Day Sixteen The Blue Mountains (continued) (Wednesday here)

Another amazing day in the Blue Mountains. 

Shame the shoes can't tell the story.  If they could, they'd say the 16,200 steps and 86 flights of stairs were not the easiest of walking they've ever done.

We decided to go back onto yesterday's trail to visit the Leura Cascades that we'd missed. Started off at Echos Point where you get a great view of the Three Sisters. Saw there was a Three Sisters trail so headed there. 80m of very steep stairs, single track so at least you got a rest while waiting for people to pass. Amazing views and you could get right up to the first 'Sister'.  

Easy tracks, stopping to photograph the views, the rocks and the wildlife:

Came across about 6 beautiful red parrots eating on the forest floor and in the trees, also loads of lizards.  Also reached this point but Howard was too quick off the mark to take a selfie -

Continued on our way still following the signs for Leura Cascades. Somehow missed the sign that said Fern Bower, or at least the part that said, "experienced walkers only, grade - hard"!  A. 220m decent into cool rainforest.  

Very beautiful and quite eerie as no one else about.  Walked and walked and walked and still no sign of the cascades.  Up flights of steps, down more, up makeshift steps and down even more, up ladders, down frikkin ladders - half litre of water now almost gone! Eventually a clearing and water sounds very close. 

A beautiful sight - only ruined by the three people that wouldn't get out my photo!  Celebrated by eating a banana - kept in case we would never find our way out!  

Made our way out from the cascades on  an easier route. 

Walked back home, vaguely delirious.  Washed and changed - drank the statutory beer, sat on the veranda reading the guide book and discovered the Leura Cascades we visited were actually the Bridal Veil Falls!  The  Leura cascades will have to be another day!

Oh well, note to selves, buy a decent map next time and study it before we leave. What we have discovered is we aren't as unfit as we thought we were.  Off to Jervis Bay tomorrow for 5 days of recovery! Cheers, m'dears!