Blue Mountains

For other places with the same name, see Blue Mountains (disambiguation). The Three Sisters and the Jamison Valley, from Echo Point, Katoomba 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 for a mountain range, the Blue Mountains is nonetheless renowned for its uniquely majestic scenery, 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]. Cities Up in the mountains are the cities of: Katoomba - the largest, and most visited town, with Echo Point, Scenic World, and shopping. Known for its artsy, hippie population. Leura - right next to Katoomba, is a quaint craft shops, and boutique shopping. Wentworth Falls - close to Katoomba, bush, views and Bed and Breakfasts. Blackheath - genuinely pretty mountain town, surrounded by parks and scenic walks. Mount Victoria - the highest point of the mountains. Medlow Bath - the home of the Hydro-Majestic, and its sweeping views along the Megalong. In the lower mountains.. Springwood - in the lower mountains, is prime Sydney commute territory Glenbrook Other destinations The Blue Mountains is most famous for its three National Parks and other sites of natural beauty: Blue Mountains National Park Kanangra Boyd National Park Wollemi National Park - Home of the rediscovered prehistoric Wollemi Pine Jenolan Caves and Oberon Mount Tomah Botanical Gardens Mount Wilson Understand Aboriginal Inhabitants When the Europeans arrived in Australia, the Blue Mountains had already been inhabited for several millennia by the Gundungurra people who are now represented by the Gundungurra Tribal Council Aboriginal Corporation which is based in Katoomba. It is a not for profit organisation representing the Gundungurra traditional owners, promoting heritage and culture and providing a support for Gundungurra people connecting back to Country. History Although not especially high, the Blue Mountains cliffs were sufficiently challenging to prevent European explorers from penetrating the inland of New South Wales from Sydney for some time. Attempts to cross the mountains began in the very early 1800s and it was not until 1813 when Blaxland, Wentworth and Lawson found a way across the mountains by following the ridges rather than the watercourses. Once the route was found, roads, railway and development followed rapidly. The roads and railways today follow almost exactly the route taken by the original explorers. A visit to many of the scenic vistas, cliffs and waterfalls in the mountains will give you some appreciation of the challenges anyone would face trying to follow the rivers and creeks across the mountains. People The Mountains are a major weekend destination for Sydneysiders, but also have a passionate local community. Making your way up involves passing through many villages. Each with its own centre, and residential area around it. The lower villages are almost an extension of the Sydney urban area, but the higher you go the more a mountain way of life becomes evident. 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 Norman Lindsay (WP article)) People who want to get back to nature Hospitality and tourism workers The Blue Mountains locals have resisted much development - you'll only find two fast food restaurants (McDonalds/Burger King) between Glenbrook and Lithgow. If you stay long enough to get to know the place, you'll find an interesting mix of 1860, 1960 and last year. Climate The temperature can be up to 10°C colder than on the coast during the day, and even colder overnight. There is probably only one or two days of snow every one or two years, but there are many more winters days where it feels like it might snow!. An open fire can be nice on a winters evening. Orientation The main visitor district of the mountains centres around Katoomba, with Echo Point (Three Sisters), Scenic World, Wentworth Falls and Leura all within a few kilometres each direction. The towns of Blackheath and Mount Victoria are smaller tourist centres in their own right, only around 15 minutes drive from Katoomba. Jenolan Caves are a significant distance further, over an hour to drive from Katoomba. Get in Travellers visiting Sydney are often faced with the dilemma of how best get to the mountains to spend a day or a couple of days. It is quite possible to visit for a day, and to see many of the main sights. There are no scheduled commercial flights to the mountains. The closest airport is Sydney. 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 one hour and fifty minutes in good traffic. The traffic is much worse leaving Sydney on a Friday night, or returning to Sydney on a Sunday afternoon. Your travel time can double. After a long weekend (public holiday), traffic can come to a standstill coming down the mountains into Sydney in the afternoons. The are two major roads into the Blue Mounatins. The Great Western Highway is the main route that leads to Katoomba. The Bells Line of Road is the alternative road north of this that comes from Windsor Road. The two roads are joined at Mount Victoria by the Darling Causeway. This forms a loop road which you can do in either direction. The Bells Line of Road is more narrow and winding, but provides for a less tourist motorway like experience. There are several cafe's, resturants, and fruit orchards along the Bells Line of Road. Total ascent/descent on either way from the Sydney basin is approximately 1000m. Hiring a car from Sydney to spend a day or two in the mountains is a popular option for visitors to Sydney, however an issue often encountered by people staying the city centre is that car rental companies along the city strip generally close before 6pm, and can have queues when they open at 9am. This can make for a very short day in the mountains. The alternative is paying for an extra days car hire, and for overnight parking in the city for two nights, which can add considerably to the cost. 