A blue haze covers the mountain range from dawn till dusk. It’s unique to this region and no matter the time of year, the mountain range will always project blue.
Something I was not aware of before now is that the Blue Mountains region is bigger in width and older than the Grand Canyon in the USA, just not as deep. It pre-dates the dinosaurs by millions of years and holds a rich and diverse timeline. It’s famous for the Jamison Valley, the 3 Sisters named Meehni, Wimlah and Gunnedoo and the small stubbled rock at the end is Dave, to the Tabletops and spectacular waterfalls into the temperate rainforest below.
We were looking to spend a day in the great winter outdoors with some thrill seeking adventures, and thought Scenic World at Katoomba would be a great starting point.
It’s been years since Dave and I have been out to the Blue Mountains. For our 2 children, it was their 1st time. I had forgotten just how steep the climb is (even in the car) when you drive up into the Blue Mountains. You definitely notice the altitude. It was a very early start for us but the crisp morning light was filled with promise of a beautiful day ahead. We were on a mission to be there by 10am so we could take advantage of the early bird special and to try and beat some of the crowds. The entry into Scenic World is incredibly reasonable. It is a day of unlimited entry and rides. The entry fee for a family (2 Adults and up to 5 children) is just $88. Early Bird special is $77.
A nice surprise, the carpark at Scenic World is free (all day). However, if you want to park on the streets of Katoomba and especially around by Echo Point, there are parking stations everywhere.
Scenic World has state of the art technology. We loved the wrist bands which check us in and out of rides. There is a photo opportunity when you board the steepest scenic railway and what we thought was ingenious is they attach your details from your wristband to your personal photo. Gone of the day when they printed millions of photos and you had to scrummage through to locate your photo. Now you can scan your wristband at the photo booth, your photo pops up on the computer screen, you can purchase it and it will be printed and emailed to you from which you can share with all your social media channels. Love technology! Better still, they offer an early bird special on the photo itself. Buy before 11am and you receive a $5 discount. So we have saved on parking, we have saved $11 on entry and now a $5 saving on our great souvenir. It was time for coffee and cake at Escarpment Cafe. They do know how to make a good cuppa. Scenic World is famous for 3 major rides.
SCENIC RAILWAY The scenic railway is the steepest railway in the world. It is at a 52 degree incline. Each row of chairs in the carriages is adjustable from a laid back position through to what they call cliff-hanger giving you even more adrenalin. For us it was fine on laid back. We rode this a few times with it being our kid’s favourite ride of the day. On the way down we were near the back and on the way up we always were able to secure the front seat.
SCENIC CABLEWAY The scenic cableway takes you down to the bottom of the Jameson Valley. It’s about 545 meters to the bottom from the escarpment past Orphan Rock. It is also Australia’s biggest cableway.
SCENIC SKYWAY 270 meters above the Jameson Valley glides across from one cliff top to the other side. This is also the highest cable car in Australia. Why not be daring and stand on the glass floor in the middle to see the rainforest below. It’s also a great viewpoint to see the Katoomba Falls (It’s a giant waterfall), the 3 Sisters and Mount Solitary.
SCENIC WALKWAY Once you have experienced one or all the above, I recommend the scenic walkway. There are 3 different walks ranging from 10 minutes, 30 minutes and 50 minutes. We really enjoyed exploring this ancient rainforest. There is something new and exciting to discover around each turn. We loved learning about the coal mining history in this region and finding smaller waterfalls. We were even lucky enough to catch a small glimpse of a Lyrebird on our travels. The walkway is a board walk and impossible to get lost. It is also wheelchair friendly.
EATS 270 - Scenic World Eatery – Elevation 270 metres. Normally we take our own lunch wherever we go but this day was all about enjoying ourselves. I was expecting the menu to be very simple and the price to be as much as the entry itself. It was a lovely surprise to find a variety of Hot and Cold food options. From slow cooked lamb shanks with mash and veg to freshly made salad baguettes. Prices range from $5 for a bowl of chips to $20 for a main meal. An average meal is roughly $15. Upgrade and get garlic bread and a drink for just $4 more.
A lot of the time these tourist places are hit and miss with customer service. Can I just say, if you are after 100% customer service all day, this is the place to visit and should be the benchmark for all businesses. The staff at Scenic World is incredibly helpful, informative and friendly. From the ride attendants, the café staff to the popcorn attendant. All willing to go out of their way to ensure you all have a good time. It’s a great family day out. Have you been before and when was the last time you visited? Perhaps it’s time to add to the bucket list.