Australia here we come!

5/11/12

It was a bit cloudy this morning when we were packing up but no rain. We were on the road by 9.45am and drove to Richmond and did some last minute shopping at Aldi. I wanted to drive to Penrith and take the Great Western Highway over the Blue Mountains but Mary-Anne, the great navigator she is, told us there was a connecting road just out of Richmond that connects with the Great Western Highway and bypasses Penrith.

By the time we realised there was no such road we were stuck on a narrow goat track that had more twists and turns than the Gillies Highway at Cairns and was twice as steep, and ten times longer, than the Toowoomba Range road. We straddled vertical precipices while crawling along the narrow track on top of razor back ridges with a thousand feet drop on either side and large semitrailers approaching from the opposite direction. Then there were 80 degree inclines that soared into the heavens for a 1000 metres requiring first gear to keep our forward momentum. As is always the case in life, what goes up must come down. The 80 degree inclines were replaced with 80 degree descents down near vertical strips of narrow black bitumen. It was first gear again with the motor screaming and the pistons trying their best to blow both heads off the engine and all the brake linings glowing red hot and smoking.

We would eventually make it to the bottom only to crawl up and down again and again and again for what seemed like an eternity. Eventually with melting brake disc rotors and jelly for arms and legs, Karen and I saw the light at the end of the tunnel.

The town of Mt Victoria was a sight for sore eyes. We found the first parking space opposite a beautiful park and stopped. Both of us just sat in our seats, staring straight ahead, trembling from the fear of heights and many near death experiences that Mary-Anne had put us through in the past two hours. Then Mary-Anne came up to us, wearing that Joker smile that never leaves her face and with her head wobbling from side to side said: ' Wasn't that fun!!' That was it. We both jumped out of the car and used the last remaining drops of adrenalin in our terrified bodies and grabbed her by the throat. When we both came too, Karen and I meekly walked to the toilets in the park and changed our underwear.

After allowing the brakes to cool and the engine to rest we headed off again to Katoomba. We had lunch at Echo Point and then went and viewed the Three Sisters, the vertical tramway and cable cars. Mary-Anne suggested we take a ride on a couple and that it would be fun. I can't repeat what I said in this forum.

From Katoomba we headed west across the top of the Blue Mountains with a few ups and downs, but none as hairy as coming up, until we reached the wonderful town of Lithgow. We went to the Visitor Information Centre and the very helpful young girl suggested we stay at Lake Lyell. The young girl wasn't exaggerating with her description of Lake Lyell. It really was an oasis in the wilderness. We paid for three nights then set up camp overlooking the lake and we also had power, but no water.