I got up before 6 am this morning leaving around 6.45 am to get the bus to Chatswood Station tranferring onto a train changing at Central to connect on the Intercity train at Central Station from platform 5 at approximately 8.16 am bound for Katoomba Station in the Blue Mountains arriving at approximately 10.16 am to connect with the 10.30 am 686 bus from Katoomba Street bound for Scenic World via Echo Point arriving at 10.46 am.
Whilst I was on the train, I had 2 hours to kill therefore ate my prepacked snacks and tried to prebook a timeslot to see Sculptures @ Scenic World in advance. Unfortunately when I went online to book, the time slots were greyed out and I wasn't sure that if I was late arriving for an earlybird fixed timeslot whether I would still be alowed in as there was a clear condition regarding this ie no refund if you do not arrive within the chosen timeslot on a chosen day. Since I was arriving by public transport I thought it would be safer for me to book a later timeslot but as mentioned they were greyed out. So I sent my first email of inquiry - no response. I tried again online an hour later but they were still greyed out and the earlybird sessions had closed so I decided to just purchase a ticket online for the first timeslot 10.30 - 11 am today which was the only one not greyed out. I then sent a second email to "complain" again and to advise what I had purchased online.
When I arrived at Scenic World I thought that I would be able to go straight through the gates as I had a prepurchased ticket for the timeslot arriving in time but found out I had to queue up again to get my wristband for the timeslot I had prebooked even though there were QR codes on the tickets ready to scan. What a waste these were not used to speed up queuing times.
The queue was moving very slowly and therefore I asked what happens if I want to swap my ticket for a season pass? They then advised I could go straight in and see the desk . Did I really want a season pass? Not really but it could come in handy for a revisit when I didn't want to seed the Sculptures just walk and ride around Scenic World. No time for riding the railway or skyway or exploring tracks around the Valley today - I am here just to see the sculptures.
Once inside the queues for season passes were also very long and disorganised. There was no group booking area therefore groups of individuals who wanted season passes had to be served individually and each had to fill out forms at the counter and show their ids. Most individuals wanting season passes could barely understand English as well. A translator/interpreter could have assisted.
Then there is my case. I was advised that if I wanted to exchange my online single entry timeslot ticket for a season pass I would have to pay for the season pass first then get a refund for the single entry ticket. That's fine but instead of requesting a refund using their computer reservation system the team leader asks me if I had data on my phone and that the fastest way to get a refund was for him to send a reply email to the ticketing department online. So he did so using my phone however this is not the end of my "complaint" it gets worse.
I headed to the cableway down to the Jamison Valley armed with my wristband and season pass. It is now almost 11.30 am however after alighting at the bottom I noticed the email sent by the team leader had bounced back. Should I queue on the other side of the cableway all the way back up? There is no signal at the bottom amongst the Jamison Valley so I can't send an email or phone the front desk. I therefore decide not to waste anymore time or battery power on my phone which had already dropped by at least 25% from trying to make bookings online and send inquiry emails. I decided that I will deal with it after I complete my circuit of the sculptures.
It is Monday morning and early therefore I assumed the crowds would not be as crazy as they would be over the weekends. How wrong I was - a full train from Sydney to Katoomba and return, a full bus from Katoomba St to Scenic World and return Don't people work? The crowds were mainly Asians - tourists - huge groups of them who have figured out the cheapest way to travel to the Blue Mountains and to Scenic World using public transport. The queues to enter Scenic World were long and the parking lots jammed with mini buses, cars and coaches. Forget the Big Red Double Decker Blue Mountains Explorer Bus - these were almost empty as they drove past.
The Artists - There were 38 artists this year participating and out of all of them there were only a handful that I found interesting. Some of these I returned to take a second round of photos of and at least 2 artists I missed and had to backtrack to find. Below is a list of the artists. I will note my favourite artist with a 👍. Also refer to my 2 very short videos uploaded onto YouTube.
1.
2. I had to look hard to find this Sculpture. I missed it the first time I walked around the circuit.
3. Also refer to short video uploaded onto YouTube 👍👍👍
4.
5. 👍👍👍👍
6.
14.
15. 👍👍👍👍👍 - I was a little obsessed with this sculpture, from the outside it is just an old single roomed hut but peep into the side window or walk inside its only single front door and you are first mesmerized about how cute this sculpture all is until suddenly the more you look around inside the hut at all the ceiling to floor toys the creepier it became. How can a room full of toys and stuffed animals go from cute to creepy? Simply look at the details and spot the wreath then turn your attention to the mosaic style face on the wall near the window that doesn't quite fit in as if it is looking at you amongst the cute and cuddly toys that fill the hut.
17.
18.
19.
