Blue Mountains, NSW

THE COLOUR OF MOUNTAINS

To the early settlers of 18th century Sydney, the Blue Mountains proved an almost insurmountable obstacle. But what was once an impenetrable barrier is now an unsurpassed tourist region.

Despite the best efforts of the adventurous, the settlers halted the westward expansion of the colony of Sydney for decades. Located 65 kilometres west of Sydney, the fertile farmlands beyond the Great Dividing Range were a dream that seemed beyond reach.

In 1813, after numerous attempts, a small band of explorers – including Gregory Blaxland, William Lawson and WC
Wentworth – achieved the impossible and by the late 19th century, the high-altitude health benefits of the mountains were well recognised. Wealthy Sydney businesspeople established country estates and summer houses, while numerous hotels and guesthouses were built for the thousands of visitors who flocked to the area by steam train.

The Great Western Highway today winds up from the western Sydney suburb of Penrith through such settlements as Glenbrook, Springwood, Faulconbridge, Wentworth Falls and Leura to Katoomba, which has long been the main tourism focus of the Blue Mountains. Blaxland, Wentworth and Lawson camped near Katoomba on their 1813 explorations, but tourism started in earnest with the completion of the railway line to Katoomba in 1876.

The City of the Blue Mountains covers some 1,430 square kilometres and comprises 26 towns and villages. The Blue Mountains were so named by Captain William Paterson of the New South Wales Corps, who had sighted the unusual colouring of the landforms in 1793. The “blue” of the mountains are the result of light filtering through fine dust particles and airborne oil fragments from the eucalyptus trees.

>> Blue Mountains accommodation - includes accommodation and hotels in Katoomba and Leura as well as the surrounding area.

The immense natural beauty of the area can be best appreciated at Echo Point on the edge of Katoomba. The Three Sisters, one of Australia’s best-known natural attractions, is laid out before the untouched expanse of the Jamison Valley. Although it may seem that the Three Sisters dominate the surrounding region, they are just 922 metres in height. Mount Piddington at nearby Mount Victoria is the highest point at 1,094 metres.

There’s much to do in the Blue Mountains, with something for just about everyone. Nature lovers in particular will gain much. The Blue Mountains World Heritage area encompasses more than one million hectares of wilderness. It contains eight separate nature reserves – Yengo, Wollemi, Gardens of Stone, Blue Mountains, Nattai, Kanangra-Boyd, Thirlmere Lakes and Jenolan Caves Karst Conservation Area.

Bushwalkers of all levels will enjoy the region, while adventure options include canyoning, rock climbing and abseiling. Guided 4WD explorations venture deep into these untouched areas, while mountain bikers frequent the Oaks Fire Trail, a downhill trail linking Woodford and Glenbrook. There’s horse riding in the Megalong Valley or the relaxing option of picnics on Narrowneak Plateau, with its outstanding views across the Jamison and Megalong Valleys.

Cavers can enjoy the region’s extensive underground networks of the Jenolan, Abercrombie and Wombeyan Caves. In summer, watersports abound at Lake Lyell near Lithgow, Lake Oberon and on the Wollongambe River. The Blue Mountains Area also has four great golf courses at Blackheath, Springwood, Wentworth Falls and Leura.

Accommodation includes acclaimed resorts and spas, historic hotels and guesthouses, B&Bs, spa retreats and country houses, self-contained cottages surrounded by pristine bushland and environmentally friendly eco-lodges. In recent times, there has been a trend towards natural therapies, massage and meditation.

Kids of all ages will be entranced by the many activities and specialist museums. Aboriginal culture can also be explored.
There is an extensive and active arts community in the region, with painters, potters, sculptors, wood-turners, glass-blowers and photographers all exhibiting their work in shops and galleries.

Perhaps the best-known resident of the Blue Mountains was artist Norman Lindsay, who worked for most of his life at a cottage near Faulconbridge. These days, his landscaped estate, with its many statues and fountains, is managed by the National Trust and houses an important collection of paintings, etchings, drawings and assorted memorabilia. Children will be fascinated by the permanent exhibition devoted to his much-loved classic, The Magic Pudding. His studio remains exactly as he left it.

Another great museum is the NSW Toy and Railway Museum at Leuralla, a five hectare estate at Leura (with the only permanent Barbie doll collection in Australia). Leuralla occupies the former home of Dr HV Evatt, politician and President of the General Assembly of the United Nations.

Garden lovers will adore the Blue Mountains. During the spring and autumn seasons, private gardens are open for inspection. The Mount Tomah Botanic Garden is the cool climate extension of Sydney’s Royal Botanic Gardens. The 28 hectare area has extensive views across pristine bushland and holds more than 5,000 varieties of plants from around the world. The National Trust-listed Everglades Gardens at Leura came together as a private retreat in the 1930s and was acquired by the National Trust in 1962.

For a hands-on experience of Australian history, there’s no going past the Zig Zag Railway. Originally part of the main western railway line, it is located on the Bells Line of Road at Clarence. The 7½ kilometre section of track, traversing sloping ramps, tunnels and beautifully constructed sandstone viaducts, was in operation between 1869 and 1910. Trips can be taken along the route on historic steam trains and vintage railmotors. It is open daily, with the railroad journey taking around 90 minutes.

The true spectacle of the Blue Mountains can be had at Scenic World Blue Mountains. The Scenic Skyway first opened in 1958 and has had a state-of-the-art makeover, unveiled late in 2004. With its glass viewing floor, the cable car extends out over the valley, some 270 metres from the ground.

From the clifftop, visitors can plunge 545 metres to the valley floor below aboard the Scenic Flyway, the steepest aerial cable car in the world, then take a self-guided tour through the rainforest and visit abandoned coal mines, before ascending via the Scenic Railway.

Beyond Katoomba and the picturesque villages of Medlow Bath and Mount Victoria, lies Hartley. From there, visitors can turn south towards Jenolan Caves and Oberon or continue on to Lithgow. The most accessible cave system to Sydney, Jenolan Caves was discovered by bushranger, James McKeown, who used it as a hideout in the late 1830s. Successive explorations eventually uncovered more than 40 kilometres of easily explored passageways. In the early 20th century, it became a health spa and retreat.

A variety of guided tours are available, which can take visitors of all ages and levels of fitness into this magical underground world. For the truly adventurous, there are tours taking in parts of the caves system that are rarely explored.

Nearby Oberon, which takes its name from a character in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, is known for beef and lamb production, as well as early gold and silver strikes.