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New South Wales (Sydney Region) |
| Blackheath | |
| The pretty resort town of Blackheath is the
highest in the mountains. Here are more lookout points - just as
impressive as Echo Point and much less busy. One of the best is Govetts
Leap, near the NPWS Blackheath Heritage Centre (daily
9am-4.30pm; tel 4787 8877). Govetts Leap and Evans lookout offer breathtaking views over the
Grose Valley and Bridal Veil Falls - which plunges in a milk white column
190 metres to the valley floor making it the longest single drop falls in
the mountains.
Well known for its comfortable guesthouses, it is the perfect base from which to enjoy some of the best views in the mountains. The centre has good interpretive material on history, flora and fauna, as well as practical information (with plenty on the adjacent Wollemi and Kanangra Boyd parks too). |
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two-kilometre Fairfax Heritage Track from the NPWS Centre takes in
the Govett's Leap Lookout with its marvellous panorama of the Grose Valley
and Bridal Veil Falls. Although many walks start from the centre, one of
the most popular, The Grand Canyon, begins from Evans Lookout Road
at the south end of town, west of the Great Western Highway. The village
of Blackheath itself offers some good browsing in antique shops.
Zig Zag Railway |
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| Departures
from Clarence Mon-Fri 11am, 1pm & 3pm, Sat, Sun & holidays
10.30am, 12.15pm, 2pm & 3.45pm. From the Zig Zag platform add 40min to
these times; $12; to check times call 6353 1795.
Beyond Blackheath, drivers can circle back towards Sydney via the scenic Bells Line of Road, which heads back east through the fruit- and vegetable-growing areas of Bilpin and Kurrajong to Richmond, with growers selling their produce at roadside stalls. Situated 35km along the road at Clarence is the Zig Zag Railway. In the 1860s engineers were faced with the problem of how to get the main western railway line from the top of the Blue Mountains down the steep drop to the Lithgow Valley, so they came up with a series of zigzag ramps which fell into disuse in the early twentieth century, to be relaid by rail enthusiasts in the 1970s. Served by old steam trains, the picturesque line passes through two tunnels and over three viaducts. You can stop at points along the way and rejoin a later train. CityRail runs regular services between Sydney and Lithgow (via Katoomba and Mount Victoria) and will stop at a Zig Zag platform on request - remember to ask the guard to let you off. Accommodation |
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