Visitors gaze across at the Three Sisters

 

Katoomba
The principal tourist destination in the Blue Mountains, offering breathtaking vistas and a rich variety of accommodation.
For most people Katoomba is the true heart of the Blue Mountains. When they think of the Blue Mountains they think of the spectacular views over the Megalong and Jamieson Valleys, the Three Sisters, huge old hotels like the Carrington, the famous Paragon Cafe, the Skyway and the Scenic Railway - all of which can be enjoyed by visitors to Katoomba. It seems as though Katoomba, located 106 kilometres from Sydney and 1017 metres above sea level, has a virtual monopoly on the mountains' most famous attractions.

It is easy to forget, when reflecting on the towns in the Blue Mountains - Leura, Blackheath, Mount Victoria and so on - that the only really substantial settlement along the road and railway line is Katoomba. It is the largest settlement in the Mountains and is also the administrative centre for the City of the Blue Mountains. Katoomba is geared for tourism. It is the central attraction in the mountains.

The area was first explored by Europeans when Blaxland, Wentworth and Lawson crossed the Blue Mountains in 1813. It is known they came close to the present townsite as one of the members of the expedition clearly marked a tree. The evidence suggests that they camped near the modern-day town site on 25 May 1813. The town's name reputedly comes from a local aboriginal word 'godoomba' meaning 'water tumbling over a hill'.

As early as 1841 George Clarke had discovered coal in the area (the whole Sydney basin has an underlay of coal which rises at Newcastle in the north, around Wollongong in the south and is present at the bottom of the cliffs in the Blue Mountains) and by 1870 kerosene shale had been discovered in Kanimbla Valley. A coal mine opened at Katoomba in 1879 and kerosene shale was being mined by 1885.

The area became hugely popular with the establishment of a railway station in 1876. It was first called 'Crushers' but was changed to Katoomba a year later. From this point it was a popular holiday resort providing excellent bushwalking, delightful views over the valleys and gracious hotels.

By 1889 the Illustrated Sydney News was able to describe Katoomba as 'a town which is practically the outcome of public appreciation during the past four years. The summit of one of the highest points about the Blue Mountains is covered with a cluster of houses, amongst which are many handsome residences with The Carrington conspicuous in the centre. Substantial shops line the main street, and everywhere are evidence of progress and prosperity. Katoomba is going ahead.'

While it remained the centrepiece of Katoomba, it was really during the 1920s and 1930s that The Carrington acquired its reputation. The hotel's visitors included royalty - the Prince of Wales stayed in 1920 and the Duke and Duchess of York in 1927. It was during this time that it became known as the 'Honeymoon Capital of Australia'.

As Katoomba grew as a holiday destination so it's coal mining fortunes declined. The coal mine closed in the 1920s although the spectacular railway to the mine has remained open and is now a popular tourist attraction.

The electrification of the railway line in 1957 can be seen as the symbolic starting point when the whole of the Blue Mountains became a commuter zone for Greater Sydney.

Things to see:  

 

The Three Sisters

 

Echo Point
Any visit to Katoomba should start at Echo Point, which is located at the end of Echo Point Road (an extension of Lurline St). Not only does it offer superb views but the Blue Mountains Tourist Centre on the site will provide you with all the maps and information you can possibly require. This extraordinary vantage point offers exceptional views of the Three Sisters, Mount Solitary, the Ruined Castle and the vast Jamison Valley. An easy 1-km return walk to the Three Sisters provides outstanding views and is wheelchair-friendly. Longer walks which start at Echo Point are the easy Prince Henry Cliff Walk (2 km one way), the Rainforest Walk/Furber Steps/Scenic Railway Circuit Walk (2 km, medium difficulty), the difficult Giant Stairway/Dardanelles Pass/Prince Henry Cliff Walk Circuit (5 km), the Giant Stairway/Federal Pass/Scenic Railway Circuit Walk (5 km, medium difficulty)) and the mostly level Echo Point/Prince Henry Cliff Walk/Gordon Falls Walk (5 km, one way). Anyone interested in bushwalking in the Katoomba area should obtain a copy of 'Bushwalking in the Katoomba Leura Area' and 'Echo Point & The Three Sisters' (both published by the National Parks and Wildlife Service). They provides detailed information about the walks around the cliff tops. For further information ring the National Parks and Wildlife Service on (02) 4787 8877.

