- Travel Diaries: Australia’s Blue Mountains and Kangaroos -

Our last full day abroad took us out to New South Wales’ mountain region - the Blue Mountains. We traversed Sydney roads to an area outside the city. First stop was a little town called Leura. The charming tree lined town in the Blue Mountains was our tea and coffee break. They had the most delicious banana bread! 

With some road time before and after the Blue Mountains and a wildlife park on the agenda, I decided to wear a printed dress from Houston’s Baanou under a denim vest with a small wedge boot. We planned to do a good bit of walking in the Blue Mountains area and the weather planned to get warmer as the day went on. So, shoes on the flatter side and a light dress were ideal. My tan Marc Jacobs crossbody bag, the jade necklace I’d purchased in New Zealand, and a blue pendant necklace accessorized the outfit and complimented the colors in the dress.

After beautiful Leura, we took a scenic gondola across a canyon with a stunning view of the “Three sisters” (second photo above). Then our guide took us on another gondola down through the tropical rainforest area amidst the rocky terrain. The guide showed us various parts of the Katoomba Scenic World while walking through ancient rainforest and learning about the mining activities that used to take place. Heading back to the top we took the world’s steepest railway, held on tight, and enjoyed the dramatic cliffs.

It was time for lunch, then we went to see more of Australia’s wildlife at Featherdale Wildlife Park. There we pet koalas, chilled with a kangaroo (the relaxed dude I’m squatting by above), saw 2 Tasmanian Devils, dingos, wallabys, and so many more of Australia’s unique creatures like the blue penguins and the beautiful birds and owl above. The top photo is also at Featherdale Wildlife Park. I had a slight fear that the kangaroos would box like we would see on cartoons when we were little, but as you can see in the photos the kangaroos were way more interested in their food and each other. 

Driving back to Sydney through Sydney Olympic Park, we took a relaxing cruise along the Paramatta River. Once docked again in Darling Harbor, we enjoyed a final Australia dinner along the harbor complete with fireworks! Ending our New Zealand and Australia adventures with a bang.