The Best of the Blue Mountains

The Blue Mountains has always been a popular weekend getaway for tourists and locals. Just a 90 minute drive from the Sydney CBD, and easily accessible by car and train, it’s a perfect escape from the business of city life. But if you’re a traveller that likes to explore the unknown and get off the beaten path, there’s a way of discovering the majestic views of the Blue Mountains with a tour that is guaranteed to give you an experience and perspective of the region you’ve never seen before. Expedia’s Kiwi travellers often just make the day trip north west of Sydney but consider spending the night so you have more time in this beautiful part of the world.

To be completely honest with you, I’ve never really been that much of a fan of guided tours in busses or 4WDs. They’re often quite restrictive; you’re ferried around with a large group of tourists, making it difficult to do your own thing. That’s where Life’s An Adventure’s Best of the Blue Mountains 4WD Day Tours are different. Waiting to get picked up from our Sydney city accommodation, I was surprised to see that our 4WD tour consisted of only four people. The small, intimate group all fitted comfortably in the vehicle. We weren’t transported in a large bus or coach, and from the very beginning of the tour, we were asked about what areas we’d prefer to see and spend more time in. The ability to customise the experience is the big benefit of a small tour.

Our first stop is the popular lookout at Wentworth Falls. This beautiful setting is a perfect start for a Blue Mountains experience. The combination of incredible local flora and fauna as you hike down to a breathtaking lookout over the canyons sets the scene for an exciting day of adventuring. Our guide was incredibly knowledgeable, proviiding an interesting commentary on the various wildlife, plants, natural formations and history of the region.

Wentworth Falls was the only time on the tour we ever saw another tourist. From there on, we hit the road, the gravel turned to dirt, and we ventured out to some of the lesser known areas of the Blue Mountains.

If you suffer from motion sickness, I’d really recommend taking some anti-nausea tablets before this part of the tour, because it does get a little bumpy. You really do go off road, around numerous twists and turns through the bush and cliff faces to get to some incredible locations. When the 4WD finally did stop, we hiked a short distance to one of the most phenomenal views of the Blue Mountains I’ve ever seen. Standing on top of a cliff face, over a thousand metres above the canopy, it’s nothing but a sea of eucalyptus trees and cliffs all around us. The mountains cast shadows over the field of greens and blues, and you’re nothing but a tiny speck on a ginormous rock formation. It truly is a vastly remote location that makes you feel incredibly small.

By the time we’re headed for our lunch destination, we’d all worked up quite an appetite, so were eager to get into some bush tucker. And this lunch destination was going to be one of the most unique sittings I’ve ever had. After being led through to an incredible cliff face lookout point, we soaked up the scenery and took photos of yet another remarkable perspective of the Mountains while a seated lunch was being put together by the staff. It’s an assortment of local foods – fresh salads, antipasto and cold meats – all from the local business in the region. The bread is freshly baked from a nearby bakery and the cheeses are from the local deli. It’s a perfect feed for a more than perfect setting. Sitting back, sipping on a hot coffee, or a glass of champagne, it’s an incredible end to what has been a visually overwhelming experience. When you think you’ve seen the Blue Mountains, this truly is a way of going beyond the tourist attractions and becoming an adventurer in a beautiful part of the country, so close to Sydney.

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