Jenolan caves, Australia

Blue Mountains:

Un patrimoine de l'Unesco à inclure dans son album photo !

  Situées à environ 2 heures en train et 1h30 en voiture de Sydney, la région des Blue Mountains est une destination à découvrir absolument pour ceux qui se trouvent dans l'Etat du New South Wales en Australie.

  L’appellation de "montagnes bleues" est due à l’huile des arbres d’eucalyptus qui s’évapore et qui crée un nuage bleu au-dessus des montagnes. Avec une altitude dépassant les 1000 mètres, cette chaîne de montagnes de grès s’étend sur 260 kms du nord au sud, et dépasse les 247 000 hectares. One Tree hill est son point culminant (1111 mètres).

  Région longtemps impénétrable par sa géographie et la densité de sa forêt, c'est en 1813 que trois fermiers réussirent à venir à terme de leur expédition. Gregory Blaxland, William Lawson et William Charles Wentworth trouvèrent enfin un chemin les faisant traverser les Blue Mountains. Barrière infranchissable, beaucoup avaient tenté l'expérience en suivant les rivières qui les arrêtaient face à des falaises insurmontables. Les trois fermiers s'y prenèrent différemment en parcourant les hauteurs des crêtes des Blue Mountains.

  Très rapidement, la première route vit le jour (en 1815) et avec cela la popularisation du lieu.

  Le site est aujourd'hui constitué de plusieurs parcs et réserves protégés, où touristes et habitants de Sydney viennent régulièrement profiter des nombreuses pistes de randonnée.

How to get there ?

By road

  Since Sydney: follow the direction of Parramatta (Parramatta Road) until Strathfield to join the Great Western Highway - M4 (toll road). The Blue Mountains region begins 50 minutes' drive away, from Glenbrook / Lapstone.

  Take time to stop at the different points of view (lookouts) that run along this route.

Another possible route: the beautiful Bell's Line of Road that starts at Richmond, which will take you across Mount Tomah and Mount Victoria.

  If you arrive from the west: follow the signs to Lithgow Hartley then to where you find the entrance of the Blue Mountains.

 Distances from Sydney:

Glenbrook: 74 km Katoomba 122 km Mount Victoria: 138 km

Wentworth Falls Blackheath 113 km: 133 km Lithgow: 161 km

Leura Megalong Valley 119 km: 144 km Jenolan Caves: 194 km

By train

You can easily access the Blue Mountains from Sydney through the Blue Mountains Line which starts from Central Station and serves a twenty stations - including Wentworth Falls, Katoomba, Leura, Blackheath, Mount Victoria - to Lithgow.

1 set every hour. The ride to Katoomba takes about two hours.

 For a return ticket to the Blue Mountains: count approx. 23 AUD / Adult (approx. € 14.50) and 12 AUD / child (approx. € 7.50).

TIP: Take the pass "Blue Mountains ExplorerLink" This pass combines transportation by rail from Sydney to Katoomba and unlimited Explorer bus transportation once you arrive on site.

    - Pass 1 day: count approx. 42.20 AUD / adult (approx. € 26.50) and 16.60 AUD / child (approx. € 10.42)

    - Pass 3 Days: count approx. 57.60 AUD / adult (approx. € 36.17) and 24.30 AUD / child (approx. € 15.26)

Walks around Wentworth Falls

  The town was first called after weatherboard building the weatherboard Inn in 1814 and baptized a year later by the Jamison Valley's Macquarie General.

  It was not until 1879 that the name of the city was changed to Wentworth Falls in honor of William Charles Wentworth, one of three famous explorers who managed to cross the Blue Mountains.

  To the east is an important archaeological area, Kings Tableland with an Aboriginal site. A carbon-14 dating has determined that the area was inhabited there are more than 22 000 years!

  Today the place still preserves beautiful Victorian buildings. On the Great Western Highway, going towards Katoomba you will surely notice the Grandview Hotel, dating from 1930.

Walks around Leura

  Leura, Katoomba 2km, is part of the series of small villages along the main road (Great Western Highway) through the Blue Mountains.

  This small tourist village, known for its many gardens, is also visited as Katoomba and our opinion much more charming. It has nice little shops, decoration stores and scented candles, toy stores for children and sweets of all kinds, for children as for adults! You'll also find many French restaurants (for fans).

  The name "Leura" comes from the Aboriginal language and means "lava" because of the many volcanic stones found in this region.

  Often two nicknames in Leura is attributed: "The Crown Jewel in the Mountains" (the jewel of the mountains) and "The Garden Village" (The garden village).