The Blue Mountains Day Trip when you don't have a full day

Our friends from Belgium wanted to go to the Blue Mountains, but needed to be back in the city by 4pm at the latest for dinner and a show at the Opera House. I picked them up from their accommodation at 7.30 am but needed to return them to their new hotel so they could check in before making their way to town.

Because one of them was running the marathon, I ruled out the walk with 998 stairs at the Three Sisters. I was unsure of fitness levels so I looked for flat and easy short walks. The recent rain had shut a lot of the tracks - no cascades as planned, and I was unsure if Wentworth Falls was open. You can investigate the walks on the National Park site. I also downloaded the emergency app just in case - as I was pretty unfamiliar with these tracks nowadays, but in the end we didn't venture far at all. The app allows you to call for help when out of range.

We left the city at 7.30 and our first stop was Dolly Donuts in Glenbrook for the painted Panorama. In Australia we like big roadside things, and while this wasn't big, it fitted in with the weird roadside stops. I got a donuts for the kids, and then we popped out the back to see ALL of Australia in one room, with local fauna in 3D! Note that it's not open Monday or Tuesday.

We had prebooked Scenic World for the first session at 10am so had time to hit Sublime Point at Leura. If we stay at the Fairmont, I love to slink off here at sunset. The sandstone shines golden and it is stunning. The morning light was not as magical, but for their first view of the Megalong Valley, it was still breath taking. It did help me gauge the fitness of all of my companions and I realised the bushwalks were out.

Scenic World is perfect for any mobility issues. You see the Valley from the Skyway, and then can go down the railway and back up the cable car. There is a 10 minute flat walk in between, or a half hour ramble through the rainforest. We opted for the shorter one. The whole experience took us about 90 minutes. I'd allow 2 hours for your minimum if on a time schedule and prebook.

The Skyway allows you to look down at the valley, including a glass floor that allows you to see the full stream of the falls.

The train is a fun ride down into the valley as it's the steepest railway in the world. 

The cable car is gives a good view of Orphan Rock and the old lookout path.

Echo Point is perfect for a close up look at the Three Sisters. We did the walk to Spooner's Lookout but it really only takes a couple of minutes and doesn't add more to the view. The main lookout is flat and easily accessible. The longer walk requires a degree of fitness and as mentioned, has 998 stairs.

I had planned to stop in Beverly Place for the street art but due to lack of time, we drove past the Adnate and continued to the Lolly Shop in Leura. The Lolly Shop is how we used to buy our sweets in Australia, picking out 5 cents worth of this and 10 cents worth of that from the jars. They're now prepackaged in the jars but you get the idea.

Last stop was lunch at the Conservation Hut at Wentworth Falls. The views from the balcony are spectacular and there is a cosy fire inside. I'd not been before but it was recommended by friends (and David Stratton in an old interview), so it seemed worth a try. It's a fabulous spot, thought doesn't over look the falls. There is a walk directly from the entrance, though we didn't have time to investigate.

We were out of time to give the Falls a visit, or even to pop into the German Bake House (Schwarz Patisserie) for a pretzel or strudel (or take home a black pepper pie). It took us the full two hours to get to Potts Point due to traffic, so we pulled up at 3.50 in perfect timing.

Even as a short day trip, it's a big and tiring one, but the views make it worth the effort! 

Practicalities:

Dolly's Donuts

Scenic World

Echo Point

Sublime Point

Beverly Place (Street Art Walk)

The Candy Store (Lolly Shop)

Conservation Hut

Further Reading:

Overnight adventures - Majestic Beauty and a whole lot of fun - Blue Mountains 

Katoomba Night Lit Walk

Sculpture at Scenic World

Fairmont Resort Blue Mountains

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 #wordlesswednesday and #thrumylens