Mezzalira in the Melbourne Building, Canberra
https://www.theitalianplace.net.au/DELI
When we left Kingston and drove back to the City Walk area of Canberra, we noticed that although it was a Friday night and the start of the weekend, there were far fewer people out and about there compared to the vibrant Kingston foreshore area which was already pretty crowded even before we left.
We decided therefore to have a final walk along the City Walk lanes and maybe explore a little further afield.
The parrots and magpies were as noisy as ever and the golden evening light on that evening was particularly beautiful, especially as we were being serenaded by the haunting sounds of a didgeridoo musician nearby.
We stumbled on a few more insect sculptures and ran into a very persistent fellow who tried desperately to convert us to some sort of religious sect whose doctrine (if one can call it that), we were not at all clear on.
It was when we walked to a road junction that appeared to have two prominent, identical structures called the Melbourne and Sydney buildings respectively, that we spotted a charming Italian restaurant deli called Mezzalira.
There were a few little round tables on the pavement outside so we decided to sit at one and order a glass of wine and maybe a slice of focaccia.
Although it was much smaller, it reminded us both of the Re Store in Perth.
The Deli section was amazing; it brought back memories of a similar deli restaurant in Siena in Northern Italy called Sotto Le Fonti where one could buy freshly baked rolls, focaccia, pizza casareccia, mortadella, prosciutto and a vast array of excellent Tuscan salads and 'primi piatti'.
We could see that many of these same delicacies were also available at Mezzalira and for a set price we could select any five items on an antipasto plate and eat them at one of their outdoor tables without incurring a cover charge.
It was a Friday night, we couldn't treat ourselves to a special Canberra meal and drinks in Kingston for social distancing purposes so we decided that we definitely deserved this instead.
The wine was a full bodied Italian Nero d'Avola, the focaccia was so fresh that it was still warm and everything on our antipasto plates was superb.
I especially enjoyed the roasted artichokes, the caprese salad and the grilled peppers.
My trip to Italy the following month had already been cancelled but what we didn't know then was that all our other trips to Italy, France and Germany in both 2020 and 2021 would also be cancelled.
That excellent antipasto plate at Mezzalira in Canberra was the last truly authentic Italian meal we ate in a restaurant anywhere before Covid lockdowns took over our lives completely.
We couldn't get back to Sotto Le Fonti in Siena last year but our memory of that wonderful antipasto plate at Mezzalira in Canberra has proved to be so much more significant that we thought it would be at that time.
Cicada sculpture in City Walk Canberra
The sights and sounds of City Walk Canberra - it could only be Australia
Parrot above us in City Walk trees Canberra
Our table under the arches at Mezzalira in the Melbourne Building Canberra - photo courtesy of https://mezzalira.com.au/
Tom Hanks tests positive for Covid............in Sydney
https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/news/Pages/20200322_00.aspx
https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/film/2020/mar/12/tom-hanks-travels-actor-and-rita-wilsons-selfies-before-coronavirus-test
We had spent a very pleasant evening enjoying aperitivo on the banks of lake Burley Griffin in Kingston followed by dinner at Mezzalira in the Melbourne Building in Canberra.
Our pre-dinner stroll in the City Walk area with squawking parrots and cockatoos whilst listening to the faint sounds of a didgeridoo in the background is a memory we will treasure forever.
We hadn't watched any TV since arriving in Canberra so we got back to the flat later that evening, we switched it on to see whether there were any Covid updates of note that we should be aware of.
On that occasion Bondi Rescue was NOT the first programme we chanced upon, but we did see an alarming news report on a Covid 19 cluster, right in the areas of Bondi we had been to a few days earlier.
We heard that "several new diagnoses of COVID-19 had been made in backpackers in the Bondi Beach area".
Backpackers was where our Bondi breakfast café was located and where we had spent several hours on 11 March sorting out accommodation and booking our trip to Canberra.
It was also reported that "there were two recent parties in that area attended by some of those who had tested positive which may have been the cause of the recent Bondi spike".
The report continued with the following advice:
"Anyone who attended these parties or anyone who visited Bondi over the course of the past week and may have come into contact with someone who was at one of the parties, should be on high alert for symptoms of COVID-19 and immediately isolate themselves if any symptoms should develop".
"They should then seek testing via a GP or one of the newly set up COVID clinics, and tell the medical service if they attended one of the parties"
As if that was not enough Covid news for one night, we then learnt that US actor Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson, in Australia at that time, had both tested positive for Covid 19 and were being treated in isolation in a hospital somewhere in Queensland.
Although it was the first we had heard of this ourselves, it had clearly been reported a few days earlier as that news report was an update on their state of health and on possible collateral damage since their arrival in Australia the previous week.
A "timeline sourced from publicly available information of where Hanks and Wilson had been in the days leading up to their diagnoses" was referred to which included an entire day in the Bondi Beach area where they came into close contact with many fans, tourists and tour officials, any of whom may have become infected as a result.
The premier of Queensland let it be known that day that "anyone who came into contact with them should self-isolate immediately"
They were in the Bondi area on 8 March so could we have accidentally encountered anyone who shook their hands, embraced them or attended any event where they had been in an enclosed space with them for 15 minutes or longer?
If one of us had caught it, indirectly from them or from someone at one of those parties, was there a chance that we may have passed it on to someone else without realising it?
