debby_fish

We are a family of 4 (2 adults, 2 teenagers)spending 4 days in Sydney next week and taking 1 day to go to either Blue Mountains or Jenolan Caves. Which one should we choose? We love adventure, nature, hiking etc.

Our other days will be spent Rocks to Opera House walk (courtesy Alan in prior thread), Harbor tour via day tripper pass and Bridge Climb. We will possibly go to the Toronga zoo if we have time.

I am having a difficult time deciding on what to do as there seems to be so much to do and see. Any other tips or places of interest are greatly appreciated!!

PS From there we are going to Adelaide for 4 days to visit family, then onto Cairns/Port Douglas for 6 days.

tampatramp

I'm sure the Ozzie regulars on this board will have great tips; but Jenolan caves are in the blue mtns-hence you can do both easily in one day. We took a AATKings tour including the Three Sisters, Sceinic Railway and the Skyway Cable car plus enough time at the cave (don't remember the name of the cave tour but I do remember each and every one of the 900+ steps!).

Don't skip the Bridge Climb!

The Toronga Zoo by ferry is a geeat way to see Sydney harbour.

AndrewDavid

We spent an entire day at the Jenolan Caves and would have enjoyed more time to see more caves. The caves are a long way from Sydney

AndrewDavid

debby_fish

Thanks for the tips.

Questions: tampatramp - did you feel rushed with the tour group? How many people in the group? Would you have gone on your own instead of a tour so that you could take your time?

AndrewDavid - how far are the caves from Sydney? I am guessing a 3 hour drive. Is that correct? How are the roads for driving? What day of the week would be best?

I have read threads about taking the train first then renting a car from one of the stations. At this point I am just not sure what way to go.

tampatramp

My point is: you only have one day- you could (IMO: should) do both as your original query asked. How is not that critical decision. I don't mind group touring in a bus w/ 25-30 people. We (parents+ a daughter living in Bondi) saw everything we wanted. I would have liked to stay there a few days; but no, we didn't feel "rushed" and still remember that day as one of the highlights in Sydney (2002). So was Toronga Zoo and the Bridge Climb (I'm still "coming down" from that climb: May 2006).

With 4 people, it might be more cost effective to rent a car, if you don't mind driving. We in the US drive on the wrong side of the road so I wasn't comfortable driving in Oz, even though my daughter could have borrowed a car.

You could also book a tour from the train station in Katoomba such as http://www.fantastic-aussie-tours.com.au

Any way you go, the Blue Mountains is certainly worth the drive. Jenolan caves are one of the top caves in the world (same class as Carlsbad Caverns in the US).

SnRSeattle

Hey, debby_fish, we stayed at Jenolan Caves and also did hikes, etc. in the touristy areas of the Blue Mtns. If you drive, be aware that the last bit of the road is one or one-and-a-half lanes down a real steep, twisty road. Plan to go when the busses are NOT coming up. They close the road to up traffic when the busses are coming down, so you'll be OK until around 4 pm. Too bad you don't have time to stay there, because we took a hike in Kanangra Walls about 20 k from the caves and that was a real highlight of our trip. The Blue Mountain areas around Katoomba have more hiking trails, the caves are not hiking, but interesting and not too smaltzy commentary.
Sally in Seattle

AndrewDavid

debby_fish
Not sure as we had stayed the night before chasing around the Blue Mtns looking for a friend. Speking of whom has anyone heard from or of Alan recently?

Andrewdavid

Neil_Oz

AD, something tells me that Alan has quit the city and headed into the vast inland, there to sample the country pubs that he was always wont to recommend to unwary American visitors.

I'm seldom inclined to quote A. B. Paterson, a late 19th century writer of doggerel, most famously "The an from Snowy River", but on this occasion his "Clancy of The Oveflow" seems apposite. Here it is.
------------------------------------

I had written him a letter which I had, for want of better
Knowledge, sent to where I met him down the Lachlan, years ago.
He was shearing when I knew him, so I sent the letter to him,
Just "on spec", addressed as follows, "Clancy, of The Overflow".
And an answer came directed in a writing unexpected,
(And I think the same was written with a thumb-nail dipped in tar).
Twas his shearing mate who wrote it, and verbatim I will quote it:
"Clancy's gone to Queensland droving, and we don't know where he are."

In my wild erratic fancy visions come to me of Clancy
Gone a-droving down the Cooper, where the Western drovers go;
As the stock are slowly stringing, Clancy rides behind them singing,
For the drover's life has pleasures that the townsfolk never know.

And the bush has friends to meet him, and their kindly voices greet him,
In the murmur of the breezes and the river on its bars,
And he sees the vision splendid of the sunlit plains extended,
And at night the wondrous glory of the everlasting stars.

I am sitting in my dingy little office, where a stingey
Ray of sunlight struggles feebly down between the houses tall,
And the foetid air and gritty of the dusty, dirty city
Through the open window floating, spreads its foulness over all

And in place of lowing cattle, I can hear the fiendish rattle
Of the tramways and the buses making hurry down the street,
And the language uninviting of the gutter children fighting
Comes fitfully and faintly through the ceaseless tramp of feet.

And the hurrying people daunt me, and their pallid faces haunt me
As they shoulder one another in their rush and nervous haste,
With their eager eyes and greedy, and their stunted forms and weedy,
For townsfolk have no time to grow - they have no time to waste.

And I somehow rather fancy that I'd like to change with Clancy,
Like to take a turn at droving where the seasons come and go,
While he faced the round eternal of the cash-book and the journal -
But I doubt he'd suit the office, Clancy, of "The Overflow".

debby_fish

Thanks to all for their input. After realistically looking at the time we have to spend in the Sydney area, I believe we will have to miss the Jenolan Caves on this trip.

It is our first time to Sydney and with only 4 full days including a down day to take into consideration jetlag, I just think seeing the caves will be just too much. I really don't want to spend 6 hours round trip in a car/bus to see the caves (probably end up divorced if I made my husband drive). I think we will opt for a day trip to the touristy areas of the Blue Mountains. I am a little disappointed, but we'll have something to plan for our next visit.

Tampatramp: We live in the US, Tustin. We haven't visited the caverns in Carlsbad. We have now added that to our do-to-list when we return from Aussie!!

johhj_au

Debby..a sound decision.

Neil..I like clancy...the best of the paterson and lawson and wordsworth etc we ground through at my one room primary school up in the bush

every time i meet a mild mannered,clark kent,type accountant i think of that last verse..
"the round eternal of the cash book and the journal"

I believe "the overflow" sheep station is still operating ...to the north of the lachlan,up from Condobolin.