Sydney Free Day - Day 10 (06/12/22)

Today was not only a free day but also our final day in Sydney. We decided that all ten of us would go on a day trip together and agreed on a trip to the Blue Mountains with a couple of stops along the way.

After about an hour on the bus and a quick power nap from most, we arrived at our first pit stop; the Featherdale Wildlife Park. This was a highly anticipated stop as it featured some animals we had been waiting for the entire trip to see. Specifically, this was our first encounter with koalas and kangaroos. If the trip had just ended here, I don't think anybody would have been mad. Everybody was filling up their camera rolls with pictures of all the native Australian animals, while a few were plotting to bring a koala home with them. We were also able to see some other animals such as penguins, cassowaries, wallabies, and some familiar animals such as goats as well. The openness of the park and the ability to pet and interact with so many of the animals was a fantastic experience and a great first stop.

After a quick stop for lunch, we made our way to the headliner of the trip, Scenic World. Here we were able to explore the Jamison Valley in the Blue Mountains and test how well the group fared with heights. We rode the glass-bottom Skyway 270 meters above the valley, the highest cable car in Australia. As much as I enjoyed it, there were some that were counting down the time until they could safely get off. We then took the Cableway down for a group walk through the valley. As the fear of possible snakes continued to grow, we made our way around the path to the Railway back to the top. At 52 degrees, the Railway is the steepest passenger train in the world. Once again, some found it more enjoyable than others. Something everybody could agree on, however, is that the views of the valley and The Three Sisters were nothing short of spectacular. We then made one quick stop at some small, scenic waterfalls before beginning the trip back to Sydney.

After another hour-plus bus ride back with yet another set of power naps, we boarded a ferry back to Circular Quay from the Sydney Olympic Park. At that point, we all began preparing for the early morning flight to follow, while still trying to wrap our heads around everything we'd seen today. Sydney's free day was exhausting, but definitely a day none of us will forget.

- Morgen R.