Yesterday I did the unthinkable. I rented a car in a country where they drive and sit on the WRONG side. After having been here for almost three weeks, I felt ready. Since day one I have been walking, turning, filing, crawling, and BREATHING on the LEFT LEFT LEFT. And it paid off. The car was in downtown Sydney, and the biggest challenge was getting back to Chris's house in East Lindfield to pick up my luggage. It went smooth as silk. In fact, I let out a little squeal of excitement and self-praise when i pulled into the driveway after maneuvering through downtown and the Harbour Tunnel without so much as a slip. It was actually rainy yesterday- but hey- driving in the rain is in my DNA.
So, I picked my stuff up (ALL of it) and headed west towards the Blue Moutains, which are about 2 hours from Sydney. And Jane was right- they are really just hills. But they have a beautiful blue mist over them that, to the unknowing, might be mistaken for smog. But oh no, my little snarklings! That mist is from the eukalyptus trees! The plan: drive to the Blue Mountains. Stay at the Flying Fox Hostel in Katoomba for two nights. Then drive back through Sydney and north to the Hunter Valley Vineyards. Spend one night there, take a winery tour, then head back towards Sydney and down the coast to the Northern Beaches for some quality time with the sand.
