What To See (And What To Skip) In The Blue Mountains
I’ve lived in Sydney for more than 20 years, but only just managed my first-ever trip to the Blue Mountains. I’d been vaguely planning to go before coronavirus put a stop to everyone’s plans to do everything, but with covid-19 restrictions lifting and domestic travel kicking back into gear, it was time.
Unfortunately, it was not just time for me – apparently pretty much everyone else who lives in Sydney had the same urge, so I was pretty keen to skip the main tourist spots.
Instead of joining the masses at the Three Sisters and Wentworth Falls lookouts (the obvious choices on most visitors’ Blue Mountains Must-See lists), we trawled around for some hidden gems – and came up with gold.
Moya Lookout
Who doesn’t love convenience, right? It doesn’t get much more convenient than a walking track direct from the resort, and where we were staying, at the MGallery by Sofitel Hotel Collection’s Fairmont Resort & Spa in Leura (one of the cute little towns in the Blue Mountains), has a few of them to check out.
We checked in, chucked on a few extra layers (winter in the Blue Mountains is cold), and headed out to the track – which turned out to be an easy 5-minute walk on a flat, well-worn path that ran alongside the Leura Golf Course, a few stairs (okay, a lot of stairs) winding down through the lush bush, and a stroll back up another hill. Easy! We walked on past the turn-off to Gladstone Lookout to where the path opened up to a flat rock that was just big enough for two to sit and feel all romantic and cute and stuff.
With the sweeping views of the valley below and across to the cliffs that seemed to change colour under the setting sun, and the bitey wind whipping around us, it definitely felt like we had the whole canyon to ourselves. The whole experience was made even sweeter (literally) with a giant chocolate brownie we’d bought at the Leura Gourmet Deli & Cafe, which is worth checking out although, full disclosure, it turned out that the bougie artisan rocky road we bought excitedly (because, local treats) was actually made in the Sydney suburb of Sydenham. Tasty, but not so local!
The view was great, of course, but the best bit was that we were the only ones there.
(Well… almost. Another couple popped out of the bush while we were soaking up the serenity, but with limited room on the rock, they turned back to Gladstone Lookout and out romantic little rock date stayed in tact.)
2. Hat hill road | perry’s lookdown road
Our next find was totally out of the blue. We’d waned to visit Pulpit Point, a less-popular lookout my bf had been to before and said was worth a look, but a we approached the turn-off, the road was closed. Instead, we kept driving down Hat Hill Road, until we got to another closed road and a bunch of parked cars. A small hill to the left had a walking track up to its peak, so we pulled in and took to the trail, not expecting to go beyond the peak.
At the top (we’re talking a 5-minute walk, max – easy), the view was pretty spectacular (and came complete with a nice flat photo-op rock, thanks nature!). We could clearly see past the craggy canyon and jutting cliffs all the way across to Sydney.
The trail kept winding along the flat top of the hill, so we kept walking… and walking… taking in the changing landscape, from the open spaces to scraggly bushland, clambering over rocks and picking our way through charred remnants of trees that had copped a beating during the bushfires earlier in the year.
(Just FYI, in case you’re wondering, we followed the very-clear-to-see track the whole way – I’m not a dumb dumb, I don’t just go wandering off into the bush!)
We didn’t actually walk the entire trail. – we didn’t have enough water for a full-on hike, especially since we had no idea where it would end, so we turned around, but I’ll definitely be going back next time, fully prepped to make it to the end.
3. Lincoln’s Rock
Okay, so this one’s not as off the beaten track as we would’ve liked – it’s another that my bf had been to once before, and when he first visited, he says, there was only one other person at the astonishing lookout point. Apparently in the years since he’d been, word had gotten out about this spot, as we pretty quickly figured out when we saw all the cars lined up along the dirt road that leads to the flat expansive rock overlooking the Blue Mountains answer to the Grand Canyon.
Turns out this is the spot to watch the sun go down over the valley (not to mention a photoshoot or two, apparently, as there were a few awkward as hell couple shoots going on amidst the 50 or so people who’d chosen the plateau as their sunset vantage point). But despite having to share the space, it was still worth the trip (and could be one to try again during daylight hours, when I’m convinced the view would be every bit as Insta-worthy).
Have you been to the Blue Mountains? What are your must-visit spots? Let me know in the comments below! ❤️