In big cities like Sydney I usually don’t have an itinerary because I prefer to just walk around and stumble upon attractions here and there. I do remember, though, that I specifically went to Taronga Zoo the first time I was here. For this stop, nada. But why waste a New South Wales stopover by doing nothing, right? The Blue Mountains are just there farther inland. There’s an attraction there called Three Sisters referring to three peaks next to a plateau. Might be worth the day trip? Vacation leave filed, I went.
The train ride from Sydney Central will take you two hours. The stop you are looking for is KATOOMBA. The train you need to hop on is the Blue Mountains Line but since this is rarely labeled, just look for the train headed towards LITHGOW. The train is comfy but without WiFi. It also has various stops along the way. Sydney’s trains now accept contactless credit cards which now eliminates the need for an Opal Card. If my bank statement is accurate, then that ride costs AUD13 (~PHP480) roundtrip, but don’t quote me on this.
Once you reach the station, you get off and you will see a road perpendicular. This road runs all the way to the cliffs you are heading to, at least according to Google Maps. Don’t be fooled, because that’s a 30-minute walk waiting for you. If you insist, make sure you wear enough sunscreen and tug a bottle of water along to fend off dehydration. The area is mainly residential but there are also some restaurants and hotels lining up that ravine.
Walking paths with gorgeous views were available but under maintenance when I was there. It wasn’t the end of the world, though, because the Three Sisters have their own multilevel viewing decks. After all, they are the stars of the show on this side of ‘Straya. You will know you’ve arrived when the camwhores begin to multiply. Of course, you can also use the mountains as your clue as to how close you are to your main destination.
The good news is that there is no entrance fee here because there is no entrance. It’s a mountain range, you know. Instead, you will end up on a beautifully maintained terrace once you reach the end of the road. There is a complex there with restaurants and cafes. There is a visitor center. There are toilets. All the creature comforts you need are there. The bad news is there is no shade to shield you from the sun, hence, the sunscreen recommendation. Fear not, though, because the views are amazing and worth it on a sunny day.
I guess that’s an important disclaimer, even more so after some friends posted similar pictures taken around winter when there was nothing to see other than fog. On a bright summer day, should you be able to withstand the heat, you are in for a panoramic surprise. As mentioned, the three sisters are the main attraction but right next to them, to the right, is a giant plateau, the flatness of which complements the trio’s pointy peaks quite well. And of course, you have surrounding mountain ranges along with a cable car.
The cable car is from a company called Scenic World. That, you HAVE TO pay for. I’m not sure if that thing has a glass floor. I supposed the views would be just as gorgeous but not recommended for acrophobic tourists. As for me, I was not in the mood to spend extra money to test my acrophobia induced by getting old that day so taking gorgeous photos and videos on the terrace was already okay for me. There are other natural attractions to explore in the area including a waterfall, if Google Maps wasn’t lying.
In any case, this is a good daytrip from Sydney considering how easy it is to get there on your own. You don’t even need to join a tour for this. If walking is not your thing, a bus plies the route between the terrace and the train station, but I’m not sure if that bus accepts contactless credit cards.
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