What to expect on a bush walk in the Blue Mountains

When vacationing in South-eastern Australia, you may wish to take a break from the standard tourist attractions and activities in and around Sydney and take a bush walk, or small group hike in the surrounding Blue Mountains. A two hour bus ride from the Sydney CBD will place you at the beginning of the hiking trails, thus allowing hikers a chance to be back in their hotels by evening. Local guides are available that can take you on a walking tour that will expose you to some of the most stunning landscape offered in all of Australia. If you aren’t sure you are physically up to it, it is important to note that there are several categories of tour routes that accommodate a wide range of fitness levels. Most of these tours are capped at a maximum of sixteen guests, so you won’t be walking with a large crowd. Depending on the time of day, the degree of difficulty and the season, you may be in a group as small as two or three other people, which will allow for lots of question answering as well as a more intimate experience.

New Tour

Most tours include a lunch and plenty of photo ops for your memory book. As mentioned, there are several different tours visiting different sites and requiring different levels of fitness for the hiker. Here are a few samples….

• The Panoramic Blue Mountain hike is a 5.5 mile trek requiring an average level of fitness for the hikers. This is probably one of the most beautiful routes available as you will hike alongside the rock formations referred to as The Pinnacles as well as Lockley’s Pylon, Mt. Hay and Grose Valley.
• If waterfalls are of interest to you and you are of average or better fitness, a three and a half hour hike through the Valley of the Waterfalls might be just the ticket! Plenty of incredible scenery, lots of rocky climbs both up and down and the chance to enjoy a gourmet lunch alongside a beautiful waterfall.

If you fancy yourself as physically fit and would like to experience a trek through rain forest country, the Grand Canyon tour is one you should consider. Lots of canyons, gullies to traverse, creeks and streams to cross and an endless string of breathtaking views. The entire trip is 10 kilometres long and is considered medium to hard hiking.

These are just a sampling of the various tours and trails available for those adventurous souls seeking to learn more about Australia’s magical Blue Mountain region so bring your hiking boots and enjoy!