Janet E. Potter Out Blue Mountains Day Tour
Our fun tour guide from Activity Tours Steve was able to pick us off from the ferry shortly before 8am to embark on an all-day of genuine Sydney adventures. We were all incredibly happy to have the entire day planned for us, and we didn’t have to navigate the hazy roads or plan our activities on our own. Everything on our blue mountain day trip was planned from start to finish including all the top places to see within the Blue Mountains and quite a number of extras too. This is how our memorable day was:
Featherdale wildlife park
We started our tour in Featherdale Wildlife Park to see some of the most authentic Aussie animals. It was the first stop on the Blue Mountains Sydney day tours. This was an amazing part of the tour and gave the tour an authentic Sydney experience. I’ve been to all across Sydney and have seen lots of animals, however when you’re just visiting Sydney for a brief period like my parents I think it’s perfect to stop in this area because there aren’t many opportunities to view Koalas, wallabies and kangaroos wombats and many other Aussie creatures around the city! It’s impossible to visit here without squeezing the kangaroo is it?
The place was far more to offer than Kangaroos. There was every kind of Kangaroo and wallaby I didn’t know of (big ones, tiny ones, spotted and striped as well as pygmy) There were zillions of intriguing, fascinating, weird huge, tiny birds, all of which produced the most fascinating sounds, including snakes, dingo, a crocodile (so adorable! ) and wombats. (which are amusing to watch, and slightly awkward creatures which made me laugh hard) and many more. Watch my video for the majority of them!
Boomerang lesson
After introducing us to a of aboriginal culture and art, as well as boomerang throwing in the course of the trip, we stopped by a large field in which I volunteered to try my attempt at throwing a real boomerang. After a short lesson on how to do it, ensure that there is shavings on the edge holding the other side, keep your hand at a 45-degree angle towards the top of your head. Aim towards the top of the trees, and be sure you move your wrist around as you throw it. I did this myself. The boomerang actually returned! It fell at a distance of about 10 feet from me. I improved every attempt I made. It was really exciting to test it out after having heard about these mysterious return boomerangs for the rest of my life!
Park & Lake
We made a few small stops along our route on our way to The Blue Mountains. My trip was during May and for Sydney is the peak of autumn. The seasons opposite are for me a bit confusing! As you see in the video it was a beautiful autumn day. The leaves of the trees changing into bright reds and yellows, creating stunning views in the mountains during our blue mountain day tour. We walked out to see the beautiful blue lake and park prior to our hike.
Short blue mountains bush walk
Our first stop for a view was a short trail that I wouldn’t have discovered if we hadn’t been on the blue mountain day tour. We hiked down this small trail which led to a breathtaking, expansive view of the gorgeous Blue Mountains! The air was clean and fresh and the breeze of the mountains gently carried Eucalyptus’ scent towards us from the valleys. It was a stunning view and refreshing to be outdoors in nature, away from urban noise for a while. This is the Blue mountains are among the most well-known park nationals of Sydney It was amazing to finally be able to be able to see the Blue Mountains!
Lunch in leura
It was then time for a relaxed lunch in a charming little town in the mountains called Leura. There was a main street lined with antique shops as well as gourmet deli’s, bakeries and chocolatiers. It was a charming small-town atmosphere that made me feel that we were high in the mountains. It made it difficult to believe that we were only two hours away from the hustle and bustle of Sydney during our blue mountains day trip.
We walked through a classy small deli which looked out over the beautiful autumnal trees, offering various homemade breads, jams, cookies sweets, lunches and desserts including goat’s cheese quiche and feta as well as eggplant parmesan. We picked up a few snacks before making our way to a pie store down the road, where we tried to make it as real as we could by ordering a genuine Aussie pie (as as you can watch in this video)!
The Three Sisters
After lunch, we went to a popular spot and the mainstay in our Blue Mountains day tour scenery the rock formation known as The Three Sisters. Our guide Steve shared with us details about the aboriginal story of the story of how the rock formation was created, which involved an elaborate tale about an old man who turned three of his daughters into stones as a final act of protection for the girls. There are many interesting stories from the aboriginals about how the different Sydney landscapes were created! We also took a few pictures with the three sisters. They were extremely lavish and majestic that were jutting out very close to the viewing platform on which we were.
Blue mountains scenic world
Our final stop in our Blue Mountains day tour was an awesome theme park-like spot called Scenic World It consisted of three “rides that cost an additional (worth more!) cost. The first time we went on the cable car that took us through the Valley to the location where Scenic World, its gift restaurant, and shop were located. The cable car also featured a glass-like platform that was at the bottom so that you could look down the valley from hundreds of feet below and also have sweeping panoramas of the Blue Mountains, the Three Sisters and a different individual rock fitting that was sticking up known as Orphan rock.
The World’s Steepest Railway
Three main attractions at scenic World is the most steep railway in the world. which is akin to a funicular which almost runs in a vertical valley in the mountains. The ride is very well-suited to playing music from the Jurassic Park soundtrack for this ride, which is incredibly exciting! The seats are all tilted back while passengers hold on to the seats on the other side to keep their lives in check – can you imagine being in a chair on an train which suddenly moved about 50 degrees downwards down a hill and then slid down a hill? It was amazing, and you can watch my reaction as it goes up and downwards in the clip!
Another thing to do at scenic world is an electric cable car that travels from the highest point of the hill to toward the bottom. It is 10 minutes walk from the point where the railway car is finished. There are breathtaking views from all of these (‘scenic world’, is, as it turns out is actually quite fittingly named also (:P) And at the top are bush walks that go across all directions. The trails these trails lead through The Blue Mountains to other landmarks There is a waterfall just a few hundred yards away (pictures on the film) There are two and 3 hour hikes either way. When you walk for 10 minutes between the Scenic World Rides you will learn about the mining industry that was through the area a few years ago (the reason why the railway was constructed in the first location) and discover a lot regarding the industry of mining that exploded there in the past.
Sydney olympic park
We had one last stop during the Blue Mountains day tour on our way back to the city after many of us took a short nap in the vehicle for a couple of hours’ trip. Sydney hosted an Olympics in 2000. the venue is located right across to the Parramatta River. We were able to visit the area and visit the spot where the Olympic torch was located, and is still there and a gorgeous permanent monument.
Boat ride under the bridge
As the last leg on tour Blue Mountains day tour was an enjoyable boat cruise along the Parramatta river, passing under the Harbour Bridge, and right back to the centre of Sydney. It was a leisurely way to finish the day by watching the sunset across the river and marveling at the many riverside homes while we cruised through the waters. Thank you Activity Tours for an unforgettable and thrilling day!
