Feel the energy in the Blue Mountains
Rebuilding after the bushfires, the high country outside Sydney remains the ultimate autumnwinter weekender, served with a side of adventure or chilled for maximum relaxation.
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Many visitors to the Blue Mountains of NSW see little of its towering cliffs and dramatic gorges beyond a cursory drive to popular lookouts or perhaps a short bushwalk. But if adrenaline, rather than passive admiration, is more your speed there are truly exhilarating ways to get up close to the ancient rock formations and rugged bushland that the World Heritage-listed region is famous for. The Blue Mountains Adventure Company (bmac.com.au) prides itself on creating wilderness experiences that draw people away from the tourist crowds to hidden areas they would otherwise never see. The breathtaking Serendipity, Wollangambe and Empress canyons have all reopened for canyoning and abseiling after the recent bushfires and the new-growth foliage makes the scenery particularly beautiful. To explore the mountains on two wheels rather than the usual four, Blue Mountains Biking Adventures (bluemountainbikes.com.au) provides a mobile mountain-bike hire service – once you book they’ll meet you at the trailhead. Tackle some of the mountains’ most scenic cycle routes, including the 28-kilometre Oaks Trail from Woodford to Glenbrook, or the operator’s new guided Hike and Bike e-bike tour, which takes riders down into the cool, temperate depths of Australia’s own Grand Canyon.
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There’s a buzz to the Blue Mountains, a hum of convivial activity in the cafés, bars and restaurants of friendly villages such as Leura, Katoomba and Blackheath. But it can sometimes be challenging to break away from the throng and revel in a few quiet moments of solitude. One way is to immerse yourself in the four-hour Outer Beauty Inner Health Retreat treatment in the blissful stillness of the day spa at Lilianfels Resort & Spa (qantas.com/hotels). It begins with a tranquil, warm bath, followed by a Turkish body scrub and a mud wrap. A therapist then treats you to a pampering massage, as well as a deep-cleansing and hydrating facial for maximum relaxation. For daytrippers, the Pool of Siloam is a lesser-known spot to escape the town bustle. Found along the short Lyrebird Dell walking track just south of Leura, this pretty waterfall and shallow swimming hole has its own sandy beach perfect for picnicking or simply breathing the mountains’ signature eucalypt scent and absorbing its peace, punctuated only by the call of kookaburras and bellbirds.