20. 👍👍👍👍👍 Also refer to Youtube video uploaded. Another one of my favourite sculptures. Look up into the trees for this multi - sensory sculpture.
21.
24.
25.
26. 👍👍👍👍Another sculpture you would walk straight past but turn back to have a closer look when you realise not is all what it seems.
28.
29. 👍👍👍👍👍I loved how this Sculpture blended into its natural surroundings.
30. 👍👍👍👍👍It would have been a task getting the boat up so high in the tree without any heavy machinery and with minimal disturbance or impact on the surrounding environment.
31. 👍👍👍👍Great job by Katoomb High School Elective Visual Art Students - similar to works by the artist who created Urban Cave ( refer to a very old blog of mine on dulcineayee.simplesite.com)
32. 👍👍👍👍 I actually thought this Sculpture had to do with the destruction of koalas natural habitat then "dutyfree". Cute and cuddly sculpture. I don't think koalas live in Jurassic rainforests they need gumtrees
33.
35.
36.
37.
38. 👍👍👍👍👍
The railway was on the other side of where I was heading in the Jamison Valley therefore up the Cableway I went straight to the front desk again to explain my complaint again. This time they rang reception using their phone and they requested the email be sent to reception for a refund so another email was sent using my phone by the team leader.
By now my phone was almost down to 30% and tgere was nowhere to recharge it therefore as soon as the email was sent and did not bounce back I left Scenic World and waited for the first available bus back to Katoomba to the library to recharge my phone checking what time it was open until - 5 pm ok I had time to fully recharge my phone for my long trip back on the train to Sydney ( no power points on trains or at the station)
By this time I received a response to my first and 2nd email I sent this morning fro. the operations manager of Scenic World who apologise for the delay in responding to my emails and the problems I was having. I was offered a double pass to return to Scenic World after the Sculptures at Scenic World was over which was valid for a year. Too late! I was more interested in getting my refund first which still had not been processed.
Post Script : it is now Monday 23rd April 2018 - 1 week since my visit to Scenic World and at least 1 follow up email to inquire where my refund was. I still have not received a refund receipt to date despite Scenic World's emails advising me they will send me one once they process the refund. I received my complimentary pass in the mail though. Must check again at a later date.
Talk about 4 seasons in one day, the nice sunny weather that was at Scenic World suddenly turned cold and windy - always prepared I took out my trusty reversible fold and pack puffer hoodie jacket and wore it whilst in the library recharging my phone.
When my phone recharged to 100% it was time to have a look at the Sculptures Otherwise in one of the galleries in The Blue Mountains Cultural Centre. This year it was compacted to the end of the gallery which it shared with other artists (paid admission). Very disappointing and no photography allowed in the gallery therefore I made do with a photograph through a blacked out door from outside in the viewing platform courtyard.
photo below
After leaving the library and gallery in the Cultural Centre it as time to buy some snacks and drink as well as find some shoes to match my Marimekko dress. Having a look at the Mix Apparel section at Coles nearby, with no footwear for sale I just purchased bottle of juice and some chocolate hot cross buns. No hot food was available therefore onto Woolworths and Big W (which are next to each other) I go.
At Big W I find several pairs of white, black and black & white sneakers to choose from. I try them all on but settle on the black & white lace up canvas sneakers for $8.
I was about to go next door to the Woolworths to get some food but overheard a sales assistant working at Big W advising other staff members how Woolworths has closed and customers asked to leave the store. This was a bit strange therefore after my purchase I had a look and Woolworths had indeed closed for the day. A sign on the doors advised customers that due to technical issue they were unable to continue trading. People on the street were trying to work out what was going on. I later read on my way home on the train that this was due to a national technical gitch which affected hundreds of Woolworths stores but resolved in a few hours allowing stores to reopen for trade. Too late for me I was well and truely on my way back to Sydney.
I walked down Katoomba St and settled for a $3.50 beef and mushroom pie. It wasn't the nicest pie but was really hot - I hope it doesn't kill me as the meat I was told was beef but I am a little unsure of this when I bit into it. I could see mushroom in it though.
Next stop not Rivers which I had originally intended to have a look in but straight to Katoomba Station and a quick toliet stop. Great timing 29 minutes before the train to Central arrives.
A freight train arrives and stops then arrives the passenger train about 20 minutes early. It waits for yet another full train of pssengers back to Sydney. Now I am on the train blogging and heading towards Central Station. It is getting dark already.
The train ride back to Sydney leaving Katoomba Station at approximately 5.26 pm was quite smooth until it hit Emu Plains on the outskirts of Sydney when the train slowed to a snails pace for the remainder of the trip back to Central Station arriving approximately 7.30 pm.
Another train to Town hall and onto a connecting bus M40 back home.
End of another long day trip to the Blue Mountains.
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