Blue Mountains, Australia

The Blue Mountains sit just outside of Sydney and I joined my host parents on a day trip into this beautiful region! The Blue Mountains, a World Heritage Area, create a stunning terrain that stretches some 3,800 square miles. Sandstone plateaus and ridges divide deep gorges and canyons. Waterfalls plunge from vertical cliffs. The air is fresh and crisp. Ferns and vegetation fill the valley below. Bird species and wildlife are abundant. This region houses more than one hundred species of eucalyptus (gum tree)!

We passed the afternoon hiking around lookout points and admiring the spectacular beauty and vastness of the region. The highlight of the afternoon was a stop at the Three Sisters, a stunning rock formation based on Aboriginal legend. According to the legend, these Aboriginal sisters were turned to stone by an elder in order to protect them from battle. Sadly, the elder was killed in battle and thus the three sisters remain frozen and wait for his return.