Day 13 - #Thatchersontour Blue Mountains

Our early bird tickets for Scenic World in the Blue Mountains meant we had to arrive before 10am, so with a super early alarm we were all fed, showered and ready for about 7:30am. At Scenic World you can ride a funicular, a cable way, a skyway and walk along numerous boardwalks through the rainforest, all of which give you breathtaking views of the Blue Mountains. We opted for the funicular first to take us down to the rainforest walk as it looked remarkably like a rollercoaster over the edge of the cliff. Once in the funicular you had three seat settings. The original 52 degrees, a more laid back option for the oldies and a thrill seeker ‘cliffhanger’ 64 degrees. Naturally Blake, Lucy and I opted for the cliff hanger! As soon as we went over the side of the cliff we all had to hold on for dear life as there were no safety lap bars like a rollercoaster and we all went flying out of our seats! The funicular has been operating since 1945, (albeit with a few upgrades) descends 310 metres through a cliff-side tunnel, emerging into ancient rainforest at the Jamison Valley floor. Here we had 3 options of a 10, 30 or 50 minute walk through the rainforest. We started off with the 30 minute walk but soon realised that these times were better suited to your Granny so ended up finishing the 50 minute walk in around 25. On the way we saw a stream / spring, miners hut, a ventilation furnace and other left behind pieces from the mining times. At the end of the walk was the scenic cableway to take us back up to the visitor centre. On the way up we got a great view of the Three Sisters, Orphan Rock and Mt Solitary.

Back at the top it was time for the finale (and the one Dad was least looking forward to) the scenic skyway. Suspended 270 metres above the ground, the Skyway provided us with yet more breathtaking views. It even had an electro-glass cabin floor so you could see right down into the rainforest. The glass floor wasn’t as terrifying as I thought it would be and even dad had a look down through.

We took a quick pit stop for lunch before jumping on the Explorer hop-on-hop-off bus. Our first stop was the Blue Mountains Chocolate Company. Here we enjoyed some yummy free samples of chocolate along with coffee / milkshakes to wash it down. Our very own Willy Wonka (aka Dad) also got to watch some chocolate being freshly made.

After consuming rather a lot of chocolate we thought we had better walk some of it off so our next stop was Honeymoon Lookout. From here you can see where the Blue Mountains get their name. The Blue Mountains are full of many different types of eucalyptus tree. The eucalyptus oil together with the dust particles and water vapour in the area, scatter short rays of light which are blue in colour. From Honeymoon Lookout you could visibly see a blue haze over the forest canopy.

From here, we walked back towards Echo Point where along the way there were some stunning backdrops for many a shameless family photo. Just before Echo Point you find the Giants Staircase. There are 998 steps in total which take you down to the bottom of the Three Sisters. The steps are treacherously steep so to get to the bottom is a bit of a commitment. You can however walk down the first 100 or so steps to Honeymoon Bridge which takes you across to the first of the Three Sisters fairly easily. Three of us started the staircase but once Lucy saw the steps up close she soon retreated back to the top. Holding on to the handrail at all times Blake and I made it down and back up again and then we all finished the walk to Echo Point. Here were more incredible views of Jamison Valley and it’s surrounds, including a great view of the Three Sisters.

We then hopped back on the bus to Leura Cascades, another short downhill bush walk to a small waterfall. Feeling pretty pooped and having seen a lot of lookouts and waterfalls we missed the next couple of stops and headed on to Leura Village. Unfortunately a lot of the shops were closing so it was only a quick visit.

On the way back to the car we spotted some nice looking dinner spots in Katoomba Village so we stopped off there for some yummy food before driving back to our apartment.Read more