The Blue Mountains, located immediately to the west of Sydney, is one of the most accessible areas of highland natural beauty in New South Wales, Australia. Although not particularly high as a mountain range, the Blue Mountains is nonetheless renowned for its majestic scenery of a unique kind, for its cultural attractions and for its relatively tranquil, alternative mode of life.
History of the Blue Mountains
Although not especially high, the Blue Mountains were sufficiently rugged to prevent European explorers and settlers from penetrating the inland of NSW from Sydney for some time. Although Aborigines were able to negotiate the mountain trails, it took Europeans from 1788 until 1813 to discover a way over. Even then, it was never by following the valleys, but only by traversing the mountain ridges, that a road over the mountains was made possible.
The Blue Mountains is most famous for its three National Parks and other sites of natural beauty:
Blue Mountains National Park
Kanangra Boyd National Park
Wollemi National Park
Jenolan Caves
Travel to the Blue Mountains
You can get to the Blue Mountains by car or take a direct "Inter-City" train from Sydney Central. The best way to get around the mountains is to drive. You can get to some stunning view points near Katoomba and Leura Falls.
Tourist attractions
The Giant Staircase that runs down a cliff into the Jamison Valley beside the Three Sisters, offering access to extensive nature walks through the Valley.
The Katoomba Scenic Railway, the steepest railway in the world according to the Guinness Book of Records, and originally part of the Katoomba mining tramways constructed between 1878 and 1900. The cable railway line descends 415 metres through sandstone cliffs, via a rock tunnel with a maximum gradient of 52 degrees.
The Scenic Skyway: a glass-bottom aerial cable car that traverses an arm of the Jamison Valley at Katoomba.
The Scenic Flyway: the steepest aerial cable car in Australia, it is a 545 metre ride.
Jenolan Caves, a spectacular series of limestone caves that is regarded as one of the world's best, lies 45 kilometres (70 kilometres by road) to the south west of Katoomba.
The Zig Zag Railway: An old-fashioned railway with steam-powered engines near Lithgow.
The Toy Museum at Leura is home to an interesting collection of toys and trains.
The Edge Cinema offers visitors a great view of the Blue Mountains. The Edge Movie, run every 45 minutes, is narrated by Hugo Weaving and is about the geography of this great national park.
Ride the Oaks Trail on your mountain bike
Take one of the many bush walks and explore the beautiful Blue Mountains; the thousand steps (at Echo Point, down into the valley) or the thousand steps through the valley to the Scenic Railway.
Tours / Packages Related To: Blue Mountains
1 Day Blue Mountains Adventure Tour On this full day tour from Sydney you will experience the Three Sisters rock formation, take in spectacular lookouts, ride the historic Scenic Railway and do a 2-3 hour hike at Wentworth Falls. Stay longer with our accommodation options! ITINERARY – Day TourYou may see wild Eastern Grey Kangar...
From $105 AUD
Great Southern Rail- Australia Rail Pass The Backtracker Rail Pass allows unlimited travel on the XPT and The Xplorer rail services and connecting coach services to over 360 destinations including Melbourne and Brisbane. The Backtracker Rail Pass also provides access to the capital cities of Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Canb...
