It's 8am on a Saturday morning when I find myself swinging a heavy suitcase into the boot of a 4WD hire car and eagerly plugging "Katoomba" into Google Maps. Named for an Aboriginal term meaning "place of many waterfalls", Katoomba is the first stop on a weekend roadie into the Blue Mountains that starts and finishes in Australia’s Harbour City.
The idea of hiking among the orange chocolate cliffs of the Blue Mountains World Heritage Area is pretty enticing. So too is wending my way through dancing waterfalls, eucalyptus rainforest and ancient rock canyons. Add two nights in a luxury cabin and an afternoon sipping Aussie cabernet sauvignon at a vineyard in the Megalong Valley and I’m pretty sure I’ve conjured up the perfect weekend roadie to Gundungurra and Dharug country.
Your guide to a weekend roadie in the Blue Mountains
• Day one: Sightseeing and luxury camping
Get cracking early to get a jump on Sydneysiders heading west for the weekend on the Great Western Highway. Tourism in the Blue Mountains dates back to the late 1800s and still booms today. After driving for 90 minutes, take the turn-off to Katoomba, the main township of the region, to see the tawny peaks of the Three Sisters. Best viewed from the Echo Point escarpment, the sandstone pillars give way to the Jamison Valley, a forested canyon that stretches out for miles before surging upwards to form flat-top ranges like Korowal (Mount Solitary).
Go to the visitor centre at Echo Point for information about what to see and do in the region, as well as detailed maps of short and multi-day walks. Then hop in the car for Scenic World. Grab a ticket for the Scenic Skyway, an aerial cable car that travels between clifftops and takes in views of the ancient forest below. Or ride the cableway or railway down to the valley floor. To schedule a time that suits you, dodge long queues and avoid missing out entirely, book your ticket online before you go.
• Afternoon
Less than 10km down the road in Medlow Bath is the Hydro Majestic Hotel, a historic resort constructed on the edge of a steep cliff face with dazzling mountain views. Grab a gourmet pizza and a glass of shiraz from the Boiler House restaurant or head to the Wintergarden restaurant for Hydro’s famous high tea. From here, further indulge your inner history nerd by booking the 45-minute walking tour of the heritage hotel.
• Evening
Designers of luxe bush camp Chalets at Blackheath have perfected the art of the private mountain chalet, so expect no shortage of indulgent details during your stay. For a relaxed dinner in an outdoor bush setting, pre-order the resort’s barbecue platter and dine on your private balcony with nothing but whispering grass trees and wandering magpies for company. Watch the sky transition from azure blue to smoky mauve to iridescent black seated on your front deck recliner. Head indoors to rug up and light the log fire (prepped and ready to go from zero to full flame in just a few seconds). Or fill up the tub and settle into soft peaks of frothy bubbles with a premixed negroni from the minibar.
• Day two: Adventure hiking and wine tasting
• Morning
Arrive early at The Library, the eco-resort’s central hub, for a bush tucker breakfast of yoghurt, dried quandong berries and desert lime. From your host, Madeline Hemmett, learn how owner Angela O’Connell is slowly building the luxury resort from the ashes of the former Jemby-Rinjah Lodge, tragically razed to the ground in 2019 by fire. Grab your choice of fresh pastries delivered that morning from Black Cockatoo Bakery. Then lace up your hiking boots and head out the front gate to start the Grand Canyon Track, a well-kept, yet steep 6km walk, just 600 metres from the resort’s front door.
Starting at Evans Lookout, the popular weekend trail weaves its way down into a river-filled canyon. Over three hours, expect eucalyptus forest and overhanging cliffs to morph into lush fern forest fed by exuberant waterfalls and ankle-deep waterholes. See red yabbies (freshwater crayfish) feeding in rock pools and subaquatic lizards known as eastern water dragons sunning themselves on the forest floor.
• Afternoon
Dryridge Estate in the Megalong Valley is an ideal spot to grab a late lunch and take in the blue ranges from yet another vantage point. A 20-minute drive from Blackheath, the picturesque rural vineyard is home to an outdoor marquee set up for couples and larger friend and family groups. Order the $10 wine tasting to try all seven of Dryridge’s cool climate vintages, including the Chablis-style Eva Chardonnay and the popular Theodore Tempranillo. Order a cheese and charcuterie board to snack on something light. Go for the full ploughman’s lunch if you need to sate a gnawing appetite.
• Evening
Spend your last night in Blackheath in your timber, clay cabin soaking up more of the natural wilderness and nibbling on the Chalet’s fresh goat cheese platter served with a blood orange and whisky jelly and McLaren Vale Vineyard Honey. Alternatively, drive to Ates on Govetts Leap Rd for alpine village dining, styled on Middle Eastern flavours, straight from the restaurant’s wood-fired oven. Blaq restaurant, in Blackheath’s Kyah Hotel, is another firm favourite with locals and visitors alike. Offering a menu of small, large, charred and grilled dishes, the restaurant has an award-winning wine list showcasing the best of New South Wales. Advance bookings are recommended.
BLUE MOUNTAINS
GETTING THERE
Air New Zealand flies direct from Auckland to Sydney. Pick up a rental car from Sydney airport or from the city centre.
ONLINE
visitbluemountains.com.au
