Ahh the Blue Mountains!! One of my favourite places in the world. In 2020, I took a weeks leave from work and embarked on my first ever week long solo trip. The longest I had ever spent on solo trips were weekends, so this was the next step and a very exciting and strange endeavor for me.
I found a cute little airbnb shack at the back of someone’s property in Wentworth falls, the kind of stay you can only really experience in the Blue Mountains. I had visited the Mountains with an ex partner for a few days before, but we only visited Scenic World, the 3 Sisters and Leura Cascades, which was back in 2014, so I had much more to see!
I mainly embarked on all the well known touristy spots as it was really my first time properly exploring the area, so this would be a great list to use for your first trip to the Blue Mountains!
In 6 days I walked 72km through the Blue Mountains and met some incredible people during my week here, some who are still great friends to this day (you know who you are!)
Where I went:
- Hidden Cave Tunnels
- Mt Blackheath
- Mermaid’s Cave
- Grove Grotto Canyon
- Cahill’s Lookout
- Govetts Leap
- Minne Ha Ha Falls
- Pool of Siloam
- Lockley’s Pylon
- Glow Worm Tunnel
- Tunnel Creek Caves
- Wollongambe River
- Victoria Falls
- Lawson’s Waterfall Circuit
- Lincoln’s Rock
- Wentworth Falls
- Hanging Rock
- Grand Canyon
- Zigzag Railway
- Jenolan Caves
As you can see, I covered a lot of ground in 6 days! AND I did have a rainy rest day. Below are some snapshots of where I went, enjoy!
Hidden Cave Tunnels
These were some pretty epic tunnels frequently visited, every time I go it looks like people have camped in here with remnants of camp fires.
However, enter at your own (and very expensive) risk!
Mount Blackheath
On the top of Mount Blackheath there is an old timber platform which looks like an old hang gliders take off pad, which has become a very popular instagram spot! I see many photos of people standing out on the platform which honestly felt too unsafe and unstable for me, so please be careful if visiting!
Grove Grotto Canyon
This was actually my first ever experience of a canyon! Albeit, not in a true canyoning sense, but it is still such a magical and surreal place. You can walk straight up to a beautiful canyony waterfall on a pretty easy track from the car. Its a big win.
It is also a well known dog friendly location, so another BIG win.
Cahill’s Lookout
Arguably the best sunset spot in the Blue Mountains, or I just got damn lucky on this day. I scooted down the track out to this lookout in my slippers, I almost called it a day and last minute decided to go take a look. Oh boy am I glad I did!
Minne Ha Ha Falls
I think the first time I posted about these falls I made the caption ‘There is nothing minne about these falls’ and I stand by it.
An easy to get to, close to town waterfall, it’s no wonder its such a popular spot! The main challenge is fighting the crowds once you’re there.
Glow Worm Tunnel
The Wollemi National Park and the Newnes Plateau are a different world entirely, full of so much wild wilderness and natural beauty.
This was my first trip down the Glow Worm Tunnel Rd, and it sure is a trek. It is an hour drive along a dirt road starting from the ZigZag railway, and you won’t have much service after you leave Clarence! And keep in mind Google maps will only direct you to about halfway to where you need to be.
The road ends at the parking and walking track for the Glow Worm Tunnel, the track is an easy 6km return walk.
Tunnel Creek Caves
When visiting the glow worm tunnel be sure to check out the nearby Tunnel Creek Caves! From memory you could also walk to here from the Glow Worm Tunnel Parking area.
Hanging Rock
Hanging rock is one of my favourite lookouts in the Blue Mountains, the dramatic rocky peak looks like its holding on by a thread and reminds me of Eagle Head Rock from South Sydney.
There are some incredible and dramatic drone videos online of people walking out to the very peak, however this does require jumping an almost 1m gap to get out there. If you fell, this would be catastrophic. I had a look at the gap when I was there but since I was on my own I decided I would like to live a little longer.
The hike out to Hanging Rock is a 10km return hike along a fire trail. Its a reasonably flat and pretty nice walk in all honestly. Once I reached the first lookout point I overhead a young couple say ‘That’s it, not really worth the hike’ and all I can think of his how dull their lives must be!
Victoria Falls
Now this was a bit of a trek! In all fairness, i’ve only hiked down to Victoria Falls once and it was before I really got into hiking and canyoning so my fitness would have been pretty bleak.
It’s a pretty spot and definitely worth the visit! The above image is of the cascades and the actual Victoria Falls is further down the creek.
Lincoln’s Rock
Lincoln’s Rock really is quite a special spot, it is just such a shame it is so overrun with tourists and nasty graffiti. Before the masses of people damaged this location I can only imagine how magical it would have felt.
There is a large rocky outcrop with sweeping views across Blue Mountains stunning valleys. One of the highlights is a massively over-graffitied cave you can climb into. Its almost like your own natural pod to escape the crowds and take in the views, however you need to be quite crafty to take photos without all the fuss.
South Lawson Waterfall Circuit
This spot is an absolute gem for those who love adventuring with their furry companions.
The waterfalls may be small and require some decent rain to be flowing but very worth a visit.
Grand Canyon
One of THE BEST hikes in the Blue Mountains. You really can’t go wrong with the Grand Canyon track, it is simply magical. You get to experience the magic of walking through a wide canyon without having to invest in a canyoning guided trip. One of my favourite aspects of this hike is there is an actual canyon inside the larger canyon, where the real canyoners go. If you’re lucky, you’ll see the anchor chains or spot a canyoner taking off while you walk the formed tourist track, as they disappear into a dark crack in the ground. Epic.
Rachmartee 
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