Blue Mountains National Park Things to Do Tips by supercarys Top 5 Page for this destination

Euroka Clearing, Glenbrook (kangaroos in the wild)

As you head up the Blue Mountains one of the first towns you will pass through is Glenbrook. Turn into the village and head towards the National Park. After paying a small fee (about $7) for driving in (you may want to do this as it is quite a long walk (about 2 kilometres) up and down many hills) you just follow the road to Euroka Clearing.

This is a lovely area with a creek that runs around the edge. It has BBQ facilities and is also a camping site. Past the camping site there is a clearing that usually has about 30 kangaroos in it that you can walk right up to and take photos of or simply sit amongst them and watch. (Be careful you don't sit in the roo poo though). Don't try to pat the kangaroos though, they are wild animals and may not like this. The kangaroos are only there from about September to March though.

If you want to see kangaroos in the wild, this is the place to go, you will almost certainly see some there.

You can pick up a map from the Park Rangers at the top of the hill at the entrance. This will show you some of the walks in the area that you can do.

If you're arriving by train, turn right when you leave the station and follow the road down straight into the National Park

Address: Glenbrook

Directions: Drive into Glenbrook village and turn down Ross St. Follow it to the end and turn left. Follow this road to the end - it goes directly to the National Park. It is about 2 kilometres from the village.

Jenolan Caves - Underground Tours

Jenolan Caves is a beautiful underground (obviously) cave network with many gorgeous different rock formations. If you like caving or if you can appreciate natural beauty, you are bound to enjoy Jenolan Caves. There is a tour for everyone including children's tours, historical tours or spine tingling ghost tours! There have even been choirs performing in the Cathedral Cave.

Because it is in quite an isolated area, you will either have to bring your own food or be prepared to pay through the nose at the rather expensive cafe / restaurant on site.

There is also accommodation onsite, it is also quite expensive.

There are a variety of tours of the different cave networks.

PRICES
The cheapest starting price for tours is $25 for adults, $17 concession, the other options are $33 or $38. Each ticket has a variety of caves it can be used in. Be sure to check out the small model of the caves in the visitor's centre, it might help you decide. CONCESSION DOES NOT INCLUDE STUDENTS!!!! Pensioners only.

There are also five adventure tours ranging in price from $60 for 2 hours to a real caving adventure that offers abseiling, rock climbing and squeezing through tight places that costs $187 and goes for about 7 hours. The adventure tours only run at certain times through the year so check the website if you're into extreme caving.

For those wanting a real treat, there are several packages offered that include the scenic railway (nearby) or a helicopter tide over the area. Prices of the packages are from $540 to $1234 per person.

Address: Jenolan Caves Road, Jenolan, Jenolan State Forest

Directions: 175 kms from Sydney. Follow the Great Western Highway past Katoomba, Mt Victoria and Little Hartley. Turn left towards Hampton and Oberon. After about 20kms, take another left into Jenolan Caves Rd. You'll see signs for Jenolan Caves along the way.

Phone: (02) 6359 3311

Website: http://www.jenolancaves.org.au

Hydro Majestic: Australia's First Health Retreat

Built in 1903, this hotel is a really beautiful place to stop in and break up your trip if you're driving over the mountains. Inside it is full of old furnishings and articles such as wheelchairs as well as paintings. The best thing about the Hydro Majestic is the view. Once you're inside and walking around the old creaking floors, you can see the majestic views of the Megalong Valley spreading out in front of you. It really is a great place to visit just for a rest stop and it is a hotel as well if you want to stop for the night.

Australia's first Prime Minister Sir Edmund Barton actually died in this hotel! Other famous guests/attendies (who did not die) include Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Sherlock Holmes's creator), Australian opera singer Dame Nellie Melba and English opera singer Dame Clara Butt.

Address: Great Western Highway, Medlow Bath, Blue Mountains

Directions: On the left as you drive up the Great Western Highway to Medlow Bath. About an hour and a half to two hours drive from Sydney.

Phone: 02 9211 1238

Website: http://www.hydromajestic.com.au

Katoomba and Scenic World

If you go to Katoomba in the Blue Mountains and see the three sisters, make sure you go right down to see them up close, it's an awesome feeling with all that rock above you.

Also, go down the scenic railway (get a seat at the front for the best view - it is on a 52 degree angle) and walk the historical tour at the bottom, it's quite interesting. Also, go on one of the longer boardwalks at the bottom, they are tranquil and fresh to walk through. You can get the scenic cableway as well (stand at the bottom of this for the best view). If you have the guts for it, go on the scenic skyway. The new one has a clear bottom (Electro-Sceni Glass Floor) to look down through as you cross from one cliff to another.

PRICES:
Skyway costs $16 for adults, $8 for kids return, $10 for adults and $5 for kids one way.

Railway and Cableway cost the same for return tickets ($19 for adults, $10 for kids). You should be able to get one in one direction and the other return for the return ticket price rather than paying for two singles. It's $10 for adults and $5 for kids for a one way ticket.

Address: Blue Mountains, New South Wales

Directions: 2 hours west of Sydney. Follow the M4 to the end where it turns into the Great Western Highway. Follow this and turn into Katoomba village.

