Blue Mountains and City2Surf

Every so often, you meet people with whom you immediately connect and are able to find an instant comfort and shared love of some common interest. Yesterday, I had such an experience. When I first told the faculty at Carmel High School in Mundelein about my departure to Australia, several staff members suggested that I contact a Carmelite brother in Melbourne who used to teach at the school. This brother, Sean, then suggested that I contact Denis, a brother here in Sydney. After our first meeting, Denis and I discovered we were both runners and avid hikers and so he invited me to come with him and his old friend Tom to the Blue Mountains for a hike. What ensued was one of the highlights of my stay here in Sydney.

We caught the train from Central to the mountains in the rain, fearing that our day would be ruined by the wet drizzle. About twenty minutes in, Tom joined Denis and I on the train. A 79-year-old man who has lived in Wentworthville, west of Sydney, his entire life, Tom is a walking encyclopedia/historian of everything Australia. As we ascended into the mountains, Tom pointed out historic sites and could connect some convict or event to each mountain town that we passed through. His anecdotes and love of Australia left me smiling. Both Tom and Denis joked that if the rain continued we would have to forego the hike and spend the day touring pubs (perhaps it was at this point that I thought they were my kindred spirits!). But the Gods were smiling on us for as we stepped off the train into Wentworth Falls atop the Blue Mountains, the rain suddenly let up and the sun began to creep out from behind the clouds. Stopping at the old post office converted into a lovely little café, the three of us sipped on coffee before our trek.

Crossing over into the Charles Darwin walk, we entered bushland with unique vegetation and colorful birds flitting around, happy to be out after a cool rain. Tom and Denis pointed out colorful flowers, including the national flower, the beautiful yellow whittle. We spied a vibrantly colored scarlet rosella bird, with a bright blue body and red chest, as we winded through what I can only compare to a Japanese Zen garden. Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, the path opened up and we came to a lookout point of the entire mountain range, a vast expanse stretching before us. Named the Blue Mountains for the blue haze that comes off the eucalyptus trees in the summer, we took in the serene sight as we peered down at the Wentworth Falls, cascading down the mountainside. Then we headed off on a trail, scaling down cliffs and steep stairs, underneath the waterfalls and along the ridges of the mountains. Denis forged ahead with me in the middle and Tom in the rear. We paused every so often to discuss an interesting tree or catch another breathtaking glimpse of the mountains. After a good three hours, the route became more interesting, as around every twist and turn another waterfall seemed to await us, trickling down the mountainside as we winded in and out of its rocky pools. At the very end, we began our climb up from the gorge, ascending hundreds and hundreds of steep stairs. We stopped every couple minutes to catch our breaths, but I remain amazed that a 79-year-old man could not only complete a 5-hour hike amongst steep cliffs and gorges, but that he could climb steps out of it faster than most of my fit 28-year-old friends. What a trooper! Denis and Tom mean serious business! At the top (finally!) we stopped to eat some sandwiches that Tom’s wife, Pat, had packed for us…a complete and total stranger, she had made wonderful ham and veggie sandwiches out of pure love…another testament to the Aussies seemingly open-armed, welcoming nature. We walked back to the train along a storybook lane lined with trees and little mountain cottages, complete with fairytale chimneys and wrought-iron gates. Taking the train back down, I was exhausted but Tom continued to amuse me with his commentaries on each town, so I had to stay awake to listen.

At Wentworthville, Tom went his separate way as Denis and I went up to the church, where Denis showed me around before we headed over to Tom and Pat’s for dinner. Again, Tom and Pat, who had never met me prior to yesterday, had graciously invited me into their home, Pat cooking an amazing veal osso bucco for us that we enjoyed as we enjoyed each other’s company. Denis, later, drove me all the way back to Lane Cove, and I marveled at how lucky I was to have made such a connection with such wonderfully kind and caring people. Denis not only drove me all the way home, but had earlier come in to Central just to meet me at the train station, making sure that I got on the right train out to their suburb. I am so grateful for this hospitality! What wonderful new friends!

Denis also bought me a copy of the City2Suf as an official souvenir of my race this past weekend. A nine-mile event with over 75,000 people, we made world record history for the largest timed running event in the world. It was amazing to round the last corner and come down the hill onto the famous Bondi Beach, complete with thousands more spectators and fans and surfers in the background. An obstacle course to get around all the walkers, I was pretty happy with my time of 78.04 for nine miles. Seeing as I actually ran probably more than nine miles, with all the weaving in and out of crowds, I figure I averaged just around 8-minute-miles, which for nine miles isn’t too shabby for a training run where I wasn’t really racing hard. So I was happy to see the results!

In all, it’s been a great couple of days. Here’s a few photos of my trip to the Blue Mountains!