After our first day exploring the heart of Sydney (and taking a well-deserved resting), we planned to venture outside of the city to visit another world heritage site that wasn’t too far away from Sydney – The Blue Mountains National Park. This breathtaking destination is located in the town of Katoomba, which has an unusual name that comes from the ancient language of the Aboriginal people, the indigenous people of Australia. The word Katoomba means ‘shining of falling water‘, which is fitting because the town is surrounded by stunning waterfalls and awe-inspiring natural beauty.

Normally, visiting the Blue Mountains or Katoomba from Sydney involves purchasing a tour package that includes transportation to and from the area. This usually means taking a bus or coach for the day. However, we wanted to find a more cost-effective and immersive way to experience the area, so we did some research beforehand and discovered that taking the train was a great option. The Blue Mountain line train departs from Sydney Central station throughout the day and takes approximately 2 hours to reach the destination. We checked the train schedule ahead of time by selecting the Blue Mountain line schedule for the day we planned to visit (Updated : 13th May 2018). After reviewing the train schedule for both the trip there and back, we decided that taking the train was the way to go. Check out the train schedule in the image below for an example.

.

.

We checked the train schedule for both the outbound and return legs before our trip. For the outbound leg, we chose the train leaving at 8.18AM and observed which train was headed to Katoomba when boarding the train (the last station was not always Bathurst. It might be Lithgow or another). For the return leg, we made sure to finish our activities in time to catch the train departing at 3.51PM. We could see all the important highlights in this amount of time. The trains were very punctual here, and if we missed our desired train, we could wait for the next one. Oh…forgot to mention, we could use the Opal card we bought yesterday to take the train from the city to the Blue Mountains, just make sure to have enough balance. The train fare was 8.50 AUD per trip, with a distance of about 100 km.

We arrived at Sydney Central Station before 8AM, giving us about 18 minutes to find breakfast and use the restroom before our train departed. But this train station was huge, with multiple platforms and concourses, and we spent several minutes wandering around before we finally found the right platform for our train. We almost missed it! In the end, we had to settle for buying some sandwiches to eat on the train. We managed to board the train at 8.17AM, just in time before it departed at 8.18AM. 😛 So, if you’re not familiar with this station, make sure to spare plenty of time.

.

.

.

.

Once the train departed on time, we started to manage our sandwiches for breakfast and then settled into our seats. The weather was cool, and the train moved smoothly, so we dozed off intermittently until we almost missed our stop at Katoomba. Fortunately, we woke up just in time before the station and didn’t have to backtrack on the train.

Once we arrived by train at Katoomba station, a small train station, we walked out through the front exit (don’t forget to tap your OPAL card when you exit, there is no gate here, just a post to tap the card). There is a tour shop right at the front exit selling day tours that include everything, but it is quite expensive. Anyone who wants convenience can buy a tour from this shop, but we prefer to do it our way. So we walked out to the roundabout and walked along Katoomba Street (note that there is a Subway on this street). After about 50 meters, we saw a bus stop sign and then we took the bus 686 (use the OPAL card to tap on and off the bus) which went to all the places we wanted to go, including Echo Point (Three Sisters) and Scenic World. We were able to use this bus to go back to Katoomba train station.

.

.

.

.

The bus took about 10 minutes to go to the first destination, Echo Point, to see the view of the Three Sisters. They are three towering rock formations lined up in the mountain range of the Blue Mountain National Park, which are considered a natural wonder that cannot be seen anywhere else. According to the legend of the Aboriginal people, “there were three sisters from the Katoomba tribe named Meehni, Wimlah, and Gunnedoo who lived in the Jamison Valley and fell in love with three men from the Nepean tribe. However, due to the Nepean tribe’s rule that prohibits marriage with other tribes, all three sisters decided to elope with the Nepean men hoping to be together. This led to a war between the two tribes. The Katoomba elders decided to curse all three sisters to turn into stone to end the war and preserve the sacred rule. After that, the Katoomba elder died in the war, leaving no one to retrieve the bodies of the three sisters. They were transformed into stones forever.”

This viewpoint is not only a tourist attraction for visitors to admire the beauty, but it was also once visited by Queen Elizabeth II of England on February 12, 1954. 

.

.

.

. 

.

In addition to Echo Point and the Three Sisters viewpoints, there were also several hiking trails to explore the nature along the mountainside. There were both short and long trails available, and signs indicating the directions were present along the way. Many people were walking along the trails, but we only had one day to spend there, while some stayed for several days. Therefore, we skipped the hiking and headed straight to Scenic World as it was already midday.

.

The journey from Echo Point to Scenic World was easy to do by taking the 686 bus, just like before. We waited for the bus at the spot where we got off before. (The bus might take us to the Katoomba train station before going to Scenic World, because the route was like this: train station > Echo Point > Scenic World > Echo Point > train station. No need to worry about it.)

It took us about 15 minutes to get to Scenic World, which used to be an old mining site in the middle of a rainforest. Later, it was developed into a tourist attraction with four interesting rides: the Scenic Railway (the steepest railway in the world), the Scenic Skyway (a cable car above the Katoomba Falls), the Scenic Cableway (a cable car over a 200-meter-high cliff), and the Scenic Walkway (a walkway in the middle of the rainforest).

.

.

The price chart for the Scenic World admission packages offers various options.
We chose the one-day pass that allowed us unlimited access to all 4 attractions. The cost was 39 AUD.

.

