It’s about 1.5 hours from our place to the Blue Mountains. I call that perfect for a day trip.
A long drive is not only a chance to get out of town, breathe air that is fresh and see something new. Sitting side by side in a car is the ideal way to chat. Hubster and I had the best conversations. Nothing deep or heavy. But talking through some stuff we needed to make decisions about. So much easier without a tv on in the background. The kids were allowed to watch a DVD too, so there was blissful silence coming from the back seat. As much as I enjoyed all the bits in between, those drives were possibly my favourite part of the day.
Sleep ins are highly prized in our house, as I imagine they are in most, so we were determined that getting out of town would not mean getting up at the crack of dawn. So we set the scene for the rest of the day with a leisurely start and got to Leura at about 10.30am. Rather than rushing off to Scenic World to beat the crowds, our priority was food in general, and scones in particular.
The Wayzgoose Cafe was a great choice. A cute 50s style diner with booths. And don’t the kids love a booth! Delicious hot chocolates, cupcakes and their signature flowerpot scone (yum!) were devoured here very happily.
Leura has some seriously awesome shopping. Love me some handmade goodies!
Or if homewares are your thing, then this place is heaven! I look forward to pottering around these shops when we’re up there for a bit longer next time.
Leura Garage is apparently where the cool kids hang out. Sadly this cool kid didn’t check the opening hours first, so it was still closed. But it looked cool from the outside!
Scenic World is where you’ll find the crowds. Rows of tour buses and long queues will greet you on arrival. If you haven’t already bought your entry tickets online, then get your iphone out and do it while you wait in line. Definitely worth it. The ticket line moves very slowly.
And there’s the stars of the show – The Three Sisters. The scenery really is stunning. Bloody cold though. Rug up! We wore pretty much everything we own, because living in Sydney we don’t own any really heavy gear. But we were cosy and just look at that sky! Blue for days!
Your ticket gives you unlimited use of the Scenic Railway, Skyway, Cableway and Boardwalk. In reality your use is limited by the crowds. We waited about half an hour to get on each one. We weren’t particularly bothered by the lines though. I thought it was probably good for the kids to get used to with Disneyworld coming up soon. We had plenty of time to go on everything, with three turns on the railway. 
The Skyway takes you from one cliff top to the other.
The Scenic Railway and Cableway take you down into the valley and the Boardwalk.
The miracle of a day out when everyone is happy all day.
The Scenic Railway. Far and away the kids’ favourite. I enjoyed the Indiana Jones music, but then I’m old like that.
Sun’s getting low, air’s getting even colder. Time to move on.
To Katoomba, the Paragon Cafe and more scones. Not quite up to the standard set by the Wayzgoose Cafe, but check out the decor!
Art Deco divinity! And did I mention there’s a chocolate shop? I’m sure one or two would be ok after all that walking.
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Do you love a scone? Any recommendations for me for next time we head for the hills?
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