Katoomba in the Blue Mountains: a Christmas treasure. Dec2008

Accommodation: Lyrebird Loft http://www.stayz.com.au/17104

Checked dozens of accommodation options on many websites, and chose ‘Lyrebird Loft’ in Katoomba especially for the views and the ahem three, yes three bathrooms! Making sure there are plenty of toilets when the beer, wine and cocktails are flowing is a ‘comfort factor’ not to be denied, he he The cottage is a bit like a log cabin with later added extensions, so some weird dog-leg hallways (where the main fridge was located) and puzzling amateur architecture, but on the whole quite charming, as oh my, there is that gorgeous view from all aspects.

In spite of some of the negative aspects detailed below, we all thoroughly enjoyed Lyrebird cottage and would definitely recommend it for those prepared for rustic charm with emphasis on views/nature and willing to overlook lapses in cleanliness/comfort and general untidiness.

Lyrebird Loft is situated just five minutes drive from Katoomba, and there’s a short bit of bush-bashing on a very bad and deeply potholed gravel private road (not mentioned in any of the info), which continues on to the access track – complete with grass in the middle – to the cottage. So you truly get the feeling of privacy and remoteness even though ‘town’ is within cooee distance, and with all mod cons including free WiFi and free satellite TV.

The instruction on the kitchen cupboard, and repeated on the front door – but not in any of the owner or agent information – had a few jaws dropping. Here we are ready for a week of Christmas eating and drinking indulgences, and guess what? “Please make sure to take ALL YOUR GARBAGE with you”!! We thanked the gastronomic gods on the spot that we had decided against seafood, can you imagine having to take week-old prawn and oyster shells with you? We solved the problem by daily putting all food scraps in the compost, taking all empties to recycling bins, burning all paper/cardboard in the fireplace (so popular there were arguments as to whose turn it was next!) and although it may not have been ‘politically correct’, disposed of the remaining garbage (which was surprisingly little with all the sorting) in public Council bins.

The instruction below this was a request to water the garden plantings (there were many!) around the cottage on Wednesdays and Sundays – and would have done so as we all love our own gardens – but fortunately for us there were several heavy showers and watering with the hose unnecessary (which wasn’t where it said on the instruction so we never actually found it, oh we had some fun – someone organised a Hose Hunt, the winner getting to burn the day’s paper accumulation in the fireplace).

The en suites in the bedrooms were deceptively small, thanks to a skylight and glass shower doors – deceptively because the clearance between the toilet and very hard and sharp-cornered wooden vanity was really too small and we had several bruised buttocks on the ‘standers’ and one head clunk on a ‘sitter’. So the third toilet with running-space around it in the spa bathroom got an extra workout!

The spa bath was huge, but as there was another instruction note on keeping showers short as the hot water could run out, we decided to delegate it as a modern era ‘ceramic sculpture’ for non-use.

Pics:
Access track to Lyrbird: http://tinyurl.com/7hffk6

View from deck to Megalong valley: http://tinyurl.com/7vnwyz

Minimal ensuite toilet space: http://tinyurl.com/779xdc

(Fingers crossed the pic links work - really miss that Preview function, hope it returns soonest!)

Yay, they worked!

Sunsets ‘n wildlife

We enjoyed such a variety of birdlife and infinite weather changes from the undercover verandah or the large deck – clear skies, storms brewing and sky god’s fingers stroking the valley, amazing sunsets, drama-queen sunsets, luscious crimson rosellas chuckling to themselves at the birdfeeder, a cheeky mob of magpies that delighted with their antics, and a gorgeous red and green ‘Christmas’ bird – a young King parrot who fell in love with the Cottage Queen and allowed himself to be hand-fed sunflower seeds. Also a few shy but beautiful gang-gang cockatoos and an occasional flock of glossy-black cockatoos, and lots of tiny wrens and fantails, warbling magpies and screeching blackbirds and currawongs.

Katoomba weather forecasts to decide where to position the bbq and for planning outdoor activities were very helpful, especially the 5 day prognosis:
http://www.eldersweather.com.au/nsw/central-tablelands/katoomba


Shopping and cooking

Coles Supermarket Katoomba was excellent for provisioning our Christmas festivities, had everything we needed – and fresh out of the boxes, as staff were stocking the shelves as fast as they were emptying. Although it was very busy, the vibe was friendly and cheerful and a lovely change from the stressed-out trolley rage that sometimes occurs during the Christmas rush. Usually open until midnight, Coles did close for Christmas Day but was open again on Boxing Day from 9am to 9pm.

Also in the shopping centre next to Coles is a fairly comprehensive Kmart store, and beside that a Go-Lo discount store, and just across the parking lot a LiquorLand which lucky for us had quite a lot of xmas specials – so enticing we went back twice.

We also visited the Hominy Bakery on Katoomba Street – such fattening aromas! - and bought their special sourdough bread, but it seemed to have added vinegar so was not the success we’d hoped.

