Blue Mountains
Your Gateway to Nature's Stunning Scenery And A Breath Of Fresh Air
Why are the Blue Mountains one of the most popular tourist locations and local getaway in Australia? Well, you would be spoiled for choice from the many things to do and see that the area has going for it. Is it the magical tranquility? Or is it the beautiful scenery? ... Or maybe it is just the fun of exploring the national parks here, like the Wollemi and Kanangra Boyd Parks. Whatever the reason, one thing is for sure - the Blue Mountains is one place that every tourist to Australia must make every effort to visit... more so if they are in Sydney.
The Blue Mountains are located to the west of Sydney. Dotting the Blue Mountains area are a number of towns such as Katoomba which
is the largest, Leura, Wentworth falls, Blackheath, Mount Victoria, Springwood, Glenbrook and Meldow Bath.
Most visitors to the
Blue Mountains are unlikely to leave without a visit or stay at Katoomba town.
The Mountains boast a rich diversity of local communities. The livelihood of the communities revolves around a ‘mountain' way of life.
The people living around the Mountains are those that enjoy living in oneness with nature, and those looking for serenity and
a calm atmosphere away from the hustle and bustle of big city life.
So do not be surprised to find a good number of retirees as well
as artists, and of course the people working in the hospitality and tourism sector.
Getting There
Tourists going to the Mountains will usually first travel to Sydney by air and then do the trip to the mountains eithervia a rental car or the train. Note however that if traveling by rental car you must factor in a time delay allowance in your overall travel time for a number of reasons. For instance, if you are traveling on a Friday or during the weekends, you can expectto face a considerable amount of traffic.
In addition, some of the larger
Sydney car rental firms experience long queues during the high season. You may have to wait for
a while before you can eventually get your car. Car rental companies close quite early (that is before 6pm) and open
late (9am). It means you have to do your planning well so that your Blue Mountains travel schedule is not disrupted because you
have been time barred.
When it comes to rental cars, something else that you cannot ignore is cost. Staying with the car by
just a day or couple of hours past the stipulated time can see attract significant charges.
In all fairness though, this is
not a practice unique to Sydney or Australia for that matter.
The good thing with rental cars is the flexibility that they afford you. You can go to any place virtually any time you want to,
something that you would find difficult to do if you are only relying on train transport. Moving around the Mountains via car
is easy since there is ample parking space and no traffic congestion once you are in the Mountains area. Only vehicles parked
at Echo Point have to pay a parking fee of $4 every hour.
But if you are using the train, there is no need to despair... you can still hop-on hop-off (HOHO) buses or the local bus service to reach a number of key destinations. The local bus service is much cheaper than the HOHObuses especially when you are in a large traveling party.
Lookout Points And Drives
The Blue Mountains has numerous fantastic lookout points that see some tourists come again and again. For instance, at Echo Point
one has a great view of the Three Sisters and Jamison Valley. Then there is Govett's Leap at Blackheath which allows visitors
to have a perfect view of Grose Valley, the escarpment's edge and various walking tracks. Another great location is the Cliff Drive
between Katoomba and Leura.
If you want to see spectacular falls, then look no further than the Wentworth Falls. Then there is the
beautiful Kanangra Walls - a hallmark of everything Australian.
There are also various monuments around the Blue Mountains representative of important aspects of
Sydney history.
Such monuments include the Corridor of Oaks (planted by the various Australian Prime ministers), Sir Henry Parkes' Grave
and several trees planted by past explorers of the mountains.
A Word On The Weather
A word of advice if you are going to the mountains in summer. You must always always carry a jacket or a cardigan with you. The weather changes so sudden that you will be caught unguarded. I remember one particular summer when we went to the Blue Mountains for a weekend after Christmas. The weather in Sydney was hot and so we were in our shorts and t-shirts.We did not bring any warm clothes with us. A soon as we reached Katoomba, the weather changed to gusty cold wind that dropped the temperature to around ten degrees Celsius. We ended up buying some warm clothes and turning on the heater in our accommodation...right in summer!
Isn't It Nice To Escape To The Blue Mountains?
If you have been to the Blue Mountains, you will know what I mean. To lost your self in the wildeness with the freshest air away from the daily grind even for a short time is a bliss!
And did you say hello to the Three Sisters?
Do tell!!!
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