Itinerary
Day 1: Sydney - Jamison/Grose Valley - Jenolan Caves
Stop At: Wentworth Falls Lookout, Wentworth Falls, New South Wales 2780 Australia
A 1.5 hour walk the Undercliff Circuit at Wentworth Falls lets us explore the flora and fauna of the Jamison Valley. On the way we enjoy magnificent views on the falls, Mt Solitary and the canyon itself.
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Stop At: The Three Sisters, Echo Point road Echo Point, Katoomba, New South Wales 2780 Australia
From Echo Point or Eagle Hawk Lookout we have a full-frontal view on the Three Sisters - a place of great significance to the Darug and Gundungurra people. The true beauty of the Jamison speaks for itself at the famous Three Sisters.
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: Cahill's Lookout, 258-276 Cliff Drive, Katoomba, New South Wales 2780 Australia
Along the scenic Blue Mountains Drive - which we follow from beginning to end - is Cahill's Lookout, offering uninterrupted views over Narrowneck, Boars Head and the Megalong Valley.
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop At: Blackheath Golf Club, Brightlands Ave, Blackheath, New South Wales 2785 Australia
At the town of Blackheath we''ll pick up our gourmet sandwich, on our way to the picnic spot. Or, if the weather is not soo good, we have lunch at the Altitude Cafe.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Pulpit Rock Lookout, Pulpit Rock Track, Blue Mountains National Park, New South Wales 2570 Australia
After an Aussie picnic at our secret hideaway, we descent halfway down the remote Grose Valley for spectaculair and interrupted vistas over Mount Banks, the Bridal Veil Falls and Pulpit Rock.
One of the most spectacular views in the Blue Mountains is to be had from Pulpit Rock lookout. Fortunately parts of the road are unsealed, which helps to keep the crowds at bay. Most of the time we have the spot to ourselves.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Blue Mountains National Park Glenbrook, Bruce Road, Glenbrook, New South Wales 2773 Australia
(Actually, Euroka Clearing is where we go at the beginning of the tour. But this TA system did not allow me to move the order of places visited)
Surrounded by the tall gumtrees of Australian Woodland around Glenbrook at the foothills of the Blue Mountains, we have a chance to get close and personal with wild eastern grey kangaroos, a kookaburra, and plenty of others birds of the bush.
Duration: 45 minutes
Stop At: 4655 Jenolan Caves Rd, Jenolan Caves, New South Wales 2790 Australia
On the way top Jenolan Caves, across the Great Dividing Range, we have a great chance to spot a red-necked wallaby, a whiptail wallaby and, with a bit of luck, a wombat!
Once we've arrived at Jenolan, and settled in our accommodation at the heritage listed Jenolan Caves House, we embark on a 1-hour tour of the oldest cave system of the southern hemisphere.
Having settled into our room of the charming, heritage listed Jenolan Caves House, it is time of another highlight: a walk around the fairy-like Blue Lake for a realistic chance to see the resident platypus in the wild!
Duration: 2 hours
Meals included:
• Lunch: Our picnic includes a gourmet sandwich, coffee or tea, cookies (or biscuits), fruit, fresh orange juice.
Accommodation included: Overnight at the heritage listed Jenolan Caves House.
Day 2: McKeown Valley - Kanangra Walls - Hartley Vale - Mt Tomah - Sydney
Stop At: Kanangra-Boyd National Park, New South Wales Australia
A 1 hour morning walk along the McKeown Valley offers the best chance to see the endangered Brush Tail Wallaby!
Near the Blue Lake we spot an eastern water dragon and a ... platypus!
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Kanangra-Boyd National Park, New South Wales Australia
A 30 km dirt road takes us to the Kanangra Plateau in one of the 5% last remaining wilderness area of NSW.
A refreshing walk along the valley ridge seamed with silver banksia, bright red mountain devils and white flowering hakeas offers unparalleled views across one of Australia’s most spectacular landscapes with its waterfalls, exposed spikes of ancient rocks and misty mountains. In the depths of the gorge, spot an Australian red cedar or the gorgeous flame robin. Or look up to see some soaring wedge-tail eagles.
We enjoy the million dollar views over the largest eucalyptus forrest in the world, flanked by the imposing Kanangra Wall. 50 shades of blue!
Duration: 2 hours
Pass By: Megalong Creek Estate, Pinnacle Ridge 217 Aspinall Rd, Megalong Valley, New South Wales 2785 Australia
Leaving Kanangra Boyd, we let the Cox River Road take us over the rolling hills of the Central Tablelands and the Great Dividing Range to Hartley. We venture on the grassy fields around Luther and Spring Creek to get close to several grazing wombats and a mob of eastern grey kangaroos, before they turn in for the... day.
Stop At: The Blue Mountains Botanic Garden, Bells Line of Road, Mount Tomah, New South Wales 2758 Australia
After having had lunch at the historic village of Hartley, we have come out of the the beautiful Hartley Vale valley onto Bell's Line of Road - AKA The Botanist Way.
On the way we enjoy great views over Mount Banks, and basalt covered sections of the Grose Valley.
A short drive later we find ourselves amount the flowering grass trees, giant ash gums and enigmatic Wollemi pines of the Blue Mountains Botanic Gardens of Mt Tomah.
Look out for the clever satin bowerbird, a wide variety of honey-eaters, parrots and rosellas, and much more.
Duration: 45 minutes
Pass By: The Bilpin Fruit Bowl, 2093 Bells Line of Road, Bilpin, New South Wales 2758 Australia
Bell's Line of Road takes us though the fruit bowl of NSW around Bilpin, past the Macquarie towns of Richmond and Windsor.
The tollway takes us back to the hotel without a glitch.
Pass By: Hawkesbury River NSW Brooklyn NSW, New South Wales 2083 Australia
Crossing the Hawkesbury River.
Meals included:
• Breakfast: Cooked buffet breakfast at the hotel.
• Lunch: Sit-down lunch at the old post-office in the historic village of Hartley Vale.
No accommodation included on this day.