbour.

Later Steve and Nicola kindly drove me up to Katoomba where I'll be staying over Christmas. It's so beautiful up here in the Blue Mountains. The views are spectacular - on a par with those at the Grand Canyon. And it's very easy to get around on foot or on public transport, as there's a string of quaint little towns connected by railway and walking trails, along the top of the huge escarpment that looks out over forests, waterfalls and cliffs. There's also lots to do - adventure sports, a scenic cable car, caves to visit - as well as walking, which is what I did today. I walked along the cliff top past some lovely cascades to Leura and got the train back.

I hear that on top of all the bad weather, you've now had an earthquake in North West England! I definitely chose the right winter to spend down under.