After my one day exploration of Sydney and the night at the Opera House, I decided to make a trip down to the Blue Mountains. Initially I thought of getting a tour package to the Blue Mountains, which will include a trip to the Featherdale Wildlife Park, Blue Mountains, Three Sisters and a Scenic Railway or Skyway ride, and a return trip to the Olympic Park and cruise down the river back to Circular Quay.
However, since I already got the weekly pass that covers the whole Blue Mountains area, I decided to just save money and go on my own. Going on your own by train is possible, but one must start early. I started off at half past eight in the morning, but by the time I reached Katoomba, the nearest town to the Blue Mountains, it is already past eleven!
The reason the trip took so long was that from where I was staying, I had to take a train to Strathfield Station, which was fast in the morning due to the express service. From Strathfield Station, I would need to change a train to either Katoomba direct, or take a train to Blacktown, and then change another train to Katoomba and all the stops up the Blue Mountains.
When I reached Strathfield Station, I saw that the next train to Katoomba was forty-five minutes later, but the next train to Blacktown was in ten minutes. Besides, the train would not stop at every stop to Blacktown, so the journey was even faster. Hence, I took the train to Blacktown, intending to change a train from there. The journey took half an hour the most, since it bypassed several stops.
However, when I reached Blacktown, I had to wait another half an hour for the next train to Katoomba. And it takes about an hour and a half to travel from Blacktown to Katoomba, because this was not an express train, which means the train stopped at every stop along the way. If I had known this, I would have just waited forty-five minutes to take the train at Strathfield direct to Katoomba instead of going via Blacktown!
Katoomba Station, the stop for the Blue Mountains
The cosy village of Katoomba
When I reached Katoomba, I went to the information centre above the railway station to retrieve the Explorer Bus ticket that I had booked in advance. Travelling to the Blue Mountains by the Explorer bus is the cheapest option available, as the ticket not only covers the best sights of Blue Mountains where one can hop off and get on at any of the stops, it also brings you to the quaint villages surrounding the Blue Mountains. Not only that, the ticket also includes three one-way ride of all the Scenic Skyway, Railway and Cableway! Much better than the tour packages available!
Can we go to the Blue Mountains without the Explorer bus? No. The Blue Mountains is not directly next to Katoomba, we have to cross the whole village and go up another whole stretch before we reach the Scenic Cableway and the start of the Blue Mountains and Three Sisters. It is almost impossible to walk there on your own. So the Explorer Bus is the best option available.
The bus stop (first stop of the Explorer Bus) is along this stretch of buildings
Some of the buildings of Katoomba
The bus stop to await the Explorer Bus is directly opposite this building
After boarding the Explorer Bus, the driver asked us for our name and where we came from. After that, he gave a brief commentary and introduction to the town of Katoomba and his recommendations on how we go about our tour.
Essentially, the best way to cover the Blue Mountains region is by alighting at the Scenic Skyway stop. From there we take the Skyway across, with great views of the Three Sisters and Jamison Valley, then stopping at the Scenic World, where there are two cafes available to eat and drink if we want. Then we take the Scenic Railway down, walk the stretch of the boardwalk of the Scenic Walkway and exploring a bit of the temperate rainforest, and then reaching the Scenic Cableway, where we would take the Cableway back up to the entrance of the Scenic World.
From there, we can get back on the Explorer bus and take it to Honeymoon Lookout (the stop after Echo Point), then walk the stretch of the forest towards Echo Point and the Three Sisters. After that, we can take the bus again and go to either Leura Cascades or Gordon Falls, and then take the bus to the village of Leura, where we can explore a bit before taking the train back at Leura Station.
Trust me, this is indeed the best plan available. One gets to see the best that Blue Mountains can offer in a day. This is speaking from personal experience. The only thing is that due to time constraints, I did not get to see Leura Cascades, so I got off at the stop for the Gordon Falls (which is a big let down), before going to the village of Leura where I had afternoon tea.
The Blue Mountains Explorer Bus (this is the stop for the Scenic Skyway)
The start of the walk down Echo Point, for those who are more adventurous
Part of the Blue Mountains from the Scenic Skyway
Part of Echo Point from the Scenic Skyway
View of the Jamison Valley from the Scenic Skyway
Incidentally, Blue Mountains is so-called due to the blue hue around the top of the mountains. Can you see that in the picture above and the subsequent pictures below?
Icon of the Blue Mountains - The Three Sisters
The Skyway stopped at the Scenic World entrance where I was so hungry that I had my lunch at the cafe, even though the cost of the food is rather pricey. After that, I took the Scenic Railway down. The Scenic Railway is supposedly the world's steepest descending railway, and when you are on it, I really felt as if I was falling into the bowels of the earth!
The Scenic Railway
Look at the steep incline of the railway!
At the bottom of the Scenic Railway is the boardwalk where the Scenic Walkway begins. I started walking the stretch of the walkway. There are a few options :
1. Take the straightforward route which would take ten minutes to get to the Scenic Cableway, passing by just normal temperate rainforest
2. Take the half an hour walk where one can go down to the old mining settlement and out, or
3. Take a one hour walk where you get to exlore the place more thoroughly.
Because it was already almost one when I started the walk, I decided to take the shortest route possible, as I had to get to the train station by five otherwise I would never make it back by eight in the evening, where I was supposed to dine at my cousin's place.
