Situated in the South Eastern sector of the Australian land mass in the state of New South Wales, a considerable portion of the the Blue Mountains has been incorporated into a World Heritage Site made up of one conservation reserve and 7 national parks. The area is a plateau of predominately sandstone and is scarred by up to 760 meter deep gorges.

By the time Europeans had arrived, the area had been inhabited by the Gudungurra people for a few thousand years. Traces of their early settlements can be found at the Red Hands Cave near Glenbrook, and depict children’s and adults stencilled hand drawings while close by at Wentworth Falls, grooves ground into the rocks bear testimony to the manufacture of simple tools having been ground and sharpened by rubbing them against the rock. Carved representations of animal tracks and traces of an occupied cave have also been discovered at Kings Tableland Aboriginal Site and date back about 22,000 years.

Originally named the Carmarthen and Lansdowne Hills by the then New South Wales governor, around the time that European settlements had sprung up around Sydney in 1788, the name was abandoned in favour of the more popular Blue Mountains which more aptly described the mountains when seen from far away.

There are a variety of climates prevalent in the area all depending on altitude. Daytime summer temperatures around Katoomba at 1,010 meters vary between the low 20’s to around 30 degrees Celsius. Normal temperatures at night hover around the low teens. In winter temperatures can range between -3 degrees at night to about 12 or 13 degrees Celsius during the day. Snow falls two to three times a year at the higher altitudes, but is absent at the lower warmer mountain areas. In the upper mountain areas, annual rainfall hovers around 1,050 mm and there are a few misty days.

The highest ridges support Eucalyptus forests as their predominantly natural vegetation. Above the cliffs on the edges of the plateaus are more heath like plants. Down in the shelter of the gorges is where the temperate rainforests thrive. Hanging swamplands consisting of reeds of button grass embedded in heavy black soil, abound.

An important and popular private owner tourist attraction is to be found at Katoomba. It features two main attractions and these are the Katoomba Scenic Skyway and the Katoomba Scenic Railway said to be the steepest funicular cable railway anywhere, having a 52 degree incline for a distance of 415 meters. The centre also boasts a revolving restaurant, a shop and a theatre.

Also close to Katoomba are the Three Sisters, which are a world famous rock formation which towers over the Jamison Valley. A local legend, believed to have been promulgated by a local businessman to create interest in the area, relates how three sisters became enamoured of three men from another tribe but tribal laws forbade marriage between them. A battle developed and an elder turned the sisters to stone for their own protection. Unfortunately the elder was killed in the battle and no one could return them to normal.

A walking trail past the Three Sisters from Echo Point, descends to the bottom of the valley. The Blue Mountains visitors not wishing to climb back up the steps, can ride in the train for a reasonable fee.