Blue Mountains
From Wikitravel
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The Blue Mountains,[1] located immediately to the west of the sprawling metropolian area that is Sydney, is one of the most accessible areas of (relatively unspoilt) highland natural beauty in New South Wales, Australia. Although not particularly high as a mountain range, the Blue Mountains is nonetheless renowned for its majestic scenery of a unique kind, for its cultural attractions and for its relatively tranquil, alternative mode of life.
The Blue Mountains region was inscribed as a World Heritage Area by UNESCO in 2000 [2].
[edit] Cities
The major towns in the Blue Mountains are:
- Blackheath
- Blaxland
- Katoomba
- Leura
- Little Hartley
- Megalong Valley
- Mount Victoria
- Oberon
- Wentworth Falls
- Springwood
Other, smaller, towns include:
[edit] Other destinations
The Blue Mountains is most famous for its three National Parks and other sites of natural beauty:
[edit] Understand
[edit] History
Although not especially high, the Blue Mountains were sufficiently rugged to prevent European explorers and settlers from penetrating the inland of New South Wales from Sydney for some time. Although Aborigines were able to negotiate the mountain trails, it took Europeans from 1788 - when Sydney was first settled - until 1813 (25 years) to discover a way over. Even then, it was never by following the valleys, but only by traversing the mountain ridges, that a road over the mountains was made possible.
[edit] People
The culture of the Blue Mountains is not as well known. "The Mountains" are a major weekend destination for Sydneysiders and yet the Blue Mountains locals resist development - you'll only find two fast food restaurants (McDonalds/Burger King) between Glenbrook and Lithgow. The people of the Blue Mountains live in "villages", however in the lower mountains, these are basically suburbs of Sydney. Locals of the Blue Mountains tend to be:
- Retirees
- Commuters
- Folks looking for an alternative lifestyle, including a large and active gay and lesbian community
- Artists (including, in the past, the infamous)
- People who want to get back to nature
- Hospitality and tourism workers
If you stay long enough to get to know the place, you'll find an interesting mix of 1860, 1960 and last year.
[edit] Get in
[edit] By car
Take the M4 out of Sydney, then continue as the M4 becomes the Great Western Highway (A32) on Lapstone hill. Sydney to Katoomba is 103km and takes about 1:50, if you don't get slowed down by the traffic congestion (which you commonly will on a Saturday or Sunday).
[edit] By train
CityRail [3] trains run every hour or two to the Blue Mountains from Sydney Central, and can also connect at major stations along the way, like Parramatta. Trains run every hour or so as far as Mount Victoria and some proceed to Lithgow. While the train will get you to the mountains, be prepared to walk a fairly long walk to get to some locations. There are a number of locations that you won't be able to reach without a car (unless you plan to walk for 3 days). That said, most of the main towns in the Blue Mountains are linked together by the rail line, and the prime tourist spots are walkable or accessible by visitor friendly bus services, such as hop-on hop-off services around the Katoomba area.
[edit] By tour
Many tour companies operate one-day or longer up to the Blue Mountains from Sydney. One tour company is Sydney Tours R Us.
[edit] Get around
It is easy to get around the mountains by car. The Great Western Highway (A32) travels the width of the mountains and most places aren't far from it.
- Local Car Rental is available from RediCAR [4].
You can get to some stunning view points near Katoomba and Leura falls using the cheap and regular bus service. Buses stop right outside the train station. Visit Mountainlink online [5] for more info on buses, or for the timetable.
If travelling between towns in the mountains (like from Katoomba to Springwood), train is also a great way to get around. Or, you can travel by train to the nearest station, then bus or taxi from there.
There are also some hop-on hop-off bus services available. Consider how much time you have, and what you want to see.
[edit][add listing] See
- Govett's Leap, a lookout at Blackheath with fantastic views over the Grose Valley. A number of walking tracks around the edge of the escarpment start here
- Echo Point at Katoomba, a major lookout with incredible views of the Jamison Valley and the Three Sisters. There's also an information centre here with displays about the environment of the area, and maps and souvenirs available for sale.
- Kanangra Walls at Kanangra Boyd National Park.
- Watch a movie at The Edge Cinema in Katoomba - its giant screen has regular showings of 'The Edge Movie', which is a documentary about the Blue Mountains and its .
- Wentworth Falls.
- In the less touristy lower Mountains, there are a couple of mildly interesting tourist sites at Faulconbridge - the Corridor of Oaks, which has oak trees planted by many Australian Prime Ministers, and Sir Henry Parkes' Grave, the final resting place of a man considered to be the 'Father of Federation'.
[edit][add listing] Do
- Ride the Oaks Trail on your mountain bike.
- Ride on one of the scenic rides into the Jamison Valley from Katoomba.
- To get away from the crowds in "scenic" Katoomba, get a bus (or taxi) to Leura falls, and walk down the steps to the wedding veil falls and along Federal Pass - a fantastic walk, not too hard, and loads of wildlife!
- Jenolan Caves.
- Zig Zag Railway. ph 02 6355 2955 or 02 6351 4826 (recorded timetable). fax 02 6355 2954. email zigzag@pnc.com.au. The Zig Zag Railway is a historic railway. It was the main system for descending from the mountains before tunnels were made, and now it is a tourist attraction. You can drive to it from the Bells Line of Road or catch a Cityrail train to Zig Zag station and change. The train journey up and down the mountain takes about 1.5 hours. Trains run at 11AM, 1PM and 3PM, steam trains only run on Wednesdays, weekends, public holidays and school holidays. Tickets are $20 adults, $15 students and senioprs, $10 children over 5 and free for children under 5. Family tickets for 2 adults and 3 children or 1 adult and 4 children are $50. [6]
- Megalong Australian Heritage Farm, 1 Megalong Road, Megalong Valley (30 Minutes from Katoomba), ☎ 47 878 188, [7]. 9AM to 5PM. A unique venue offering rural experiences. Set in 2000 acres the venue has a restaurant, horse riding, 4WD, bushwalking, childrens petting farm, wilderness camping sites and B &B accommodation. edit
[edit] Walks
- Govett's Leap.
- The thousand steps (at Echo Point, down into the valley).
- The thousand steps through the valley to the Scenic Railway.
- Six Foot Track (starts at the Great Western Highway (A32) and ends at Jenolan, takes at least a day).
- National Pass (Wentworth Falls).
- Faulconbridge Point Lookout/Grose River.
See the National Parks NSW website, [8] for more info.
[edit][add listing] Sleep
- Redleaf Resort Redleaf Resort [9] is located 90 minutes from Sydney and only 10 minutes north of Katoomba. A recreation and entertainment resort, Redleaf offers an enclosed heated swimming pool, spa, sauna, tennis court, and a games room equipped with juke box, video games, pool table and table tennis.
[edit] Drives
- Bells Line of Road.
[edit] Stay safe
If you are bushwalking, personal locator beacons are available free of charge from Katoomba Police [10]. Large groups and individuals do get lost while bushwalking. If you are walking, take the time to prepare. Let someone know your route, and when you will be back. Take a mobile phone (not always in range) and a GPS.
[edit] Get out
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