Day 5-Blue Mountains National Park  -12/30/2017

Scenic World attraction park

Scenic World is a private, family-owned tourist attraction located in Katoomba in the Blue Mountains, about 62 miles west of Sydney. There are a bunch of things to see in the Scenic world attraction park and the first thing we are going to do is to take the Scenic skyway.

The Scenic Skyway travels 2,363 ft. across the Jamison Valley providing incredible views if the three sisters and Katoomba Falls.

 

Waiting to board the Scenic Skyway.

 

 

The view from inside the Scenic Skyway is great through the large glass windows.

 

The Skyway has also  glass floor that allows views from below.  Underneath our feet is the Katoomba fall.

 

The Katoomba falls is a segmented waterfall that is located at Echo Point.

 

In the middle of the picture you can see the Three Sisters, the iconic group of sandstone rocks at Echo Point.

 

 The rock formation gets its name from a legend that says the rocks were three young sisters.  The ancient aboriginal legend tells the tale of three sisters – ‘Meehni’, ‘Wimlah’ and Gunnedoo’.

 

 These three enchanting girls lived in the heart of the Jamison Valley as part of the Katoomba tribe. Yet the girls were young and their hearts were captured by three brothers from a neighboring tribe. However the law of the land forbid the girls from following their desires and marrying outside their own people.

The brothers decided to capture the girls and carry them away to be wed.  A battle ensued as the 2 tribes clashed.  An elderly witchdoctor feared for the safety of the 3 sisters and cast a spell to turn them to stone to keep them safe from harm.  Yet, during the raging battle the witchdoctor was killed and unable to reverse the spell.

 

Another rock formation standing tall in the valley.  It is called Orphan Rock.

 

Underneath the Scenic Skyway is a dense forest.

 

 

We are now getting off the Skyway

Map showing pathway to the Scenic W

 

We saw this Orphan Rock from up above when we took the Skyway, now it is the view from the ground up.

Geologically, Orphan Rock was formed around 170 million years ago when erosion followed the planes of weakness called joints. 

 

We are now entering the Scenic walkway which is about 1,100 yards of boardwalk that runs between the railway and the cable car. 

We will be strolling amongst ancient, temperate rainforest.

 

Scenic World’s rainforest is home to many species of native flora and fauna, some dating back to the Jurassic era.

 

Protected by the rainforest canopy, the Walkway has its own microclimate quite distinct from the weather. Cool on hot Summer days, it comes to life in the rain: native birdlife becomes more vocal, colors are amplified.

 

Ribbon Gum are growned on the edges of the rain forest and in protected gullies around the cliffs, these striking white trunked gum trees are named for the Greek mythological wood nymos (Oreades) that gas long tresses if hair.

 

Gum trees shed entire branches as they grow, providing nesting holes for birds and possums where they have broken off.  The are prone to wind damage because they stick out the top of the forest canopy.

 

Interesting that these two trees demonstrate how two quite different trees can evolve to occupy exactly the same niche environment, grow at the same rate, and gain mutual support from growing so closely together.

 

 

 

 

Coachwoods are easily recognized by their distinctive bark, pale grey with dark concentric rings.  If the trunk is exposed to direct sunlight it may show pink blotching.

 

Branches that are intertwined.

 

Sassfras is one of the dominant species in Blue Mountains rainforest.  The leaves are coarsely toothed and flowers are white star shaped in cluster of three. Both the leaves and bark smell strongly.

 

 

NEXT...Coal mine/Railway/River cruise