Hiking the The Blue Mountains
European settlers first arrived in Australia in the late 18th century,. They came on what was known as the First Fleet.- about 700 convicts and their military overseers aboard seven ships.
After the First Fleet came to colonize the Sydney area in 1788 the Blue Mountains was seen as an impenetrable barrier for explorers for the next 30 years.
The Six Foot track, follows a route that finally up the mountain passes and it’s possible to follow this route over a period of three days covering a distance of 30 miles.
The hike starts a 2 hour road journey from Australia’s major city, Sydney in the mountain resort of Katoomba and ends at the world famous Jenolan Caves.
In 1813, three early explorers eventually found a way through the Blue Mountains.
Rather than follow the rivers and valleys which has frustrated earlier expeditions, the three explorers, Wentworth, Blaxland and Lawson, went up high on a high plateau and stayed high, and found a pass over the mountains.
Then more than sixty years later In the mid 1880s the Jenolan Caves was reachable to travellers , It became a prime tourist destination, The six foot track was born, it was a tourist race to get people to the Jenolen Caves.over a two way. Track six foot wide that could accommodate s horse and cart travelling in both directions.
The Blue Mountains National Park is a vast area covering over a 1000-square miles, so you will seldom pass many walkers along the 30-mile long track.
Over 10,000 each year .walk the track.. Many are Australians but there are also hikers from around the world particularly from Germany, and France.
During the hike the six foot track becomes a steep climb over a mountain range called Mini Mini saddle.
The Blue Mountains are known for their huge number of eicspltus trees. They are called the Blue Mountains, after the eucalyptus leaves which emit the blue hue.
The weather can quickly change in the Blue Mountains, so it’s a good idea to come prepared for a downpour.
On the last day, you trek the seven miles to the world famous Jenolan Caves, the final destination on the six foot track.
The limestone caves were known to the local Aboriginal people for thousands of years, but were only discovered by the European explorers in 1838.
Today the Jenolan Caves is the most popular tourist attraction in New South Wales, as it was over 100 years ago.
Even though you won’t encounter many walkers along the six-foot track, the Jenolan Caves, on the other hand, with more than 360 caves. , attracts over a quarter of a million people every year.
Destination : Australia
