Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Fantastic Aussie Tours
(
&
02/4782 1866;
www.fantastic-aussie-tours.com.
au) runs several tours of the area, including a Blue Mountains Highlight Tour
which takes you to many of the best sites. Tours leave at 10:30am (and finish at
1:15pm), 11:30am (to 3:15pm), and 2pm (to 5:15pm). Tours cost A$38
(US$24) for adults, A$19 (US$12) for children, and A$88 (US$57) for a family.
EXPLORING THE AREA
The most visited and photographed attractions in the Blue Mountains are the
rock formations known as the
Three Sisters
. For the best vantage point,
head to
Echo Point Road,
across from the Blue Mountains Tourism office. Or
try Evans Lookout, Govetts Leap, and Hargreaves Lookout, all at Blackheath
(see “Blackheath,” below)—none of which are serviced by the Blue Mountains
Explorer Bus or Trolley Tours.
One thing you have to do in the Blue Mountains is ride the
Scenic Railway,
the world's steepest. It consists of a carriage on rails that is lowered 415m (1,361
ft.) down into the Jamison Valley at a maximum incline of 52 degrees. Origi-
nally the rail line was used to transport coal and shale from the mines below in
the 1880s. The trip only takes a few minutes; at the bottom are some excellent
walks through forests of ancient tree ferns. Another popular attraction is the
Skyway,
a cable car that travels 300m (984 ft.) above the Jamison Valley. The
trip takes 6 minutes round-trip. The Scenic Railway and the Skyway (
&
02/
4782 2699
) each cost A$8 (US$5.20) round-trip for adults and A$3 (US$1.95)
for children, and operate from 9am to 5pm daily (last trip at 4:50pm). They
depart from the ticket office at 1 Violet St., Katoomba. (Follow the signs.)
Canyons, waterfalls, underground rivers—the Blue Mountains has them all,
and before you experience them in person you can catch them on the (giant)
screen in
The Edge
at the
MAXVISION Cinema,
225-237 Great Western
Hwy., Katoomba (
&
02/4782 8900
). The special effects shown on the screen,
18m (59 ft.) high and 24m (79 ft.) wide, make you feel like you're part of the
action. The 38-minute film
The Edge
is shown every 40 to 50 minutes from
10am to 5:45pm. Tickets are A$13 (US$8.45) for adults, A$11 (US$7.15) for
students, and A$7.50 (US$4.90) for children. The cinema is a 5- to 10-minute
walk from the train station. Recent release movies are shown on part of the giant
screen in the evenings. There is a restaurant and a snack bar on the premises.
To get back to Sydney, I highly recommend taking the Bell's Line of Road
through Bilpin. It's up to 3-hour's driving via this route, but you can stop off at
the wonderful
Mt. Tomah Botanic Gardens
. (You can't miss the large sign
on your right about 10 min. before you get to Bilpin.) An adjunct of the Royal
Botanic Gardens in Sydney, Mt. Tomah is dedicated to cold climate plants. It's
compact and has a very good cafe serving lunch daily. Allow around 2 hours for
a stop here.
WHERE TO STAY
There are plenty of places to stay throughout the Blue Mountains, including his-
toric guesthouses, B&Bs, resorts, motels, and homestays.
Very Expensive
Echoes Hotel & Restaurant, Blue Mountains
Lilianfels (see
below) might be more expensive, but Echoes, just across the road on a cliff over-
looking the Jamison Valley, has superior views. Large windows, balconies, and a
sizeable deck allow guests to soak up the fantastic scenery. Rooms are simply fur-
nished and smaller than those at Lilianfels; all have underfloor heating and are
recommended.
Finds
