Yes, the mountains are blue except at high noon. But there’s a lot to see apart from the colour of the mountains.
Blue Mountains are the perfect weekend getaway for busy Sydneyites because of the short distance to reach them from Sydney. This mountain region has many mesmerizing sights and is a UNESCO World Heritage area.
Getting to Blue Mountains from Sydney
Although it is most convenient to get to Blue Mountains by car, it can also be reached by other modes of transport. A car drive of about 112 kms from Sydney to Blue Mountains takes just 2 hours. A train or bus may take a half hour longer.
A Tip for those arriving by train: the Blue Mountains has a Hop-on Hop-off service called the Blue Mountains Explorer Bus. It is a great service and with 37 stops, covers most of the main attractions.
Blue Mountains
Why are the mountains blue? The ‘Blue’ comes from a fine mist of oil exuded by the eucalyptus, giving the mountains their name. This region is surrounded by several hectares of National Parks, small townships and award-winning restaurants.
We chose to stay at Katoomba and reached there quite early but our hotel, one of many on Lurline Street that leads to Echo Point, didn’t let us check-in. We decided to save Echo point for the afternoon and set off for Everglades House and Gardens in Leura.
Everglades Historic House and Gardens
Everglades is a 1930s house and the garden is designed in classic English style – overlooking the expansive Jamison valley. . It is owned by the National Trust of New South Wales. The garden is quite large with terraces running down the hill. It was spring and the daffodils and cherry blossoms in bloom made a very pretty sight. There are little ponds, steps and statues which blend to make a gorgeous setting. Afterwards, we tucked into freshly baked cakes and scones and special Devonshire tea in their pleasant tea-rooms run by volunteers. It was simply a pleasure to sit in the courtyard by the fountains or by the fire in the living room or in the breakfast room looking over the vast Jamison valley!
On our way out we peeped into the little art gallery displaying paintings and garden sculptures. We also stopped at their little shop to admire some delicate hand-made glass and stone curios – yes, we couldn’t resist picking up a few!
Next, Echo Point and Three Sisters – here we come!
Echo Point and The Three Sisters
The Three Sisters are three unique sandstone ribs standing in a row against the vast background of the Jamison valley.
In the distance you can see a line of blue hills all the way to the horizon. The Sisters are best seen from Echo Point, so named because on a still and quiet day you can hear echoes from the Sisters if you make the right kind of sound. There are two lookouts, upper and lower, and it is worth viewing the Sisters from both. You can go down on the Giant Stairway, across Honeymoon bridge that spans a ravine, to an overhang next to the First Sister. If you are adventurous you can continue on to a bushwalk, too.
Assuming you have a second day in the weekend, there are two good choices. One, the cliff walk and views of the famous Katoomba falls and Reid’s plateau and two, the Blackheath region with lookouts and bushwalk opportunities.
Reid’s Plateau Loop
Starting near the Katoomba Kiosk on Cliff Drive, we followed the well-marked walking track that heads through the bush on to Reid’s Plateau. There are several lookouts in the loop around this plateau.
– The first lookout overlooks the Witches Leap area. There is a good view of the Witches Leap waterfall and a glimpse of cliffs on the other side of the valley.
– The Tunnel lookout is perched on the cliff edge and the panorama looks along the Kedumba Valley.
– The best lookout is of the Mount Solitary (a single sandstone rib) rising from the valley below and looking dramatic. There is another side view where you can see the Katoomba falls deep below.
This walk and views took an hour and half. We also took advantage of the picnic area near the Reid’s plateau and enjoyed some sandwiches and coffee while feasting our eyes on the awesome scenery!
Blackheath
Next, we decided to drive up northwards and spend the afternoon in Blackheath. We walked into the Blackheath visitor centre and were quite impressed by its Virtual reality canyoning experience! It is indeed a great way to experience the mountains without any risk!!
The visitor centre is also the starting point for the Fairfax Heritage walk – a 2.4 km circuit walk to see the Govett’s Leap lookout that overlooked the Grose valley.
A bit about photography – most of these mountain and valley views are best photographed at sunrise or late morning or late afternoon. The middle of the day when the light is too harsh is best avoided unless it is a bit cloudy.
Altogether, a lovely weekend at the Blue Mountains!
This is solidly on my to-do list next time I visit Australia. It seems like we could spend more than a weekend there. Do you think you had enough time to do everything you wanted to do? I’m also afraid of the humidity, how was that? After seeing your photos, I just cannot wait to go. It looks like such a stunning place!
What a beautiful spot to visit! I live in another gorgeous mountain region – the White Mountains of New Hampshire, USA. I often forget how scenic a mountain view can be until I see another one from a different perspective. I’d so love to visit Echo Point and try to hear the echo. Thanks for inspiring me to visit another beautiful mountain vista!
When I went to the Grand Canyon I was transfixed by how the light changed the shade of the rocks. I’m sure it’s the same at the Blue Mountains. Isn’t nature fabulous!
There are so many good articles on australia, I really need to take a better look on this. The only thing I am dreading is the long flight from Stockholm Sweden…
Love the Blue Mountains & you’re pictures are fantastic. I missed it on my last visit to Sydney but will return next time…you’ve whet my appetite!
I so enjoyed being taken back to the Blue Mountains, somewhere I knew pretty well when I was a student in Sydney in the late 80s early 90s but haven’t been to in years. Thanks for the trip down memory lane. It’s definitely time to go back, I just hope they haven’t been too badly destroyed by the terrible fires.
WOW! These pictures are stunning. The blue mountains remind me of Pikes Peak in Colorado. As we drove down the mountain we could see so far out, that the mountains were different hues of blue/green/purple 🙂
I really enjoyed my read here, also love the beautiful captures shared here. Thanks for a lovely sharing
Gonna add to my revisit Sdyney list
cheers, siennylovesdrawing.wordpress.com
The blue hues…aren’t they enchanting against the sunlight? So similar to the Smoky Mountains National Park in USA. However, your post has enlightened of something that I did not know of – The three sisters. I’ve never heard of it before. A beautiful post with some stunning photos – the capture of that waterfall is incredible.
Your images have brought back so many good memories of my visit here. Honestly, your pictures are far better than the ones that I took on a rushed day-visit under cloudy skies. I did the round trip from Sydney, but I think I could have explored the place more deeply had I opted to stay in Katoomba as you did. Your images of Katoomba Falls from Mount Solitary and the zoom into the Three Sisters are Pin-worthy standouts for me. Wished I’d been able to join you at The Everglades House for Devonshire Tea and cakes.
Absolutely gorgeous. I regret not making it out here when I was in Australia last year. Looks like you had a lot of fun!
Your photos are gorgeous! I’m impressed, this is a wonderful place! Thanks for sharing!
Another enjoyable read with excellent photos showcasing the natural beauty of the Blue Mountains and the immediate surroundings.