I took this shot of the Blue Mountains on a cloudless and perfectly clear day. Although to us ex-Californians, it may look like smog. But actually, the Blue Mountains have been given their name due to the blue haze that hovered above the mountains produced by the oil from the plentiful Eucalyptus trees (which you can see just cover these mountains and valleys). The Blue Mountains of Australia offer spectacular scenery, plantlife and wildlife.The mountains reach a height of 1100m, and The Three Sisters (they are the three rock formations at the upper right part of the photo off from center) are a famous rock formation in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales, Australia. They are close to the town of Katoomba and are one of the Blue Mountains' most famous sights, towering above the Jamison Valley. Their names are Meehni (922 m), Wimlah (918 m), and Gunnedoo (906 m). The Sisters were formed by erosion.
The soft sandstone of the Blue Mountains is easily eroded over time by wind, rain and rivers, and the cliffs surrounding the Jamison Valley are being slowly broken up. Leura is a small and pretty town which offers a number of cafes and dainty stores. We stopped and had an English High Tea there in an old hotel called the Imperial Hotel. They called it High Tea, but I called it LUNCH!
Just south of this area is Sublime Point a great lookout (and where I took this shot from). For great views of the Jamison Valley and of course to see the spectacular Wentworth Falls head to Wentworth Falls. Between Leura and Wentworth Falls is Katoomba which is the main tourist center and viewing area for the Three Sisters. The Blue Mountains were once thought of as the barrier to freedom, with many early settlers believing China was on the other side. 25 years later Europeans crossed the mountains and soon after a road was built to the other side. Although there are various Aboriginal markings few Aborigines were found in the Blue Mountains, thought to have been wiped out by disease.
Formations like the Three Sisters are created when water seeps into small cracks in the rock, gradually enlarging them over time to form large indentations. Eventually, the Sisters will be eroded away completely.
Indigenous Australian Dreamtime legend says that three sisters fell in love with three men from a neighbouring tribe, but marriage was forbidden by tribal law. Battle ensued, and the sisters were turned to stone by a witch doctor to protect them, but he was killed in the fighting and no one else could turn them back. Tough (and rocky) life for women way back then! Please pardon my pun!
