Blue Mountains National Park
- Introduction
- Fact file
- A look at the past
- Aboriginal culture
- Natural features
- Native plants
- Wildlife
- NSWNPWS 1300 361 967
- Heritage Centre, Blackheath
- (02) 4787 8877
- NPWS Blue Mountains
- (02) 4588 5247
- NPWS Oberon (02) 6336 1972
-
Try to identify some of the
90 eucalypt species found in
the park -
Soar above the Jamison
Valley in the Scenic Skyway
-
Marvel at Wentworth Falls
plummeting into the valley
below in a silvery spray -
Learn about the Aboriginal
heritage of the Blue
Mountains region
Introduction
Blue Mountains National Park presents an astounding and unique landscape to its millions of visitors. The terrain ripples and folds, a world of canyons, gorges and bizarre rock formations, with golden sandstone breaking through a dense canopy of greenery. Waterfalls cascade magically from cliff faces and a mystical blue haze hangs in the air. The park is immensely rich in natural and cultural history. Less than 100 kilometres west of Sydney, this park comprises some of the country’s most distinctive landscape, a vast expanse of majestic beauty that provides almost endless opportunities for visitors to explore, walk and wonder at the scenery, climb or cycle, picnic or paddle in a canoe, and learn about the area’s remarkable Indigenous heritage or more recent European history. There are four key areas: Katoomba–Leura, Blackheath, Wentworth Falls and Glenbrook. The park protects tracts of wilderness and a diverse range of threatened, rare and endemic species and is part of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area.
Fact file
Access
From Sydney via Great Western Hwy
or by train to Glenbrook, Wentworth
Falls, Leura, Katoomba, Blackheath or
Mount Victoria
Best Season
Spring to autumn
Location
50–100 km west of Sydney
Park Information
Size
267 183 ha
Where to Stay
Blackheath (02) 4787 8877
Katoomba/Leura 1300 653 408
www.bluemountainstourism.org.au
A look at the past
The rugged terrain of the Blue Mountains posed an enormous natural obstacle for the fi rst white settlers, a seemingly impenetrable barrier to the expansion of Sydney until Gregory Blaxland, William Wentworth and William Lawson tackled the mountain ridge tops in 1812 and were able to forge a route across, opening up the fertile plains and mineral fi elds to the west. By the 1830s roads had been cut and carved through the mountains, but it was the arrival of the Great Western Railway, which had crossed the mountains by 1869, that made the area easily accessible to Sydneysiders. In the late 19th century, the Blue Mountains with their ozone-laden mountain air fl ourished as a health retreat, and grand guesthouses and lavish summer residences sprang up. Townships emerged, railway workers settled, and farmers and market gardeners set up business. Faster trains in the 1950s brought a new wave of settlers, and people have continued to be drawn to the area by its pristine air and wild beauty so close to Sydney.As early as the 1930s a few dedicated conservationists began to lobby to save the area’s natural environment. Reserves were set aside and a trust established to administer the land until fi nally, in 1971, the National Parks and Wildlife Service offi cially assumed the management of Blue Mountains National Park.
Aboriginal culture
The park occupies the traditional territory of the Dharug people and evidence of their occupation, including rock-art sites, dates back 14 000 years.
Natural features
High plateaus, sheer cliffs, deep gorges and weathered outcrops (the most famous being the Three Sisters) are all characteristic of the Blue Mountains. Between 190 and 230 million years ago, layers of shale, coal, sandstone and claystone settled into the Sydney Basin, then between 2 and 60 million years ago, those layers were uplifted, buckling and warping to form the Blue Mountains. The sandstone plateau with its peaks of basalt is evidence of volcanic activity, but erosion and weathering have added their own dimension – carving, etching, moulding and relentlessly wearing away. Over time the Grose River has gouged its way through the rock, creating the near-vertical walls of the Grose Valley. The layering is exposed in deep canyons and cliffs that tower up to 200 metres. The rivers, creeks and the many waterfalls and cascades are other major features of the park.
Native plants
Open forest, predominantly eucalypt, covers most of the park, typically with Sydney peppermint, red bloodwood, stringybark and scribbly gum, with an understorey of banksia, grevillea, wattle and hakea, as well as wonderful wildflowers in season (look for the velvety fl annel flower and the strikingly crimson red of the waratah). There are small areas of closed forest, notably the magnifi cent Blue Gum Forest, and scattered areas of woodland, with scribbly gum, mountain spotted gum and similar shorter species clinging to the drier and upper slopes of the mountains. There are woodlands around Wentworth Falls, Katoomba and Blackheath. Pockets of relict rainforest are tucked deep into cool gullies – tall coachwood and sassafras create a canopy and in the moist, shady environs below is a secret green world of ferns and orchids, mosses, lichens and fungi. Rainforest such as this fl ourishes in the gorges of Wentworth Falls, and in the Grand Canyon near Blackheath. In poorly drained areas, hanging swamps create a veil of sedges, grasses, ferns and native flowers, draped from waterlogged hillsides and cliff edges – you will see these near the Pulpit Rock Track and Fairfax Heritage Track. In drier areas, near cliff edges and on exposed sandstone, shrubby heathland and low trees such as dwarf she-oak and tea-tree survive, with a mass of brilliant fl owers erupting in spring. Cliff Top and Pulpit Rock tracks are good locations to enjoy the heath.