When we arrived at Scenic World, we didn’t waste any time and headed straight inside to buy our tickets. Even though it was a Monday, there were still a lot of people and we had to wait in line for a while. Once we purchased our tickets, the staff recommended that we visit certain attractions first and provided us with a map to ensure we didn’t miss anything. We found this to be very helpful and efficient in terms of time management. We followed their advice and went to the Skyway first, to cross over and see the Katoomba Falls and the Three Sisters (in the distance). Then we took the same route back to the Railway, which took us down to the bottom. From there, we walked along the Walkway and then went back up with the Cableway to the same spot. It was a great adventure, and we felt like we were able to make the most of our time there.

After purchasing the tickets, we were given wristbands with barcodes to scan at the entrance of each ride and again when leaving. Once everything was ready, we headed to the first ride, which was the Skyway. It was a cable car that crossed over the Katoomba Falls, and we could also see the Three Sisters from a distance. The ride took about 5 minutes, and there were staff members explaining the information along the way. We listened to some of it, but were more preoccupied with taking pictures. There was also a glass floor for us to look down at the view below. We had a blast !

.

.

.

.

.

.

Once we had taken enough pictures, we headed back up the Skyway to return to the side we had crossed from. However, we were hungry on the way back, and by then it was already 2PM. It was time for lunch, so as soon as we arrived at the other side, we headed straight to the food court at Scenic World. They had a food court there, but the prices were just as expensive as the restaurants in Sydney. However, our hunger won, so we decided to try ordering one dish of Fish & Chips first (we had learned earlier that the portions here were very large, so we decided to try one dish first, as one dish could easily feed two people like us. And it was true, the portion was so large that we could hardly finish it even with an extra glass of Coke to share). This meal cost us 18 AUD

.

After satisfying our hunger and refueling our energy, we headed straight to our next destination, which was the “Scenic Railway.” When we arrived and joined the queue, we felt like the line for the Scenic Railway was longer than the others, maybe because it was the most exciting ride. We waited for about 15 minutes before we got on the train, which was heavily modified from a rail used to transport ore from the mine to the bottom of the valley with a 45-degree incline, the steepest in the world. When we got on the train, we felt nothing much at first. However, as soon as the train started to move, we could feel our stomachs churn a little bit. The train took less than 5 minutes to go from the top to the bottom, passing through a dark tunnel. It was an exhilarating experience, even though it wasn’t as thrilling as other amusement park rides. 

.

.

When we got off the train, the staff recommended that we walk along the Scenic Walkway (the train only takes you down, not up 😛 ), which was a wooden bridge. Along the way was a lush green rainforest, and the distance was not too far. It took about 10 minutes to reach the station of the Scenic Cableway, which would take us back up to the main building where we had come down by Scenic Railway. We waited for the Scenic Cableway for about 20 minutes because there were quite a few people and each round could only take a limited number of people. When it was our turn, we managed to squeeze into the cable car, and then it lifted us up to the 200-meter high cliff face. Along the way, we were able to admire the view of the Blue Mountains National Park.

.

. 

When we returned to the top, we realized that we had experienced all four of Scenic World’s attractions and decided it was time to head back to the train station to catch the 3.51PM train. The bus schedule was posted at the Scenic World bus stop, and the bus arrived promptly on time. The bus ride to the train station took approximately 15 minutes, with a brief stop at Echo Point. We arrived at the train station 10 minutes before the train departure time, which gave us enough time to use the restroom and prepare for the trip back. After finding our seats, we settled in for the ride back home.

The train took about two hours to arrive at Sydney Central Station, just as it did before. This time we didn’t have to worry about sleeping at the station because Sydney Central Station is the final destination. However, we didn’t sleep much because the train ride coincided with school dismissal time, so there were students getting on and off throughout the journey. There were both primary and high school students talking and having fun with each other. Seeing them reminded us of our childhood memories. 🙂

When the train arrived at the Sydney Central station, it was already dark. We decided to go and collect the work that we had left behind yesterday, which was to take a walk at Circular Quay and take pictures of the Sydney skyline at night. So, we took the train to Circular Quay station and went for a walk to see the beautiful colorful lights of Sydney Harbour at night, when the weather was nice and cool, about 10 degrees Celsius. It was a breathtaking experience to see the city from a different perspective and to feel the ambiance of the night.

.

.

.

We walked from the Circular Quay wharf towards the Opera House to take some pictures of the iconic landmark and the Sydney skyline. Then, we wandered towards The Rock area, and it was quiet and peaceful. We enjoyed walking around, soaking up the atmosphere of the night, until around 7.30PM when we started to feel quite hungry, or more like starving. So, we decided to walk back to our hotel while grabbing some food to eat on the way. There were plenty of food options in Sydney, including Western, Chinese, Japanese, or Thai cuisine, and the prices were moderate, especially if you opted for à la carte or a single dish. We bought some food to take back , which cost us around 8-12 AUD per meal. Sometimes, we would go to a supermarket like Coles or Metro (Woolworth) to buy some groceries or visit a minimart or 7-Eleven, depending on our convenience and preference for food. 😉

Today was another wonderful day for us as we ventured outside of the city to admire the beauty of nature, while also engaging in some exciting activities. As the evening set in, we returned to the bustling city of Sydney, known for its tranquil atmosphere and captivating ambiance, which has made it one of the top cities in the world to visit. 🙂

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Written By : SHIPY SIWARIT TIASUWATTISETH

HTTPS://WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/SHIPYSHIPDOTCOM