Best Option to Experience the Blue Mountains -- NEED HELP!

I have really studied these boards, and I'm still having trouble figuring out the best way for us to experience the Blue Mountains. We have 3 options:

1) Our cruise offers a shore excursion by 4-WD with a visit to Featherdale Wildlife Park followed with a trip to the Blue Mountains. We will pass Richmond, cross the Hawkesbury River, and continure along the Bells Line Road. It includes a short walk at Burralow Creek, lunch at Mt. Tomah Botanical Gardens, and a journey to Echo Point for stunning vistas of the Blue Mountains and the Three Sisters. There is also a stop for afternoon tea at Olympic Park.

2) Our second option is to "do it on our own" -- rent a car in Sydney, then visit Featherdale and the Blue Mountains. Or, we could skip Featherdale and just concentrate on the Blue Mountains (more about that below).

3) Our third option is to "do it on our own" -- by train, and then, either use the HOHO Explorer Bus or rent a car in Katoomba, if possible. From what I have seen on these boards, it's not recommended that we include Featherdale if we are taking the train.

I have read that there are 3 great journeys in the Blue Mountains that are not to be missed -- one in a gondola across a gorge, a second being the steep train down, and the third being a cable car to bring us back up. These all sound great to me! Please keep in mind when you share your advice that you keep this in mind: we are walkers and active, but definitely not hikers.

Here are my questions:

1) SHOULD WE GO TO FEATHERDALE? IS IT A "MUST SEE?" We are actually taking two B2B cruises, which takes us to Sydney twice. On the first cruise, we are concentrating our time within the city. While in Sydney the first time, we have secured tickets at the Taronga Zoo for a very special VIP Tour that gets us up close and personal with the koalas, feed a kangaroo, see behind the scenes, etc. When we visit Dunedin, we have reserved a private guide, who is taking us to a private penguin reserve. In Melbourne, we are visiting the Healseville Sanctuary. I have read that Featherdale is a very special place, but CONSIDERING ALL OF THE ANIMAL ENCOUNTERS THAT WE ALREADY HAVE PLANNED, IS FEATHERDALE A SENSIBLE USE OF OUR LIMITED TIME, OR IS IT A "DON'T MISS" NO MATTER WHAT?

As a general rule, we aren't big fans of large bus shore excursions. It seems that we only get to go as fast as the slowest person, which can be frustrating. Also, the ship's shore excursions tend to allow more time for lunch than we would ordinarily do, preferring to spend our precious time sightseeing with just a snack. It's not like we don't get enough to eat on a cruise! Given that, I also recognize that the ship's shore excursion is the easiest of the 3 options that I have outlined. It requires no planning except to show up on time. However, I'm not sure it's right for us. Here are my questions regarding the option of "doing it on our own."

2) WE WILL BE VISITING THE BLUE MOUNTAINS ON SUNDAY, JANUARY 13, 2013. I KNOW THAT IT WILL BE SUMMER VACATION FOR THE CHILDREN IN AUSTRALIA, AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS ARE LIKELY TO BE VERY CROWDED. IF WE TAKE THE TRAIN FROM SYDNEY TO KATOOMBA, AND THEN, RELY ON THE HOHO EXPLORER BUS TO GET TO THE DIFFERENT SIGHTS, WHAT KIND OF LINES FOR THE BUS WILL WE ENCOUNTER?

3) IF WE DECIDE TO RENT A CAR, WHAT WILL THE PARKING AVAILABILITY BE LIKE AT THIS TIME OF YEAR? WILL WE BE ABLE TO PARK THE CAR AT THE MAJOR SIGHTS, OR WILL WE BE STUCK LOOKING FOR A PARKING SPACE?

4) AT THIS TIME OF YEAR, WHAT WILL THE LINES BE LIKE FOR THE GONDOLA OVER THE GORGE, THE TRAIN DOWN AND THE CABLE CAR BACK UP?

