Breeana Laughlin, the 2011 New Zealand and Sydney Sustainable Business student blogger, writes:
I knew on my free day in Australia I wanted to embark on an adventure – but little did I know what I was getting into. I decided since most of our time was being spent in Sydney, I’d venture out into the Blue Mountains, about a two-hour train ride inland.
The Blue Mountains are known for magnificent views, lush vegetation and a rich history. But what I found was torrential rain, flooded pathways and blood-sucking creatures.
When you think of Australia you think of sunshine, right? Wrong. About 10 minutes into the hike it started to rain – hard. Well, I’m a trooper and originally from Seattle so no rain is going to stop me. As my hiking mates and I approached the overlook we expected a vast, wild setting. But instead we gazed upon a thick, heavy blanket of gray. Fog as far as the eye could see.
No problem. We relished in the slight eeriness of the situation and happily took in the sights we could see. After hiking for a couple hours we decided we would take paths all the way to the next train station in Leura. We went down the Giant Stairway, a steep descent down as many stairs as you would find in a great Mayan pyramid. We scaled under downed-trees, sloshed along soggy trails and stopped under a shelter for lunch.
After making a random crack about leeches and deciding there was no such thing as ‘forest leeches,’ a local came by and warned us about leeches. We checked our ankles, found nothing and continued along our way.
We scaled along the edge of the cliff and heard the roar of a waterfall rising above the patter of raindrops. We turned the corner and found one waterfall had mutated into two. Our trail was flooded and we would have to turn around. In the next few hours we became soggy and exhausted, but managed to make it back to the train station. We decided to change out of our soaked clothes and reward ourselves with a beer. As I took my socks off, something fell onto the ground.
“It’s a leech!” I screamed. I quickly scanned my legs and saw another attached to my knee. Another scream. It needed to get off my body – and fast. I flicked it as hard as I could but it remained in my skin. This time I let out a blood-curdling scream. I tried again and it flew across the bathroom and stuck to the door. The blood-sucking creature circled around searching for more.
After a few moments, a man knocked on the door to see what was the matter. Then, a lady came in the bathroom and assured me they were very common and had no diseases. I mustered the courage to leave the bathroom and apologize for my freak out and drink my now very well-deserved beer.
On the train ride home, I contemplated if it was all worth it. I mean, I’m traumatized for life and would take back the whole leech thing in a second. But I got to experience Australia in all its hardcore wildness. It was tough and exhausting but it was also breathtaking. I saw sights most people will never get to experience. So, yes, it was worth it – leeches and all.
The only thing that was truly disappointing about the experience was the fact we saw so much litter strewn all over what you would want to consider a pristine setting. “Pack it in, pack it out” seems like a no-brainer. But other visitors either hadn’t heard of the concept or were too lazy and disrespectful to abide by the rule.
Another disappointing site was a hazardous chemical sign stapled to a tree. It warned a spill had ‘temporarily’ polluted the water and made it unsafe to come in contact with.
These were harsh reminders that very few places in the world are left unspoiled by the actions of man. At the end of the day, I don’t think it’s mother nature we fear. What we really need to think about is how we are being affected by our own irresponsible actions.