 

Katoomba After Dark
Everyone who goes to the mountains should make sure they are at Katoomba after dark because the Three Sisters, Katoomba Falls and Leura Cascades are all floodlit.

 

Echo Point Gallery
The Echo Point Gallery is located at the Three Sisters Pavilion on Echo Point Rd. Open daily, from 10.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m., it sells paintings, prints, cards and limited editions from mountains artists such as Lars Knudsen.

 

The Carrington Hotel
In his delightfully nostalgic book The Carrington Hotel, Geoff Bates covers every aspect of the history of the hotel. He provides a history of how Lord Carrington (1843-1928), the Governor of New South Wales from 1885-1890, came to the mountains for weekends at the Great Western Hotel. It was during one of these visits that the proprietor, F.C. Goyder, asked permission to change the hotel's name to the Carrington. Lord Carrington agreed and the change of name was celebrated with a banquet.

There is perhaps no better way of understanding the charm and historic importance of Katoomba than an advertisement for the Carrington Hotel which dates from the late nineteenth century.

'THE CARRINGTON' KATOOMBA

THE PROPRIETOR of the above Hotel has pleasure in bringing directly under the notice of visitors to the Blue Mountains the numerous advantages specially possessed by Katoomba:‹ The Town is situate 66 miles from Sydney at an elevation of 3,333 feet, thus ensuring a healthy climate, and giving the beneficial change of New Zealand or Tasmania, without the discomforts and dangers of a sea voyage. It is ABSOLUTELY IN THE CENTRE OF ALL THE FAMED SCENERY of the District being nine miles from Govett's Leap; five miles from Wentworth Falls; 1 1/4 miles from Leura Falls (the most favoured of all Mountain sights); 1 1/2 miles from Katoomba Falls; three miles from Nelly's Glen. From Katoomba also the big Zig Zag can be seen during the morning, and the Jenolan Caves can be visited the trip taking three days.

It is one of the thirteen historic inns listed on the excellent History Highway Inns website. Check it out at History Highway Inns which offers detailed information about the historic inns in the Blue Mountains.

 

The Paragon Cafe
A walk down Katoomba Street will take the visitor to the town's other famous, man-made attraction, The Paragon Cafe, now listed by the National Trust because of its superb 1930s Art Deco interior. Although other towns throughout Australia have milk bars from the 1930s this is regarded as a particularly fine example and the owners are happy to ensure that the ambience is maintained.

 

Aboriginal Dreamtime
This Aboriginal owned and operated busines sells indigenous carvings, paintings, jewellery, didgeridoos and artefacts, as well as serving Aborigibal dishes such as kangaroo, emu and crocodile, tel: (02) 4782 9635.

 

Minnie Ha-Ha Falls
Minnie Ha-Ha Falls are located in a reserve in North Katoomba at the end of Minnie Ha Ha Rd which runs off South St.

 

Katoomba Falls Reserve
West of Katoomba, via Cliff Drive, is Katoomba Falls Reserve where there is a picnic area. From the kiosk (opposite the caravan park) visitors can embark on the 1-km Round Walk. This circuit track offers excellent views, birdlife and lush rainforest.

 

 

The Skyway

 

Scenic Skyway
A little further west, via Cliff Drive, is a signposted turnoff into Violet Drive which takes visitors to thew cliff edge where they will find the Scenic Skyway which crosses the Jamison Valley. This is not for the faint-hearted. The aerial cable car floats across the valley some 275 metres above the valley floor and offers views of the Katoomba Falls and Orphan Rock. The Skyway, the first horizontal passenger-carrying ropeway in the Southern Hemisphere, was completed in 1958 and, together with the Scenic Railway, has become one of Katoomba¹s top tourist attractions. There is also a restaurant and souvenir shop.