Most of the smaller speciality boutique-style shops were closed both Christmas and Boxing days; we loved The Hattery, also on Katoomba Street, with exceptionally helpful and friendly staff and a wide selection including akubras of all styles. The golfer acquired a Tilley hat (quite expensive but with a life-time guarantee!) and the cafe attached to the shop was always crowded and very popular – www.hatsdirect.com

We did all the cooking on the barbeque outside, from breakfast nosh-ups to grilled lunch wraps and even the lamb-roast Christmas dinner. We bought all our meats at the Leura Village Butcher including their four special types of ‘home-made’ spiced sausages. The little shop was very popular, the staff very friendly and so helpful, and the meats truly a ‘superior cut’.


Pics: The Birds
Crimson rosellas http://tinyurl.com/a7g339
Rosella, King Parrot and Cuckoo Dove http://tinyurl.com/7gt28z
Handfeeding king parrot http://tinyurl.com/9krcrh

Pics: The Sunsets
sunset, mapie n zenbu http://tinyurl.com/8elrgq
sunset deepens http://tinyurl.com/9ad439
sunbeam fingers n stormclouds http://tinyurl.com/6uycla
sundown drama queen http://tinyurl.com/7j9ttj

Lamb roast bbq-style with beer n onions http://tinyurl.com/99dqmy

Xtreme xmas yulelog fire http://tinyurl.com/9m3aw4

Activities

There is a smorgasbord of various activities to enjoy, the most popular being bush-walks from strenuous to old lady, as well as ....

Golf – Although we drove past many splendid golf courses in the area, there is no golf driving range (after packing the car there was no room for the clubs, either!) so the Golfer consoled himself with the purchase of a new golf hat, the Tilley.

Mountain Bike riding

First a heads-up – at the Tourist Info office to get local info, we were told there were no brochures on mountain bike riding and that riding bikes on any of the designated walking tracks was NOT PERMITTED and to use only those tracks designated ‘4 wheel-drive’. But we were given pointers to the following:

The Anderson fire track at Wentworth Falls was explored, but the favourite was the ride along the Narrow Neck plateau, access via a windy gravel road (Glenraphael Drive) which is off Cliff (NarrowNeck) Road; if driving, take care – the views are superb but it’s a steep drop on either side. At the end of the road there’s a little parking area and a locked gate which the bike need to be lifted over – and then one of the top-rated bike rides begins!

This is also part of a very long hiking track and we met a group who had just completed 25ks - and guess what, the girls were first with the guys came sorta tumbling after!

The little carpark holds treasures for those awaiting the return of the bikers/hikers – short walks through the bush along the escarpment; brilliant views on both sides of the plateau with the Megalong Valley on one side and the Jamison on the other, and native flora and fauna to delight photographers.

Pics:

Narrow Neck’s Glenraphael Road views http://tinyurl.com/8zw2z2
Riding the Narrowneck track http://tinyurl.com/8ygqm7
Banksia xmas candle bloom at Narrowneck http://tinyurl.com/9eceyu


Car touring

Although a car is not essential for longer stays as there is both a hop-on/hop-off Trolley Tour and a hop-on/off double-decker Explorer bus loop, as well as coach tours further afield to the Jenolan Caves, a car does make outings a lot easier, more spontaneous and more economical. For example, we decided on a whim to pay our respects to the Three Sisters on Christmas Day, thinking it would be pretty crowd-free .... wrong! There were many Asian and Middle Eastern admirers on the viewing platform plus a wonderful ‘other beliefs’ representation – an impressive Aboriginal man with full beard and traditional body paint and a didgeridoo; such a fitting tribute on this day considering the culture and Dreamtime history represented by those Three Sisters. It would seem too, that although much is closed on Christmas Day, there are still Blue Mountains day tours running from Sydney.

Roads in the main loop are excellent, and we explored Blackheath with its two spectacular lookouts – Evans and Govett’s Leap (which we had to ourselves!) and further to Mt. Victoria (the mountains’ highest point) and the Mt. Piddington lookout with a rock formation in the carpark area we dubbed ‘the Turtle’ and under-the-shell detail that could be a Dreamtime story in itself.

We really just skimmed the surface of the natural beauty and sights/attractions the Blue Mountains have to offer as our main focus was a family get-together/Christmas celebration, so we’re already looking forward to our return visit.

Pics:

Evans Lookout, Grose Valley at Blackheath http://tinyurl.com/8t7k97
Govett’s Leap Lookout at Blackheath http://tinyurl.com/84dqfe
Govett’s Leap waterfall http://tinyurl.com/99qhwj
Mt Piddington’s ‘turtle’ rock http://tinyurl.com/9ljubm
Turtle rock ‘dreamtime’ detail http://tinyurl.com/7uzuk7

Picked up lots of info on the area at the Tourist Info office, especially on the Jenolan Caves as I want to plan a long-weekend there in the off season and experience a Concert in the Caves! so any questions, don’t hesitate to ask.

Hi Furrytiles---thanks for posting the full report! We're highlighting a few trip reports in this week's newsletter--including yours. Could I include your photo of Evans Lookout in that roundup? It would appear next to a quote from your report.