Other Contact: Fax (02) 4782 5675

Phone: (02) 4782 2699

Website: http://www.scenicworld.com.au/

Bush walking at Wentworth Falls

There are many beautiful hikes / bushwalks at Wentworth Falls, ranging from gentle strolls to full on cliff climbs. If you want to see the Mountains at their best, go on one of these bushwalks for the quintessential Aussie bush experience. The last time I walked right down to the bottom and up again, I thought I was having a heart attack (at the ripe old age of 21) and one of my friends collapsed at the bottom! So you need a moderate degree of fitness before you attempt that one. Or you could just take your time - we were going at quite a pace.

There is a cafe at the top of the cliffs that you can stop in at for a refreshing drink afterwards. I'd recommend the iced tea with rosewater - it's really tasty.

Address: Wentworth Falls, Blue Mountains

Directions: 2 hours west of Sydney, Wentworth Falls is before Katoomba and you'll see the brown signs pointing to the National Park.

The Edge Cinema, Katoomba

The Edge Cinema is a great place to experience some of the sights in the Blue Mountains. The ginat screen movies (6 stories high) really take you right into the wilderness where most people don't or can't go and shows you sights that you can't see anywhere else. A couple of times in the movie, you feel like you are falling over the edge of a cliff because of the huge screen and the impressive camera work. This movie is shown daily and goes for about 40 minutes, it is definitely worth watching.

They also play regular movies as they are released. You can check out what's on here.

Prices

The Edge Giant Screen Movie
Adult $15
Concessions $13
Child/Senior $10

Feature Film
Adult $12.50
Concessions $11.50
Child/Senior $9.00
Cheap Tuesday - $8.50 feature film ticket

They also sell souvenirs and there is a Hungry Jack's (Burger King) in the complex too.

Address: 225 Great Western Highway, Katoomba, NSW

Directions: Turn right at the traffic lights at Katoomba (coming from Sydney)

Website: http://www.edgecinema.com.au/

Megalong Valley Australian Heritage Farm

Megalong Valley Farm is a great place to spend the day, especially if you have kids. There are farm animals of all sorts like pigs, horses, ducks, turkeys, cows, alpacas, donkeys, chickens and so on. You can wander around and have a look at all of the animals by yourself, or join a group for a demonstration of horse harnessing, milking or whipcracking. You can also feed the animals and some of them are very cute! There are also cart rides, sheep shearing, bushwalks and antique machinery to look at.

It's a great place for a really relaxing, interesting day. My favourite things are the rooster that had a REALLY strange crowing noise, and the calves that come up to you for a pat.

Open 9am to 5pm Weekends, Public Holidays, School Holidays.

Entry Prices:
Adult $8.00
Child $6.00
Family $20.00

Some of the activities may only be available for group bookings, check the programme guide.

For a nice drive in the area, you can keep going alon Megalong Road and you'll come back onto the highway at Blackheath.

Address: Megalong Rd, Megalong Valley, Blue Mountains, 2785

Directions: Drive up the Great Western Highway past Katoomba. Left onto Nellies Glen Rd, Left onto Six Foot Track, turn right at the end of this road onto Megalong Rd. (NOT megalong Valley Road to the left)

Other Contact: Fax: (02) 4787 9116

Phone: (02) 4787 8188

Website: http://www.bluemts.com.au/megalong/farm

Norman Lindsay Gallery - Famous Local Artist

This is the former home of Norman Lindsay (1879 - 1967), a famous local artist and writer. His most famous work is the Australian children's classic "The Magic Pudding" and you can see sculptures of the Pudding characters around the grounds along with various nymphs, satyrs and fountains he sculpted himself.

You can stroll around the very pretty grounds of his house or head inside and look at his artworks and see some of his books on display. My favourites are the model ships that he made as a hobby - they're fantastic.

There's a National Trust gift shop where you can buy some of his books and artworks. There's a cafe there as well. Plenty of parking is available.

There are occasional events such as the annual Children's Literature Festival held in April where children's authors and illustrators come along and give talks to both adults and children, including readings of their own books and book signings.

I went to the 2008 Children's Literature Festival and it was very interesting. Authors included Emily Rodda, Simon French, Gabrielle Lord, Donna Rawlins, Chris Cheng, Tohby Riddle, Mark Macleod and Alan Lloyd. Morris Gleitzman was there a couple of years ago.

Opening Hours
Open daily from 10am-4pm (closed Christmas Day)

Entry fees
National Trust members are free of charge unless there is a special event such as the annual Children's Literature Festival.

Adults $9, conc $6, children (6-12 yrs) $4, Families - $22

The Children's Literature Festival costs $15 for adults, $12 concession.

Address: 14 Norman Lindsay Crescent, Faulconbridge, NSW.

Directions: Travel up the Great Western Highway, turn right at the lights at Faulconbrige. Norman Lindsay Cres is on the left AFTER the roundabout.

Other Contact: Fax (02) 4751 5845

Phone: (02) 4751 1067

Website: http://www.normanlindsay.com.au

Website for Mountains 'things to do'

This website show upcoming events, accommodation, attractions, dining and many other things. It also has links to other sites about the Blue Mountains and a helpful search engine.

Website: http://www.bluemts.com.au/