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 usually every second one will proceed to Lithgow. While the train will get you to the mountains, you need to determine how to get around when you get there, as there are a number of locations that you won't be able to reach without a car. 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. See how to Get Around below. By tour Many tour companies operate one-day or longer up to the Blue Mountains from Sydney. A number of companies operate chartered tours [4] that offer tour guides and coaches with modern facilities (toilets, air conditioning). Get around By car Once you get up the mountains, it is easy to get around the mountains by car, and congestion or parking is generally not a problem in getting around. The Great Western Highway (A32) crosses the Mountains east to west, and most places aren't far from it. Expect to pay for parking at Echo Point (The Three Sisters) at $4 per hour, but everywhere else should be free of charge. There are large free multi-storey parking lots at Scenic World. Local Car Rental is available from RediCAR [5], but if you are coming from Sydney, driving up the mountains is a good option. By hop-on hop-off bus There are also two hop-on hop-off bus services available. Blue Mountains Trolley Tours, [6].  edit Blue Mountains Explorer, [7].  edit You can purchase a link ticket with the train that includes the Blue Mountains Explorer Bus and the train fare to Katoomba from any Cityrail station. If you are travelling as a family the family fare saver, where only the first child pays, means that you should only buy a link ticket for one child, and buy the other child ticket on the bus. Consider how much time you have, and what you want to see. HOHO buses will generally cost more money than local buses, especially if you have a MyMulti ticket which includes the local buses. By local bus You can get to some stunning view points near Katoomba and Leura falls using regular bus service. Buses stop right outside the train station. Visit Blue Mountains Bus online [8] for the timetable. Most popular visitor destinations are serviced, but service frequency can drop to every couple of hours on Saturdays and many routes don't run at all on Sundays. Any type of MyMulti ticket will cover the local bus in the mountains - buy one from a ticket reseller or a train station. Cash tickets are sold on the bus. By train If travelling between towns in the mountains (like from Katoomba to Leura, Blackheath, Medlow Bath, or Mount Victoria), train is also available. Trains generally run every hour or so, more frequently during peak times. See Lookouts The most popular attraction in the Mountains is 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, so its a good place to start your visit to the mountains. Maps and souvenirs available for sale. Come back at night to see the area lit up. 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 Cliff Drive, around Katoomba and Leura has many pull-offs for admiring the view. Gordon Falls, the lookout provides views of the huge waterfall and the forest, close to Leura Kanangra Walls at Kanangra Boyd National Park. Wentworth Falls. Attractions Watch a IMAX movie at The Edge Cinema in Katoomba - its giant screen has somewhat regular showings of 'The Edge Movie', which is a documentary about the Blue Mountains, but check times on their website first, to make sure they aren't showing the latest Disney feature when you plan to visit. The cinema is about 10 minutes walk from Katoomba Station, the other direction from Echo Point. Monuments In the more residential lower Mountains commuter belt, 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'. Explorers Tree Do Tour the show caves at Jenolan Caves. Note that this is quite a long way from the Blue Mountains proper, and is probably a full day affair. If you don't have a car, you'll need to join a bus tour. 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 seniors, $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. [9] Megalong Australian Heritage Farm, 1 Megalong Road, Megalong Valley (30 Minutes from Katoomba), ☎ 47 878 188, [10]. 