Explore the valleys ~ because what are mountains without them?

At around a hundred kilometres from Sydney, the Blue Mountains are close enough for a day trip; far enough to launch visitors into the vastness that typifies Australia. Much is pure wilderness, and there are parts not yet completely explored.

Some say wild black panthers roam here. Other whisper of yowies. Old buildings creak with ghosts of early settlers.

In fact, everyone who visits Sydney knows about the Blue Mountains. But the name is wrong. Sure, they are blue - credit the gases from the p\plentiful eucalypt trees for that - but these are not mountains. Instead the ancient  sandstone plateau has been carved over endless time by rivers, sculpting gorges and river plains. 

So, can you name the four main valleys? Let's go and visit them....

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The Jamieson Valley

Most have heard - or even seen - those craggy Three Sisters at Echo Point.

And there they are - the three limestone 'Sisters' and that stupendous view over the Jamieson Valley. Perhaps the most well-known of the four, this one is where most visitors come. The lookout has enormous views - absolutely selfie-inducing.

Many visitors only come as far as Katoomba. With its wraparound panoramas of the Jamison Valley, it is popular with bushwalkers, photographers, families and tourists.

On a recent trip we turned our eyes from the gorge-eous view and entered a garden so splendid we wondered how we had previously overlooked it.

From the Everglades Garden, a 1930s mountain retreat built by a Sydney businessman for his family, now a National Trust property, there is a secret view of the Jamison valley (see top of the page).

We discovered a garden theatre, still in use, its high hedges serving as wings, and a backdrop from a former Sydney bank façade.

With many planted terraces – cherry, lilac, agapanthus – it covers five hectares.  There are tracks down to a grotto and waterfall, and tours of the art-deco house. Children can fill in activity packs or search for the recurring 'dog' theme (see above).

WATCH THIS VIDEO and see why these mountains have captured the imaginations of so many.

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Katoomba

Katoomba is a hub for the mountains, the largest town in the area, with plenty to see and do. As you would expect in a holiday destination, food takes centre stage.

Basil Nut specialises in putting an Asian spin on dishes, and this calamari was as good as it gets.

Katoomba received special recognition by the Slow Food movement in 2007 when it was designated a cittaslow or 'slow city'.

This means that heritage and craft and regional products are respected and nurtured in the area. A high compliment indeed.

In an unlikely spot, the main street 'rock shop', the owner is proud to sell honey produced by his own bees.

Just a few metres away, also on the main street, Paragon Café has been serving coffees and meals for a hundred years, and recently added fine artisan chocolates to tempt visitors. There is a time-travel feel to the art deco interior and the small museum at the rear is worth a visit.

Sadly this very special drawcard to Katoomba will close in May 2018.

Old-fashioned flavours still served.

This sign has beckoned coffee and chocolate lovers, as well as those who enjoy stepping back in history. It's closing will prove a sad loss to all.

Luckily there’s more as you wander down Katoomba's steep and long main street. Hominy Bakery does organic sourdough; the Blue Mountains Food Co-op has ancient grains, pulses and a shopping list of organic produce: and this patisserie offers innovative 'meringuins'!

In town, Petrina Kerr, owner-chef at Palette Dining opposite the railway station in the heritage Niagara building, proudly took us to the top of the heritage building which houses the restaurant on the first floor and a diner at street level. 

She was keen to show us the herbs and vegetables – and bees – she and her staff tend, to add fresh mountain flavours to their city-worthy menu. 

There are local wines sourced from Mudgee and the Megalong Valley on the winelist too, a wood-fired oven for bread and roasts, and upstairs there is a gallery for local art exhibitions.

The result is mountain food, local flavours and magnificent attention to detail.

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The Grose Valley

The village of Blackheath is worth a stop. Browse the Victory Theatre Antiques shop, or the main street cafes, gift shops, bakeries, and Wildenstein, a homewares store that would be at home in Woollahra.

As you head west from Katoomba, turn right at Blackheath and follow Govetts Leap Road to an alternative view of the Grose Valley, seen here from our accommodation for the night. Despite the name,  ‘leap’ does not refer to a jump. Rather, it’s an archaic name for the waterfalls below.

