After sorting the car, we booked an Airbnb in the Blue Mountains for a night and took the new Captiva on its first proper family outing.
It felt good to have our own wheels again. Not glamorous, not fancy, but ours. After dealing with rental prices and the awful MG, the red Holden suddenly felt like freedom.
The Blue Mountains were a great first test.
We visited Scenic World, where the girls got to ride the railway and cable cars through the rainforest and over the valley. The weather was moody, with low cloud and mist moving across the cliffs, which actually made the whole place feel more dramatic. You did not get perfect postcard views all the time, but you did get that proper mountain atmosphere.
We also did the Dinosaur Valley trail, which was a big hit. Dinosaurs hidden through the rainforest, boardwalks, trees, damp air, and children hunting for the next prehistoric thing around the corner. It was a good mix of nature and fun, which is usually the sweet spot for us.
The next day, the weather cleared a bit and we got some proper Blue Mountains views. Huge cliffs, green valleys, big skies, and that feeling Australia does so well where everything suddenly seems much larger than expected.
It was only one night, but it worked perfectly.
A new car, a short road trip, a family Airbnb, misty mountains, dinosaurs, cable cars and views.
Not bad for the Captiva’s first proper run.