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 The Scenic Railway based at Scenic World is the steepest incline railway car in the world at 52°. It takes you for a short trip through a slot canyon over 300m down to the valley floor. It is well worth lining up at the front of the platform for the front seat. Sculpture at Scenic World is an annual event during Autumn showcasing artworks in the forest of Blue Mountain Nationals Park. [11] Walks There are literally hundreds of walking opportunities in the mountains, from short 1km trips to lookouts, to multi-day walks, and the famous Six Foot Track from Katoomba to Jenolan Caves. They will have all the details at the visitor information at Echo Point. The Giant Stairway descends to the bottom of the Jamison Valley, right next to the Three Sisters at Echo Point. You can walk along the base of the valley for around 2km to get to Scenic World, at take the Scenic Railway back up the hill. From here you can walk to 2km back along the top of the cliff, by following the Price Henry Cliff Walk back to Echo Point, via Katoomba Falls. There is food and drink at Echo Point, at Scenic World, and at a kiosk along the Prince Henry Cliff Walk. The track is well marked, (you will see the signs to Scenic Railway) and well traversed, so you don't need to be too prepared to do this one. If you are driving, then consider parking at Scenic World, and doing the Prince Henry Walk first, that way you can avoid the parking charges at Echo Point. If you want to test your fitness, go down the scenic railway, and then up the thousand steps. National Pass Trail [12] at Wentworth Falls is a recently restored trail, running along the cliff line at Wentworth Falls, and not as steep as it may sound. There is about 3 hours of walking in all, but shorter walks are possible. The start of the walk is about 45 minutes walk from the train station. It has spectacular views of the grose valley most of the way, and starts or ends at the valley of the Water and Empress Falls. Swimming is permitted in the pools at the bottom of Empress Falls, and it is common sight to see canyoners abseiling the falls. Faulconbridge Point Lookout/Grose River. The Grand Canyon at the end of Govetts Leap Road is a popular walk that takes you through a canyon slot via a rainforest like gully. And is tranquil respite from the summer heat. The walk is done as a loop between two car parks. In summer you may see canyoners abseiling into the deeper slot within the canyon from the walking track. It is possible to enter the same canyon slot from the bottom from the walking trail. You can swim in the long pool here. Govett's Leap. 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! [13] Mountain Bike Ride the Oaks Trail on your mountain bike. This is a classic mountain ride, through bushland fire trail well away from the highway. It goes from Woodford to Glenbrook, almost all downhill. You can get the train from Glenbrook back up the hill to the start. Ride on one of the scenic rides into the Jamison Valley from Katoomba. Canyoning The Blue Mountains area and surrounding national parks contains many hundreds of the world's most magnificent sandstone slot canyons. Many are in wilderness and world heritage protected sites, which makes them fairly unique in the world. Adventure companies based in the mountains like High'n'Wild and Blue Mountains Adventure Company offer guided day canyoning trips through some of the more popular canyons such as Empress, Grand Canyon, Claustral, Rocky Creek, Wollangambe, and Whungee Whengee. With all gear being provided. It is possible to canyon on your own (guidebooks are available, such a Canyons Near Sydney), but it is only advised for those with the appropriate level of technical skill and equipment. If you visit the Valley of the Waters at Wentworth falls, you can often see commercial canyoning companies abseiling Empress Falls from around 1pm onwards. Sleep There are many accommodation options in the Mountains. Resorts Bed and Breakfasts are popular, but can be expensive, especially on weekends. These generally cater to a premium end of the market. Guest houses. Motels Pubs - many have been gentrified, but not all. The price variations are significant between the two types. Camping. Stay safe There are a number of walks you can take in the mountains to experience them, where the tracks are well marked and well traversed. You can walk from Echo Point to the Scenic Railway, down the steps at the Three Sisters, and take the Scenic Railway back to the top. These walks have mobile reception, and you will have no problem following the tracks. There are shorter walks at Echo Point too. Check at visitor information. If you are bushwalking any further, you should prepare for the possibility of getting lost in the bush. People get lost regularly, it gets cold overnight, and visitors and mountain locals have died when they have lost the trail, and become disoriented. Personal locator beacons are available free of charge from Katoomba Police [14]. Let someone know your route, and when you will be back. Take a mobile phone (not always in range) and a GPS. Get out Leaving Katoomba by car at 4 PM on a Sunday will likely get you stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic from Leura down the hill. The traffic usually does not clear until around 6 PM. This is a usable article. It gives a good overview of the region, its sights, and how to get in, as well as links to the main destinations, whose articles are similarly well developed. An adventurous person could use this article, but please plunge forward and help it grow!