There is some haze outside, and we can smell something burning. We never did see smoke, but something was definitely burning somewhere in the Capertee valley.
I took a short video off the veranda in front of the cottage, scanning from left to right. This was our view that morning:
We hated to say goodbye, but managed to be in the car and on our way by 6:30 am. We were hoping to make it to Sydney by noon so I could spend some time with Fiona.
I got a great final sendoff as far as wildlife. As we drove down the roads away from the farm, we spotted a mob of absolutely huge Eastern Grey kangaroos. These ere big boys. You could see the power in their chests and hindlegs. There was also a female with a joey in her pouch.
Then further along the turnoff towards Kandos I got to see a live wombat bounding across the road and off into the woods! Since so far I had only seen two dead wombats ( :-( ) I was happy to see this one. They really do look like a little black bear when they are bounding away from you.
We had taken a different route into Kandos, trying to avoid rough roads with the little car. Always interesting to see new countryside. We passed forest, fields, and wineries. Once in Kandos we found our way through town on the main road, and I saw another opportunity for a flat white, so we stopped at the same little grocery as the day before and I picked up a coffee, then we were on our way.
We were headed now back to Lithgow, but via a different route. More really beautiful countryside, and we appear to be at a fairly high elevation. There were fields with granite boulders the size of houses, tumbling down hillsides just like children's blocks.
There were also some signs that perplexed us. They simply said Fog Sign. and Snow Sign.
Okay, yes, they are signs, but is that not inferred from the fact that they are, well, signs? What are these signs for? To warn you that there might be fog? or snow? I guess so, but it just seemed so odd. I should have taken pictures.
We stop at Lake Wallace in Lithgow for some birding, and a pretty flower or two.
On our way again, we head back through the Blue Mountains, and stop at Evans Lookout again. The skies had been blue, but as we approached the lookout, fog descended (should have had a fog sign). There still some birds, and butterflies, and flowers, and eventually the fog started lifting.
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| A view from Evans Lookout in the Blue Mountains |
We needed to get back on the road if we were going to make Sydney by noon, so got back on the highway. We still didn't make it by noon...traffic was terrible, and there was a lot of roadwork. We didn't get lost though, so that was a plus.
The rest of the day? Visiting with Fiona, washing a few clothes so we had clean clothes to travel in, and a traipse over to Paddy's Market to see if Steve could find more Australia hats, and we wanted to see if we could find a few souvenirs.
It was fun walking through Darling Harbour, it was packed with people. Lots of families, lots of kids playing, buskers doing their work. Steve and Fiona are giants with very long legs and took the walk at a trot. I was hard put to keep up :-(
We arrived at Paddy's market starving (at least I was) and had a bite in the food court. I have to say that mine at least was definitely above normal food court fare--Thai Basil Chicken that was decent.
Now for shopping. Sometimes I just have to be in the mood for places like Paddy's Market, and I was having a hard time getting in the swing of things. (for Tacoma Peeps, Steve described it as almost an Australian B&I--for the rest of you, too hard to explain) It was crowded and hot, and I just wasn't seeing anything I liked.
I wanted some tea towels, but just couldn't get close enough to even ask about them. Finally we picked up a couple of things and made our way back to the shops near the Pyrmont foot bridge, and had a lot better luck there.
I'm not sure I remember the rest of the afternoon!
But, we went back out that evening for dinner with Fiona and Mark, walking back to Darling Harbour, more people watching, and finally eating at The Meat & Wine Company--a fabulous meal. We wandered back, then back out on the balcony overlooking the Harbour Bridge, drinking wine and talking into the wee hours.
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