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Spectacular World Heritage Wilderness ~ on Sydney's doorstep
The Blue Mountains is one of the world's most beautiful places. Since white man first ventured into her forests and hills, the Mountains have beckoned and beguiled explorers, adventurers, poets, writers, artists and photographers from throughout the world.
With pens, paintbrushes and cameras, they have rejoiced in their majesty and recorded their love and admiration in their own special way.
The Blue Mountains are named because of the blue haze that is created by the eucalyptus oil which is naturally emitted into the air by the mountain gum forests. From a distance, this oil makes the Mountains appear to be a lovely shade of blue.
The Mountains have five spectacular valleys - the Grose, the Jamison, the Megalong, the Kanimbla and the Hartley.
WORLD HERITAGE
In 2001, after many years of lobbying, studying and assessing, the Blue Mountains were placed on the World Heritage List.
Recognised internationally for more than a century as a unique wilderness - part of the ancient continent of Gondwana - the listing provided yet greater significance to the Blue Mountains, which are home to unique rainforest areas containing some of the world's most ancient flora, including the now famous Wollemi Pine.
Other ancient flora in the rainforest includes tree ferns which were on Earth before the flowers and before the Jurassic and Dinosaur age.
Inclusion on the World Heritage List places a permanent spotlight on the Mountains' unique and fragile ecology and gives yet greater emphasis to the ever-growing worldwide demand for responsible nature-based tourism.
The coveted listing also recognises the ecological importance of the Mountains' massive canyons, towering escarpments, lush rainforests and fertile valleys.
A LOVELY TOUCH OF EUROPE
Unlike most of Australia, the Mountains enjoy four distinct European-style seasons, each bringing their own distinctive natural charm and displaying Mother Nature at her finest.
Summer spells cool mountain air; picnics beside some of Australia's most beautiful waterfalls; strolls through lush fern-filled gullies and a wonderful place to escape from the oppressive city heat.
Autumn brings an unforgettable and enchanting blaze of red, gold and russet foliage throughout the region's 35 towns, villages and hamlets.
Winter brings a special magic and magnetism found nowhere else in Australia. It's the season of 'Yulefest' when many of the city's guesthouses and restaurants celebrate Winter in the traditional European and American style, with roaring log fires, port or mulled wine and succulent Xmas roasts. Snow always completes the picture.
Spring in the Blue Mountains is an experience that captivates all as one by one the villages display their incredible floral beaut. By late October the entire region is ablaze with vibrant hues which for generations have attracted millions of garden enthusiasts and photographers from throughout the world.
SOME OF AUSTRALIA'S MOST BEAUTIFUL GARDENS
With the Mountains ceated in a fiery yawn some 150 million years ago, basalt caps are today clearly visible on the higher mountain tops of Mt Hay, Mt Banks, Mt Wilson, Mt Tomah and Mt Irvine.
The weathering of these caps has produced a rich volcanic soil that, since white settlement, has been taken great advantage of by garden enthusiasts, particularly in the villages of Leura, Mt Wilson, Mt Tomah and Wentworth Falls.
At Leura; an Aboriginal word meaning 'lava'; spectacular display gardens attract tens of thousands of visitors each Spring, as do other glorious gardens at Mt Wilson and Wentworth Falls which also open in Autumn. Mt Tomah is home to the amazing Cool Climate Botanic Garden - a sister to the Royal Botanic Garden in Sydney.
Photos: Waratahs in the woods near Mt Tomah, Everglades Gardens at Leura, Mt Tomah Botanic Garden and Kings Tableland at Wentworth Falls. |
