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

THE BLUE MOUNTAINS 173
Tips Seeing the Blue Mountains from
the Back of a Harley
A thrilling way to see the Blue Mountains is on the back of a chauffeurdriven
Harley-Davidson. Blue Thunder Bike Tours (& 02/4571 1154) leaves
from Manly Wharf in Sydney (but they’ll pick you up anywhere in the city).
Rides cost A$80 (US$52) for the first hour, A$130 (US$85) for 2 hours,
A$255 (US$166) for half a day, and A$360 (US$234) for a full day with
lunch. The same company runs Hot Heritage Tours, operating out of the
Blue Mountains (pickup anywhere in the Mountains), for the same prices.
EXPLORING THE AREA
The most visited and photographed attractions in the Blue Mountains are the
rock formations known as the Three Sisters . For the best vantage point,
head to Echo Point Road, across from the Blue Mountains Tourism office. Or
try Evans Lookout, Govetts Leap, and Hargreaves Lookout, all at Blackheath
(see “Blackheath” below)—none of which are serviced by the Blue Mountains
Explorer Bus or Trolley Tours.
One thing you have to do in the Blue Mountains is ride the Scenic Railway,
the world’s steepest. It consists of a carriage on rails that is lowered 415m (1,361
ft.) down into the Jamison Valley at a maximum incline of 52 degrees. Originally
it was used to transport coal and shale in the 1880s from the mines below.
The trip only takes a few minutes; at the bottom there are some excellent walks
through forests of ancient tree ferns. Another popular attraction is the Skyway,
a cable car that travels 300m (984 ft.) above the Jamison Valley. The trip takes
6 minutes round-trip. The Scenic Railway and the Skyway (& 02/4782 2699)
each cost A$8 (US$5.20) round-trip for adults and A$3 (US$1.95) for children,
and operate from 9am to 5pm daily (last trip at 4:50pm). They leave from the
ticket office at 1 Violet St., Katoomba. (Follow the signs.)
Canyons, waterfalls, underground rivers—the Blue Mountains have them all,
and before you experience them in person you can catch them on the giant
screen in The Edge at the MAXVISION Cinema, 225–237 Great Western
Hwy., Katoomba (& 02/4782 8900). The special effects shown on the screen,
18m (59 ft.) high × 24m (79 ft.) wide, make you feel like you’re part of the
action. The 38-minute The Edge film is shown every 40 to 50 minutes from
10am to 5:45pm. Tickets are A$13 (US$8.45) for adults, A$11 (US$7.15) for
students, and A$7.50 (US$4.90) for children. The cinema is a 5- to 10-minute
walk from the train station. Recent release movies are shown on part of the giant
screen in the evenings. There is a restaurant and a snack bar on the premises.
To get back to Sydney I highly recommend taking the Bell’s Line of Road
through Bilpin. It’s up to 3-hour’s driving via this route, but you can stop off at
the wonderful Mt. Tomah Botanic Gardens . (You can’t miss the large sign
on your right about 10 min. before you get to Bilpin.) An adjunct of the Royal
Botanic Gardens in Sydney, Mt. Tomah is dedicated to cold climate plants. It’s
compact and has a very good cafe serving lunch daily. Allow around 2 hours.
ACCOMMODATIONS YOU CAN AFFORD
There are plenty of places to stay throughout the Blue Mountains, including historic
guesthouses, B&Bs, resorts, motels, and homestays.