A TRIP TO THE BLUE MOUNTAINS

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 226, 24 September 1938, Page 24 (Supplement)

A TRIP TO THE BLUE MOUNTAINS

Thrills on the Scenic Railway Dear Sunbeams— One day we decided to leave busy, bustling Sydney behind us, and so off we set by train for Australia's famous Blue Mountains. Now f when I was a very iittle girl, I was taken one day to see a tt e a' e a had been told by the grown-ups was emerald green in colour. I had heard oh, such a * u a 1 lake, and I quite expected that it would be as brightly green as my own tam-o -shanter. Of course, I was bitterly disappointed. The bluey-green lake looked just like the- ocean on a cold winter day—not one whit greener. So when later on I read in my geography book about the Blue Mountains or Australia, 1 thougi t. "They're prcbably just ordinary mountains—not a bit blue really. Which just shows how wrong I was. We did the trip of sixty-seven miles in one of the fastast mountain climbing trains in the world, and when we left the gum forests behind and the mountains were before us, I was almost too astounded to speak, ror the Blue Mountains really are blue—a lovely misty purply blue that is quite enchanting.

When the train arrived at Katoomba, a township situated high up on one of the mountain spur*, we scrambled out very quickly you may be sure, and oh ! dear, how ccld it was. It had been snowing in the mountains during the past few days and snow was heaped along the railway tracks.

We had lots of exciting adventures up in the mountains, and undoubtedly the best of all was the trip in the scenic railway, down a steep mountain side 1 300 feet into a bsautiful gcrge. What a thrill tiiat was foi i.ie twelve of us who had ventured into the cable truck. Elsewhere on this page you will see a picture of this little truck and perhaps you will be able to realise how fearful I felt as we rumbled down the mountain side.

The scenic beauties of the Blue Mountains are so numerous that it is quite impossible to tell you of them in this letter. I know, however, that you would all have specially liked Echo Point. The view one obtains from this point is considered the grandest natural sight on the Blue Mountains. Here the visitor stands facing the west and gives a long, loud cooee. Would you believe it, a full two minutes later, faint and far away, the echo returns from the depths of Kanimbla Valley? Tins echo is one of the most remarkable in the world. More Australian news next week, Sunbeams—