These Boots are made for Hiking: City and Blue Mountain Tour

Aboriginal Program

I took a night train to Sydney and got in at 6 am. I bought a Discovery card which was “suppose” give me unlimited trains rides for a month. It was the premiere card so I was excited about using it. But like all things, it was not quite what it was suppose to be or advertised. My hostel in Melbourne helped me reserve a place but you can’t do it online like it advertised (you can only buy the card and pay for it online). And not having a local phone it is pretty difficult to reserve. So I was very happy that the hostel helped and called for me. It took some time as they had to find me in their system and whew they did. I got 1^st class and was happy but realized that 1^st is not a sleeper, if I want a sleeper it is an additional $88, but I did get a reclining seat but it was still uncomfortable, oh well, it was the experience right? Arriving early, the directions that were given to me by the hostel were very easy to follow and I was there in 15 minutes. Yea and the hostel was so good that they let me check in early and they even gave me a lower bunk that I requested. I put my stuff away but didn't take a nap (I would have not woken up until late and then not sleep at night), so I took a free city tour which was interesting and gave me my bearings. I am in the center of Sydney and walking to most places is within 30 minutes. It is still very cold and off and on it rained. The tour was about 2 ½ hours long and I walked a lot, but I saw a lot and took pictures, so now I will go back and see the art museum, library and the “the rocks” on another day. Today I took the Blue Mountain tour as the hostel said it would not rain today but is predicted to rain the rest of the week (oh joy). The ride to Blue Mountains was about 1 ½ hours and there was a cable car and vertical tram that you could take inside the park. The mountains were beautiful and I hike down to the bottom where they had a rain forest. Optional was an Aboriginal program which I attended and it was extremely interesting. The Blue Mountains is the home to six different Aboriginals groups: the Darkinung, Darug, Gundungarra, Dharawal, Wiradjuri and Wonarua clans. There are 250 clans and languages that make up the Aboriginals of Australia with different culture and customs but one thing they have in common is the love and respect of the land. They have not changed in over 20,000 years. This is not a primitive society; there is no slavery, no armies, prisons, empires or kings. There is no homelessness and no distinction between rich and poor. People owned what they could carry and had rights to the resources provided by the clan country they were born into. When the English arrived 200 years ago, the country was still in pristine condition, wildlife abound, the bush intact, and the water running their natural course. Captain Cook describes these people as the happiest people he had ever met. Here are my pictures of the city tour and Blue Mountain: