THANK YOU EVBODY FO RI-ING SKY SAPARTY!

"THANK YOU EVBODY FO RI- ING SKY SAPARTY! HAVE A GREAT DAY!" Carson screamed at the top of his lungs at just the perfect moment on the Scenic Cableway. The guide was about to make his grand finale speech, and made the mistake of pausing to breathe as the Scenic Cableway reached it's destination in the Blue Mountains. The tram of about 40 heard this "THANK U EVBODY FO FAFAFSKASAFFFFAAAAFFFFAAARRR, HAVE A GREAT DAY!" Carson is loud, he projects very well and the tram of 40 was hysterical! I asked him later why he did it and he said emphatically, "I was ready to get off!"

The Term 'Scenic Railway' dates back to late 19th century English amusement rides at funfairs and seaside amusement parks that were, by today's standards, very tame roller coasters. They consisted of a freely running carriage on rails that was raised to the top of a slope by various means, including horse drawn, pushed manually, or later, steam driven. The carriage, which carried 8 or 10 passengers, then rolled past a series of backdrops painted with exotic scenes - usually Swiss alpine, Egyptian Pyramids, jungle scenes with tigers, elephants and so on. Hence they were known as 'Scenic Railways'. The use of the term widened as time passed and by the 1930s was readily accepted as a name for what was to become the steepest incline railway in the world, at Scenic World, Katoomba.

The Three Sisters

Getting ready for the scenic railway, he is not so sure about all of this fun and frivolity!

 The Blue Mountains are so named because, from Sydney, they look blue. They are clad in vast forests of eucalypts (commonly called gum trees), which in the hot sun discharge a fine mist of eucalyptus oil from their leaves. The mist refracts light, which makes the haze look blue at a distance. That same oil makes the Australian bush as volatile as a pine forest in a bush (forest) fire. The vapour explodes, causing the fire to race through the canopy.

Scenic World was great! If you do not think you are going to do much hiking but want to take advantage of all of the scenic rides, go after 2pm when it is discounted! Plenty of time to see everything and a good value too! A rare thing in OZ!