Heading to the Blue Mountains today for an art exhibition opening and a night out of town. Best way to start is a cooked breakfast at home - cooked outside

Gallery is in Katoomba. Gallery is working distance from the hotel. My wife walked that way and I walked down to Echo Point knowing where to find orchids on the Cliff Top walk. A good 2 km walk to the bush - time for some house spotting

An old timber clad cottage

Not sure about the paint job on this house - still the original house but gone a bit Tuscan

More traditional Federation colours on this one

From the other side with wheelbarrow display in front

A grander style house with sandstone footings

Walked down to tourist precinct - lots of people and walked up Bluff Drive to access the cliff top walk to a spot known for orchids. 409 metre walk to reach the main track - more dry than I have seen

A few mushrooms in the track

Turned left to get to a flatter section in the rainforest - did find a greenhood rosette where I expected

Orchid for the day - nodding greenhood - pterostylis nutans

Walked down to the lookout - Lady Carrington Lookout - a namesake

Classic Blue Mountains view - soaring sandstone cliffs and a blue tinge to the bush

Across the Cox River valley

New cliff top walk signage. Greenhood rosettes looking a bit dry

Missed the turn around the Three Sisters. Walked the road to top of Darley Steps

View across to Scenic World

Old style hotel on a small loop road away from the crowds but right in the middle of the key tracks

Walked down the top third of the Darley Steps. Did find orchid leaves on the way down. Turned early as I did need to get back to the art exhibition

Found a cluster of tiny greenhood leaves and one bud just above - tall greenhood - bunochilus longifolia - not open. Not seen them here before

Back to the streets to walk back - azalea still open this far into winter

A few more Katoomba houses - more modern than the ones one street higher

This little wooden house is way older and still quite simple

Happy with the walk. Two orchids - got over 10k steps - spent only a little time with the crowds by design.

Art exhibition was nice. Met some of the new artists including the lady who painted my birthday present painting. Nice to hear the story about how she painted it

Stopped by shops to get some wine and snacks stuff after the exhibition

Had dinner in Katoomba RSL - rebuilt in the last 2 years after a fire. It was busy. We sent the pizza back - not cooked enough - they submitted they are learning how to do gluten free bases.

Fun photo. Bistro is called The Red Poppy - they are laced into the light above. Blue sign beyond is our hotel

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