 Cliff overlooking the Jamison Valley.
Cliff overlooking the Jamison Valley.
The name derives from the bluish tinge the range takes on when viewed at a distance, which is caused by the release of volatile oils from Australia take on a similar hue: the Blue Mountains were a familiar sight to early British settlers in the Sydney district long before the bulk of the continent was explored by non-native people.)
The predominant natural vegetation of the higher ridges is stringybark forest; heath-like vegetation is present on the cliffs. The sheltered gorges often have a temperate rainforest. There are also many hanging swamps with button grass reeds and thick, deep black soil. The famous Wollemi Pine, a relic of earlier vegetation of Gondwana is found in the of the remote and isolated valleys of the Blue Mountains.
Many Bushcare Groups carry out bush regeneration to restore and protect the beautiful surrounding bushland areas on Public lands within the City of the Blue Mountains.
The climate varies with height. At Katoomba (1010 metres) summer daytime temperatures are usually in 20s with a few days extending into the 30s (Celsius). Night time temperatures are usually in the teens. In winter the temperature is typically about 12 or 13 °C in the daytime with ?3 °C or so on clear nights and 2 to 3 °C on cloudy nights. There are two to three snowfalls per year. Annual rainfall is about 48 inches (1200 mm) with many misty days.
The main natural disasters to afflict the area are bushfires and severe storms. In recent years the lower mountains has been subjected to a series of bushfires which have caused great loss of property but relatively little loss of life. The upper mountains have not had a major fire for some decades but this is probably simply a matter of time. A program of winter burning seems to have been quite successful in reducing fires in the upper mountains.
|
