We visited the Blue Mountains, but according to Emma they were the Bluish Green Mountains. You can always count on a four year old to correct something that was "incorrectly" named... "But mom, they aren't blue mountains, they are bluish green." Anyways, it was the first weekend in October, so that means Labour Day weekend in Australia, which meant a three day weekend to us and a nearly mandatory reason to travel somewhere.
Here are the Bluish Green Mountains mom!
We decided to ask some fellow expat friends to join us on the short weekend away and were excited when they took us up on the offer. It was the perfect excuse to not go all that far away, but rent a great house so the kids could have plenty of time running around and playing while the parents got time to relax and catch up as well.
We stayed in the cute, touristy town of Wentworth Falls and just like all the other "mountain" towns it was packed for the long weekend (side note for newer fellow expats - when there is a long holiday weekend that falls during school holidays, you can be guaranteed that every possible place/thing you can think about doing is going to be absolutely packed, plan accordingly). The Blue Mountains always has a high likelihood of being busy too as it is both a prime weekend away destination from Sydney as well as a do-able day trip at only about a 1.5 hour drive to many of the highlighted locations.
After a late arrival Friday evening and a confirmed windy, cold, wet weather forecast for Saturday we decided to make the Jenolan Caves our destination for the day. It was another 1.25 hour drive west from where we were at in the mountains. The dreary weather and the scenic rolling green hills and valleys actually made it a really enjoyable drive for us as it reminded it of one of our favorite places we've visited together, Ireland. So we cranked up the Irish music until we got to the last 15 km or so of the drive when the road turned into an extremely windy, narrow (somehow still two-way), and steep white-knuckled sort of a drive where we just held our breath until we arrived at our destination safely only having to pull aside once for a car going the opposite direction.
With a 5, 4, and 2 year old and 7 month old in tow we opted for the cave tour that was most well-suited for young children called the Imperial Cave. There was something like 20 different tours through various parts of these limestone caves. Our 45 minute tour was quite impressive as we wove our way through various formations down to a natural stream running through the caves. I was quite thankful after the fact for the excuse that we had the kids along and didn't do one that was smaller or involved crawling - although I don't consider myself claustrophobic, I really don't like to think about the logistics of being deep into a cave for very long...
Narrow bridge crossing over the river in the cave
In the depths of the cave
The photos don't portray how beautiful it was inside!
While the cave tour itself I found quite interesting and the surrounding scenery beautiful, all in all, I felt like the whole area was perhaps a little over hyped. Maybe I'm just not enough into caves and stalactites, stalagmites or any other "mite" or perhaps the drive in had seemed a little more arduous than we would have liked. Or maybe we were just tired of telling the 4 and 5 year olds with us to stop touching each other (aka you don't have to hug each other every second).
What two girls that won't stop holding each other the whole weekend looks like (note I think our daughter is really the one that won't let go of the other one in all these photos)....
So after a typical overpriced tourist-destination lunch, the cave tour, bribed hot chocolates after the tour, and then a promise of finding a playground that seemed to no longer exist we decided to head back. Unfortunately as we started to exit we discovered the "two-way" road we came in on was suddenly closed due to a tree falling over. There was one other road that led us out the exact opposite way and added an extra 30 minutes to our drive back. On the plus side, the extra 30 minutes in the car did not seem near as bad as the grueling ride that a team of cyclists was enduring to bike up and out of the deep valley that the caves were in.
I love sign spotting when we travel, but I need help here Australians - what are slides?!
This was Steve's favorite of the trip...
We played it low key the rest of the evening, let the kids run crazy at the house, enjoyed a great dinner with good wine compliments of our friends, and made up for a late night the day before with an earlier bedtime for all (trust me, no one wants to travel with crabby children and parents).
Super mum
Sunday morning came (with one less hour of sleep as well thanks to "springing ahead" with daylight savings - yes it's so strange that we spring ahead here while our stateside friends and family fall back in a few more weeks time) with much better weather. We were excited to explore the family-friendly tourist trap of the Blue Mountains, Scenic World. When we arrived in the town of Katoomba our GPS navigated us some funky back road way to Scenic World and I started to think perhaps for some crazy reason that it wouldn't be too busy. I was wrong. Upon turning the corner we were welcomed to the mecca of tourist buses and an employee pointing us to the overflow parking lot. Turns out a few other people had the same idea as us.
Oh well, we still enjoyed it. After making our way in via the gift shop (a really good tourist destination always ensures you have to both ENTER and EXIT through it), we headed first to the Scenic Railway where we were told the line was the shortest. I'm still not sure why it's called the "Scenic" Railway as it is touted as the steepest passenger railway in the world (it was originally built at a 52 degree angle). Now with modern technology you can opt to ride more "laid-back" or "cliffhanger" style. It drops 206 meters and is 415 meters in length and travels through a short tunnel. We were all set for what we expected to be a scenic, steep ride down into the valley. But in what I might term, typical Australian fashion, there was a rather lack of acknowledgement (really none at all) that it would drop quickly, suddenly into pitch blackness before slowing down slightly and coming out of the tunnel for quick glimpses of the scenic views.
