The Australian Weight Loss Plan: Day 4

Mom with a grey kangaroo!

In the morning we got up really early, had a small breakfast, packed up lunches and snacks and got on the bus to the train station where we caught a train out west.  What was supposed to be a flawless day of utilizing Sydney's public transport system quickly turned into a really long day of waiting around for Sydney's public transport to get itself together.  Delays on the tracks and trackwork made us late to arrive in Blacktown where we had to wait for a bus to Featherdale, but we finally got there (ahead of all the tour buses and screaming kids) to see the animals.  We saw, pet, and fed wallabies, kangaroos, dingos (even little dingo puppies!!), a tasmanian devil and wombats, emus, cassowaries, and of course, koalas.  We loved the dingo babies; they acted just like domestic dogs and reminded us a lot of our golden Kaiba who my mom decided is part dingo because she can dig just as much, and who we are both excited to see in just a few days!  It was so fun to see all the Australian animals again, who were all really hungry and knocked the food out of our hands within seconds, and I think my mom really enjoyed it too.

Mom and me at the base of Wentworth Falls in the
Blue Mountains; enjoying another beautiful day!

Then it was off to the train station where we had to wait for a bus to a nearby city so we could get a train further out to the mountains. Once there, we hiked the Charles Darwin Walk out to Wentworth Falls and I got to take in my last view of the Blue Mountains.  It was quite noticeably cooler and "autumn-like" out there, but when you can hike in the mountains in the middle of winter without a coat, you shouldn't complain...winter here is nothing compared to what we are used to in good ole Michigan!  We went to the bottom of the falls via the "Grand Stairway" and stayed there for awhile, snacking, talking and feeding the birds.  As the sun was setting, we made our way back up the steep stairs along the cliff with the valley at our backs and the waterfall to our left.  It was almost the end of yet another day of perfect weather, even with the crisp air of the mountains the sun was out all day and kept us warm.

Once back in the town of Wentworth Falls we caught the train and took it to another mountain town where we were meant to take a bus back to Sydney (because of the trackwork).  Here we were involved in a few stampedes as people from our packed, double decker, 8car train tried to make it onto one of 4 charter buses...Moral of the story: people are crazy and panic way too easily.  We got back to Sydney where we had to wait for yet another bus to take us back to my suburb..and of course missed the bus that goes right to my house by about a minute, so we had to take a different one and walk from the beach. At this point we started to joke that I had put my mom on the "Australian Weight Loss Plan"; walking everywhere all day, and eating only peanut butter and jelly for lunch.  All joking aside, I have really enjoyed feeling healthy and active here, a lifestyle I intend to maintain once I am stateside again.


We got to video chat with my dad, brother and Nana, and it was great to hear from them and made me even more excited to be home.  Today is my last day as a student at UNSW, my last exam is in two hours, and I am ready to be done and start packing.  Tomorrow I will turn in my key and we will check into a hotel near the airport for my last night in Sydney!