Checking the weather there was a 99% chance of rain.  One thing for sure we weren’t to be disappointed.

Not to be deterred and with our local knowledgeable guide Benny we headed off in an uber to Spit Bridge on the other side of Sydney. We were also relieved as Steph, who was hosting friends for the day, had informed us that this trek was an easy terrain with hardly any steps, inclines our descents. Fully geared up for the weather we set off on our walk. The bascule (lifting) bridge was up to let the boats through. Just as we approached it had closed and we were able to continue without stopping.  Maybe our luck was in after all and we’d avoid the worst of the rain.

What has been so evident and truly remarkable on this trip is that although Sydney is a major busy city, with all the hustle and bustle that comes with that,  how easy it is to escape city life here.  A quick hop on a practically inexpensive train, bus or ferry and you find yourself in the Garden Of Eden. A walk across a golden sand beach and you are in lush forests with diverse landscapes that constantly change every few hundred meters.

Around every bend was another hidden beach, or a hidden cave. The terrain is such that you need to descend to sea level,  then climb again via the well maintained natural and man-made paths to avoid the  rugged cliff face. This in itself makes the trek tougher but enjoyable with magnificent views from the top stretching out over Sydney Harbour. An added bonus was the rains had held off.

3km in and we still had time to play.  Suddenly there was a rumbling in the distance, thunder.  Within seconds the heavens opened and unleashed their full might. Just about time, to change into coats, take on some fluids and snacks and head off. The intensity of the rain meant there were no safe sanctuaries to see out the storm.  Our mission was to crack on as the terrain would become much harder to navigate the longer we were out as there was ‘only’ another 6.5km (over 3miles) to go.

We came across a little house next to a bridge called Waterfall House. Benny explained there was usually a trickle of water down the cliffs as we went over the bridge.

Within an hour of the rain starting it was like we were in monsoon season and the waterfalls had come to life,  delivering the full power of the water  the river carried as it cascaded down the hills over the rocks and into the sea.

Our boots may have been waterproof from the outside but they were full from the inside and we sounded like three squelching froglets from Perth as we headed for a well-needed and well-deserved respite from the elements.

As we were already drenched from the inside out some bright spark (me) said we couldn’t get any wetter on the ferry back if we sat outside. 

As we waited to launch,  the captain announced for no small children to be outside,  we were in for a rough crossing so those outside hold on tightly. Excellent, what could be better to top off the day than a roller coaster ride back to Circular Quay. We were tossed from side to side,  bounced up & down like a yoyo and had to hold on tight for our white knuckle ride. That would have been okay, only for the rain once again to pick up its intensity, attacking us face on. This felt like small, ferocious hailstones bombarding us from every direction. We were expecting to be black and blue later but luckily had avoided being green as the captain weaved in a criss-cross fashion across the bay to avoid the 3-4 metre swell. Unsurprisingly, we were getting some very odd and bewildered looks from those in the sanctuary of the lounge behind the glass panels at our backs.  There are no photos to prove the intensity and insanity of our choice of seats as none of us were brave enough (or nearly stupid enough) to remove our hands from the grip on the bench, or risk losing the phone to the unforgiving waves as they crashed into us.  They showed us no mercy or love for our brave adventures.

We stood whilst on the return train, leaving the distinct troubles behind us.  A squelching walk up the hill and straight into a hot shower and change of clothing.

We quizzed ‘Stepping Steph’ about her earlier statement and wondered if she meant there were hardly any steps, climbs or descents compared to Mt. Kilimanjaro 🤣🤣🤣.

We had an extremely tasty Thai meal then settled down to a game of Skip.Bo or two for the evening