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WONDERLAND HOLIDAY SUGGESTIONS
'MUST SEE' TOUR (one day)
- Norman Lindsay Gallery
- Leura Cascades
- Leura Village
- Everglades Gardens at Leura
- Scenic World
- Echo Point & the Three Sisters
- Cliff Drive, Katoomba
- Glenbrook National Park (kangaroos at sunset)
MOUNTAIN MIX (one day)
- Everglades Gardens at Leura
- Scenic World
- Echo Point & the Three Sisters
- Cliff Drive, Katoomba
- Govetts Leap at Blackheath
- Mt Victoria Village
- Hartley Vale
- Historic Hartley Village
GRAND CIRCULAR DRIVE (one long or two easy days)
This journey involves a round trip west along the Great Western Highway from Penrith to Mt Victoria; then north across the Darling Causeway to Bell; then east along the Bells Line of Road to Richmond; then back to Sydney via either Windsor or Penrith. The tour can of course be taken in the other direction.
HIGHLIGHTS EN ROUTE
- Everglades Gardens at Leura
- Leura Village
- Scenic World
- Echo Point & the Three Sisters
- Cliff Drive, Katoomba
- Govetts Leap at Blackheath
- Mt Victoria Village
- Zig Zag Railway
- Mt Tomah Botanic Garden
- Historic Richmond & Windsor
VALLEYS & VIEWS (one day)
This tour is designed for photographing - or simply enjoying - some of the Mountains' major natural attractions
- Leura Cascades
- Echo Point & the Three Sisters
- Cliff Drive and the Jamison Valley
- Narrowneck Peninsula at Katoomba, overlooking the Landslide, Mt Solitary, the Jamison Valley and the Megalong Valley
- Govetts Leap and the Grose Valley at Blackheath
- Hargraves Lookout at Shipley overlooking the Megalong Valley
- Mt York and spectacular views over the Hartley Valley & Hartley Vale
- The Grand Canyon and Mt Banks from the Bells Line of Road
BLUE MOUNTAINS SPECTACULAR (two or three days)
- Everglades Gardens at Leura
- Leura Village
- Scenic World
- Echo Point and the Three Sisters
- Cliff Drive at Katoomba
- Explorers Marked Tree
- Govetts Leap at Blackheath
- Mt Victoria Village
- Hartley & Historic Hartley
- Jenolan Caves
- Oberon
- Lake Lyell
- Lithgow
- Bells Line of Road inc Mt Wilson & Mt Tomah
BLUE MOUNTAINS PLUS (two or three days)
- The Grand Circular Drive Tour plus Oberon, Bathurst, Sofala, Hill End and Mudgee - taking in all icons
EXPLORERS' FOOTSTEPS (three or four days)
- Follow the entire 'Wonderland Touring Guide' and 'Beyond The Blue Mountains' around our entire region of Penrith, Blue Mountains, Lithgow, Oberon, Bathurst, Mudgee and the Bells Line ol Road through Hawkesbury.
SPECIALIST TOUR SUGGESTIONS
BUSHWALKING (two walks in one day or three or four in two days)
We recommend the following
- The Boardwalk along the Jamison Valley floor at Scenic World
- The Golden Stairs at Echo Point
- The Valley of the Waters at Wentworth Falls
- Narrowneck Peninsula at Katoomba
- Evan's Lookout at Blackheath
- Fairfax Heritage Track at Blackheath
- Berghofers Pass at Mt York
- Coxs Road at Mt York
TROLLEY BUS TOURS (one day)
TRAIN TOURS (one day)
- Buy a CityRail day pass at Central Railway in Sydney - hopping on and off any of the Mountains' numerous stations to then stroll around the villages and attractions of your choice.
