{"id":344,"date":"2013-01-18T07:29:48","date_gmt":"2013-01-17T23:29:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.joel.net.au\/?p=344"},"modified":"2026-06-30T10:18:34","modified_gmt":"2026-06-30T02:18:34","slug":"the-smokey-blues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/day.lat\/lon\/2013\/01\/18\/the-smokey-blues\/","title":{"rendered":"The Smokey Blues"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"View
View from National Pass Trail along cliffs of the Blue Mountains National Park, New South Wales<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Made a beeline for the famous Blue Mountains National Park just west of Sydney. After a cruisey drive down from Myall Lakes and into metropolitan Sydney, I encountered my first toll roads in Australia. Oddly enough, they didn’t have cash lanes, so I opted to set my GPS to avoid them. Sydney is a great city, but like most cities, it’s better seen without a car or gear in the back to worry about. I headed up into the mountains to see what I’ve often heard people talk about and what I regularly see out of my plane window when flying from Sydney to Perth.<\/p>\n

\"The
The Three Sisters at Echo Point in Blue Mountains National Park, New South Wales<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Skink
Skink in Blue Mountains National Park, New South Wales<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"View
View from Echo Point in Blue Mountains National Park, New South Wales<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There had been fires in the area, and there was still a bit of lingering smoke, but the Blue Mountains lived up to their reputation. There are a number of lookout points you can drive to at the top, but there are also a variety of trails that drop down to different levels of the cliffs, passing by rivers and waterfalls along the way. I took one trail recommended to me by the park staff that dropped you halfway down the side of the cliff and along a ridge past waterfalls and amazing overlooks, until you reached a very steep staircase up the other side. It was called the National Pass Trail. A really amazing hike!<\/p>\n

\"View
View of National Pass Trail along cliffs of the Blue Mountains National Park, New South Wales<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

National Pass Trail Hike<\/strong>
\n\r\n\t\t

\r\n\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t
<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t
© OpenStreetMap<\/a> contributors<\/span><\/div>\r\n\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t<\/canvas>\r\n\t\t\t
<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t
<\/div>\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\r\n\t\t