That moment after that dreadful news report in Canberra felt like our first real encounter with Covid and the experience brought home to us how easy it is to catch this virus oneself and inadvertently transmit it to others.
At that moment we really had absolutely no idea what we should do.
Should we isolate ourselves completely from that moment onwards?
Should we call a doctor to try and get a test?
Should we wait and see if we developed symptoms before doing anything else?
All our travel problems appeared to pale into insignificance compared to this new predicament we had to face and possibly deal with, so instead of calling our Travel Insurance, as originally planned, we called the emergency health line instead.
Saturday 14 March 2020
On High Alert for Covid
It only took five minutes to get through to our travel insurance Emergency Health Line the previous evening,
I explained our situation to them and how we were concerned that we may have inadvertently come into contact with Covid 19 on 11 March.
I was asked several questions about our general health and the specific circumstances of our possible Covid encounter and I was reassured that we were unlikely to have caught Covid at that time as if we had, then we would almost certainly have experienced some symptoms by that point.
At that time the incubation period for the virus was said to be three days and it was exactly three days before that we were in Bondi.
We had also not spent prolonged periods of time in an enclosed area with anyone nor had we shaken hands or embraced anyone whilst we were there.
We did touch surfaces which could have been touched by someone with the virus but after all the news reports we had seen on NZ TV the previous week, we had been washing our hands at every possible opportunity and using antibacterial gel on hands and surfaces as soon as we sat down at café or restaurant tables or whenever we used railings or bannisters in any public area.
Of course it is always possible to miss something without realising it so we also tried to consciously avoid touching our faces as much as we could.
The person I spoke to explained that based on how we had answered the questions she asked us, we would not need to self isolate at that time but we should be on High Alert and if we developed any symptoms then we should seek medical advice immediately.
When she asked us about our UK return date, I explained our travel predicament to her and how insurers appeared to have abandoned us completely even though we had paid for platinum cover.
I also told her that we had been in touch with the British High Commission and had been advised to make contact with the insurance parent company as soon as possible as they should arrange for alternative flights back for us for all or part of our journey as at least one of the countries we were due to fly back through had already closed its borders.
The person I spoke to was very apologetic on behalf of our insurers but explained that she was only authorised to provide us with medical advice on the phone line we had called her on though she could give me another number to call which was that of the parent company which called itself Travel Services LTD.
We contacted them as soon as I finished talking to her and the person I was eventually put through to apologised profusely for the fact that we had felt abandoned by them that week but all travel insurance companies everywhere were being overwhelmed with emails and calls from stranded holidaymakers whose flights had been cancelled and they had no idea how they would get back home.
He also explained that cases were being dealt with in order of urgency.
Although we had already experienced flight postponement and cancellation, we were in a safe country with comparatively low numbers of confirmed Covid cases nationwide and we were not at risk of being quarantined in a government facility.
Others were not so fortunate so they were the ones being prioritised.
I explained that we could totally understand that but we would have appreciated an email or phone message explaining it to us so we wouldn't have wasted days and weeks waiting for assistance which was never going to come.
He apologised again for that and said he would ensure that we would not be overlooked again.
After quite a long discussion about flight routes and travel documents, he confirmed that alternative travel arrangements back to the UK would almost certainly need to be made for all our flights as it was unlikely that we would be able to travel back via SE Asia at all.
This was unfortunate indeed for us as all our flights back to the UK via Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam Air all included 40kg of checked baggage and 15kg hand luggage which we would probably not be able to secure on any last minute flight at that time.
He said he would look into it further and confirm this with us the next day.
He provided us with a case number and told us to call back the following evening at the same time (which would be mid morning on Saturday in the UK).
We left it at that until then but we both had the feeling that this would not be an easy situation to resolve.
From Canberra to Glebe
After yet another late night speaking to the Emergency Health Line about Covid then trying to sort out our return journey home with Travel Services LTD, we were totally exhausted and spent most of our train journey back to Sydney catching up on sleep and in my case a backlog of work which I had totally neglected.
Our first class carriage was still quite empty but we were mindful of staying as far from others as possible throughout our journey so we sat at individual seats at the front rather than at our allocated seats with a large central table in case anyone decided to join us.
The weather in Canberra when we left early that morning was sunny and warm but when we arrived in Central Station a few hours later, we found a deluge.
Airbnb had arranged for us to stay in Glebe for the next two nights which was an area of Sydney adjoining Newtown where we had stayed when we first arrived in December.
Our plan that day was to take a metro to Redfern station, which was the closest to Glebe then a taxi from there to our accommodation.
When we exited Redfern Station we were told that we had to walk to the High Street to flag down a passing cab as there was no taxi rank at that station..
That in itself was not a problem at all as we were not so heavily laden with luggage that we couldn't manage a short walk from that station exit to the High Street; in fact we even considered walking all the way from Redfern to our accommodation.
The problem was that once we left the station the rain started coming down so powerfully that within minutes we were completely soaked.
We hadn't seen rain like that for a long time if ever.
It didn't feel like normal rain at all, no, this felt like buckets of water being tipped over our heads from a great height.
Australia doesn't do things by halves when it comes to weather.
When we did eventually manage to flag down a cab, I am sure the driver hesitated when he saw how wet we were.
