The Blue Mountains are close enough to where I live you can go there and return in a day, but hey, why would you? There is so much to see and do that really, you need a few days at least.

As a child, I used to love our trips up into The Blue Mountains. One day, on one of our bush walks, of which we did a great many, we met this man. I guess the closest “person” you could relate him to in the way he looked was Santa Claus – minus the red suit!

This man was actually a hermit who lived in a cave in the bush. His beard was very long and flowing, and his clothes were a bit on the tattered side.

He asked us to call him “Smokey”.

We asked him where he lived and he told us he’d take us there. The path he led us was like a maze, there was no way we would ever find our way there again! All we saw was a simply little cave not much more than an overhang of rock. He had carved out a very simple path in the rock to catch water in a dug out corner of the cave.

We couldn’t even imagine living there, all alone under such simple conditions.

But, for whatever reason, he was there.  He led us back out as we had no idea of where we are.

You know, these days you wouldn’t follow a man like that for love nor money! But back then… well, things were so different.

Go and enjoy the beauty of this area The Blue Mountains