About Blue Mountains
The heart of the Blue Mountains is
located less than two hour's drive from Sydney. The
World Heritage listed area is renowned for its large
tracts of eucalypt forest and the 60 million year
old Wollemi Pines. The mountains are named for the
blue haze created by the eucalyptus oil given off
by the trees.
The seemingly endless national parks,
filled with rainforests and spectacular waterfalls,
attract hikers and bush-walkers of all standards
from around the world. Bush walking tracks abound,
providing the ideal way to experience and appreciate
this unique environment. Other adventure activities
available in the Blue Mountains include abseiling,
canyoning, white water rafting, horse riding, and
rock climbing. Visitors who prefer a quieter pace,
may browse through the many galleries, antique stores,
gardens and leafy malls nestled throughout the picturesque
mountain villages of Katoomba, Leura, Wentworth
Falls, Mt Victoria, Faulconbridge and Lawson.
A host of excellent restaurants, cafes, and hotels
also await the discerning visitor.
Further out on the western fringe
of the range, the awe-inspiring limestone formations
of Jenolan Caves and the old steam train, at the
Zig Zag Railway near Lithgow, should not to be missed.
During Autumn, one may enjoy the wonderful
colours of the autumn leaves in the many splendid
gardens in the Blue Mountains, indulge in a romantic
walk amongst the falling leaves or snuggle up in
front of an open fire at night. A visit to the Blue
Mountains is an ideal weekend romantic escape from
the hustle and bustle of city life.
The Blue Mountains region is a place
of discovery. Follow the Grand Circular Tourist Drive
through the charming mountain villages and spectacular
views to the beautiful rural countryside of Oberon,
and the history and heritage of Lithgow.
Food
The Blue Mountains is home to a wide range of dining venues, including cafes
and award winning restaurants.
Along the way there are numerous orchards,
many of which have roadside stalls selling local
peaches, nectarines, apples, pears and honey.
Places to visit
Bilpin
Bilpin is a quaint rural area located on the Bells
Line of Road. Known for its orchards and fruit and
vegetable stalls all along the side of the road they
offer visitors all local varieties of stone fruit
in season and autumn apples. Read
more
Faulconbridge
Famous for its bushwalks, and for the home
of the famous Australian artist Norman Lindsay, Faulconbridge
is nestled in the Blue Mountains surrounded by the
Blue Mountains world heritage listed national park. Read
more
Hartley Vale
Hartley Vale is located on western side
of the Blue Mountains about half-way between Mt Victoria
and
Bell. But, in the 1860's Hartley Vale was a bustling
mining town when mining commenced on a three foot
seam of "coal" (actually kerosene shale
or torbanite) which was discovered by William Lawson. Read
more
Katoomba
Katoomba is the main township in the heart of the Blue Mountains and is famous
for the 'Three Sisters', an unusual rock formation which dominates the skyline. Read
more
Lawson
Lawson is one of the principal towns in the Blue Mountains, and it is known
for some of the Blue Mountains most beautiful walking tracks. Read
more
Leura
The attractive Blue Mountains village of Leura features a charming main street,
filled with chic cafes, restaurants, gift shops, and art galleries. It is
the most urbane and sophisticated of the Blue Mountains villages.The town
borders the Blue Mountains National park and there are numerous lookouts
and bushwalks close by. Its streets are tree-lined and elegant, its attractive
week kept houses are commonly surrounded by European gardens. Read
more
Mount Tomah
Mt Tomah is small village with a unique character located on the Bells Line
of Road between Berambing and Mt Wilson. Mount Tomah hosts
one of the Blue Mountains' major tourist attractions, the ‘Mount Tomah
Botanic Garden’. The gardens feature more than 5000 cool climate plants
within 28 hectares.
Read more
Mt Victoria
This heritage listed town with its many impressive historical buildings is
located on the western edge of the Blue Mountains. It was originally known
as One Tree Hill and can be found on maps created by the Surveyor General,
Sir Thomas Mitchell dating back to 1834. Read
more
Oberon
The name Oberon comes from Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer
Night's Dream'. Oberon is the highest town in the
Blue Mountains region at 1,113m. Oberon is the perfect
base from which to explore Jenolan Caves and Kanangra
Boyd National Park. Read more
Wentworth Falls
Wentworth Falls is one of the major villages
in the Blue Mountains. It is known for its magnificent
scenery, charm and bushwalking tracks. Read
more
Gardens
The Blue Mountains is well known for its gardens including the beautiful Mt
Tomah Botanical Gardens along with private European and native gardens
which blend harmoniously together. Danish landscaper, Paul Sorensen's work
may be viewed at Everglades garden (National Trust, Leura)
and in many beautiful privately owned homes, some of which are open to the
public. Amongst these is the Norman Lindsay Museum at Faulconbridge where
one may admire the many sculptures that grace this garden and studio of and
garden of well-known Australian artist, sculptor and writer, Norman Lindsay.
