A few years ago, my partner and I went on a January holiday in Sydney for about a week, however coming from the Whitsundays, the city life was a bit full on for us (and should I mention expensive!), so after 5 days visiting the main landmarks Sydney had to offer, we hired a car to visit the Blue Mountains only because we heard it was a popular tourist destination, so we had no idea what to expect. And what a surprise! You can find my photos of the Blue Mountains on Facebook and on Instagram. The pictures speak for themselves.

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Only about 1 hour drive away from Sydney’s beautiful beaches arises the Blue Mountains listed as World Heritage site. The area is very popular for its walking trails, some of them were built in the 1800’s, its waterfalls, and of course its beautiful scenery. Here is a bit of information which should give you a good idea of what to expect and would probably make you want to go there.

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How to get there?

 

By car: if you have your own transport it will only take you roughly 1 hour to get to the Blue Mountains from Sydney. If you only have 1 day and want to head straight to Katoomba and the popular Leura’s falls, it will take you 90 minutes from Sydney. Drive west taking the city West link to Parramatta Road, then you will see the M4 motorway to your right and follow the Blue Mountains National Park signs. There is no National Park vehicle fee except $8 per vehicle per day only at attractions in the Glenbrook area.

 

By train: convenient enough, the train has services available every hour or more during peak hours so you can easily access the area even if you don’t have a vehicle. You will need to get an Opal Card, valid for all public transports in Sydney and surrounds (bus, train and ferry), you put money on it and recharge through the app, on internet or at one of the participating shops. Single tickets are also available however you will be better off using the Opal Card since the discount is quite good and that you will probably use public transport around Sydney anyway. Have a look at the following link from the NSW government in order to plan your trip and price it up: https://www.opal.com.au/

There is a taxi rank right outside the train station when you arrive at Katoomba and the bus service is quite good too but only recommended if you spend more than one day as I think you will be short on time to make the most of it.

 

With a tour: there are many tours on offer to get you from Sydney to the Blue Mountains for a day, including small and private group tours, coach or 4x4 tours. The choice is yours and also depends on your budget. It is a good way to meet other travelers especially if you are travelling by yourself and to see the main attractions without having to plan a thing (ideal if you are in Australia only for a few weeks). Tours usually start at around $70 but depending on what is included it could be $110.

 

What to expect?

I won't be able to describe all the great spots in the area as there is a lot. This is my experience of the main landmarks and general things I have explored in the Blue Mountains.

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The Three Sisters Echo Point lookout at Katoomba, easily accessible as you can park your car (not free, $4 for first hour), is the most famous landmark of the Blue Mountains. The Three Sisters name comes from an Aboriginal legend. The 3 rocks represent 3 sisters that have been turned into rocks. The colour and the mood of this site always change depending on the sunlight, the weather and the seasons.

 

Some travellers might think the Scenic Skyway in Katoomba is just another way to make tourist pay to see the Three Sisters from a different angle, however, being scared of height, this platform hanging off cables 270m over the valley was an attraction on its own and it was well worth it! We did the following itinerary: Scenic Skyway platform travelling 720m to the East station, walked to the Three Sisters lookout, climbed down the Giant Stairway made of about 1,000 steps (very steep), then accessed the bottom part of the Scenic Railway through a nice walk and take the steep Scenic Railway back up to the main building. The price will be between $39 and $43 for the use of all attractions. They also have a Scenic Cableway and Scenic Walkway to choose from. It is all set up to make the most of your visit with buses available from Katoomba (hop on either Blue Mountains Explorer or Trolley Tours bus, and get off at Scenic World main building) and an undercover free car park. We loved it! Below is a map of Katoomba:

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Walking trails: Personally, I find the Blue Mountains the best place in Australia to hike (Tasmania will be second since the state is not as easily accessible). Why? Because there are fantastic waterfalls, water also dripping from the cliffs as you hike, walking trails right on the edge of the cliffs (with hand rails for safety) and some pretty cool ladder climbing stairs that made me feel like I was doing an army boot camp.

 

We experienced 3 walking tracks which were all fantastic however I much preferred the longer one called National Pass, as the variety of scenery and obstacles was unexpected. The National Pass track was built in 1907, with shovels, crowbars and dynamite! Knowing this it makes it even more impressive as the cliffs height might give you a fright. Since then, in 2002, the walking track has been renovated to make the walk easier on its visitors; the steps have been the focus of the renovation since there are a lot of them. It will take you between 3h and 3.5h to complete the 4.8km circuit, taking into consideration that it goes down 210m then back up 210m (I did say there was a lot of stairs!). So you must have a reasonable level of fitness to undertake this trail. Below is a map of the National Pass Trail:

 

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Hiking is the best way to come close to wildlife and it is especially true in the Blue Mountains where you will see an abundance of birds of all shapes and sizes, lots of iguanas and other sorts of lizards, and it is not rare to see snakes on the way, but don’t worry, as long as you don’t tease them they should stay away from you. The only time I had a snake coming towards me (freaky!) was in my living room and I was trying to show it the door with my broom; guess what, it got angry and went straight at me! Got the neighbour to the rescue LOL

You can find plenty more information regarding walking trails on the government website https://www.visitnsw.com/destinations/blue-mountains/attractions

 

Where to sleep?

 

If you would like to stay overnight or longer, there is a wide range of options available.

camping at caravan parks or staying in a cabin if the weather is not on your side, like it was the case when we went there.

National park campgrounds are also available, and there is also a few free campsite options, one of them is Blackheath Glen, at Megalong Valley, not far from Katoomba. Its close proximity to the main attractions and the fact that it is accessible to 2wd makes it a busy campground. I would suggest arriving early to get your spot. I personally use CamperMate free app to find the best free camp sites around the country.

There are also a lot of Bed & Breakfast, hotels, hostels, Air BnB… to choose from if you don’t like camping or if you are not equipped. Finding accommodation through Air BnB is certainly one I can recommend especially if you are 3 or more people travelling as it will be more spacious and cheaper than staying in a hotel or a cabin. Here is the website: www.airbnb.com.au

 

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MY TIPS

 

• It can get a cold in the Blue Mountains between April and October: between 1 - 7 degree Celsius at night and 11-19 degree Celsius during the day, both monthly average, and remember it is always colder than in Sydney.

• Carry a poncho or a raincoat; it can get a lot cooler when you are in the shade and the water dripping from the cliffs made me even colder.

• Leeches can be present depending on which hike you go on. It seemed like they liked the moisture at the bottom of the waterfalls, however it could have just been the season for leeches. I have been told that Tea tree oil, toothpaste and salt repel them.

• Make sure you wear good hiking shoes and pants as well (I know, I am far from following my own tips on the picture!).

• Always check the New South Wales national park website before deciding to go for a walk as walking tracks might be closed due to weather or fire danger. It is not allowed to smoke in the National Park (risk of fire).

• What to bring during a day walk in the blue Mountains? Wear hiking shoes, pants, sunscreen, hat and sunglasses. Be prepared for longer walks anyways because you might be willing to do a short walk and realise it is so enjoyable that you want to carry on. This is what happened to us; we just wanted to do a 1 hour walk and ended up doing a 4 hour walk. So grab a day pack with lots and lots of water, a snack, your camera, phone and a towel if you want to go for a swim at the waterfalls. I won’t explain what to bring for an overnight walk as I have never done this myself so I don’t want to give the wrong advice.

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