How do you ride??
Just before...
Oh this is going to be a lovely leisurely ride!
While I often think American style rides and attractions are over the top with warnings, it is what was ingrained in my upbringing. Many times I have found myself feeling a little refreshed in other countries by the acknowledgement that people need to be a little more responsible and aware of their surroundings, and if they don't? Well it's their own fault, not anyone else's fault. However, there are times, like this one, where perhaps I would have just appreciated a tiny bit of warning by one of the three employees that walked by and talked to us and our kids while we were waiting in our line and clearly recognized that "we're not from around these parts." You know, just a little cautionary, you'll need to hold onto the little ones because we don't have seat belts and it's a pretty steep scary drop for some of them. Oh and perhaps you shouldn't let them all sit next to each other with only one adult in the same row (who happens to also have a baby attached to her body, aka me).
After the drop it was in fact scenic and I grabbed my phone quick enough to snap a video
I really do say all this in good humour (look at that - I'm even using the Australian spelling for certain words these days), we had fun and the majority of us would have ridden the scenic railway again if the line wasn't out the door. So from there we did a short "bushwalk" through part of the valley before taking one of the cable cars back up and out of the valley. We also enjoyed the glass bottom scenic airway across the valley. This was perhaps my favorite as the views were spectacular as we glided through the sky.
Testing out the original scenic railway car, thank goodness ours was fully enclosed!
On the other side of the valley we found another great lookout point and took a short walk to a beautiful waterfall. It was the perfect one to jump rocks across and splash in the basin. The kids especially enjoyed a great time exploring before we called it and took one last ride across the valley to find a late lunch.
View of the Three Sisters
Orphan Rock
It's all fun and games until someone falls in... and in fact a little later Emma did just that (luckily only her foot)
And so it begins - trying to get four people to look at the camera at the same time!
With many of us in need of a nap we enjoyed the rest of the afternoon back at the house and out of the crowds. The weather was picture perfect and we were able to make use of a gorgeous backyard, something that has become a novelty for us now, as a proper yard in the city of Sydney is a luxury few enjoy and if they do they are lucky for it to be the size of a postage stamp. The extra hour of sunlight at the end of the day also was key and a BBQ for dinner was the ultimate sign that summer is on the way.
Steve practicing with three cheeky monkeys
Come Monday morning we said goodbye to our friends as they needed to make their way back home a little earlier than us. After Emma got over the fact that she was just stuck again with mom, dad and sister we decided to navigate to a few various lookout points throughout the mountains.
The Jamison Valley
Wentworth Falls lookout
The falls
Emma smile!
It was a windy day, but we still had a great time as well exploring a beautiful park and playground that was near the house we stayed. Emma got to feed ducks and play pirates with daddy while Morgan thought just watching the other kids play was a hoot.
Standing back and hoping Emma doesn't hurl her body into the water with the bread for the ducks
We ended our trip in the town of Blackheath and probably the best views of the trip at Govett's Leap Lookout. While Emma didn't appreciate the views and was tired of being asked to take photos, she briefly humored us. From there it was another late lunch and we made the relatively quick and easy drive home.
Govett's Leap Lookout and lots of obligatory family photos...
So beautiful with the waterfall too!
This girl is quickly becoming Australian and she couldn't keep her hands off the calamari that Emma and I were sharing!
It was a great holiday weekend. Relaxing, fun with friends, and beautiful views of "mountains" (still not sure you can quite call it mountains). And a nice change from our sometimes over-scheduled stay in a different hotel every night type of trip. You know, because staying in the same place too long really isn't our thing.
Last year there was no September 28. Maybe for most of the world's population there was, but not for us. Those of you who have flown across the International Date Line, you know what I'm talking about. It's that weird scenario where you literally time travel and lose a day of your life. Most people get that day back a week or a month later when they fly back east across the Pacific. But not us, we are still here, having been shorted one day out of our 2015. But let's just say, we're not crying over it. The decision to have one day less has been a pretty good one as I sit back and reflect over the past year.
This is the look. Yes, the look that says we've been in transit for about 20 hours and there's still
6 more to go?! How many more times can I watch Cinderella?!
So, SO much has happened. You know, we moved across the world and had a baby, just the typical year. When I meet new people I often get a look of "wow, you moved across the world pregnant." And then I tell them I did it once before too. And then that's when they look at me like I am actually crazy, especially if they've never done anything like it. And then I look at them and say, actually both times it's been one of the best experiences of my life. Has it been easy? Absolutely not. Has it been worth it? So worth it, and then some.