 Allview Escape is certainly well named.

In the late afternoon a mob of kangaroos munch the grass outside the cottage we have booked for the weekend.

Everything about this cottage is targeting comfort - with a capital C.

The kitchen is well-equipped with everything you would need if you wanted to self-cater, although with Blackheath only a couple of kilometres away, there would be a temptation to head to one of the several restaurants there.

The decor is modern and streamlined...

...and the surroundings are sublime.

Just metres from the door, there’s a front-row view across the Grose Valley to the sheer 500-metre-high cliff on the other side. The sandstone face of it resembles an oil painting. Where each slab has dropped away the flat stone glows gold in the sunset like the daub of an artist’s palette knife.

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 The Megalong Valley

The Hydro Majestic Hotel was built by retailer Mark Foy. Australia's first health retreat, it opened in 1904, 114 years ago. That explains the 'hydro' in the name, a word often associated with water therapy of some sort. It is thought that the enterprise was modelled on an English spa, perhaps Smedley, in Merseyside.

Foy was a man of grand plans and deep pockets. He was after the wow-factor, and chose a site with three important pluses: proximity to train and road (so people could get there easily) and a view. He found it in Medlow Bath and bought three separate properties on the escarpment overlooking the magnificent Megalong Valley.

He was something of an early environmentalist too. He had a zipline down into that valley on which he would send food scraps from the dining room down to his dairy herd!

Not everyone was thrilled about this building. Some called it the 'palace in the wilderness', others 'Foy's folly'. His timing was a bit out too. Soon after the opening, people lost interest in 'taking the waters'.

The dome of the casino (the name is an affectation as there never were gaming tables here) is covered with 250,000 zinc tiles. Here they are seen catching the stormy light (above). This eyecatching addition was built in the US, then taken apart, shipped to the Blue Mountains and reconstructed on-site. 

There are 65 rooms in the hotel, but in a heritage-listed building such as this one, there is only so much you can do about enlarging them. In some parts every third bedroom was split to create two bathrooms, one for each of the other bedrooms, but the actual size of the room understandably still remains a little tight.

But who cares when the view from the window is as good as a painting. The long view of the Megalong Valley and escarpments made up for it, we felt.

There's nothing like a Caddy to set the tone for a weekend. Especially when it's a gleaming 1929 vintage La Salle, imported from the USA, and one of only four left on the market worldwide. And especially when we were to have a chauffeur-driven tour of the local beauty spots! 

Early the next morning, Ella, our vintage Caddy, was waiting, purring gently, ready to go. Of course winter in the mountains at the chilly elevation of around 1200 metres, means that not every winter morning dawns bright and sunny. Owner of Blue Mountains Vintage Cadillacs and our driver today, Donald Millar, had already thought of that and tucked knee-rugs around us.

For some reason, until recently, we had always talked about going to the Megalong Valley, but never had taken the time to do so.

Of course we had looked down on it from places like the Hydro Majestic, but we were unsure how to reach the valley by road. It turned out to be extremely simple. At Blackheath, turn left and cross the railway, then follow the signs. 

Just let the signs do the directing from here on...

.. and realise that this is a hidden treasure, full of great things to see and do - and taste!

Watch out for wildlife too. None of it will harm you, unless you happen to collide with one of them on the road. You may even see a rare lyre bird with it lacy lyre-shaped tail.

After cool-climate rainforest, the view opens out with high escarpments edging the horizon. At 800 metres, this is considered a ‘high valley’.

Wildflowers lined the road in springtime when we visited....

...and a few kilometres in, the Megalong Valley Tearooms, built in the 1930s, made an ideal spot to enjoy a mountainous homemade scone with jam and cream under trees outside. Perhaps next time we will also try the 'famous' apple pie made from a 1956 recipe. 

This is a very easy place to explore. For much of the way, there is only one road, but if in doubt this map will help you.

Some time ago this was the station for a busy sawmill railway...

...and these large counter-wheels are from the Gladstone Ropeway. 

