Spotlight on the Blue Mountains

All Image Credits: Blue Mountains Australia

The Blue Mountains are one of the most visited areas in NSW and when you visit, you'll understand why! The views, the nature, the wildlife, the history...it's truly breathtaking. 

Which is why we're here to put a spotlight on this amazing place!

Here, you can experience that fresh mountain air as you leave the Greater Sydney area and finally arrive in the Blue Mountains region. Dining, spas, shopping, hiking, galleries, history - the Blue Monutains has it all for that family friendly getaway!

The Blue Mountains really are a magical place to visit no matter what the time of the year. You can enjoy the glowing colours in autumn, and the charm of winter (not to mention Christmas in July!). Summer brings that refreshing change and spring brings those glorious colours of nature.

You'll notice that the Blue Mountains is densely populated with oil bearing Eucalyptus trees, and it's this oil in the atmosphere combined with dust particles, water vapour and rays of light that give the blue hue that well, are the "Blue" in Blue Mountains!

The Greater Blue Mountains were actually inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2000 AND they became one of 15 World Heritage places included in the National Heritage List on 21 May 2007, which is pretty impessive!

So, what is there to see on your Blue Mountain experience?

Katoomba

Katoomba is actually the most visited town in the Blue Mountains, and this is because it's beautiful!. It wasn’t until 1879 that the town of Katoomba really became well known, and this was when a man named J.B. North opened the Katoomba Coal Mine.

Back in the day, the coal was obtained from the side of the mountain (near Orphan Rock!) using a cable car which brought the coal to the top. In fact, the now famous Scenic Railway (which is super fun to ride!) operates in the original cutting in the rock!

The Three Sisters

The Three Sisters is the Blue Mountains’ most spectacular landmark, and probably the most well known and iconic. The Three Sisters are located at Echo Point Katoomba, which is abouht 2.5 kilometres from the Great Western Highway.

The Three Sisters is an unusual rock formation that represent three sisters who according to Aboriginal legend were turned to stone. Can you see these sisters when you look at the rocks!?

What's amazing about The Three Sisters is that the character of the Three Sisters changes across the day and even throughout the seasons. Keep an eye out especially when it's sunny as the sunlight brings out those brilliant colours. 

The Three Sisters is also floodlit until around 11pm each night which is even more reason to spend the entire day there - they look simply spectacular when you see them set against the black background of the dark night sky.

Each of the Three Sisters stand at 922, 918 & 906 metres tall, respectively. Fun fact!

That's over 3000 feet above sea level! 

Scenic World

Scenic World is an amazing nature based experience within the Blue Mountains. Here, you can actually enjoy the world's steepest railway (this is the Scenic Railway we talked about earlier!) and if you love even more views, you can also glide on air on the Scenic Skyway and Cableway. And this time you need to make sure you look down!

Also at Scenic World you can explore temperate rainforest on the Walkway.

Opening hours vary seasonally so check online before you go. Online bookings really are essential with timed-ticket entry for all guests.

Scenic World is open every day during school holidays as well as Thursday - Monday outside school holidays.

Jenolan Caves

Whist a lot of what you will enjoy is above ground at the Blue Mountains, there is one attraction that is a must-visit underground. We're talking about Jenolan Caves!

Technically, Jenolan Caves is part of the spectacular Oberon area but it's so spectacular we have to mention it here. The caves is within easy reach of the Blue Mountains making it ideal for a day trip for families. 

The caves are open daily, and the award-winning Jenolan Caves are one of the country's national treasures. In fact, they are the world’s oldest and Australia’s most awe-inspiring caves. During your time at the cave you can see first hand the dazzling formations and pure underground rivers. 

During your visit, you can tour any of 10 show caves, each truly astonishing in their own way.   With 10 caves to choose from, you can always ensure there is a cave tour to suit all ages and fitness levels.  With prior notice, there is even limited wheelchair access!

Blue Mountains Cultural Centre

The Blue Mountains Cultural Centre is well worth a stop on any visit to the Blue Mountains. Here, you can check out the Blue Mountains City Art Gallery as well as the World Heritage Exhibition which is devoted to teaching all about the distinctive environment, history and culture of the Blue Mountains region.

Getting There

So, you want to visit the Blue Mountains, but how do you get there? Well, two simple ways!

The first and most popular way of getting to the Blue Mountains is by car. The close proximity of the Blue Mountains to the city of Sydney makes it an ideal getaway for a day trip (having said this, it's a great idea to spend a few days in the area to truly experience the magic of the Blue Mountains)

The entrance to the Blue Mountains at Glenbrook/Lapstone is only about 50 minutes drive from Sydney. From the city, you simply follow the signs to Parramatta then the M4 Motorway takes you through to Lapstone in the Blue Mountains.

It's worth noting that if accommodation guides tell you that the Blue Mountains is a 90 minute drive from Sydney, this is because there is far more to the Blue Mountains than the popular tourist destination of Leura / Katoomba (90 minutes from Sydney).

The second option to get to the Blue Mountains is via train.

From Central Station in Sydney, you can jump on one of the air-conditioned double decker Mountains trains. The fast journey to the Mountains will most likely stop at Strathfield, Parramatta, Penrith, Emu Plains, and then all stations up the Blue Mountains.

Trains generally run every hour and more frequently during those peak commuter times. Then, you can just jump in a taxi which area are readily available from Blaxland, Springwood, Wentworth Falls, Leura and Katoomba Railway Stations

So, are you excited about your Blue Mountain adventure? We can't wait to hear all about it, so grab that sense of adventure and those cameras and let's go!