An easy two hour train ride from Sydney took me to the Blue Mountains National Park. There are several towns to stay in with access to the park; I chose Katoomba because I heard it was the largest of them.  The train station left me at one end of the main street, Katoomba street, and my lodgings were at the other end of the main business district. The town offers all types of cafes and restaurants, stores, and cultural experiences. It was an easy place to spend a few days. 

I especially enjoyed appreciating the local art at the cultural center’s gallery and the street art walk sponsored by SAMA (Street Art Murals Australia) on Beverly Street.  

Without a car, I relied on the public transportation in the area to bring me to trail heads and other sights.  The bus system was pretty easy to navigate, though I did find myself on the school bus line a few times. I’m always thinking about how the United States can add more public transportation outside of cities, and I think a mixed use bus for schools and the public makes a lot of sense. 

The first day of hiking I created a loop where I started and ended at Echo Point overlook. This is the central entry point to the Blue Mountains for tourists, and offers the iconic view of the Three Sisters, so it’s crowded most of the day.

However, after a few overlooks on the Prince Henry Cliff walk, the tourists disappeared, and I was left to myself to enjoy the track.  While parts of the cliff walk are closed because of trail issues, detour signs made it easy to bypass the affected sections without having to scrap the whole hike.  

Once I was back in the woods, I started my descent into the park to find some waterfalls. I felt dwarfed by the grandness of the forest. The lush rainforest terrain and colorful rock formations transported me to another world. My turn around point was the Leura Cascades where rays of sun bounced off the 35 meter cascading waterfall.

From here I moved further into the valley past Bridal Veil Falls and under massive overhangs. I ran into some people hoping to find the social media famous “infinity pool”, but because the area is off the main trail and requires some dangerous maneuvering, the park had staff on site to prevent people from accessing this natural feature. 

Once I hit a set of picnic tables, I was happy that I spent some time looking around the area because I almost missed the entry point for Dardanelles Pass.  After the ups and downs of the trail through all the waterfalls, this section was quiet and easy. But that was all just a reprieve to get me ready for the grueling end of my hike: The Giant Stairway. Set just below the iconic Three Sisters, the staircase hugs the edge of the cliff and climbs for 900 steps. There are small rest points along the way and as I reached each one, the view got better and better. 

The final two flights of the stairs brought me back into the world of the tourists, with many people vying for a chance to take their picture at the edge of the overlooks.  Being in the mass of people made me appreciate the peaceful solitude I enjoyed for the rest of the hike. 

The next day I decided to embrace the tourist infrastructure and use it to give my knees a rest. I arrived at Scenic World soon after it opened to enjoy my train ride down into the rainforest floor without the crowds. Scenic World is home to the steepest passenger train in the world. If the 52 degree incline isn’t enough for you, you can adjust your seat to be an additional 12 degrees. I tried this “cliffhanger” mode on the way down, and I definitely had to brace myself for the entire ride. 

The scenic boardwalk (longest elevated boardwalk in Australia) starts with the story of the late 1800s mining history in the area and then continues for an easy 2.4 km walk through the lush trees and the ambient noise of birds. I was fortunate enough to encounter a lyre bird mimicking the calls of the birds around and then enjoying some grub hunting.  By the time I finished my walk, the crowds had picked up, so the rest of my time in Scenic World wasn’t as relaxing. So I decided it was time to put my hiking plan in motion. 

I took the cable car (steepest in Southern Hemisphere) back to the top and made my way outside and over to the cliff walk. From here I descended down to Katoomba falls and back to the rainforest floor by the Furber steps. 

While I don’t think this would’ve been as hard as the Giant Stairway to hike back up, I was happy to be able to go back into Scenic World and take the railway car back up to the top.  Then after a long wait, I finally got to enjoy the glass floor of the Scenic Skyway as it traversed the gorge 270 meters above the valley floor. Originally, I was going to take the same tram back to Scenic World, but at this point I was over the crowds, so instead I walked back to Echo Point along the Prince Henry Cliff Walk to enjoy some last epic views of the valley and mountains beyond. 

I spent my afternoons searching for swimming opportunities.  The first day, I took the bus to Wentworth Falls Lake, and while the water quality wasn’t up to par for swimming this time, I enjoyed sitting in the shade and watching the ducks and locals for a little bit. 

The second day, I took the bus to the local aquatic center which features both an indoor and outdoor pool. A few laps in the pool and relaxing on a lounger in the shade with the very active and loud sulfur crested cockatoos overhead was the perfect way to enjoy a lovely afternoon in Katoomba.