“OK, we can go to the barbecue now!” jokes one student at the start of our hike in New South Wales’ Blue Mountains. We’re standing at Jamison Lookout where the valley view, which stretches beyond Mount Solitary, smacks you in the face. The recent La Niña weather event is thankfully taking a breather and the hovering blue haze – an optical phenomenon called Rayleigh scattering that gives the mountain range its name – is illuminating the eucalypts and chiselled tableland.
It seems like nothing else on our hike today will top this first lookout, but it’s just the opening act. I’m marvelling at the scenery with a group of about 30 young people – mostly students – from the Afghan Australian community.
