When I found myself with three nights to spare on a recent trip to Sydney I decided to head for the mountains and spend some quality time with family in the tiny town of Blackheath – a community with its head in the clouds and its feet firmly anchored in some of the most amazing rocks I have ever come across!
So I boarded a train in Sydney town – Central Station, and settled in for some scenery and a rolling train trip. I had been out partying at a client’s award presentation at the swanky Star Casino the night before (the reason for my trip) so to sit down for a couple of hours was the perfect solution.
When I arrived in Blackheath just over two hours later my neck was sore from looking this way and that. The only time I had ever been into the Blue Mountains was when I was ten years old. My grandfather drove my sister and I to Katoomba where we got out of the car and stood to gawk at the Three Sisters. Then, back in the car for the trek back to Sydney.
My grandfather liked to show us grandkids all the tourist attractions. Bondi in the summer (where he argued with a parking attendant about the exorbitant parking fees – in 1974) the Harbour Bridge (where I remember dropping coins into a bucket for the 1974 Cyclone Tracy victims) the Opera House – looming above and a visit to Luna Park (where I wore a polkadot dress with a Peterpan collar that made me look ill in the hall of mirrors), Warragamba Dam, where we did the entire tour of the inside of the dam wall, and finally Bullens African Lion Safari Park where we sweltered in his small car with all the windows wound up (to prevent lions entering) and no airconditioning. It was like he had a list and he ticked them off one by one.
I remember getting into huge trouble when we got home from the Blue Mountains trip because I had thrown a chunk of chewing gum from the back window and it had stuck on the duco! Hard as a rock. I had to help remove it.
Deidre was at the Blackheath Station to greet me. A long time between visits for both of us, I was looking forward to catching up. We arrived at her small blue home nestled on a hillside surrounded by trees and soft green grass. I breathed in deeply and it felt (or smelt) so familiar even though I had never been there before. Deidre lives in paradise and I couldn’t believe it took me so long to get there. Tasmania is never far from my memories when I find myself in the bush and this reminded me of Tassie.
We lunched and chatted until tiredness overcame me so I snuck off for an afternoon nap in the attic room. A soft single bed with loads of warm doonas and pillows – I drifted off to the sounds of parrots and sulphur crested cockatoos in the back ground, cool mountain air arrived like an unannounced guest through the open window. I could feel it was going to be cold at night.
I woke up and made my way downstairs after putting on some layers and closing the bedroom window, cold indeed. We made plans to go and watch the blue moon rise over Govett’s Leap. It had been magnificent the night before when I caught it hanging over the city.
Deidre filled thermos cups with delicious pumpkin soup. We took spoons and warm clothing and drove to our pitch dark destination. All the makings of a grand adventure.
We sat in the car and sipped on our soup before getting out out to view the rising moon. I had no idea what scenery lay before me as we clutched the rail and looked out into the dark until I visited two days later during the day light hours. Wow! The moon did not disappoint and we stayed to watch it disappear behind a cloud as a young couple howled from the carpark not far from where we stood. Our bones were chilled so we got back into the car to escape the icy air that enveloped us.
A brilliant night’s sleep – warm and comfy and in the bush – my three favourite states of being. The next morning I set off on a solo adventure as Deidre had some work to do. I decided to follow the railway line – certain that the views would be magnificent somewhere. I wasn’t wrong. After 5 km I came across a group of 20 somethings organising their gear to head to the cliffs for some rock climbing.
I chatted to them and they noted my camera. “The views from where we are going are pretty amazing” one of them said, “follow us down if you like.” So I waited while they loaded their bags with carabinas, ropes, snacks and helmets and fell in behind them – piggybacking onto their adventure – as they skipped down the trail with bags the weight of a human body on their backs.
They reached the edge and I took some pics without getting too close to the long drop. They asked it I would take their photo and I said “yes, as long as I don’t have to hang over the edge.” Photos snapped I bid them farewell and made my way back up the slope. Very steep. Once I reached the top I decided that I had satisfied my need for an amazing view and I had a 5km return walk, so I patted my camera and turned back the way I came.
Blackheath is a sweet little town with the usual supermarkets, bakeries and butcher shops you find in those small places. A visit to the local supermarket where the shelves were so close you have to shimmy past others coming from the opposite direction, a great coffee from Altitude Cafe and some vegetable pasties from the local bakery, I was ready to return to Deidre’s for an afternoon of gin and cakes with some of her friends.
A couple of gins in and the sore calves from the mornings trek started to relax. The lovely company of some friendly locals combined with the warmth of the heater and warming drinks made for a super relaxing afternoon. Once everyone left we helped ourselves to another piece of cake and a cup of tea, chatted some more before we headed to bed.
Another good sleep and I was ready for another hike. This time I decided to head back down to Govett’s Leap to see what I could not see the evening I arrived (breathtaking) and then onto the Grand Canyon Hike- a 7 km loop that took me down into the depths of middle earth and back out again.
Extreme steps on the way in meant extreme steps on the way out. I loved every moment of the trail – ferns, trickling water, waterfalls, thick bush, creatures (a snake, a bearded lizard and some sort of a ground dwelling brush bird) It was like paradise. I was not so enamoured of the steep steps on the way out but at least I was prepared for them.
It always amuses me how people forget that what goes down must go up (in this case). I had a conversation with a couple going the opposite way to me and who had just reached the bottom – they told me that there would be a “bit” of steepness on my climb out, but it shouldn’t be too bad. I, on the other hand warned them of the climb they faced at the other end. I believe both ways were equally steep.
By the time I reached the top those calves were singing! I made my way back to the carpark with a full camera (literally ran out of space) and a full heart. And made my way home for a rest and something to eat.
That afternoon we got in the car and set off on another adventure into Katoomba – around 15 minutes drive away to check out the Three Sisters as the sunset. Groups of tourists and families gathered and took photos of one another and themselves- laughing and having fun in the cool soft light.
We then visited the beautiful Carrington Hotel – a grand dame of a hotel with chairs that enveloped us in their lush cushions. I had a Lemoncello cocktail before we headed out to dinner at the local Thai restaurant. I was ravenous after all my extreme exercise. The food was so good.
My final night and more chats before falling into bed – my last night in the mountains. I slept well and woke early before jamming my reluctant clothing back into my (too small) bag. Final coffee and a final chance to chat. Before boarding the train all the way to the airport and on to Perth. I had only been away from home for five nights in total but it felt like so much more.
What’s the skinny?
- Blackheath is at the highest point of the Blue Mountains – altitude 1065 m (no wonder I felt breathless!)
- The town is 120 km west of Sydney and you can train there in a couple of hours
- Katoomba (home of the Three Sisters) is 10 minutes down the road
- The Carrington is a grand old dame in Katoomba – worth a visit
- Govetts Leap will take you breath away
- If you can deal with steep climbs and steps The Grand Canyon hike is amazing
- Blackheath Bakery Patisserie makes the best vegetable pasties!
- Rock climbing is very popular in this part of the world.
- A Blue Moon is not really blue.
- Visit the Three Sisters at sunset and remember to practice your echo.
- Bullens African Lion Safari was a thing! Bullen was a circus owner and he made wildlife parks in NSW and Queensland. The NSW park was near Warragamba Dam
- If you would like to experience Blackheath and you are looking for a lovely room in an AirBnb Deidre is you hostess with the mostest.
All in a Day Adventures 