Things to do in Blue Mountains
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Silk's Brasserie
The decor and staff are equally welcoming at Leura's long-standing fine diner. Dishes can sometimes be overworked, but serves are generous and flavours generally harmonious.
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Werribee Trail Rides
Unless you walk in or take Katoomba’s Scenic Railway, the only way you’ll see a Blue Mountains gorge from the inside is in the Megalong Valley. A well-surfaced 9km road snakes down from Blackheath through pockets of rainforest. En route, the 600m Coachwood Glen Nature Trail features dripping fern dells, stands of mountain ash and sun-stained sandstone cliffs. A couple of kilometres further on, Werribee Trail Rides offers horse-riding packages to suit everyone. See the area pioneer-style and consider a two-day/one-night ‘Pub Crawl’ ride!
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Everglades Garden
Leura, 3km east of Katoomba, is a gracious, affluent town, fashioned around undulating streets, unparalleled gardens and sweeping Victorian verandahs. in town is the National Trust–owned Everglades Garden, a magnificent 1930s garden created by Danish ‘master gardener’ Paul Sorenson. Fountains, waterfalls, terraced lawns, freestone walls, a museum, an art gallery and tearooms – Everglades is a must for green thumbs.
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Mount Vic Flicks
With its isolated, unadulterated village vibe, National Trust–classified Mt Victoria was once more influential than Katoomba. At 1043m, it’s the highest town in the mountains. Crisp air, solitude, towering foliage and historic buildings are what bring you here, but if you’d rather watch a movie, try Mount Vic Flicks. This is cinema ‘the way it used to be’, with ushers, a piano player and door prizes.
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Falls Gallery
As you head into the town of Wentworth Falls, you’ll get your first real taste of Blue Mountains’ scenery: views to the south open out across the majestic Jamison Valley. In town, the Falls Gallery is one of the Blue Mountains’ best privately run galleries. The paper and ceramic collections are displayed in a restored weatherboard house, surrounded by precisely maintained gardens.
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NSW Toy & Railway Museum & Leuralla Gardens
The NSW Toy & Railway Museum & Leuralla Gardens is an art-deco mansion set amid 4.9 misty hectares of handsome English gardens. The house is a memorial to HV ‘Doc’ Evatt, a former Australian Labor Party leader and the first UN president. Kids love the toy and model-railway museum (everything from Barbie to Bob the Builder). Make sure you cross the road to check out the awesome valley view.
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Solitary
The magnificent views to Mt Solitary are the main event here, but the seasonally driven and totally delicious food lives up to this elegant restaurant's setting atop the Leura Cascades. Also serves Devonshire teas ($10).
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Norman Lindsay Gallery & Museum
Celebrated artist, author and bon vivant Norman Lindsay, famed for his saucy artworks, lived in Faulconbridge from 1912 until his death in 1969. His home and studio are now the Norman Lindsay Gallery & Museum, which holds a significant collection of his paintings, watercolours, drawings and sculptures. The fabulous Lindsay’s Café is here, too.
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Niagara
High ceilings with ornate cornices, oversized tiles underfoot and large wooden booths embellish this gay-/family-/vegetarian-friendly diner. The food is fab too: gourmet burgers, pastas and salads with a twist during the day, scrumptious steaks and fish at night. Monthly dinner-and-show Cabaret Nights are sequin-soaked spectaculars.
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Mt Victoria Museum
The Mt Victoria Museum is chock-full of quirky Australiana including old farm equipment, taxidermy and Ned Kelly’s sister’s bed. Inside an old public hall, the 130-seat Mount Vic Flicks is a wonderful step back in time. With ushers, a piano player and door prizes you’ll soon forget what you came to see.
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Savoy
The Savoy has booths (we love booths), perfect for day-time pastas, burgers, focaccias and salads. At night the lights lower and the menu lifts – progressive dishes such as pan-seared barramundi with lime and chilli, and kangaroo sirloin with roast zucchini, garlic and red wine jus bring smiles to faces.
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Megalong Australian Heritage Centre
The Megalong Australian Heritage Centre is a display farm heaven for little tackers – visitors can feed and pat sheep, ducks, ponies and alpacas. There’s guided horse riding ($45/85 per person for one/two hours), plus farm shows and activities during school holidays.
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Gallery Restaurant
This French-focused restaurant forms part of the Fine Art Gallery housed within a grand old Katoomba residence. Wander through the gallery between courses and admire (or buy, depending on how much wine you’ve consumed) the paintings, sculptures and glassware on display.
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HQ Tours
HQ Tours runs backpacker-friendly Blue Mountains tours, also departing Sydney. Its Eco-scenic day trip includes three hours of guided bushwalking around the main mountains sights. Overnight tours visit the Jenolan Caves and include dorm accommodation at Katoomba YHA.
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Paragon Café
The heritage-listed 1916 Paragon is Katoomba’s undisputed art-deco masterpiece. Sampling coffee and handmade chocolates in the salubrious surrounds is a compulsory Blue Mountains experience (Bob Dylan and Ginger Rogers both seemed to enjoy themselves).
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Conservation Hut
You have to endure inflated prices for the cliff-edge view, but you won’t get many finer panoramas with your coffee and cake. It’s still a meeting place for a local conservation society, and has walking maps and brochures available.
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Café Memento
Injecting Blackheath with a world view and a social conscience, colourful Café Memento serves up organic breakfasts, wraps, soups, cakes and burgers. Political inclinations aside, the food is great and there’s a sunny patio.
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Edge Cinema
A giant screen shows mainstream flicks plus a 40-minute Blue Mountains documentary (adult/child $15/10). Budget Tuesdays feature flicks for $8.50 per person.
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Ashcrofts
Chef Corinne Evatt has been wooing locals and visitors alike with her flavoursome, globally inspired dishes for the past decade. The wine list is possibly the best in the mountains and service is exemplary.
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Tread Lightly Eco Tours
Has a wide range of day and night walks ($65 to $135) that emphasise the ecology of the region.
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IsoBar Café
Despite the hackneyed IsoBar name, this café hums with chilled vibes, ambient tunes and moody lighting - as funky as Katoomba gets. Tasty staples include Turkish toasties, burgers, stir-fries and salads.
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Hotel Gearin
This art deco watering hole is one of the liveliest in town, with trivia nights, live music, pool comps and Sunday afternoon jazz. It’s owned by actor Jack Thompson – reason enough for a beer and a $5 steak.
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Parakeet Café
This colourful cafe dishes up hearty staples along with the odd surprise such as the tempura hoki with chips. There are a couple of couches, a courtyard out back and wireless internet access.
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Cafe Zuppa
This friendly mountain cafe brews excellent coffees and hot chocolates. The belly-warming burgers and sandwiches are foolproof, but the more experimental dishes are sometimes hit-and-miss.
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Oztrails
Departing Sydney, the reader-recommended Oztrails wheels small groups around the Blue Mountains sights, finishing with a ferry ride back to Circular Quay on the Parramatta River.
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