After spending two weeks in Sydney, we were slowly but surely running out of city activities. With that in mind, Mrs. Selfish and I started researching quick day trips – something that would take less than 2 hours to drive to, given the limited sunlight during Australia’s winter season.

The Blue Mountains quickly rose to the top of the list. Only a 1.5 hour drive from the center of the city, the blue mountains are quite literally blue from a distance thanks to some freaky optical illusion.

We did a quick search for rentals, and managed to snag a medium-sized car from Budget for ~$35 a day. We left at 9am, and around 10 we hit the information center, where we grabbed a map.

The biggest local attraction is the Three Sisters, a geographic formation that local legends claim is three sisters turned into stone by their overprotective father. Unfortunately he died before we could turn them back.

Fortunately for the local tourism business in Katoomba, the three sisters is a crowd pleaser. The information center repeatedly tried to sell us on Scenic World, a tourist trap that boasts “free parking” and a $35 ride to and from the plateau to the valley via a glass-bottom gondola.

The Three Sisters are pretty, but be prepared for crowds!

Continue reading →