The Blue Mountains - West of Sydney
More articles about Sydney and its surroundings:
Recommended trips in Sydney (Part 1)
Recommended trips in Sydney (Part 2)
The Blue Mountains are located west of Sydney at a distance of about 130 km, and the drive to them from Sydney takes about two hours in each direction. Part of the route is a fast highway and part is an urban and intercity road. The main town reached in the Blue Mountains, where the famous attractions are located, is called Katoomba.
♦ Recommended guided tours from Sydney to the Blue Mountains (Booking via Viator site):
In Katoomba, you first arrive at the best viewpoint over the Blue Mountains, a spot called Echo Point. There is a visitor center at this location. Parking at this viewpoint requires payment. In other places in the area, parking is free. One hour at the site is enough to see the beautiful view from the viewpoint and go on a walking trail to the Three Sisters rocks, which takes about half an hour round trip, including climbing steep stairs and viewing the Three Sisters rocks up close.
From this point, there is a view of a series of forested mountains reaching far into the distance. To the left of the viewpoint stand the three cliffs of the "Three Sisters," famous from all the postcards, and to the right, you can see the cable cars that transport travelers to view the breathtaking scenery.
Afterward, it is recommended to visit the cable car attraction called Scenic World. At this site, there are two cable cars and a very steep train operated by a cable. You can purchase various trip combinations using these means, for example, a combined ticket including: descent by train, a walk at the bottom of the cliff inside a rainforest to the lower cable car. From there, ascending back via cable car to the departure station, and from the departure station, taking the horizontal cable car that goes back and forth facing the waterfalls, Katoomba Cascades.
On the steep train, it is advisable to sit in the first row; the train descends on a very inclined slope, at an angle of about 50 degrees. The route length is about four hundred meters, descending two hundred meters in altitude. At the bottom, there are several walking trails of 10-30 minutes inside the rainforest, where you can see, among other things, sites related to a coal mine that was once in this location.
On the ascent back by cable car, you can enjoy a beautiful view of the nearby and distant mountains. When you reach the top back at the starting point (which naturally has a large souvenir shop), you transfer to the second cable car, which travels horizontally at a high altitude to the cliff top opposite this station. The car features a glass floor in the center that is initially opaque and turns transparent as the cable car moves forward over the abyss. Anyone afraid of heights does not have to stand on the glass floor.
The cable car slowly passes close to high waterfalls, and from it, you can also view the famous "Three Sisters." You can get off at the opposite cliff and set out on a walking trail from there to the Three Sisters cliffs, about an hour round trip. Detailed information about this site can be found on the Scenic World cable cars website.
Another recommended viewpoint is located in Blackheath, near a visitor information center (worth dropping in if you are already there), called Govetts Leap, located about ten km west of Katoomba. Parking at this point is right next to the viewpoint, offering a view of the distant mountains from a completely different angle than the other viewpoints, and the scenery is very beautiful. From there, you can also set out on a short and easy walking path leading to a waterfall.
The duration of the described tour, where you see and explore the main sites in the area, takes about eight hours, including the round-trip drive to Sydney, which accounts for half of that time. Naturally, there are additional viewpoints and many walking trails in the region for anyone interested and having extra time to spend at the location.
On the way to or from Sydney, you can combine a visit to the excellent Featherdale Wildlife Park, which features a large variety of typical Australian animals. You can pet a koala, feed emus and kangaroos of all sizes and species (including albino kangaroos), see other common marsupials such as Tasmanian devils, wombats, echidnas (Australian spiny anteaters), and meet the finest Australian birds, along with crocodiles, snakes, giant lizards, and other less sympathetic animals that also reside in this vast country.