Hi Katie – how lovely for the Blue Mountains/Katoomba to be in the newsletter spotlight!

Yes, no problems at all with using the Evans Lookout pic – or any of the photos linked in the report, for that matter.

I did give myself a cyber ‘Achievement Award’ when I’d posted the entire report with all website links, html tags, and photo links successfully appearing in the new Fodors format (no preview, but have read that’s on the tweaking priority list), and being ‘highlighted’ is an extra reward!

Many thanks!

Being spotlighted 'n all, thought I'd end with a Hugh Jackman shuffle in top hat 'n tails to red-carpet Oz 'n the Mountains with a little local lore and a list of websites that might come in handy for those looking for a day-trip from Sydney to the Blue Mountains, but encouraging longer stays as there's so much to see/do!

Katoomba is said to be Aboriginal in origin, deriving from a Gundungurra word meaning ‘falling waters’, and Leura derives from ‘lava’

In Gundungurra dreaming, the legend (one of several versions) of the Three Sisters - the iconic Blue Mountain rock formations with no human features discernable - tells of three beautiful maidens who loved three brothers in another tribe, but as marriage was taboo according to tribal law, the brothers decided to take the maidens by force, starting a tribal war; the Kuradjuri (clever man/witch doctor) of the Gundungurra mob then turned the Sisters to stone, intending to restore them after danger had passed. Unfortunately he was killed in the tribal warfare, and no-one else could break the spell.

And there they stand, weather-worn some 40,000 years later (or 60,000 depending on which historian is more accurate on the arrival of the Aboriginal peoples), to be admired by new eyes from around the world every day. To my eyes, however, although very impressive formations at Echo Point in the quite stunning Jamison Valley, the rock sisters’ attraction lies in the legend, as there are equally breath-taking vistas throughout the entire area.

The Blue Mountains are World Heritage listed since 1981. And indeed, not just a Christmas treasure, but a World one as well. There’s also the Yulefest, or ‘Christmas in July’, our mid-winter, that’s becoming a great Aussie attraction as the temperatures are chilly crisp and quite often, there’s a light dusting of snow.

Links:

General Blue Mountains info

*Visitor Information Centre www.visitbluemountains.com.au
*Free guide: www.bluemountainswonderland.com.au

Travel
*City Rail timetables Sydney Central to Katoomba (Note that the schedule is different on weekends/public holidays!) http://www.cityrail.info

*Bus tours from Sydney: too many to list, but google AAT Kings, Australian Pacific Tours, Gray Line, Sydney Day Tours, FJ Tours, Andersons, Bush Limousines, Fantastic Aussie Tours, Dal Myles Special Tours, Mountain Escapes, Oz Experience, Tours-r-Us, Blue Mountains Cultural Tours.

*Redicar Rentals across the Blue Mnts Leura www.redicar.com.au

Hop on/hop off touring
*Blue Mountains Trolley Tours, start from Katoomba train station www.trolleytours.com.au
*Blue Mountains Explorer bus trips, start from Katoomba train station www.explorerbus.com.au

Tourist attractions
*Jenolan Caves, Program & Prices www.jenolancaves.org.au

*Scenic World at Katoomba (skyway, cableway, railway and walkway) www.scenicworld.com.au

*Bush walks, routes and info: The Heritage Centre at Blackheath
www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au

*Zigzag Railway from Clarence Station (near Lithgow)
www.zigzagrailway.com.au

*Museums:
~Toy Railway Museum, Leura www.toyandrailwaymuseum.com.au
~Mechanical Toy museum, Mt Victoria www.antiquetoys.com.au
~Bygone Beautys teapot collection, Leura www.bygonebeautys.com.au

*Some arty-farty galleries:
~Norman Lindsay Gallery at Faulconbridge www.normanlindsay.com.au
~Falls Gallery at Wentworth Falls www.fallsgallery.com.au
~Michael White Gallery, Leura (local artist) www.michaelwhiteart.com

*Gardens:
~Leura Gardens Festival, 9 days in October www.leuragardensfestival.com.au
~Blackheath Rhododendron festival, November www.blackheathfestival.com.au
~Mt Tomah Botanic Gardens www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au

Books
On my to-read library booklist:

The Artificial Horizon: Imagining the Blue Mountains
by Martin Thomas (2003, Melbourne University Press) who lives in Katoomba. The book is illustrated with maps and artwork, and explores the history, relationship between colonisers, their landscape, and the Aboriginal peoples – the conflicts, the myths and culture.

Happy browsing!

Furry,
I just saw your final post. What a wonderful idea. You have created an amazing (and fun to read!) trip report. My daughter will visit Sydney in June/July as part of her honeymoon. I am forwarding her a link to your report. Thanks.

I enjoyed you report. It sounds like you had a great time.

Hi Furry!

Wonderful post, as usual!

Thank you!

Melodie

Caligirl, oh how exciting – a wedding! Congrats! And I wonder if the honeymoon destination was influenced by the mom’s amazing Oz adventures at all?? Wink.

June/July is such a great time to visit – best wishes to the bride and groom for an equally memorable trip!