The walkway brought me through some examples of the old coal miners of Blue Mountains, including the railway to fetch coal, old coal boxes and horses, furnaces and tools.
The predecessor to the current Scenic Railway. This used to carry coal up and down before being converted to carry passengers.
An old furnace
Old Coal Boxes
Old tools used in coal mining
Start of the Scenic Walkway
An old coal box that fell from the top
A tree that was struck by lightning
View from the bottom where the Scenic Cableway stops
The Scenic Cableway coming down
View while going up from the Scenic Cableway
View of the Three Sisters while going up the Scenic Cableway
View of the Jamison Valley while going up the Scenic Cableway
The entrance of the Scenic Cableway
Entrance of Scenic World
By the time I came out of the Scenic World, it was close to two. The Explorer bus drivers would go on their lunch break from half past twelve to one past, before making their rounds again, so it was around two twenty before I could board the bus again. The bus stop is just across from the entrance to the Scenic World.
By following the route which the bus driver gave, I alighted at the stop after Echo Point and then trekked back all the way to Echo Point and the Three Sisters. From there, I could see part of the Blue Mountains, Jamison Valley and end off with seeing the Three Sisters close up. The trek took around half an hour the most.
The bus stop is at this lane. Directly opposite the street before the curve is the start of the trek back to the Echo Point
View from Honeymoon Lookout
Through this door is about hundred steps leading down to the nearest view of the Three Sisters. But due to time constraints and also sheer laziness, I did not make the walk and just went to the lookout instead.
There are also some trees growing into rock formations along the way to Echo Point.
Part of the Blue Mountains from Echo Point
The Three Sisters From Echo Point
This old-fashioned mailbox is outside the sign to Echo Point. The bus stop for the Explorer bus is next to this.
Echo Point itself has a visitor centre, gift shop and the Three Sisters Cafe, with alfresco sitting, and of course direct views of the Three Sisters. After exploring Echo Point and seeing the Three Sisters, I boarded the bus again.
Initially, I wanted to go to the Leura Cascades, but that would take about an hour's trek in order to fully utilise the sight seeing, which will end at Gordon Falls. Because it was already past three by the time I boarded the bus, I had to give that up and go straight to Gordon Falls instead.
Gordon Falls turned out to be a big disappointment. It was hardly a waterfall, just a trinkle of water coming down the mountain. And it was so microscopic that it could hardly be seen from the lookout. Hence I only stayed for a few minutes before making my way back to the bus stop.
Entrance to the Gordon Falls
View from the lookout at Gordon Falls (can you actually see the waterfall?)
As Gordon Falls was one of the last few stops along the Explorer Bus route, the bus took a longer time than usual to get to the bus stop. I had to wait for about twenty minutes before the bus arrived, and I hopped on the bus to go to the quaint village of Leura.
Personally, I prefer Leura than Katoomba. Leura is a quieter and more old-fashioned village as compared to Katoomba. Perhaps because Katoomba is the gateway to the Blue Mountains, the village can be rather "touristy" even though it is still cosy and quaint. But Leura is like a step back into time.
The bus stopped outside a cottage right by the Leura Mall. What is called Leura Mall is actually just a row of village houses selling stuff. Right at the end of the Mall is the Leura railway station. Next to the cottage where the bus stop is, is the famous quaint teapot museum which I really like. Since I still had some time left, I stopped in there to see the teapot collection and have a meal of Devonshire cream tea.
Entrance to the teapot museum
Some of the collection
Fireplace inside the museum-cafe
I really like these!
I love this tea set! How I wish I can have one at home!
The cafe menu
My Devonshire cream tea, consisting of two scones with cream and jam, and English Breakfast tea in a pot
I am so fascinated by the place that I bought this pretty pink teapot magnet from there as a souvenir!
The backyard of the museum
The row known as Leura Mall
The Christmas decorations outside one of the shops of Leura Mall
Leura railway station is opposite this clock tower
I reached Leura Station about a quarter to five, but the train did not arrive until five twenty-five. As a result, after all the time taken in waiting for the train back to Strathfield Station and another transfer back to where I was staying, it was almost half past eight by the time I got back.
All in all, it was a really good day trip to the Blue Mountains. This is one thing you can do in Sydney on your own without a guide. However, to fully utilise the trip, it would be a good idea to start off early.
Perhaps if I had taken the six o'clock train in the morning, I would have reached Katoomba around nine, and then I would have more time to wander around, like going to the Leura Cascades and trekking to Gordon Falls, then after the tea at Leura, take the bus and alight two more stops and make a trek down to Wentworth Falls, another nice waterfall. From there, I can end my trip to the Blue Mountains and take the train back from Wentworth Falls Station.
If I ever go to Sydney again, I will set off early to the Blue Mountains and perhaps I can cover much more!
No comments:
Post a Comment