Luckily he did not drive away and managed to get us to our accommodation in about 10 minutes.
We had been told that we would need to enter our flat via the back gate and the key would be accessible via a mini key pad safe near the front door.
We would therefore never need to come into contact with our landlords at all whilst there, even though our studio adjoined the main house which is where they lived.
The studio flat was small but newly refurbished and super clean.
A hot shower was just what we needed and changing into warm, dry clothes was paramount.
We had arranged to meet our North Sydney friends for dinner later that evening.
They knew Glebe quite well and had planned to take us to a restaurant they had eaten at several times not far from our accommodation.
A good rest, a cup of tea and watching a TV news update is how we spent the rest of that afternoon; while outside the rain was coming down so heavily that the deluge appeared to be rapidly turning into a flood.
A very different Sydney experience from the heat and drought of December and January.
Queanbeyan - suburb of Canberra which had been particularly badly affected by the wildfires earlier that year
Arrival at a wet and windy Central Station, Sydney
Rainy, overcast view of Sydney from the backseat of our cab
Overcast, rainy Sydney
Our new home in Glebe
A wet ibis outside our ‘front door’ in Glebe
Our studio apartment - small but newly refurbished and clean
Compact but well equipped kitchen in Glebe
Fabulous newly fitted shower room
Hannibals in Glebe
As the rain had been totally relentless, we wondered whether our friends should venture out at all on such a night.
We called them to explain that we would not be at all offended if they changed their minds but they told us that they were already en route and had no intention of turning back.
We did agree on our meeting them at the restaurant however, rather than their picking us up at home.
We arranged to meet at Hannibal's; a Lebanese restaurant on Glebe Point Road a short walk from our accommodation.
By the time we were ready to leave the rain had calmed down a little so the walk was a more pleasant experience than it might have been.
The abundance of wildlife in that very residential area was extraordinary and totally unexpected; we had already seen several ibis milling about in our road since our arrival and on that short walk we noticed quite a few flying foxes flitting about in the trees above us; whether this was a regular occurrence in that area of Glebe or whether the inclement weather had disconcerted these creatures in some way we do not know, but it was certainly an interesting spectacle for us to observe on that wet, overcast evening.
We arrived at Hannibal's Lebanese Restaurant punctually at 7:30 pm, our friends were already there and had managed to secure a table in a secure alcove area right by the window and entrance area.
To reduce any potential Covid risks, the main door to the restaurant was to be left open and the back door through the kitchen was also left open which on that rainy evening ensured that we all benefited from what they described as a pleasant cool breeze though to us it felt more like an icy force 9 gale; fortunately blankets were available on request if required.
The food at this charming establishment was excellent.
This particular franchise was comparatively new apparently but our friends had been to the original Hannibal's in Bondi several times since they moved to Sydney 10 years earlier.
The vegetarian meze options were all delicious which is one of the reasons it was so popular with our vegetarian friends.
We ended up sharing several vegetarian meze platters between us and my husband also ordered chicken shawarma which he said was superb.
Halfway through our meal the traditional Lebanese music playing in the background since our arrival, was turned up suddenly and a belly dancer appeared in full traditional dress including bells on her fingers and sewn into her outfit.
She was actually very good and a pleasure to watch but when she started inviting people to join her on the makeshift dance floor (essentially between the tables), we became rather concerned.
The restaurant wasn't crowded that evening but the few family groups at the other end of the restaurant were all good sports and they gracefully joined in.
We realised later that those other people must have clearly been there before as they managed the tricky dance moves pretty well, but when it came to us, the two men declined gracefully so it was us two women who were forced to be good sports and join the dancer in the aisles; as expected we were less adept at the dance moves and our often futile attempts managed to cause some merriment throughout; on one occasion chefs and waiters even came out of the kitchen area to have a laugh at our expense.
I did see someone filming it which is interesting as it could well be on some random website somewhere under the 'most embarrassing dance' category or similar.
It was a great evening though and our friends messaged us a few weeks later after the entire world went into lockdown to say that they were so glad they didn't cancel it; they had thought about it but were really pleased that they decided to keep the booking.
It has certainly been an amusing memory to look back on.
At the end of the evening we discovered that they had parked their car near a little park around the back of our accommodation so we all walked back together.
We hadn't spotted that park before but though small, there were lots of trees, flowers and shrubs so we could now see why there was so much wildlife in that area.
After such a horrible rainy day, we were surprised to see a clear sky and a bright half moon on our walk home; it all augured well for our long hike in the Blue Mountains the next day.
Flying foxes in Glebe
Pretty parkland at the end of our road in Glebe
Belly dancer at Hannibal’s Lebanese restaurant in Glebe
Excellent dancer at Hannibal’s Lebanese restaurant in Glebe
Case Number not recognised
We were hoping to have an earlier night that evening after the many late nights spent on long phone calls since our return from New Zealand but we had been asked to call back Travel Services LTD so they could advise us accordingly on our return journey.
We managed to get through relatively quickly but when I quoted the case number I had been given the previous evening I was told that there was no record of it on the system at all so it was as if everything we had discussed regarding our return trip home had never happened.
I asked the person I spoke to whether there were any recordings of conversations with stranded tourists calling insurers for assistance and whether the conversation we were having at that moment was indeed being recorded.
