KATOOMBA, NSW
This Blue Mountains town still has its natural assets but the coffee is cold brew and high tea comes with tacos.
01. Wake up to views of the Jamison Valley
A sleep-in is fine but it doesn’t compare to watching the early morning light fall on Mount Solitary so leave the curtains open in your Executive Valley View Suite at Lilianfels Resort & Spa (hotel.qantas. com.au/lilianfelsbluemountains). This getaway is the nearest luxury stay to Echo Point and the Three Sisters – just a few minutes away on your morning run – and although it’s set on almost a hectare of gardens (with 89 rooms), it still has the cosy feel of a country lodge.
02. ... then glide over it
The name is lo-fi but the experience at
Scenic World (scenicworld.com.au) hits the high notes. Walk there from Lilianfels and the 25-minute journey will take you past Katoomba Falls (you can also see the reserve after dusk each evening on the new Night-Lit Walk; bmcc.nsw.gov.au). Once you arrive, there are three ways to explore the valley: coast 270 metres above it in the glass-bottomed Scenic Skyway cable car (eyes open for the Three Sisters); plunge into it on the world’s steepest passenger train; or take the Cableway to feel like you’re swinging through the trees as you make your way down to the Scenic Walkway, a boardwalk in the rainforest.
03. Get your hipster coffee fix
If you’re the kind of person who can face a crowd before caffeine, head to Black
Cockatoo Bakery (blackcockatoobakery. com.au) on busy Katoomba Street. Grab a croissant while you’re there — they sell out fast because they’re that good. But if you need your hit in a calmer setting, head to Cassiopeia (cassiopeia.com.au), a quiet café on Lurline Street that’s a little Scandi, a little country and takes coffee very seriously.
04. Eat by the fireplace in a country pub
Heads up: seating is competitive on a Saturday night at the Alexandra Hotel (alexandrahotel.com.au) in nearby Leura. And the most contested spot is in front of the circular brick fireplace where deep leather armchairs and a sofa give the feel of being in a mate’s lounge room. Order a pizza from the woodfired oven — the campagnola, with sausage, truffle oil and just the right amount of puff and char at the crust, is a winner.
05. Take high tea in an iconic setting
A traditional high tea is not for everyone but the one you’ll find at the historic Hydro Majestic (hydromajestic.com.au), about five minutes away in Medlow Bath, holds other lures. Sit by the vast wall of windows and feel your eyes grow wide as you look over the Megalong Valley, dipping and rising as far as you can see. And if scones aren’t your jam, go for the Eastern High Tea, with steamed dumplings, soft tacos and crab claw rice paper rolls.