Wildlife
The park is vast and while wildlife is present, it is rarely easy to see. Most of the mammals are shy and nocturnal, but eastern grey kangaroos, wombats, wallaroos, swamp wallabies, bandicoots, possums, several species of glider and 15 bat species are among those that inhabit the park. Of the reptiles you may see eastern water dragons basking in the sun and dozens of skinks scurrying around. The red-bellied black snake is the most common snake. The park provides a haven for numerous bird species. Watch for glossy black-cockatoos near casuarinas (she-oaks) – they feed only on the seeds from the tough wooden cones of these feathery trees. Yellow-tailed black-cockatoos and sulphur-crested cockatoos also feed in the open forest. Flowering banksias and grevilleas provide nectar for numerous spinebills, honeyeaters and noisy friarbirds, while the soft fruits and sticky seeds of the rainforest attract wonga pigeons, Australian king-parrots, crimson rosellas, superb lyrebirds and white-browed scrubwrens, to mention just a few.
Featured Activities in the National Park
Introduction
With wonderful walks, breathtaking views, idyllic
picnic spots and many reminders of the area’s
Indigenous and European cultural history, this is one
of Australia’s most visited national parks. Call in at
the Heritage Centre at Blackheath or visitor centres
at Echo Point and Glenbrook for detailed information
about walking tracks, camping, and Discovery walks,
talks and tours (held weekends and school holidays).
Wheelchair access is available at various sites and
walks, including the Fairfax Heritage Track to Govetts
Leap Lookout at Blackheath, and tracks at Echo Point
and Katoomba Falls Reserve. Many tours in and
around the park are run by private operators (check
out www.australiabluemountains.com.au).
Adventure sports
The park offers a wealth of
canyoning opportunities, though many chasms are
suited to those with experience only. Rock-climbing
and abseiling are also extremely popular as there are
some breathtaking sites. These activities are
potentially dangerous, so consider joining a group or
club. All Aboriginal sites and some other areas are
closed to rock-climbing and abseiling (ask the NPWS
for a detailed list).
Bushwalking
This is bushwalking heaven, with
over 140 kilometres of walking tracks, from rugged,
challenging bushland to paths created for Victorianera
honeymooners. All walkers should carry drinking
water and remember that the weather in the
mountains can change rapidly so always be prepared.
It is best to pick up a detailed list of walking tracks
(there is also 2 kilometres of boardwalk through the
rainforest) from the visitor centre and there are some
good books available. The following are a few shorter
walks. Princes Rock Walk (1 km, 30 minutes, easy),
The New South Wales waratah
(Telopea speciosissima), the
state’s floral emblem, is
common throughout the Blue
Mountains
with its 1890s heritage parapets, leads to one of the
national park’s impressive lookouts. Mount Banks
Track (1.5 km, 1½ hours, medium difficulty) lets you
take in stunning views, including from the summit of
Mount Banks, and an impressive view of the Grose
River gorge. Furber Steps−Scenic Railway Walk
(2 km, 45 minutes, medium difficulty) includes a
descent via hundreds of steps through luxuriant
rainforest with beautiful tree ferns, and past cascades,
waterfalls and rock overhangs. Walk to the Rainforest
Lookout where you can gaze over the rainforest
canopy. You can walk to the base of the Scenic
Railway, which runs daily, leaving every 10 minutes,
so you can ride back up to the starting point.
Canoeing and kayaking
These activities offer a
peaceful way to explore the park’s lower areas,
especially after rains, and an excellent chance to
observe wildlife.
Cycling
Cyclists will find a multitude of roads and
trails. The Blackheath Tour (10 km) is one of the
easiest and takes in splendid views including Govetts
Leap, Evans Lookout, Pulpit Rock and Perrys
Lookdown. The Oaks Trail (28 km) from Woodford to
Glenbrook is a classic ride, requiring a little more
fitness as you cycle down some steep hills, but you
can see Aboriginal rock engravings (at the Circles)
and hand stencils (at Red Hands Cave). The ride
takes 3 to 4 hours.
Four-wheel driving
Murphys Fire Trail to
Murphys Glen (5 km one way) and Murphys Fire
Trail from Wentworth Falls to Ingar camping ground
(16 km one way) are two shorter routes. For those
seeking to explore further, the Old Oberon–Colong
Stock Route (130 km one way) leads to Yerranderie.
Check with NPWS about their 4WD tag-along tours.
Trail-bike enthusiasts also use these routes.
Scenic railway and skyway
The Scenic
Railway at Katoomba, reputedly the world’s steepest
railway, descends 415 metres into the valley and
runs daily. For an aerial view, take the Skyway, a
720-metre cable-car ride across the startling ravines
and waterfalls of Jamison Valley. Fees apply.
Scenic touring
The Grand Circular Tourist Drive
(260 km) is one of the country’s great touring
routes, winding from Sydney up the Great Western
Highway then back through the quieter Bells Line of
Road. Spectacular lookouts, access to walking paths,
the excellent Heritage Centre at Blackheath, the
historic township of Hartley, plummeting waterfalls,
sun-dappled glades for picnics and Mount Tomah
Botanic Gardens are a few of the highlights en route.
Campsites
Acacia Flat camping area (bush camping)
Burra Korain Flat camping area (bush camping)
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