CONVICT TRAIL (one long day)
- Lennox Bridge at Lapstone (oldest bridge on Australian mainland)
- Lapstone Viaduct (wonderful sandstone construction)
- Bulls Camp at Woodford (former convict camp site with relics)
- Explorers Marked Tree at Katoomba (allegedly blazed in 1813 by Messers Blaxland, Lawson and Wentworth during their historic discovery of a route across the Blue Mountains)
- Mt York near Mt Victoria (where many early convict roads descend to Hartley Vale and the Hartley Valley - convict hacked rocks and roads well preserved)
- Mitchell's Pass at Mt Victoria (the rampart supporting the Pass is one of the finest examples of convict sandstone work in Australia)
- Historic Hartley (Australia's best and most intact convict era village) Many old homes and the old Court House are well preserved. Colonial heritage at its best.
HERITAGE HIGHLIGHTS (one day)
- Lennox Bridge at Lapstone
- Woodford Academy
- The Carrington Hotel at Katoomba
- The Hydro Majestic Hotel at Medlow Bath
- The Imperial Hotel at Mt Victoria
- Mt Victoria Railway Station
- The Comet Inn and Collitt's Inn at Hartley Vale
- Hartley Historic Village
- Zig Zag Railway Arches and other viaducts in the Lithgow region
ARTS TRAIL (one day)
Take a tour of the numerous high quality Arts Galleries and Antique Shops along the entire Great Western Highway to Lithgow - and then via the Bells Line of Road to Kurrajong Village and Windsor. Start or finish your journey at the wonderful Norman Lindsay Gallery in Faulconbridge.
PENRITH TOUR (one day)
- Sydney International Regatta Centre
- Whitewater Rafting Stadium
- Panthers World of Entertainment
- Nepean River and Nepean Gorge/Portal Lookout
- Shopping
- Museum of Fire
SEASONAL SUGGESTIONS
SPRING - Mountain Garden and Festival Tour to - Show Gardens from Hazelbrook to Woodford; Everglades Gardens at Leura; the internationally acclaimed Show Gardens of the Leura Spring Gardens Festival, inc Leura Village Fleuralia; Blackheath's amazing Rhododendron Gardens, plus the town's Rhododendron Festival; the Tulip and Daffodil Gardens of Oberon and Rydal, plus Oberon Festival; spectacular Show Gardens of Mt Wilson; and the unique Mt Tomah Botanic Garden (see the Wonderland Touring Guide)
- SUMMER - Take a tour of the Mountains' waterfalls, picnic spots, pools and caves. We recommend: Jelly Bean Pool in Glenbrook National Park; Kings Cave at Linden; several fabulous waterfalls at Lawson; the beautiful falls in the Valley of the Waters in Wentworth Falls; Wentworth Falls Lake and picnic area, which includes great kids' play equipment; Leura Cascades and picnic area; the head of Katoomba Falls; Minni Ha Ha Falls at North Katooomba; Govetts Leap at Blackheath; Hargraves Lookout and Mt Blackheath at Shipley; Mt York picnic area; Hartley Vale picnic area where all the old convict roads all converge; the crossing at Coxs River in the Hartley Valley; Hassans Walls picnic area at Lithgow above the Vale of Clywdd; Jenolan Caves; Oberon Dam; Mt Wilson picnic area and Mt Tomah Botanic Garden.
The majority of these areas have BBQ facilities, toilets
and kids play equipment.
- AUTUMN - Mountain Garden Tour to - Wentworth Falls Autumn Festival; Everglades Gardens at Leura; the Six Foot Track Marathon; Blue Mountains International Festival of Folk, Roots & Blues; the Festival of Herbs; the Kowmung Music Festival near Oberon; Ironfest at Lithgow; the Autumn Harvest Festival at Mt Tomah Botanic Garden; Show Gardens at Mt Wilson.
- WINTER - From June to August, celebrate 'Yulefest' or 'Xmas in July' at many Mountain accommodation venues. Log fires, mulled wine, occasional snowfalls; Santa and festive season frolics. It almost always snows in Oberon before anywhere else in the region. Also enjoy brisk bushwalks throughout the Blue Mountains.
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