The Blue Mountains Region

We spent a couple of days between Christmas and New Year visiting and exploring the Blue Mountains, the section of the Great Dividing Range nearest Sydney which gets its name from the blue mist that rises from millions of eucalyptus trees and hangs in the mountain air, tinting the sky and the range alike. In 2000 the Blue Mountains became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Blue Mountains stand out from other Australian forests, in particular for the Wollemi Pine, discovered in 1994 a "living fossil" which dates back to the dinosaur era.

All the villages and towns of the romantically dubbed "City of the Blue Mountains" lie on a ridge and around them is the Blue Mountains National Park, the state's fourth largest.

We arrived mid-afternoon after a pleasant drive up and our overnight accommodation was at the beautiful Bethany Manor (www.bethanymanor.com.au), and based just outside the lovely village of Leura, where there are numerous cafes, antique stores and elegant boutiques. It is a very scenic spot and there are stunning views across the Jamison Valley to the imposing plateau that is Mount Solitary. The main shopping strip, Leura Mall, has a wide nature strip lined with cherry trees.

After checking in and off-loading our bags we made our way to the most famous landmark in the Blue Mountains region, the Three Sisters - three gnarled rocky points that stand above the deep Jamison Valley. The views were to die for, and the blue mist was clearly evident although did not photograph so well. We spent quite a while here simply taking in the spectacular views and the sight of the Three Sisters, the panoramic views and the deep and impressive valley of eucalypts. We just don't have the words to describe how beautiful the region is but suffice to say, we were not disappointed!