Blue mountain in July

Old Feb 9th, 2017, 04:16 AM
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Blue mountain in July

Family of 3 with child girl aged 10, planning to Visit Blue mountain in first week of July 2017. We love natural beauty like green hills/mountains, lakes, valleys, nature, trees etc

Need advise and suggestions on following

1. Is it worth going to blue mountain in July as it would be pretty cold

2. Should we self drive ?

3. Should we hire car from Sydney or Katomba

4. Where should we stay. Our budget for hotel is USD150/night

5. Should we base ourselves at one place and visit other is our car

Thanks a lot
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Old Feb 9th, 2017, 01:53 PM
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Well, it looks like you are aware that it is winter and days are awfully short (sunset at 5PM) and what is green at other times may not be green, flowers will be practically non-existent, and the temperatures are not benign even if you have a sunny day (rain and wind etc. is a distinct possibility and it can get quite chilly!).

So, knowing all that, you still want to go to the Blue Mountains? Katoomba is a nice enough town, but once you've walked from the station to the other end, (stop at the venerable Paragon for refreshments, at 65 Katoomba St), the Cliff View Lookout and the vista point of the Three Sisters, you've pretty much done it.

The Leura Gardens (www.leuragardensresort.com.au) are not much to look at; maybe a stroll and afternoon tea in the Everglades House & Gardens could be nice on a good day - see https://www.nationaltrust.org.au/pla...house-gardens/

What definitely is a superb outing in the Blue Mountains is the Jenolan Caves - www.jenolancaves.org.au/. Get your own car, or find a coach to get there and back, it is quite a ways from Katoomba, one way in and the same way out, but if you're fit and have good shoes and cold-weather gear, those caves will be a great memory!

About transportation - if you just want to look around Katoomba and come back to Sydney, then take the train. No need to rent a car in Katoomba unless you want to self-drive to the caves and maybe elsewhere, like a night in Oberon (where I like the Titania motel).

If you decide to make it a bit of a drive altogether, get wheels from https://www.bayswatercarrental.com.au/locations/sydney. They're in the middle of the city but just down along William St you turn onto what becomes a quick freeway (underground), making leaving the city a breeze.

You could then drive to Katoomba and on to the caves, and on the way back drive the country road through nice hills and valleys of the Blue Mountains National Park (not a "park" but a rugged natural area) into the Hunter Valley and back down into Sydney on the major highway M1. A nice three-day excursion or so.
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Old Feb 9th, 2017, 02:17 PM
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Another nice drive that I have mentioned here a bunch: South along the coast to Batemans Bay, inland to Queanbeyan for a night's stay or three, explore nearby Canberra (usually way more expensive than Q.), then up to Katoomba via Golburn and Taralga, then as listed above.

You can just about wing it with the accommodation in July, or book at short notice when you see how far you'll get.

Plan on spending a lot of time in Sydney, it has a great many things to offer in good weather and bad.
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Old Feb 12th, 2017, 02:06 AM
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Thank you Michelle

Yes I am aware that it would be peak winter times in July

So isn't July a good time to enjoy Blue mountains, should we leave it and add these days to another place like Sydney or Melbourne though we already have 4 & 6 days at those places
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Old Feb 12th, 2017, 11:41 AM
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Just change your expectations so you won't be disappointed because you were expecting the unrealistic.

Mother Nature doesn't look at her best, so cut back on your hopes for green hills etc. The weather is very unpredictable, but you can have very nice and sunny days that are not really chilly (not beach weather, but comfortable).

If the weather forecast is positive, by all means rent a car and drive to the Blue Mountains, visit the Jenolan Caves, stay the night in Oberon or Katoomba and drive back along one of the routes I outlined. It will be nice, but don't expect flowers and green hills where the colors will be muted and wintery.

The sun, when it is out, changes everything, and when it's not, and with the short daylight hours, such a trip would be futile.

It's winter, with few tourists, so you can decide on the spur of the moment, no need to commit ahead of time.

By all means go to Canberra and stay a night or two (next-door in Queanbeyan if the hotels are too pricey in Canberra where expense-account people and politicians drive up the prices), it is an interesting city, the way it was laid out and built, and with the War Museum and other sights.

Spend time reading up ahead of the trip, and have a to-do list that you implement according to the weather.

Chilly or rainy days - it's museum time, and afternoon tea at the QVB (http://www.sydney.com/destinations/s...toria-building), and a play or a concert at night.

Sunny days - get a car and take off, or hop on ferries, walk along the harbour (http://www.mosman.nsw.gov.au/file_do...spit-walks.pdf), climb the bridge pylon (www.pylonlookout.com.au).

You'll have fun, take it as it comes, don't worry about what cannot be, enjoy what can be.
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