She replied that it was and that she would look into that for me and email me about it the following day.
I heard her words and I know she meant everything she said to me but I also knew that I would not receive an email from her nor would they know who we were if we called back the following day.
It was clear to us then if it hadn't been before that every section of our travel insurance company, parent company and all, was totally overwhelmed with the demands being made on them at that time.
One thing said to me by the operative I had spoken to the previous evening came to mind at that point and that was that we were in a safe country where Covid infection rates were still relatively low and health care was reliable and readily available if required.
There were undoubtedly many others in more vulnerable positions than us where immediate repatriation would be paramount.
With that in mind, our case (with or without a number), would be filed in the non-urgent file and would not be looked at again.
We would need to decide for ourselves what we should do next and expect no help or assistance from anyone.
Sunday 15 March 2020
3 days in Belmont South
Although it was pretty cold that night in Glebe, I managed to pile on enough cushions on my side of the bed in addition to the duvet they provided us with, so I managed to warm up in the end.
Annoyingly our sleep was interrupted by possums rummaging in the bins outside our front door; at first I thought it was vandals trying to break in but after a while I opened the door and saw two possums scuttling away with our discarded sandwich packaging in their mouths.
We had arranged to meet our North Sydney friends at 8:00 am at the vegan breakfast café not far from Hannibal's on Broadway in Glebe.
It was opening as we arrived so we bought ourselves a coffee and a croissant which we consumed outside whilst waiting for our friends to join us.
Those vegan croissants were so large and dense that we only managed half of one between us, our friends were very happy to share the rest when they arrived.
The drive from Glebe to the parking area in Katoomba took just under two hours from the café in Glebe.
We used the journey time wisely as we booked Airbnb accommodation in an area called Belmont South near Newcastle from 16 to 18 March.
Australia was beginning to lock down; monuments, shopping centres, museums were all closing shop until further notice and schools would be closing later that week.
We thought that rather than extend our stay in Bondi, after news reports of yet another Covid cluster, it would be safer to spend the few days before our flight home in a more remote location if we could.
We would have to return to Sydney later that week so we could prepare for departure on the 20th but staying elsewhere until then felt like the right thing to do.
We chose Belmont South as it was close to where my former colleague grew up.
When we met her and her two little girls in Coogee earlier that summer, she thought we would like it there.
I had called her the previous afternoon and she suggested it as a perfect location to sell isolate in; she described it as picturesque, quiet and teeming with interesting wildlife which she knew would fascinate us.
Belmont South was a short drive from both Newcastle and the Hunter Valley, one of the first wine regions in Australia.
We had already hired a car from 18 to 20 March; so all we needed to do in the morning was arrange to collect the car on the 16th rather than on the 18th which we didn't think would be a problem at all.
We found a very reasonably priced studio apartment right on the lake in Belmont South which appeared to be an annexe to the main house where the landlords lived.
We reserved it online in the usual way but we also emailed our Airbnb contact about it to ensure it would definitely be available and was not likely to cancel at the last minute.
We knew that we would need to dedicate much of that following week to sorting out alternative flights home if Singapore and Vietnam closed their borders as the person at Travel Services LTD said they might that coming week.
We would need to contact the British High Commission again the following day to ask for further clarification on that.
But on that day we would enjoy our time in the Blue Mountains.
We really needed a day of clarity and fresh air to help us cope with the challenging week ahead
It was certainly the perfect choice for self isolation tourism but also one of the best experiences of our entire trip
Two nights in stunning lakeside location in Belmont South booked as our final mini break in Australia
Hiking in the Blue Mountains
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Mountains_(New_South_Wales)
"The Blue Mountains are a mountainous region located on the borders of Sydney's metropolitan area in NSW".
"Its foothills start about 50 kilometres west of the state capital, close to Penrith on the outskirts of the Greater Sydney boundary".
"Officially the Blue Mountains region is bounded by the Nepean and Hawkesbury rivers in the east, the Coxs River and Lake Burragorang to the west and south, and the Wolgan and Colo rivers to the north".
"Geologically, it is situated in the central parts of the Sydney Basin".
"Historically, the Blue Mountains were inhabited for millennia by the Gundungurra people, now represented by the Gundungurra Tribal Council Aboriginal Corporation based in Katoomba, and, in the lower Blue Mountains, by the Darug people, now represented by the Darug Tribal Aboriginal Corporation".
"The Gundungurra creation story of the Blue Mountains tells that Dreaming Creatures Mirigan and Garangatch, half fish and half reptile, fought an epic battle which scarred the landscape into the Jamison Valley".
"The Gundungurra Tribal Council is a nonprofit organisation representing the Gundungurra traditional owners, promoting heritage and culture and providing support for Gundungurra people connecting back to Country".
"Examples of Aboriginal habitation can be found in many places".
"In the Red Hands Cave, a rock shelter near Glenbrook, the walls contain hand stencil art from adults and children".
"On the southern side of Queen Elizabeth Drive, at Wentworth Falls, a rocky knoll has a large number of grinding grooves created by rubbing stone implements on the rock to shape and sharpen them".
"There are also carved images of animal tracks and an occupation cave".
"The site is known as Kings Tableland Aboriginal Site and dates back 22,000 years", which is truly extraordinary and a 'must see' for anyone visiting this area in more 'normal' times.
