And The Band Played... Indiana Jones!

The Blue Mountains are a very famous Australian sight - particularly the Three Sisters. And no matter how many postcards you may see of the view, it doesn't do it justice.

No, to truly enjoy the view, you must first walk down into the valley - and then back up again. Only through such pain can you truly appreciate the beauty of the Blue Mountains.

Or, if you were smart, you could take the Scenic Railway down and the Cableway back up - and then take the Skyway across the valley to finish off your "walk" :)

 Being unfamiliar with the route and feeling somewhat adventurous (or caffeinated?), I ended up doing Option 1 plus Option 2. As pain-inducing as it is, the hikes are awesome - a little piece of home in my new country. Minus the frequent lizard sightings of course. 

The Scenic Railway, found at Scenic World (like DisneyWorld for non-commercial type), is the steepest railway incline in the world (and they don't just mean in the Scenic World World, although that'd be a creative advertisement), descending 415m in about 5 minutes. And to what tune do you descend through rock, vegetation, and soil? The Indiana Jones theme song of course! I swear this ride was made for me. The Railway was originally used to transport shale from the Megalong Valley (I think that's a reflection of the fact that it's mega long, but that's my powerful deductive reasoning at work).

Lots of beautiful nature below, blah blah blah (really, you just have to see it), and then a slower ride up on the Scenic Cableway, passing over the remnants of a once-used rollercoaster (not even kidding). Finally, a trip across the Valley on the Skyway with a see-through glass floor (that's not scary or anything) and a 30 min walk to Echo Point - home of the Three Sisters. 

Even in Australia, I can't escape my three sisters - a special hi to Heather, Lizz and Emmy :)