 

Scenic Railway and Bushwalks
Operating from the same site is the Scenic Railway. It has its origins in local mining operations which used coal skips to ferry miners down the cliff face to work. Tourists were permitted to partake of the thrilling descent by 1930 on board what is said to be the steepest incline railway in the world. Today visitors descend 230 metres into the Jamison Valley via a cable car which carries 80 people and operates every ten minutes. At the bottom is a 300-metre, wheelchair-friendly wooden boardwalk which extends into the rainforest. Part of the journey is a 10-minute slide show on a large screen at the entrance to the disused coal mines.

From the bottom of the Scenic Railway it is possible to undertake lengthy, scenic, rainforest bushwalks such as the Ruined Castle Walk (12 km return, medium difficulty) which follows the route once used by shale and coal miners, and the hard-going Furber Steps/Ruined Castle/Golden Stairs Walk (12 km return).

 

Gearin's Hotel
Built in 1881 by George Biles, it was bought by a Mrs Gearin in 1910 and has been known as Gearin's Hotel ever since. It is now both backpacker and tourist accommodation. It is one of the thirteen historic inns listed on the excellent History Highway Inns website. Check it out at History Highway Inns which offers detailed information about the historic inns in the Blue Mountains.

 

Cahill's Lookout
Further west again, along Cliff Drive, is Cahill's Lookout which offers outstanding views west along the Megalong Valley. An easy 500-metre return walk traverses the area. The site is signposted from Cliff Drive.

 

Narrow Neck
Continue west along Cliff Drive towards Blackheath. A signposted turnoff on the left lleads to Narrow Neck Lookout. A difficult 8-km return bushwalk takes in the Golden Stairs and the Ruined Castle and offers excellent views.

 

Explorers Tree and Convict Graves
As one heads west of Katoomba along the Great Western Highway, en route to Medlow Bath, the so-called Explorer's Tree (clearly marked on the main road) can be seen on the left-hand side of the road, by the turnoff into Pulpit Hill Rd, about 2.5 km west of Katoomba. Pulpit Hill's name derives from the fact that religious services were held here in the convict era. Being perfectly honest, it is nothing more than a dead tree which has been rather preciously preserved under a roof and surrounded by a fence. The dead tree¹s claim to fame is that it was inscribed with the initials of Blaxland, Wentworth and Lawson when they passed by in May 1813. This is interesting but the stump of the dead tree, without even a remnant of the famous inscription, is unimpressive.

However, no more than about 100 metres away from the tree, and signposted with a rather anonymous 'Convicts Graves' are a collection of six unmarked graves (no names, just headstones cut out of rock) of convicts who died while working on the construction of the original Cox¹s Road across the mountains. It is worthwhile pausing to reflect on the hardships of these anonymous labourers who died so far from Britain. It is also worth contemplating how history is always written by the victors. Surely the graves are far more interesting and informative than a featureless dead tree stump?

 

Bonnie Doon Falls and the Six Foot Track
Just along the aforementioned Pulpit Hll Rd, is a turnoff on the left into Nellies Glen Rd (unsealed). On the eastern side of this road are Bonnie Doon Falls. At the point where Bonnie Doon Falls Road becomes bitumen the precipitous 42-km Six Foot Walking Track starts. It follows Megalong Creek south-west into the floor of the Megalong Valley and on to Jenolan Caves. Overall, this is a hard walk but with easy sections, especially once down in the valley.

 

 

The views across the Megalong and Jamieson valleys

 

Cliff Drive East
Cliff Drive also heads east from Katoomba along the cliffline to Leura. This road is a highlight of any visit to the area. The views across the Megalong and Jamison valleys, the different angles on the Three Sisters, the Ruined Castle and Mount Solitary, the variety of excellent picnic spots and the range of lookouts make this a must for anyone wanting to experience the full beauty of the area. One of the highlights of Cliff Drive is Leura Cascades. There is a beautiful picnic area on Chelmsford Drive (which runs off Cliff Drive) with a 3-km return walk leading to Leura Cascades, Leura Falls and on into the Leura Forest.

 

 

 

 

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Katoomba