Sadly for us, our longer trip to the area in January was cancelled due to wildfires and our day trip there in March was confined to walking, hiking and a limited amount of shopping as many Covid social distancing measures were already in place.
It should be noted that the Blue Mountain range had been particularly badly hit by raging wildfires from December to February earlier that summer.
We saw evidence of that throughout our hike that day but we hadn't appreciated exactly how devastating these fires were to the flora and fauna of the region.
We did also see new shoots rising from burnt debris all over the forest floor.
Our friends assured us that within a year or maybe two at the most, it would be back to its former glory but what long-term damage would have been inflicted upon the fauna in that area, remained to be seen.
We enjoyed a long, invigorating hike that day in the Blue Mountains.
We started at the Three Sisters viewing point at approximately 10:00 am and we finished with hot chocolate in Katoomba at around 6:30 pm.
Sydney siders are fortunate indeed to have such a wonderful area of extraordinary natural beauty right on their doorstep.
Had we managed our three night break there in early January, we would have hiked along more of the trails, we would have participated in aboriginal art bus walks and we would have explored some of the other recommended activities in that area.
The main Blue Mountain attractions include:
1. "The Three Sisters near Katoomba" which is the area's most distinctive and well known natural feature: a spectacular formation of triple sandstone peaks scoured by erosion, whose rocks are spectacularly lit by the changing light at all times of day".
It is a wonderful sight to behold and totally deserves its status as "one of Australia's most photographed landmarks".
It reminded us of the imposing stacks on the Great Ocean Road, except here the three 'sisters' appear like three sunlit candles immersed in a faint blue eucalyptus haze, which gives this mountain range its name.
2. "The Edge Cinema where visitors can enjoy a panoramic view of the Blue Mountains"
3. "The Giant Stairway walking track which runs down a cliff into the Jamison Valley and provides access to nature walks through the valley".
4. "The Jenolan Caves, a series of limestone caves south west of Katoomba".
5. "The Katoomba Scenic Railway, an incline railway now used for tourism, and originally part of the Katoomba mining tramways constructed between 1878 and 1900".
"The incline railway descends 415 metres through sandstone cliffs, via a rock tunnel with a maximum gradient of 52 degrees". It sounded a little like the incline railway we had been on in Wellington, it would have been interesting to have experienced it.
6. "Also, at that location are the Scenic Skyway, a glass-bottom aerial cable car that traverses an arm of the Jamison Valley, and the Scenic Cableway, the steepest aerial cable car in Australia".
7. "The Norman Lindsay Gallery and Museum at Faulconbridge, operated by The National Trust of Australia, located inside the former Norman Lindsay homestead, Springwood".
8. "The Toy and Railway Museum at Leura".
9. "Knapsack Viaduct, also a location where the Bell Miner Bird can often be heard".
10. "Lennox Bridge, Glenbrook, on Mitchell's Pass which may be hiked (downhill) from Blaxland to Emu Plains (8 km)".
11. "Valley Heights Locomotive Depot Heritage Museum".
12. "The Zig Zag Railway: A steam-powered railway near Lithgow".
13. "A popular way to visit the Blue Mountains is by coach", as we had arranged to do in January which sadly had to be cancelled due to wildfires.
14. "The last remaining apple orchard on the Shipley Plateau".
15. "The Explorers tree, next to the Great Western Highway, west of Katoomba".
16. "The Prime Ministers' Corridor of Oaks, at Faulconbridge, near the Great Western Highway".
17. "Red Hands Cave in the Blue Mountains National Park near Glenbrook is one of the best examples of Aboriginal art in the area".
18. "Lincoln's Rock in Wentworth Falls, New South Wales offers spectacular views of the Jamison Valley".
"Formerly known as Flat Rock, it was named after Australian mountaineer Lincoln Hall in 2013".
Although we were not able to do most of what was on the list printed above, we enjoyed every minute we spent in the Blue Mountains that day.
Unlike our friends we did not have perfect foot ware for such a serious mountain hike so I did fall over on one occasion when I took my eyes off the trail to admire the wildlife but it did not deter from my overall enjoyment of that truly wonderful day.
I lost my footing just as I thought I saw a Lyrebird in the trees above us but I wasn't 100% sure.
It was my husband who managed to spot one crossing the path ahead of us a few minutes later..
Our friends had been on Blue Mountain hikes on several occasions before and although they had heard them in the trees above them, they had never actually seen one.
My husband was lucky indeed to have spotted one on his very first Blue Mountain hike.
We would recommend a day or a mini break in the Blue Mountains to people of all ages.
We certainly hope we will make it back there ourselves, in less challenging circumstances, in the not too distant future
The Three Sisters in the Blue Mountains
View from Echo Point Katoomba
Blue Mountain stack with blue haze in the background
Blue Haze view from Echo Point
Names of Blue Mountain peaks and features
Sweeping valley view in Blue Mountains
The Three Sisters and glorious valley view with blue haze clearly visible
Beautiful blue mountain view from our bush walk that afternoon
At one of the view points on our hiking trail
Gum tree shedding its bark on our hiking trail
Magnificent views of the valley below us
Leura
https://bluemountainstoursydney.com.au/attractions/leura/
Had we been able to stay longer in the Blue Mountains, the picturesque town of Leura is one of the places we had considered staying.
