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The stunningly beautiful Blue Mountains offer some amazing landscape to surround yourself in. From blue sky sunny days, cloudy days and rainy days, it is a breath-taking region. The region is densely populated by oil bearing Eucalyptus trees.

The Blue Mountains gets its name from the bluish haze that usually hangs in the air over the region. This “blue haze” is the result of a combination of eucalyptus oils, dust particles, water vapour, and the sunlight striking the air, thereby creating an optical illusion of a blue haze. The light allows the eyes to see the blue pigments in the atmosphere.

Jamieson Valley, Blue Mountains NSW
Jamieson Valley, Blue Mountains NSW

The Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area is the traditional homelands of six groups of indigenous people – Darug, Gundungurra, Wiradjuri, Wanaruah, Darkinjung and Tharawal, who have been here for over 1,000 generations.1

More information can be found on the VisitNSW tourism site. There is also information signage at Echo Point Lookout, Muggadah Dreaming.

Mount Solitary, Katoomba, Blue Mountains NSW
Mount Solitary, Katoomba, Blue Mountains NSW

Exploring the bush trails and walking tracks, picnicking, even a drive along some of the roads is something special. A stop-off in the small towns and villages such as Blackheath, Katoomba, Lawson, Leura and Springwood, present an opportunity to learn about the area, support locals businesses and take back treasured memories.

Of course one of the most popular tourist destination is the Echo Point Lookout where you have a perfect view of the Three Sisters, overlooking Jamieson Valley and across to Mount Solitary.

The Blue Mountains were originally named “Carmarthen Hills” and “Landsdowne Hills” by Governor Phillip (In 1788), although it wasn’t long after, that because of the distinctive blue haze surrounding the area, the name change to the Blue Mountains.

The Blue Mountains is densely populated by oil bearing Eucalyptus trees. The atmosphere is filled with finely dispersed droplets of oil, which, in combination with dust particles and water vapour, scatter short-wave length rays of light which are predominantly blue in colour.

Echo Point Lookout, Katoomba, Blue Mountains NSW
Echo Point Lookout, Katoomba, Blue Mountains NSW
The Three Sisters, Katoomba, Blue Mountains NSW
The Three Sisters, Katoomba, Blue Mountains NSW
View of Mount Solitary from Echo Point Lookout, Katoomba, Blue Mountains NSW
View of Mount Solitary from Echo Point Lookout, Katoomba, Blue Mountains NSW

The Blue Mountains region offers an amazing number of tracks, walks and escarpments to explore for all types of adventurers. Whether you are out for a casual daytime outing with the family or off-road tracks or a scramble up and down cliff faces for the more hard-core adventurer.

Pierces Pass, Blue Mountains National Park NSW
Pierces Pass, Blue Mountains National Park NSW

For the visitor to the region, it is a matter of where some of these locations are. A little internet search is the best place to start. One of the best places to begin searching is the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service. There are also a number of other websites by those offering tours, as well as blogs and other articles by passionate adventurers and people just out to enjoy this special region that provide some great information. To get you going, we have listed some links in the footnote below.

Walks like the Pierces Pass to Blue Gum Forest walking track is accessed in the Blackheath-Mount Wilson areas of Blue Mountains National Park. To get there from Bells Line Road, turn on to Pierces Pass Road between Mount Wilson Road and Mount Banks Road.

Pierces Pass Blue Gum Forest Walking Track, Blue Mountains NSW
Pierces Pass Blue Gum Forest Walking Track, Blue Mountains NSW

Footnote & References

  1. Blue Mountains Aboriginal Culture, VisitNSW.com is the official tourism site for Destination NSW, Destination NSW, https://www.visitnsw.com/destinations/blue-mountains/aboriginal-culture
  2. Pierces Pass to Blue Gum Forest walking track, NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/things-to-do/walking-tracks/pierces-pass-to-blue-gum-forest-walking-track
  3. A search selection of some things to do in the Blue Mountains (NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service)
  4. Find things to do: NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/things-to-do
  5. Blue Mountains National Park, Aussie Bushwalking, https://www.aussiebushwalking.com/nsw/blue-mountains-national-park/
  6. 10 Best Blue Mountains Walk, Blue Mountains Adventure Company, https://bmac.com.au/blog/best-blue-mountains-walks
  7. Best Trails in Blue Mountains National Park, AllTrails, https://www.alltrails.com/parks/australia/new-south-wales/blue-mountains-national-park
  8. 12 Best day walks in the Blue Mountains, WildWalks, https://www.wildwalks.com/lists/best-walks-blue-mountains/
  9. 30 Best Hikes In Blue Mountains, by Annabel Symonds in Australia Guides, https://londonerinsydney.com/hikes-in-blue-mountains/

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