Art and Culture
The stunning beauty of the Blue Mountains
has been inspiring artists for years. Today there
is a large local arts community, which includes painters,
sculptors, potters, photographers, wood turners,
furniture makers and glass blowers.
Galleries are located across the mountains and feature work from many local
artists.
The Blue Mountains is also home to
some of the best preserved examples of Federation
and Art Deco streetscapes.
Seasonal events occur all year round.
The Yulefest celebrates the delights of winter, in
cosy and luxuriant surrounds. In spring and autumn,
festivals celebrate the mountain’s magnificent
gardens and wildflower displays. In the summer enjoy
one of the great food and wine events. Local markets,
and a range of music festivals including jazz and
blues occur all year round.
Environment
The Blue Mountains, west of Sydney,
are part of the Great Dividing Range, which stretches
the length of the eastern coast of Australia. World
heritage listed, the area stretches for over one
million hectares. It is an incredible mixture of
cliffs, canyons, rainforest, Eucalypt forests, spectacular
rock formations and native wildlife.
A rich bio-diversity exists in the
Blue Mountains region. It is home to more than 1300
species of plants including the rare Wollemi Pine,
only recently discovered, now known to date back
60 million years. For the bird watching enthusiast
this area is populated with numerous colourful birds
including king parrots, yellow-tailed black cockatoos,
gang gangs, rosellas and lorikeets. The Blue mountains
are also known for the beautiful sounding bellbirds.
Mammals, including koalas, platypus,
kangaroos, wallabies, possums and sugar gliders,
the endangered spotted-tail quoll and long nosed
potoroo abound in this area.
The floral displays are year round
with brilliant red waratahs, exquisite boronias during
spring, Christmas bells and orchids during summer,
banksias and wattles during winter and mountains
devils all year round.
For millions of years the mountains
have been weathered creating the rugged sandstone
escarpments including the famous Three Sisters located
at echo Point in Katoomba,
for which the area is renowned.
Majestic views are everywhere. For
a change from the mountaintops explore one of Australia's
most extensive cave networks at Jenolan Caves, or
the beautiful rural Megalong Valley.
Climate
The spring air is fresh and crisp with
the average temperature around 15 degrees Celsius.
Summer brings warm days with the occasional
cool night. The temperature in the mountains ranges
from cool and damp on the forest floors to hot and
dry on the plateaus. The summer temperature averages
22 degrees Celsius.
Autumn is a wonderful time in the
Blue Mountains with a magnificent display of colourful
autumn leaves.
During winter the region receives
the occasional snowfall turning it into a magical
winter playground. The temperature at night can drop
as low as -8 degrees Celsius and can rise to a maximum
of 18 degrees Celsius during the day. The average
temperature for winter is 10 degrees Celsius.
Mountain weather can be unpredictable
and anyone hiking through this area should be prepared
for all conditions as you can experience quite rapid
changes in weather regardless of the season.
Getting there
By Car
From Sydney the Blue Mountains can be approached
either
- Via Great Western Highway (M4). This is the
most direct and it is only a 90 minute drive from
Sydney to the centre of the Blue Mountains region.
- Via the Bells Line of Road through Windsor and
Richmond. This road was named after the explorer
Archibald Bell, who navigated the route in 1823.
By Train
Trains to the Blue Mountains depart Sydney's
Central Station hourly. The trip from Sydney to Katoomba
takes approximately 2 hours. Trains to Central station
can be accessed directly from Sydney airport.
By Coach
Several coach companies offer services to the Blue Mountains. There are also
shuttle services available from Sydney Airport and the Sydney Metropolitan
Area to and from all Blue Mountains accommodation.
Accommodation
The Blue Mountains offers a wide range
of accommodation types including luxurious hotel
and spa resorts, charming cosy guesthouses, cottages,
self-contained cabins and bed and breakfasts.
More information
Tourism Blue Mountains http://www.bluemountainstourism.org.au
Useful Links To Shops, Services and other things
in Blue Mountains
Aussie
Bush Discoveries
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guide to wildlife discovery and adventure when
you visit Australia.
Cloud
9 Balloon Flights
Spectacular hot air balloon rides over Sydney, watch Australia's largest city
come to life from a truly unique vantage point. Panoramic views extend from
the city skyline to the Blue Mountains.
Getabout
4WD Adventures
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Adventures - Eco Educational Tours and Nationally
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