Our tour to the Blue Mountains west of Sydney began with a pickup at 7:30 am within two blocks of our hotel. Our first stop of the day was at the Featherdale Wildlife Park which is located approximately 40 km (25 mi) from our pickup point. The park contains Australian native wildlife and birds, as well as reptiles and marsupials. It’s also known to be one of the world's largest collections of Australian fauna.

      
      
      
    
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After lunch in the town of Leura we drove to Scenic World to ride the Cableway and Skyway for aerial views of the Jamison Valley and Katoomba Falls.

      
      
  
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Continuing on with our Blue Mountain tour, we rode the Katoomba Scenic Railway which travels a 310 metre route through a cliff tunnel before emerging on the floor of the Jamison Valley. It’s the steepest cable-driven funicular railway in the world, with the steepest incline an amazing 52 degrees.

  
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It was then on to Echo point for dramatic views of the Three Sisters, the Kings Tableland, Mt. Solitary and Narrow Neck. The name Blue Mountains is derived from the blue tinge the range takes on when viewed from a distance. The “blue” was really apparent today, due to the out-of-control wildfires burning in the not-too-distant distance.

      
      

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We finished the day with a leisurely cruise along the Parramatta River to Sydney’s Circular Quay, powering under the Sydney Harbour Bridge and alongside the Sydney Opera House.

    
    
    
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Arriving at the Quay at 6:30 pm, it was a leisurely 20 minute walk back to our hotel.

    
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