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The stunning views from one of Australia's most visited beauty spots left The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge declaring they will return some day.

His Royal Highness described the breathtaking Three Sisters viewing point across the Blue Mountains as "a great place for a picnic" while The Duchess discussed bush walking and said they would come back.

The Duke and Duchess spent the day touring the Blue Mountains region close to Sydney that suffered devastating bush fires last October and met families whose homes were burnt to the ground.

Their Royal Highnesses arrived at Echo Point, Katoomba, to see the famous Three Sisters rock formation and were greeted by around 3,000 well-wishers.

The Duke and Duchess  were welcomed by cheers from the crowds and walked down to a platform to see the majestic views across the Blue Mountain range.

With the iconic Blue Mountains in the background The Duke and Duchess were greeted by Aboriginal elders representing the indigenous landowners of Echo Point.

The trio presented them with a possum skin cloak for their baby son Prince George and the couple received a kangaroo coat for themselves.

The Duke said: "That's fantastic thank you very much, he'll love that - very warm."

Elder Aunty Sharon Brown, chairwoman of the Gundungurra Tribal Council, explained that traditionally a baby would be given a possum cloak and for every significant milestones during its life, another pelt would be added to the garment.

Their Royal Highnesses moved forward to look at the view which attracts more than three million visitors every year and were joined by senior figures from two tourist companies that run attractions in the area.

AntheaHammon, joint managing director of Scenic World, which runs the visitor centre at the beauty spot, acted as The Duchess's guide while The Duke spoke to Randall Walker, chief executive of Blue Mountains Lithgow and Oberon Tourism.

The Blue Mountains, which start around 30 miles outside Sydney, are so called because of a blue haze that hangs over them, caused by light refracting off eucalyptus oil in the air.

From Echo Point visitors can see the Three Sisters and get a panoramic view of the mountains.

According to Aboriginal legend, three sisters called Meehni, Wimlah and Gunnedoo fell in love with three brothers from a rival tribe.Unable to marry because of tribal law, the brothers decided to go into battle against the sisters' tribe to capture them by force.

A witch doctor is said to have turned the sisters to stone to save them from being harmed in the battle, but he was killed in the fighting and could not reverse the spell.

Before leaving The Duke and Duchess went on a short walkabout meeting the crowds who had been patiently waiting to meet them.

Sarah Barman, 22, said: "William came over and said 'what a great spot for a picnic'. He was so charming, he was lovely, I've been waiting three hours but it was worth it."

MsHammon said after speaking The Duchess: "She loved it, it's a pretty stunning day. She was amazed about how far you could see.

"I was talking to her a little bit about bush walking, she likes walking and there's lots of places to walk here in the Blue Mountains. She said she was keen to come back."

Mr Walker said about The Duke: "He was very impressed with the spectacular views and he was interested in the Aboriginal legend about it. He was surprised to learn it's the most visited regional site in Australia."

По материалам:

http://www.dukeandduchessofcambridge.org/

http://www.hellomagazine.com/

http://www.hola.com