This charming little town is full of wonderful holiday activities to choose from after a day of hiking and fresh air.
It is the perfect 'après hike' location, with amazing dining options, walking tours, and public gardens to visit.
"Many people flock to Leura in the summer months to take advantage of the town’s festivals, varied markets and boutique shopping.
I bought two jars of locally produced honey at a modest looking stall with what appeared to be a super friendly cockatoo sitting on the wall nearby.
The honey was delicious: we managed to get one jar back to the UK and enjoyed it over several months during last year's lockdown, the other we gave to our friends, thanks to whom we managed to see that area at all.
We also bought candles, incense, and tea towels as souvenirs for various friends which we ended up keeping as we still haven't seen most of our friends due to lockdown restrictions.
Leura is the perfect mid-way point on a day's exploration of the Blue Mountain trails and definitely a wonderful place to stay for a longer holiday there.
Things to do and see in Leura
1. "Everglades Gardens is one of the town’s most popular must-see locations.
"These gardens are a fantastic example of showcasing the local bush in the area, as well as the diverse design from international visions".
"The inspirational gardens were created in the 1930s by a Danish-born landscaper who took Australian local bush and paired it with European-style landscapes".
"With twelve and a half acres to roam, there’s a place in the garden for everyone".
"You could pack a picnic lunch, visit a tearoom, or catch a play at the outdoor theatre, and experience the very popular garden in all of its glory".
"The garden also hosts a Shakespeare festival over the summer months, showcasing local artists in its very own natural gallery, with acres and acres of beautiful flowers".
2. "Another main attraction just outside of town is Sublime Point",
"Popular with photographers and hikers, this area offers extraordinary panoramic views of the Jamison Valley below".
"On a clear day, you can see the famous Three Sisters to the west as well as the famous blue eucalyptus haze which gives the area its name"
3. Leura has many great walks and views right on its doorstep.
These include Leura Cascades, Gordon Falls, Leura Forest, Sublime Point, Dardanelles Pass, Leura Falls, Jamison Lookout, the Pool of Siloam and Fortress Rock.
Details about these walks and more can be viewed at the Wild Walks website and Blue Mountains Australia website.
4. The town of Leura is a fantastic weekend getaway in its own right
Shopping is a highlight in this Edwardian-styled village, with unique boutiques and one-of-a-kind gifts.
Some of the shops have even been converted from old cottages into single clothing stores.
There is even a shop in a church! But shopping isn’t the only highlight of Leura.
5. The food ranges from Indian to Japanese to casual cafes to fine dining with breathtaking views of the valley below.
Leura is not only known as being a little town in the Blue Mountain region, but it also sets itself apart with its sense of style and comfort that is unparalleled in the region.
Our friends showed us their two favourite restaurants there on our walk around town and they were both in attractive Edwardian establishments which reminded us of similar Edwardian establishments back in the UK
Events and Festivals
Leura Gardens Festival featuring glorious cool climate spring gardens, showcasing a particularly wide range of styles and sizes, comprising new, returning and several old-favourite gardens, is something we would have loved to have seen had we been there at the right time.
The gardens of Leura are famous for their magnificent displays of azaleas, rhododendrons, dogwoods, camellias and other cool-climate exotics, as well as flowering annuals, perennials and bulbs.
The blaze of springtime colour in the gardens attracts visitors from all parts of Australia and overseas.
It would have been a perfect excursion for us had we been there in different times.
Yulefest Winter Magic is a sustainable, vibrant, annual community winter solstice celebration of the arts and creativity centred on Katoomba Street.
We believe our friends went to this the previous December and said it was wonderful and definitely worth recommending to anyone in the area at that time.
‘Pet’ cockatoo on the wall at our honey stall in Leura
Blue Mountain view on our approach to Leura
Very friendly cockatoos at the local produce stall in Leura
Wonderful wet forest fern tree trail from Leura
Fern tree forest view with eucalyptus blue haze in the horizon
A glorious sea of greenery all around us
Why they are called the BLUE mountains
Fern trees on our wet forest trail from Leura
Beautiful red tailed black cockatoos as seen on our blue mountain bush walk
Noisy black cockatoos in the trees above us
Unexpected opening into the valley below on our wet forest bush walk
The pretty town of Leura in the Blue Mountains (photo courtesy of https://visitbluemountains.wordpress.com/tag/leura/)
Katoomba
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katoomba,_New_South_Wales
https://amp.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jan/24/lyrebird-threatened-species-scale-bird-habitat-bushfires-emerges
"Katoomba is the chief town of the City of Blue Mountains in New South Wales, and the administrative headquarters of Blue Mountains City Council".
It is where our hike started that day and also where it ended with a delicious hot chocolate at the Blue Mountains Chocolate Company in Lurline Street.
"Katoomba's main industry is tourism based on its location and spectacular mountain scenery".
We started our day at Echo point where we first saw the rock formation known as the Three Sisters.
Echo Point is about 2 kilometres south of the main town, which judging by the number of hotels, guest houses and B and Bs everywhere, is clearly very popular with tourists and holiday makers all year round.
"Other features of the Jamison Valley visible from Echo Point include Mount Solitary and the rock formation known as the Ruined Castle", which we also admired that day.
We then walked from Echo Point to the Giant Stairway which provides access to a number of nature walks through the Valley.
