Found! Very good news

Mr Neale's father, Richard Cass, was at Sydney Airport and about to fly home to Britain this afternoon, a police spokesman said.

"My understanding is he's now being flown [by helicopter] from the airport to the Blue Mountains ... he was at the airport to fly out of the country," he said.

Mr Neale, 19, from North London, had been missing since July 3, and was last seen above Ruined Castle, a rock formation in the Jamison Valley, about midday, police said.

A massive search had been mounted for Mr Neale, who had left many of his possessions, including a mobile phone, at the youth hostel in Katoomba where he had been staying.

More here, photo here.

AN English bushwalker who has been missing for 11 days in the freezing cold of the Blue Mountains has walked out of the bush "a bit crook" but alive.

NSW Police recovered Jamie Neale near Narrow Neck plateau, around 15 kilometres from Katoomba, following a phone call from bushwalkers.

The 19-year-old, who went missing while bushwalking near Katoomba on July 4, has been taken to Katoomba hospital for treatment.

Missing for 11 days, I imagine that Jamie's family is very relieved that he has been found alive - in the weather conditions in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney at this time of year (winter), temperatures often fall below zero and it can snow.

The golden rule when bushwalking in, or travelling in the outback of, Australia, is that you MUST let people know where you are going and how long you expect to be, particularly if you are travelling where there isn't much human traffic.

This is a photograph by Yegor Korzh at redbubble of the Ruined Castle, Blue Mountains National Park, NSW, Australia.

Many years ago my aunt and uncle visited the UK on an exchange visit. A gentleman came out to Australia and stayed in their house. My parents and the rest of the family showed this fellow around. One of the trips Mum, Dad, brother and I took this fellow on was to Bungonia Caves Reserve, about 2 hours south of Sydney.

The UK visitor was amazed that we drove for two hours to go for a "bush walk". When asked where he'd be if he drove two hours from his home he replied, "About the middle of France." This fellow did a lot of bushwalking (rambling?), so my parents decided that he should be fit enough to walk down to Bungona Gorge. And back.

When we arrived at the top of the walk into The Gorge and parked the cars our visitor asked what he should take with him. He wanted to take his wallet. Mum and Dad said he wouldn't be neeeding his wallet. He asked "But surely we'll be passing some inns on the way so that we can stop to have a drink?" The parents explained that even on a four hour bushwalk we'd not be passing any human habitation, let alone an inn.

He was a little gobsmacked. I don't think he believed my parents.

I also remember when the visitor left my Uncle and Aunt's place. He turned off the power. About a month or so later, about five days before the family was due back in Australia, my Mum and I went over to their place so that mum could air the house and make sure it was nice and clean for them, they'd been away several months. Mum didn't know that the power had been turned off until we went inside the house and there was a strong pong. Malodorous.

Think liquified chicken in the fridge freezer. Frost free fridge freezer. Running down the drain for the melted ice...

That's enough of that. Mum cleaned it up. I was only a kid, and it was so strong that I wanted to vom.

Procrastination. I must do a job application. I must rewrite/clean up my CV.

Dread. Job app isn't a problem, it's rewriting the CV that is the big job!