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Katoomba is the favourite
destination in the area
of the Blue Mountains
National Park. It is
110 kilometres west of
Sydney by CityRail train (131 500),
a journey which takes
two hours. The railway
line runs through the
Blue Mountains National
Park from Lapstone onwards
and offers some splendid
views.
The reason for
the name Blue Mountains
soon becomes apparent,
for the distant ranges
do indeed appear to be
covered in a blue haze.
One theory is that this
is caused by the evaporation
of eucalyptus vapour,
but it is only a theory.
The Blue Mountains were
a great barrier in the
way of penetration inland
for the first European
settlers and it was not
until May 1813 that the
first route through them
was discovered by Blaxland,
Wentworth and Lawson,
all of whose names you
will now find given to
stations and communities
on the journey up to
Katoomba. By 1815, there
was a road through the
mountains. The railway
was built in 1868 and
tourism started in the
area soon after. The
Blue Mountains National
Park was declared in
1959 and covers 248,433
hectares. Its most spectacular
feature is an escarpment
with sheer waterfalls
and impressive views.
There are also some caves,
and in the past the area
has been mined for coal.
A main attraction is
the Katoomba Skyway (02 4782
2699) and Scenic Railway
which can be reached
by a short walk from
down the main street
(Katoomba Street) until
you reach Katoomba Falls
Road on your right. Take
this road and you will
come to The Skyway which
is a ropeway suspended
across a deep valley.
The car attached goes
across the valley and
then returns. The Scenic
Railway is a funicular
railway which descends
at an acceptable angle
for a few metres and
then plunges off the
edge of the 170-metre-high
escarpment and through
a tunnel. It claims to
be the steepest funicular
railway in the world,
at an incline of 52 degrees,
an angle which is terrifyingly
steep. This railway was
not built as a tourist
attraction. It used to
be a working line, for
at the bottom of the
terrifying descent is
an abandoned coal mine.
The railway used to
take the miners down
to the pit entrance and
haul the coal back up.
To see the entrance to
the old mine, with the
cliff face at your back
turn right and walk just
a short distance from
the foot of the railway.
You can make either a
single or a return journey
on this railway. From
the lower station, which
is a horizontal section
of rail extending precariously
out over the abyss, you
can walk east, in the
opposite direction to
the mine, to the Three
Sisters Lookout at Echo
Point, a walk of about
45 minutes, or to the
Sisters themselves, if
you prefer.
The Three
Sisters are, as the name implies, a group of three
pinnacles standing out
and isolated from the
escarpment. At the Echo
Point Lookout, you will
have a magnificent view,
weather permitting, not
only of the Sisters,
but of the Jamison Valley
continuing into the distance
and the great expanse
of uncoil bushland. There
is also a Visitor Information
Centre here with maps
available of further
walks. From Echo Point,
follow Echo Point Road
until it runs into Lurline
Street, and so return
to the town.
What is described above
is just a stroll, although
one rewarded by some
excellent views. To extend
the walk to approximately
nine kilometres and include
some extra and impressive
cliff-top views, continue
along the Cliff Walk
beyond Echo Point. You
will encounter two lookouts,
first Honeymoon Lookout,
then Kiah Lookout, and
after those, views of
Leura Falls and Gordon
Falls. Thence retrace
your steps for a short
distance and walk north
up Leura Mall, either
all the way to Leura
Station or to Megalong
Street, where turn left
and, via Clarence Street
and Lovel Street, return
to Katoomba Station.
If, on the other hand,
so much exercise seems
too strenuous, there
are two bus companies
operating services following
the route of the longer
walk, plus just a little
extra, but minus the
walk from the foot of
the funicular railway
up to Echo Point, of
course. These two companies
are Trolley Tours and
Blue Mountains Explorer
Bus. Buses run
on a circular route,
making stops, at any
of which passengers may
alight and reboard later
in the day.
Another popular destination
in the Blue Mountains
is Wentworth Falls, two
stations from Katoomba
in the direction of Sydney.
It is also possible to
walk between Katoomba
and Wentworth, part of
the walk being along
the edge of the escarpment,
as described above. The
falls are triple-tiered
and 180 metres high in
total. The famous caves
are the Jenolan Caves
(6359 3311), just outside
the south-western boundary
of the Blue Mountains
National Park. Nine limestone
caverns are open to the
public.
For visitor information the National Parks and Wildlife Centre is at Govett’s
Leap Road, Blackheath. (02 4787 8877).
Edge Giant Screen Movie
A Blue Mountains visual experience at the Edge Cinema. 225 Great Western Highway, Katoomba (02 4782 8900).
Jenolan Caves
Spectacular lime stone caves on the western side of the Blue Mountains about 90 minutes drive from Katoomba. Duckmaloi Road, Oberon (1300 76 33 11).
Scenic World
A combination of train and cable car down into the Jamison Valley. Voilet Street and Cliff Drive, Katoomba (02 4782 2699)
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