Although we walked for several hours that day, we were assured that ours was a comparatively short walk compared to some of the longer more challenging trails in the area.
Notwithstanding the fact that time constraints limited our hike substantially, what we did see was totally spectacular.
"The local geography includes extensive areas of dense warm temperate rainforest, hanging swamps and a series of waterfalls" not to mention the glorious views over the valley whenever we came close to the cliff edge or an opening in the woodland trail.
"Forests of eucalyptus and gum trees grow in that area".
"All four different types of eucalyptus trees cover the hills, mountains, valleys, canyons, and plateaus".
"These eucalyptus forests emit a huge amount of oils into the atmosphere".
"When eucalyptus oils, dust particles, and water vapour combine, as the sunlight hits, it creates an optical illusion of a blue haze"
"The light allows the eyes to see the blue pigments in the atmosphere".
Although it was autumnal and overcast when we were there, the blue haze was clearly visible throughout the day whenever we had a distant view across the eucalypt valley.
Of course these eucalyptus forests are particularly susceptible to forest fires; we saw evidence of that ourselves from December to February but what we didn't know then was that those fires were among the worst ever experienced in the Australasian continent.
"Almost 80 species across Australia lost more than a third of their habitat in those catastrophic fires."
"The Superb Lyrebird, famous for its ability to mimic almost any sound, may have plunged from being a common to a threatened species after its three varieties lost more than half of their known habitat in the 2019/2020 Blue Mountain bushfire crisis".
"A preliminary analysis by Birdlife Australia found that both the central and northern lyrebirds, located in NSW and southern Queensland, were likely to have had more than 50% of their habitat affected by fire".
"The southern lyrebird, from Victoria and southern NSW, is estimated to have had 34% of where it lives burned".
"Sean Dooley, Birdlife Australia’s national public affairs manager, said it was shocking to think that a resilient and successful wet-forest species such as the lyrebird could have become a threatened species in the space of a few weeks".
“The word unprecedented is being used all the time", he said, "but in terms of the scope and breadth of the fires, they have taken out so much habitat that what we’re discovering is our worst nightmare".
"As a one-off event it’s a disaster, but in a context of what is happening to our birds anyway, with so many under pressure from continuing land-clearing and the drought, it could be a knockout blow to a lot of species that have been suffering".
"The figures are actually frightening".
"It’s really shaken our hope that we can protect these species into the future, but we’re not giving up".
"There’s a lot of important things that can be done.”
When we read that and several other articles like it, we realised that my husband had been fortunate indeed to have seen a lyrebird so clearly on the one day we were there.
I only hope that Mr Dooley is right and that the "many important things that can be done" will indeed get done and soon - the flora and fauna of this planet; the life force which we all rely on, depends on it.
Although my fall had badly bruised my knee and had not done my back any favours, our walk through Katoomba at the end of the day was delightful.
By then it had started raining again so we were happy to find that the Blue Mountains Chocolate Company was still open and still serving excellent hot drinks with generous artisan chocolate samples.
The perfect antidote to a cold, wet autumnal evening.
Green shoots growing from burnt trees devastated in the wildfires earlier that year
One of many blackened areas of the wet forest, devastated by wildfires that summer
One of many stunning view points on our walk that afternoon
Our friends leading the way on our Blue Mountain bush walk that afternoon
A burnt section of forest creating an opening into the valley below
Grey Shrikethrush comes to greet us on our walk to Wentworth Falls
Magnificent view of the valley as we approached Wentworth Falls
Beautiful Wentworth Falls
Wentworth Falls
Photo of Wentworth Falls from circa 1910
Beautiful life size sculpture of the Blue Mountain Lyrebird near Echo Point Katoomba
The Endangered Lyrebird as seen by my husband that afternoon (Photo courtesy of https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/bird-mimics-entire-flock-woo-females-180977134/)
Hot chocolate at the Blue Mountain Chocolate Company - the perfect end to a perfect day (photo courtesy of https://australia247.info/explore/new_south_wales/blue_mountains_city_council/katoomba/blue-mountains-chocolate-company-02-4782-7071.html)
Katoomba on a beautiful sunny day photo courtesy of https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=katoomba+blue+mountains&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-gb&client=safari#imgrc=n8wYtSO0KqePaM)
Scoot Air Flight Sydney to Singapore - CANCELLED
In spite of the less than perfect weather, we had had the most wonderful day in the Blue Mountains.
After the torrential rain that we had experienced the previous day in Glebe we were grateful that our Blue Mountain experience was not marred by similar downpours on that day; in fact we only had rain in the final section of our walk from Wentworth Falls back to Katoomba.
It really had been the most enjoyable and invigorating day and for a while at least it took our minds off the challenging predicament we found ourselves in.
We were brought back to earth with a resounding bang though when we checked our emails in the car on our way back to Sydney and appeared to have received rather a cryptic message from Scoot Air advising us that unless we had approved accommodation arranged in Singapore, we should reconsider travelling there at that time.
It also said that if we were relying on connecting flights elsewhere, we should make absolutely sure that these flights would definitely be operating, if not we would need to quarantine in approved hotel accommodation for no less than two weeks at our own expense.
Although the word 'cancelled' did not appear in that message at all, for us it was clear that the airline would be taking no responsibility for any passengers who found themselves stranded in Singapore with no connecting flight and no accommodation to self isolate in.
