Worth getting out of bed for...

Viewpoint

Visit Echo Point in Katoomba, which looks out over lofty rock formation the Three Sisters. Alternatively, drive to Hassans Wall Lookout on the west side of the mountains, 10 kilometres south of Lithgow, the highest scenic eyrie in the area. From here you can see Mounts Wilson, York, Tarana and Blaxland, as well as the Megalong Valley, Kanimbla and Mount Bindo to the south.

Arts and culture

Artist, cartoonist and writer Norman Lindsay, known for his famous children’s book The Magic Pudding moved to the Blue Mountains in 1901. In 1912 he and his second wife Rose bought a beautiful property they renamed Springwood. The house and its garden, in Faulconbridge, were later turned into the Norman Lindsay Gallery & Museum (www.normanlindsay.com.au), which now displays his watercolours, sculptures, ceramics and ship models.

Something for nothing

It’s a six-kilometre walk from the Glenbrook Visitor Centre, but it’s worth it as the Red Hands Cave, discovered in 1913 by a search party looking for a lost child, is an important Aboriginal art site. The red-ochre stencils of hands were created some 500–1,600 years ago.

Shopping

Those who love antiques and collectables could spend days scouring all the outlets in the mountains, but if you’re in a hurry, make a beeline for Blackheath. Here, you’ll find a couple of smaller stores, such as the Old Tythe Barn (02 4787 7284) at 266 Great Western Highway. For more retro finds, check out the Victory Theatre Antique Centre at 17–19 Govetts Leap Road (02 4787 6002). Housed in a 1920s theatre, it displays the collections of diverse antique dealers, touting everything from colonial furniture to 1960s fashion and jewellery.

Daytripper

If you’re feeling a bit old, take a trip to Jenolan Caves (www.jenolancaves.org.au) – this enormous network of underground limestone rooms was formed about 400 million years ago, which should give you some perspective. The caves are about 30 kilometres off the Great Western Highway on the edge of Kanangra-Boyd National Park. Alternatively, a two-hour drive north-west of the mountains will bring you to the Central New South Wales town of Orange, renowned for its world-class wines and regional food scene.

Perfect picnic

On Mount Irvine Road, just outside Mount Wilson village, is the Cathedral of Ferns. This amazing garden has massive tree ferns, sassafras and coachwood trees, as well as a very large eucalyptus, dubbed the ‘Giant Tree’. Opposite the Cathedral is a large and peaceful picnic ground, so bring a blanket and a well-stocked picnic basket (Katoomba is a good bet for delicious deli snacks).

Walks

Follow in the footsteps of famous naturalist Charles Darwin, who visited Wentworth Falls in 1836, and walked from the town of the same name to the actual falls. The well-signposted Charles Darwin Walk begins at Wilson Park and follows Jamison Creek, undulating through the bush until it reaches the cascading waters at Wentworth Falls. This leg of the journey will take around an hour. From here you can look out over the Jamison Valley before returning on the easier Undercliff Track (90 minutes).

Children

There’s something about a steam train that appeals to kids – big and little. The Zig Zag Railway (www.zigzagrailway.com.au) leaves from Clarence Station, 10 kilometres east of Lithgow. Scenic World (www.scenicworld.com.au) in Katoomba offers rollercoaster railway ramblings and the Skyway, a glass-bottomed cable car that sways above ravines and waterfalls.

Activities

Descend from lofty heights in Katoomba with an abseiling lesson from River Deep Mountain High (www.rdmh.com.au). The half-day session is suitable for beginners, with drops ranging from five to 30 metres. If you’d prefer to stay on solid ground, the same group also offers super-charged cycling tours and more sedate bushwalks. Equestrians can saddle up with Blue Mountains Horse Riding (www.megalong.cc/horseriding) for escorted tours of the Megalong Valley.

And

If you spy a blue haze on the horizon while scoping the landscape in this part of the world, it’s caused by eucalyptus tree vapour, which inspired the mountains’ colourful moniker.