Exploring the Blue Mountains

Day 2 and we spent the best part of the day in the Blue Mountains National Park, taking the explorer route from Leura across the ridge to Katoomba stopping off at various lookout points along the way.

We started out at Sublime Point lookout where there are panoramic views of the Jamison Valley - from here we headed to the nearby Gordon Falls - it was an easy 10 minute walk to the lookout over the falls. From Gordon Falls we made our way to Leura Cascades which were stunning in the morning sunshine - we continued our tour via Echo Point and The Three Sisters, a scenic drive to several other spectacular lookout; Eaglehawk, the Landslide and Narrow Neck - with views of both the Jamison and Megalong Valleys.

We were staying in Katoomba for our second (and last), night in the Blue Mountains so, we made our way to the biggest town in the region after a good day exploring. We checked in to our overnight accommodation (www.mountainheritage.com.au), and then headed out to explore the town. Katoomba is the area's commercial heart and it's also the best located for the major sights. There is a lively cafe culture on Katoomba Street, which runs downhill from our hotel, and the street is full of vintage and retro clothes shops, secondhand bookstores (where we spent a very pleasant hour browsing), antique dealers and giftshops.

When the town was first discovered by fashionable city dwellers in the late nineteenth century, the grandiose Carrington Hotel, prominently located at the top of Katoomba Street, was the height of elegance and it has recently been returned to its former glory, with elegant sloping lawns running down to the street - we popped in for a look around needless to say it was very impressive!