Our connecting flight with Air Asia to KL had been cancelled weeks before by the airline, so we had already decided that we would try and change our Scoot flight from Sydney to Hanoi so we would not travel to Singapore at all; but as both Scoot Air and Vietnam Air were able to accommodate 40 plus kilos of luggage each on our tickets, we would aim to stick with them if we could, before doing anything at all we needed to be absolutely sure that our Hanoi flight to London would definitely be operating.
It was paramount that we contact the British High Commission the following day for urgent travel advice before booking any paying for any other flights.
In the meantime it would do no harm to look online for alternative flight options....just in case
BA Flight Sydney to London Heathrow - £7000 pp
We offered to treat our friends to dinner and drinks that evening as a thank you for such a wonderful day in the Blue Mountains.
They knew of a spacious gastro pub with a large outdoor seating area not far from where we were staying in Glebe which we thought we would try even though we didn't have a booking.
We needn't have worried though, far from being over booked, that pub was completely empty.
The young server was extremely pleased to welcome us there that evening.
He explained that people started cancelling lunch, dinner, even the pub quiz on Tuesday and Wednesday of the previous week after news reports on the Covid clusters in Bondi as well as in other areas of Sydney.
Covid was on the rise in Australia's major cities and people were getting worried.
A national lockdown as early as the following week had been mentioned which started the unofficial lockdown as had happened in New Zealand several weeks earlier.
But in Australia this was accompanied by the panic buying craze.
We had heard of panic buying in the UK and in other areas of the world where supermarket shelves were emptied within minutes of their being re-stocked.
That same craziness had started happening in Australia in early March and was going from strength to strength.
BBC Australia published this report when Covid numbers were still relatively low: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-australia-51702409
It was mainly toilet paper, sanitizer, all types of cleaning agents, pasta, rice, canned or frozen foods and breakfast cereals which appeared to be the main things that people were hoarding.
The Mirror reported a fight in a supermarket in Sydney over toilet paper stock piling: https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/shopper-draws-knife-fight-over-21627926.amp
We had seen evidence of stock piling in the pharmacy in Canberra ourselves, when two people alone had put over 30 packs of face masks, latex gloves and sanitizer packs into their trollies as soon as they went on display, leaving others with nothing at all.
Why these and other stock piling products were not being rationed, we couldn't understand.
This young man was not alone in worrying about the future; so many servers in bars, restaurants, pubs, cafés all over Australia were on various working visa contracts and were worried that they would soon be left unemployed, without an income, not able to pay the rent or expensive flights home and stranded without money on the other side of the world.
It was a desperate situation for everyone caught up in it everywhere.
But we decided not to dwell on it too much at that point; as much for the young server's benefit as our own.
The meal we had that evening in what turned out to be our own private gastro pub, was excellent.
I particularly enjoyed the roasted cauliflower with tahini chilli sauce and the grilled aubergine steaks with sage and thyme coulis; so much so that I have made my version of both several times since then.
We left a generous tip for our young server who had been good humoured, chatty and friendly for the entire time we were there even though he was clearly very worried about his future.
When we were back in our accommodation, I responded to the email from Scoot Air to explain that as our connecting flight from Singapore to KL had already been cancelled by Air Asia, we would rather not fly to Singapore on the 20th but we were wondering if Scoot Air could fly us straight to Hanoi instead.
We also decided to check prices of other flights back to the UK in case we did have to book new flights on another route altogether.
Many flights had been cancelled and the few available were extortionately expensive and limited passengers to a maximum of 24 kilos of luggage each.
We eventually found flights with BA via Dubai for Thursday that week which appeared to cost £700 each including the extra payment for our daughter's bags as well as ours.
Although pricey, it was much cheaper than anything else we had seen that evening so we thought it would be a good option if we could secure those flights immediately especially as the cost included all our excess baggage.
We continued with the booking process until the payment page when something very strange happened; a message in red flashed onto my screen stating that the price for that flight had now changed; I was invited to click on a link on the page below to access the new flight times and new prices.
On that page there were only two flights available from Sydney to London that week instead of two or more a day as before and the cheapest rate available for those flights was over £7000 per person NOT including any excess baggage.
That was totally shocking for us.
We appreciated that flights would be more expensive at that time due to the situation we all found ourselves in, but £7000 for economy flights was ridiculous.
It saddened me that BA was exploiting the plight of UK nationals desperate to get home to such an extent.
We would certainly NOT be booking ourselves onto those very expensive flights.
If we could not fly back on our pre-booked flights from Hanoi the following Monday, we could end up having to stay in Australia after all.
We learnt later that these were mainly repatriation flights which would have been paid for by travel insurance providers.
Not all travel insurance providers had abandoned their premium clients on the other side of the world with no assistance whatsoever.
It appeared that many others had booked and paid for their charges to return home as soon as possible from wherever they were in the world including Australia and New Zealand.
That and other BA flights that week from all over Australia were mainly populated by British Nationals returning home at the expense of their insurance providers hence the steep cost of those particular flights online.
At that point 'we abandoned all hope' of returning to the UK that week and contacted our landlord in Canberra to ask what his best price would be for a long-term rental in one of his City Walk apartments in Canberra ACT.