Frommer's Australia from $50 a Day 13th Edition - To Parent Directory

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CHAPTER 4 . NEW SOUTH WALES
By Train Countrylink (& 13 22 32 in Australia) trains travel to most places
of interest in the state and as far south as Melbourne in Victoria and across the
border into southern Queensland. Countrylink also has special rates for car
rental through Thrifty.
By Plane Qantas (& 13 13 13 in Australia; www.qantas.com.au) and Eastern
Australia Airlines (book through Qantas) fly to most major cities and
towns within the state.
1 The Blue Mountains
Although the Blue Mountains are today where Sydneysiders go to escape the
humidity and crowds of the city, in the early days of the colony, the mountains
kept at bay those who would explore the interior. In 1813, three explorers—
Gregory Blaxland, William Charles Wentworth, and William Lawson—managed
to conquer the sheer cliffs, valleys, and dense forest, and cross the mountains
(which are hardly mountains at all, but rather a series of hills covered in bush and
ancient fern trees) to the plains beyond. There they found land urgently needed
for grazing and farming. The Great Western Highway and Bells Line of Road are
the access roads through the region today—winding and steep in places, they are
surrounded by the Blue Mountains and Wollemi national parks.
The area is known for its spectacular scenery, particularly the cliff-top views
into the valleys of gum trees and across to craggy outcrops that tower up from
the valley floor. It’s colder up here than down on the plains, and the clouds can
sweep in and fill the canyons with mist in minutes, while waterfalls cascade
down sheer drops, spraying the dripping fern trees that cling to the gullies. You’ll
need at least a couple of days up here to get the best out of it—a single-day tour,
with all the traveling involved, can only just scratch the surface.
The Blue Mountains are also one of Australia’s best-known adventure playgrounds.
Rock climbing, caving, abseiling (rappelling), bushwalking, mountain
biking, horseback riding, and canoeing are practiced here year-round.
BLUE MOUNTAIN ESSENTIALS
VISITOR INFORMATION You can pick up maps, walking guides, and other
information and book accommodations at Blue Mountains Tourism, with locations
at Echo Point Road, Katoomba, NSW 2780 (& 1300/653 408 in Australia,
or 02/4739 6266), and on the Great Western Highway at Glenbrook, a
small settlement 61km (38 miles) from Sydney (same telephone number). The
Katoomba information center is an attraction itself, with glass windows overlooking
a gum forest and cockatoos and lorikeets feeding on seed dispensers. Pick
up a copy of the Blue Mountains Pocket Guide, a free guide to dining, accommodations,
bushwalking, and entertainment. Both offices are open from 9am to
5pm daily (the office at Glenbrook closes at 4:30pm Sat–Sun).
The National Park Shop, Heritage Centre, the end of Govetts Leap Rd.,
Blackheath (& 02/4787 8877; www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au), is run by the
National Parks and Wildlife Service and offers detailed information about the
Fun Fact Color Me Blue
The Blue Mountains derive their name from the ever-present blue haze
that is caused by light striking the droplets of eucalyptus oil that evaporate
from the leaves of the dense surrounding forest.