New South Wales Blue Mountain Region
Need some ideas for a day trip from Sydney? Just over an hour’s drive out of Sydney you’ll be surrounded by the natural beauty of the world-renowned Blue Mountains region. This unique area is a natural wonderland and home to an abundance of plant and wildlife, a National Park and much more.
The Blue Mountains are located about 118km south west of Sydney. The area begins on the Nepean River and extends westwards as far as the Cox River. The Blue Mountains is a sandstone plateau formation with gorges at a depth of 760 meters, and reaching heights of 1,190 meters above sea level.
There’s plenty see here, from rivers to lakes, beautiful lush and colourful plant life, sandstone formations and cliffs, diverse landscapes and amazing wildlife.
How did it get its name? When viewed from a distance the mountains appear blue in colour. Eucalyptus trees grow all over the Blue Mountains and it’s the haze caused by the oil of the eucalyptus trees that gives it a blueish appearance.
Much of the Blue Mountains is part of The World Heritage Site and the majority of tourists that visit the area also visit the National Park. Here you can choose from two lookout points: Wentworth Falls and Blackheath, two small towns located at the top of The Blue Mountains, both offering exceptional lookout points over and beyond The Blue Mountains and The National Park.
The Blue Mountains is home to many species of animal and plant life. Over 400 animal species, many of which are very rare and threatened in the wild, including the green and golden Bell Frog, reside here.
The Bell Frog was once one of southeast Australia’s most common frogs. However, it has declined in numbers greatly and is today considered an endangered species. Luckily though, with The Blue Mountains clean environment, lack of pollution, parasites and pathogens, the area acts as a home and haven to many creatures both great and small.
The Blue Mountains is also home to an abundance of many types of plants and tree life. The most popular is probably the eucalyptus tree – the entire area is densely populated with these oil-baring trees. The eucalyptus tree is an amazing plant, with beautiful flowers at the tip of each glossy leaf, and of course they produce eucalyptus oil.
In 1814 an engineer by the name of William Cox gathered a team of thirty convicts and eight guards to build a road across the Blue Mountains. In just four months the team had built a road as far as Mount York, which is a distance of 47 miles. Just six months later the task was complete with a road stretching 101 miles and finishing at Bathurst.
Carriages could now travel freely through The Blue Mountains and in 1904 the very first motorcar travelled the journey through The Blue Mountains – this was the start of what was to follow.
Find out more about The Blue Mountains.
How to get to the Blue Mountains…
Head south on Georges Street towards Martin Place. Turn right at Market Street and follow with a left at York Street. Again turn right at Druitt Street and take a slight left at Western District. Continue on Victoria Road, onto City West Link Road and onto Wattle Street. Take a slight right onto Wattle Street and turn right at Great Western Highway. Exit onto Bathurst Road and take a sharp left at Valley Road. Take a slight left at Valley Road and another slight left at Narrow Neck Road. Turn left at Cliff Drive and take a sharp right at Glenraphael Drive and you’ve reached The Blue Mountains.
The best way to see the entire area at your own pace, and experience the freedom and independence of the open road, is to hire a car. Book car hire Sydney.
If you’ve been to the Blue Mountain Region we’d love to hear from you. Drop us a line in the comment box below and we’ll get back to you.