In the 1880s the ropeway took coal from the mine to the railway and on to Wentworth Falls and Leura. 

The Megalong Valley Farm is a family-friendly stop with animals and horse riding, snacks and meals. The farm’s Cider Barn has tasting platters and a bar, so all  ages are catered for.

There are long views and places to have a picnic...

.. and farm equipment from another era.

It is a rustic and beautiful place to visit and here you can feel far away from cities and stress.

It is not hard to see why this place has been used as a movie set on occasions.

But if you want to stop for lunch and wash it down with a local cider, there is that option here too.

The owners may have decorated the place as a heritage building, but they also have up-to-the-minute chefs who make guest appearances for classes, and functions.

Inside the Cider Barn the rustic theme continues.

Sometimes with quirky decor.

Nearby, hikers can still make use of the Six Foot Track, a long-distance two-metres-wide trail built about over 100 years ago from Katoomba to the Jenolan Caves. It was made this width so that it could accommodate two horses and their riders side by side.

Nearby, possibly the most beautiful location for a cellar door in Australia, Dryridge Estate overlooks the steep vineyard. 

This is the reverse of the view which is seen from the Hydro Majestic, looking back up to the ridge.

Come on the weekend for cheese platters....

...and wine tasting.

Or just relax and soak up the views and peaceful surroundings.

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The Hartley (or Kanimbla) Valley

Keep heading west, from  Blackheath, over the pass, to the Hartley Historic Site in the Kanimbla (or Hartley) valley. Administered by National Parks & Wildlife Service, the beautifully preserved golden sandstone colonial village buildings are virtually intact, and include a church, courthouse, visitor’s centre and gallery showcasing indigenous art and crafts.

When driving west from the Blue Mountains we have always admired the scatter of old buildings just off the road in the lovely Hartley Valley. Just twenty minutes or so from Blackheath at the top of the mountains, we descended quickly through a steep pass and soon found ourselves at our home for the night. 

This historic site is administered by National Parks & Wildlife Service, and recently several buildings have been refurbished and made available to the public for holiday accommodation. This is the Presbytery for the Catholic church, St Bernard's, which stands next to it.

Inside we're delighted with the thought that has gone into the fittings.....especially a cosy fire, both here, and the bedroom.

There are also two bedrooms, a dining room, kitchen and spa bathroom, and the Presbytery is ideal either for a romantic getaway of for a family. 

And while the religious heritage is not overstated, there are small reminders. The house was home for clergy from the 1850s until the 1880s, and also had accommodation for staff.

In the Visitors' Centre is a gallery featuring the work of talented aboriginal artists. Well-priced and available for sale to visitors, the work is in high demand.

The old service station, owned and operated by several generations of the same family, is now being refurbished, and our guide, Steve Ring, Manager of the Hartley History Site, is looking forward to its completion. The plans are for it to be used for functions and we could easily see how ideal it will be for country woolshed balls, wedding receptions and other celebrations.

The last Sunday in October is always a big day for Hartley. This Back to Hartley Day. For $5 a car visitors can come and enjoy a variety of activities - market, petting zoo, pony rides, sheep shearing and other events and music.

Here we stayed in the former Catholic Church Presbytery, now a  gracious B&B, and there is another restored bungalow, Old Trahlee, suitable for families. The manager took us on a tour of the site and enthusiastically told us about Back to Hartley Day and its activities, on the last Sunday each October.

It’s in our diary! A fully restored house.....

.....but this shows the amount of work which has been necessary to restore each building.

The old inn is on the list of places to be upgraded next....

.... and its easy to see that it has been a busy place during its history.

St Bernard's is still in use, and often chose as a wedding venue.

However, not everyone liked coming to Hartley, as this was the regional courthouse for several decades,

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Time to go

Four valleys. Four alternate views of a destination so quintessentially Australian it should be called the ‘True-Blue’ mountains.

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More information about the Blue Mountains - and its valleys.....
 

Pics and words: Sally Hammond

Video: Gordon Hammond

Sally & Gordon Hammond travelled independently to the Blue Mountains but were hosted at various properties. Sally's opinions remain her own.