Category: New South Wales

Backpacking In Australia: Leura Cascades, Bridal Veil Falls, Lyre Bird Dell, Pool of Siloam, Golden Stairs

Posted on by Jonny Blair

The village of Leura is the next stop down from Katoomba, our base while trekking the Blue Mountains. We visited Leura twice, once just to walk around the town and a dubious area called “the everglades”, and on this occasion we did the treks round Leura, which included a few waterfalls, many hikes and some Read more about Backpacking In Australia: Leura Cascades, Bridal Veil Falls, Lyre Bird Dell, Pool of Siloam, Golden Stairs[…]

Backpacking in Australia: First Impressions of Sydney

Posted on by Jonny Blair

Sydney itself is the place most people end up in Australia at some point. Yes its big and great and yes it has some amazing things to see, but don’t get caught in the “rut” of Sydney. There’s more to Australia than the city of Sydney. Although for the benefits of this post, I’ll outline Read more about Backpacking in Australia: First Impressions of Sydney[…]

Backpacking Then Living In The Land Down Under: Sweet Home Parramatta

Posted on by Jonny Blair

Ask me a year ago if I knew where Parramatta was and I’d not have had a clue. That’s why life is so unpredictable, and now I’m living in a city called Parramatta, in New South Wales, Australia!! Parramatta doesn’t even appear on most maps of Australia. It’s hardly part of Sydney, though some class Read more about Backpacking Then Living In The Land Down Under: Sweet Home Parramatta[…]

Backpacking in Australia: The Golden Stairs, Blue Mountains

Posted on by Jonny Blair

The Golden Stairs get the honour of being in my first blog post of this new decade. The Golden Stairs were first mentioned by Martine to Dan and I in the pub one night in Katoomba. It sounded interesting, and the very next day we walked past the entrance/bottom part of The Golden Stairs, on route Read more about Backpacking in Australia: The Golden Stairs, Blue Mountains[…]

Backpacking in Australia: Touring Katoomba, Three Sisters, Echo Point

Posted on by Jonny Blair

Katoomba itself is a bit special. Situated 3,336 feet above sea level, it appears to be the largest settlement in the Blue Mountains, New South Wales. I’d never heard of it until I arrived in Australia. It was mentioned in passing a few times as part of Blue Mountains trips which were organised by our Read more about Backpacking in Australia: Touring Katoomba, Three Sisters, Echo Point[…]

The World’s Steepest Railway Line, Katoomba, Australia

Posted on by Jonny Blair

If you were asked where the world’s steepest railway line was, you’d probably think it was in some mountain range in America, or even mid Europe. You’d be wrong. It’s in Katoomba, a small village in the Blue Mountains, in New South Wales. Right here in Australia. It only has two stops, two stations: the Read more about The World’s Steepest Railway Line, Katoomba, Australia[…]

Hotel Gearin, Free Art Gallery, The Edge

Posted on by Jonny Blair

** Please note that a video of the pool we played on this evening WAS MADE. But I no longer own the rights for that video and have removed it. Yes, it’s sad to delete memories from our lives on any blogs and this is the first time I’ve had to do it, but please Read more about Hotel Gearin, Free Art Gallery, The Edge[…]

Philadelphia Grand Jury Live in Katoomba

Posted on by Jonny Blair

Live music often helps you have a good night – but this was an unexpected rock gig in the middle of The Blue Mountains – one that we didn’t even know about as we paid to get in. We were staying in Katoomba, in the Blue Mountains Central Backpackers and had been out one night Read more about Philadelphia Grand Jury Live in Katoomba[…]

Thirsty Thursdays: Halloween Night in Sydney, Australia

Posted on by Jonny Blair

Halloween in 2009 crept up very slowly and took us all by surprise, especially in this new land and new environment – life in Sydney. As a child Halloween had always been special. Living in Kilmaine in Bangor, Northern Ireland Halloween meant Church Services, Remembrance Day, Harvest, School Plays, Guy Fawkes Night and fun for Read more about Thirsty Thursdays: Halloween Night in Sydney, Australia[…]

Blackheath, Govett’s Leap, Evan’s Lookout, Pulpit Rock

Posted on by Jonny Blair

Blackheath was another planned day out in our last few days in The Blue Mountains. We had pretty much exhausted the entire area of a hat-trick of villages: Leura, Katoomba, Wentworthville. Next one down on the map was Blackheath. Living in Australia I have noticed so many different place names stolen from the UK. I Read more about Blackheath, Govett’s Leap, Evan’s Lookout, Pulpit Rock[…]