Blue Mountains Australia
The Blue Mountains are all about the scenery. We had no idea when the mist cleared after our first day how gorgeous the views would be. We did this trip by train from Sydney, but now, having ridden the AU trains with our 50 pound suitcases we would recommend keeping your rental car and including both the Hunter Valley and the Blue Mountains in a 5-day road trip.
Stay: The Carrington Hotel
The historic Carrington has been restored to its previous glory. Built in 1883 it was once known as ‘The Grand Lady’, hosting the city’s elite. The hotel closed in 1985 and re-opened in 1998 after an extensive refurbishment but its character still remains. The Grand Dining Room as you see it today is very close to the way it was when it opened its doors in 1886. You can image the guests from 150+ years ago enjoying it as we did. While the rooms still contain some of the original furnishings (desks, mirrors, doors) the bathrooms have been updated but ours still had the original stained-glass window in the shower. The modern King bed was very comfortable. The charm of the hotel is in the endless sitting areas open to guests at all times of the day. Each hallway has couches, high back chairs or chaise lounges. The library, front sitting room, bar, lounge and porch are all very welcoming places to enjoy a coffee or a cocktail. The location of the hotel is across the street from the train station and on the main street for shopping and dining.
View a Facebook Photo Set from The Carrington.
Must Do: See the ‘Valley’
The Blue Mountains Hop On, Hop Off covers all of the areas gorgeous look out points, water falls, hikes and activities but with your own car you can save time by picking your highlights and self-driving to them. All of the areas we visited appeared to have free parking areas. Our first day was a misty one so we ‘bush walked’ to three different sets of waterfalls. Beware, there are too many stairs involved to count. Our bus driver kept referring to the valley, that we could not see through the mist. On day two the mist cleared. We had no idea the valley was like the Grand Canyon but lush and full of trees! Absolutely a gorgeous place to visit no matter what the weather.
Must Do: Scenic World
With three ways to experience the views this is a must do but arriving early is important to visit all three attractions without long lines. The Railway is the place to start for those not sure about heights. It is the steepest passenger railway in the world with a 52º incline. The glass roof carriages make for amazing views on the way down. The Cableway gently descends 545 meters into the Jamison Valley. It leads to a stroll through 2.4 kilometres of Jurassic rainforest dinosaurs included. The Skyway suspends passengers 270 metres above ancient ravines with views revealed beneath your feet through the electro-glass cabin floor. For the less adventurous, seating and solid flooring is also available!
The towns of Leura and Katoomba are good for a bit of shopping and dining but The Blue Mountains is all about the scenery. Two days is a good visit, even better if one is misty and the other a gorgeous sunny day!
We, Jeff and Tara Ciecko of CK Golf write two blogs, one is our 19th Hole Blog where we share personal experiences and the other an Industry Blog where we comment on general business and internet marketing best practices, sales strategies and give golf industry related opinions. We have owned CK Golf for 10 years and provide business services to the golf and other industries. As of August 2016 our life and our business is ‘location independent’. Our 19th Hole Blog is about the places we visit and the things we do. If you have any questions or comments, or happen to be in the same location as us please reach out and contact us anytime.
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