As I’m getting older I’m starting to love doing things that grown ups do. Like go away for couples weekends where you drink wine, eat good food and have afternoon naps. A few weekends ago Mr Smags, The Romances and I headed to the Blue Mountains to do just that.
I’ve actually never been to the Blue Mountains as a final destination before. I’ve driven through a few times but never actually stopped to see anything. I’m a cold climate lover and major beach hater so the crisp, chilly weather and rain forests were right up my alley and you can literally park your horse anywhere.
We’re city dwellers so this was definitely a trip highlight. Abundance of parking spots aside, here are a couple of awesome things to do in the Blue Mountains if you ever find yourself in the area.
Go to Scenic World
When I first heard of Scenic World, I honestly thought it sounded super lame. I imagined jerky mechanical miners reciting robotic historical facts about Katoomba and a very sad souvenir shop full of dusty, faded key rings. I was completely wrong and it actually turned out to be my favourite part of the trip. There’s a Skyway, Cableway, Walkway and Railway that all show different parts of the Megalong Valley and the Three Sisters.
The floor of the Cableway is glass so you can see into the valley below and it’s positively breathtaking. The Railway is also very excellent. We had front row seats which was… intense… but I made it to the end with clean pants so all in all it was a winner of a day.
Stay at Parklands
When we arrived at our hotel there was this amazing French woman at the counter who pronounced ‘Jacobs’ as ‘Jaque-oobs’ and ‘Butcher’ as ‘Boo-cheur’. We were put in conjoining rooms which was excellent because we could visit the Romances without having to go outside in the cold. The rooms had electric fire places and dual televisions so you could watch the same thing in bed as the person who is sitting on the couch. Technology.
Sometimes when I’m travelling for work I worry about whether or not the cost will be affordable for my readers but I looked this place up and it’s about $200 per night, depending on when you stay. I cannot stress what a bargain this is – the cost includes breakfast and the whole place looks like Anne of Green Gables threw up on it. I’ve spent $200 on hotels in Sydney’s CBD that looked and smelled like jail cells. I can highly recommend Parklands as being the exact opposite of a jail cell.
Have high tea at the Hydro Majestic
The Hydro Majestic is a must do if you’re in the Blue Mountains and that’s a big call for me because I’m actually not really keen on high tea for two reasons. Mr Smaggle is a coeliac so he can rarely eat anything on the menu and I’m not a huge fan of cake so we’re pretty useless when it comes to a meal based around fancy baked goods.
The Hydro totally had us sorted. They had a gluten-free high tea option, which Mr Smaggle obviously had but they had another option called the Eastern High Tea which was basically dumplings, summer rolls and Eastern desserts, totally perfect for a non-cake lover like me. My only issue is that the view was a bit shit. They should really sort that out, it’s an eyesore. *insert heavy sarcasm font*
Walk around Leura
I bloody love a country shopping strip full of antique shops, sweet stores and little boutiques full of funny hats that I impulse buy and then never wear again. Laura is adorable and the main strip is definitely worth a walk.
It’s the type of place where you’ll buy a pie and it will be the best pie you’ve ever had and then every time you hear that someone is going to the Blue Mountains you’ll tell them you had the most life changing pie of the century there. Then it will turn into a never ending pie story.
Eat dinner at Vesta in Blackheath
We arrived in the Blue Mountains quite late on Friday night and needed to find a place to eat. We stumbled upon Vesta in Blackheath and it was perfect. They had an amazing rustic menu with a gorgeous wine list and we sat there for hours just chatting. The atmosphere was gorgeous too. It wasn’t too loud or too quiet, which I know seems like weird feedback but that kind of stuff just really makes or breaks a dining experience.
Have you ever been to the Blue Mountains? What’s your favourite thing to do there?
Smaggle travelled as a guest of Destination NSW in conjunction with Qantas.