Hangin' Out at Kanangra Boyd National Park

Just Hangin' Out at Kanangra Boyd National Park!


Exchange Teacher League Get-Away in the Oberon Area of New South Wales

Hello Elementary Friends,

Last weekend Mitch and I traveled three hours west of Sydney to the Oberon area near the Blue Mountains for a weekend sponsored by the NSW Exchange Teacher League.  We left school as soon as possible on Friday afternoon to get on the road before the traffic hit, but we soon learned that Friday afternoon on the "Bells Line of Road" is just as busy as I-70 is on a popular ski weekend in Colorado!  We patiently waited in lines of cars, and finally it cleared so that we could enjoy the beautiful country-side that soon turned mountainous.  A few fun passes that reminded us of Hoosier Pass in Park County led us to our destination of Tarana, NSW.  Here is a link to a map of where we were:


We were so appreciative of being "put up" in the home of a semi-retired NSW teacher who has been on three educator exchanges - 1999 Edmonton, Canada, 2006 Boulder, Colorado, and 2010 Nebraska City, Nebraska.  Beth opens up her home to welcome exchange teachers each year for this Oberon Weekend.  In the Exchange Teacher League this is called "billeting" - where NSW teachers and retired teachers "pay it forward" to accommodate new exchange teachers and their families for excursions throughout the year.  I continue to be amazed at the hospitality that we are experiencing during our first few months here in NSW!  Here are some photos of Beth's place in the country near Tarana/Oberon:

View from Beth's Front Door!

Beth's house near Tarana, NSW - Oberon Weekend - 5/6 March, 2016

Mitch on Beth's Front Porch
After a casual dinner at Beth's on Friday, we prepared ourselves for some adventures on Saturday!

Kanangra Boyd National Park

Our group of current and former Exchange Teachers








Cool rock formation - looks like Richard Nixon!
We first traveled about 45 minutes to Kanangra Boyd National Park and took a "bushwalk."  It was really green and lush with vegetation.  Here is some information on the Kanangra Boyd NP:

The Kanangra-Boyd National Park is a protected national park that is located in the Central Tablelands region, west of theSouthern Highlands and Macarthur regions, in New South Wales, in eastern Australia. The 68,660-hectare (169,700-acre) national park is situated approximately 180 kilometres (110 mi) south-west of Sydney. and is contiguous with the Blue Mountains National Park and the Nattai National Park. The park was established in 1969.
The Kanangra-Boyd National Park is one of the eight protected areas that, in 2000, was inscribed to form part of the UNESCOWorld Heritage–listed Greater Blue Mountains Area.[2] The Kanangra-Boyd National Park is the most south–westerly of the eight protected areas within the World Heritage Site. The national park forms part of the Great Dividing Range.
Notable features of the national park include the Thurat Spires, Kanangra Walls, Mount Colong, and three waterfall systems - the Kalang, the 225-metre (738 ft) two–tiered drop Kanangara and the Morong falls. The park also features a series of karstlandforms that can be explored by those with caving experience.[3]
The movie Jedda was filmed in the Kanangra Walls area in 1954.

After lunch up on the precipice we traveled a short distance, but upon a VERY narrow, steep, and winding road to Jenolan Caves.  We had reservations for a 3:00 pm Lucas Cave Tour.  Here is a bit of education on this amazing cave system:

The Jenolan Caves (TharawalBinoomeaBindoBinda[2]) are limestone caves located within the Jenolan Karst Conservation Reserve in the Central Tablelands region, west of the Blue Mountains, in New South Wales, in eastern Australia. The caves and 3,083-hectare (7,620-acre) reserve are situated approximately 175 kilometres (109 mi) west of Sydney, 20 kilometres (12 mi) east of Oberon and 30 kilometres (19 mi) west of Katoomba.
The caves are the most visited of several similar groups in the limestone caves of the country, and the most ancient discovered open caves in the world.[3][4] They include numerous Silurian marine fossils[5] and the calcite formations, sometimes pure white, are noted for their beauty.[6] The cave network is very large following the course of a subterranean section of the Jenolan River, with over 40 kilometres (25 mi) of multi-level passages, more than 300 entrances, and the complex is still undergoing active exploration. The caves are a popular tourist destination, with eleven show caves accessible to paying visitors and well lit.[7]

Here are some photos of these incredible caves:






After all that walking up and down hills and up and down stairs, we were tired and hungry!  We headed into the bustling metropolis of Oberon (around 2300 people live there).  Nothing short of the Royal Hotel would do for us - even though we were quite sweaty and weary from the day.  Beth had called a few of her local friends to join us - I think they thought we were novelties, but it was they who were charming, interesting, and welcoming to us!  We heard all about life in Oberon - a couple of the ladies were born there and told of the two different doctors who each practiced in the town for 30 years a piece!




The next morning we took another hike to a nature reserve near Beth's home - Evan's Crown - again lush greenery, rock formations, and spectacular views from up top!




We actually had to "Crab Walk" in a few places to get down off of this rock!  Muscles were sore on Monday!

 Lunch at the Tarana Hotel rounded out the weekend.  We said good-by to new friends who we will see again in a few weeks at another of the gatherings of the NSW ETL.  This is such a diverse group of people called together at this time and place within an "opportunity of a lifetime," and I am grateful to be a part of it!

On the Way Back to Sydney - Couldn't Resist Seeing the Three Sisters!


We made a short side trip on the way back to Sydney to see this unusual rock formation called the Three Sisters - worth the extra 30 minutes!  Just outside of Katoomba.




The Three Sisters is a rock formation in the Blue Mountains of New South WalesAustralia, on the north escarpment of theJamison Valley. They are close to the town of Katoomba and are one of the Blue Mountains' best known sites, towering above the Jamison Valley.[1] Their names are Meehni (922 m), Wimlah (918 m), and Gunnedoo (906 m).[2]

The commonly told legend of the Three Sisters is that three sisters, Meehni, Wimlah and Gunnedoo, lived in the Jamison Valley as members of the Katoomba tribe. They fell in love with three men from the neighbouring Nepean tribe, but marriage was forbidden by tribal law. The brothers were not happy to accept this law and so decided to use force to capture the three sisters. A major tribal battle ensued, and the sisters were turned to stone by an elder to protect them, but he was killed in the fighting and no one else could turn them back. This legend is claimed to be an Indigenous Australian Dreamtime legend.


When we returned home we didn't have much time to prepare for the week ahead of teaching, but that's ok because we had a great weekend learning so much and seeing a totally different area than we have seen up to now.  This is a vast country with so much more to see and do!  I don't think a year will be enough time!

Have a great week, dear friends!


   

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