Blue Mountains
Why go?
An easy 1½ to 2-hour journey from Sydney, the Blue Mountains
are close enough to draw Sydneysiders away for the weekend to
escape their busy city lives in favour of the clean air and cooler
climate. With three National Parks in the area, the Blue Mountain
National Park being the most accessible, there are numerous trails
for rugged bushwalking – or drive-up look-outs for those who
want to conserve their energy but not miss out on the unforgettable
scenery. You shouldn’t leave without seeing the ‘Three
Sisters’, probably the most famous sight in the area. Once
abseiling down and climbing up these rock formations was banned in
2000, the area became a UNESCO listed site – the lighter
orange and yellow coloured sections are more recent erosion. For a
lesson in Aboriginal heritage hire a guide to take you walkabout,
get you close to wildlife and tell Dreamtime stories and
legends.
The Katoomba Scenic railway is the steepest railway incline in the
world and one part of ‘Scenic World’, which includes
the ‘skyway’, a 720m long, 270m high journey above the
ravines and rainforests in a glass floored cable car. Also here is
a cableway, the steepest in the Southern Hemisphere, into (or out
of) the Jamison Valley; for those who would rather keep their feet
firmly on the ground, a boardwalk through the rainforest allows you
to sample some refreshing Blue Mountains water whilst learning
about the history of the valley.
Weekends and summer school holidays are popular times for city
escapees, so prices and availability will escalate accordingly. Try
and time your visit so that it’s mid-week, and make your
trips to the main sights at the start or end of the day to avoid
day-trippers.