Any expat knows this feeling in the airport too well...
If I could use one word to describe the past twelve months, it would have to be blessed. I have, for what I would say the most part "successfully" played the part of my family's relocation agent with significant help from my husband (I mean, I might have been the one to pack the 30 boxes and 6 suitcases, but someone had to lift them into the car and unload them at the Fedex office for the pregnant lady... among a small fraction of other things that had to be done to get us here). I left a more than full time office job to tackle a more than full time stay at home job with Emma and then a few months later added Morgan to my daily responsibilities (albeit no pay increase). Most days I simply try to take a minute to realize how lucky I am to watch my little Swiss Miss and my little Aussie grow up right before my very eyes. And before my very eyes I observe and wonder if it is possible that their personalities are a direct reflection of which country they were born in too?!
Great friends back in St. Louis wished us well in our new country!
I have made more new friends here than I could have ever imagined. And not just casual acquaintances, but seriously people I can talk to like I have known my entire life. Emma has friends of so many different nationalities, yet she doesn't even think twice about it as she lists off which countries they are from. She loves her new preschool, but still remembers her old one fondly too.
New friendships, new traditions!
Emma is one lucky and very loved girl here too!
Steve once again has plentiful public transit options to get to work (even the ferry sometimes) and is happy to at least not have to drive in rush hour traffic himself. We can drive 10 minutes to one of Sydney's best beaches, possible the best beach for families with young children. And while I like to complain about the fact that we don't have air conditioning or heat, the even better fact is that we live somewhere with such a temperate, beautiful climate that many days, just like today, there is absolutely no need to have either one. In the same manner while my friends back in the Midwest sometimes wonder how we could possibly be living in a two bedroom apartment, it really isn't that big of deal. Sure, would it be nice to have a little more space? Absolutely. But is it a necessary part of life (even with two young children)? Absolutely not. Instead, we get outside, we explore, meet people and experience life.
Sunrise at Balmoral
Looking back on the city from Cremorne Point
But do you know what one of the best parts of the past year has been? Finding a church and community that is better than we could have ever asked for. People that welcomed us, even when we opened our mouths and out came that Yankee accent. People that brought us dinner for two weeks straight after Morgan was born. People that have pushed and encouraged our faith to grow in so many ways. I can say now without a doubt that last July when were weighing the pros and cons nonstop of Steve taking a job here versus two different options, God had a plan in us coming here. While we had been waiting and wanting for awhile to have a second child, we might not have opted to move internationally again if Morgan had come along two years ago instead of seven months ago. God is good and he has a plan for all of us, it can just be so hard to be patient and wait for an answer.
Some of my church family at a night out together
It's hard to say what's ahead of us in the year to come. We are certainly looking forward to being able to travel a bit more and a trip back to the U.S. very soon. And I can't wait to see Emma learn and understand more about living in Australia. We'll keep training her to become as Australian as she can in the meantime - eating lots of fish and chips, calamari, avocado, and maybe we'll add sushi to her repertoire this year. And if all goes according to plan, but to Steve's dismay, I will do everything I can to encourage Morgan to develop the cutest little Aussie accent possible.
Here's a look back at some of my favorite memories in the last few months before we left the U.S. that never made the blog...
Last visit to Minnesota and being goofy with cousins Tabitha and Jake
Bike riding lessons from Grandpa Souders
Saturday morning south city donut traditions
Fanciest (anniversary) dinner ever before we left St. Louis!
Some of the best co-workers and one of the best St. Louis skyline views
We love the zoo no matter what country we're in and often we're more entertained by things other than animals...
Last visit with Grandma and Grandpa Jones - don't ask about Emma's sunglasses/goggle look here
Emma saying goodbye to "Marvin" the giraffe. We had to explain that giraffes can't fly on airplanes.
Last day in our south city house, classic dinner (Chipotle) on the floor of a nearly empty house
(side note... I wonder how many times is safe to eat Chipotle while back in the U.S. for two weeks?)
So I'm thankful today that I'm not sitting in an empty house or "losing" a day of my year or packing and unpacking my possessions that were deemed worthy of making the trip across the Pacific. I'm looking forward to what's ahead and wondering how we got so lucky.
After a late arrival Friday evening and a confirmed windy, cold, wet weather forecast for Saturday we decided to make the Jenolan Caves our destination for the day. It was another 1.25 hour drive west from where we were at in the mountains. The dreary weather and the scenic rolling green hills and valleys actually made it a really enjoyable drive for us as it reminded it of one of our favorite places we've visited together, Ireland. So we cranked up the Irish music until we got to the last 15 km or so of the drive when the road turned into an extremely windy, narrow (somehow still two-way), and steep white-knuckled sort of a drive where we just held our breath until we arrived at our destination safely only having to pull aside once for a car going the opposite direction. 