5) THE SHIP'S EXCURSION IS APPROXIMATELY 9 HOURS IN LENGTH. IF WE EITHER DRIVE OR TAKE THE TRAIN/HOHO BUS OPTION, HOW MANY HOURS SHOULD WE EXPECT (WITH LINES AND CROWDS) TO TAKE THE GONDOLA, THE TRAIN AND THE CABLE CAR AND VISIT ECHO POINT AND THE THREE SISTERS? HOW MANY HOURS SHOULD WE EXPECT FOR THE FULL TRIP INCLUDING TRANSPORTATION ROUND-TRIP?

6) IF WE TAKE THE TRAIN TO KATOOMBA, ARE THERE CAR RENTAL AGENCIES IN KATOOMBA, WHERE WE COULD RENT A CAR JUST FOR THE TIME IN THE BLUE MOUNTAINS, THEN RETURN THE CAR IN KATOOMBA AND TAKE THE TRAIN BACK TO SYDNEY? IF YES, PLEASE TELL ME WHAT RENTAL AGENCIES ARE LOCATED IN KATOOMBA.

7) EQUALLY EASY TO TAKING THE SHIP'S EXCURSION WOULD BE TO ARRANGE FOR A PRIVATE GUIDE, WHO WOULD TRANSPORT US, SHOW US THE SIGHTS AND KNOW WHERE TO PARK THE CAR, AND EXPLAIN TO US WHAT WE ARE SEEING. CAN YOU RECOMMEND A PRIVATE GUIDE, WHO WOULD DO THIS? OR, CAN YOU RECOMMEND A SMALL TOUR COMPANY THAT MIGHT OFFER PRIVATE GUIDES?

8) BACK TO FEATHERDALE -- IF WE DO GO TO FEATHERDALE, HOW MANY HOURS SHOULD WE PLAN TO BE THERE SO THAT WE HAVE THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF HOURS AT THE BLUE MOUNTAINS?

9) BOTTOM LINE -- OPTION #1 (SHIP'S EXCURSION), OPTION #2 (DO IT ON OUR OWN WITH A CAR RENTAL), OR OPTION #3 (DO IT ON OUR OWN BY TRAIN AND HOHO EXPLORER BUS), AND FEATHERDALE/NO FEATHERDALE??????? ONE MORE OPTION: PRIVATE GUIDE, IF YOU KNOW ONE?

9) LASTLY, I HAVE READ THAT IF THE WEATHER DOES NOT COOPERATE, THEN WE SHOULD NOT GO TO THE BLUE MOUNTAINS BECAUSE WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO SEE ANYTHING. IF THAT HAPPENS, DO YOU HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS OF WHERE WE MIGHT GO FOR A DAY TRIP INSTEAD? I KNOW THE COMMON ONES LIKE MANLY (ALREADY DOING THAT THE NEXT DAY), BONDI BEACH, ETC. ANY OTHER IDEAS?

I know I've laid out far too many questions here, but it's some indication of how much time I've spent trying to figure out our best option. Please, please, please help me if you can.

Thank you so much!

Shelley:confused:

The hubby and I spent a week in Sydney following an eighteen night cruise from Honolulu to Sydney. We were very interested in seeing the Blue Mountains, and while we have rented cars in Ireland, England and New Zealand we really didn't want to rent a car just for one day in Sydney.

We used Blue Diamond Tours for a day tour to the Blue Mountains and were very pleased. It is a relatively small company. They use Mercedes coaches, which were very comfortable. While I don't remember the maximum number of passengers the coach would have held (possibly twelve?), we had eight folks on our tour. Since it was misting that morning at the Blue Mountains, Alina, our driver and tour director, modified the route such that we visited Featherdale before arriving at the Blue Mountains. Once we arrived, the weather had cleared, and we had a great day. Since Blue Diamond uses such small coaches we were also able to visit a location where we were the only group! The tour was very well organized, and we were very pleased. We highly recommend them.

Hi Shelley,

here are some brief answers to your questions

#1 give Featherdale a miss .....seeing as you are already visiting Taronga with a VIP tour and also Healesville and Dunedin

#5 the train trip takes 2 hours each way from sydney central station to katoomba. to drive also takes about 2 hours each way. the short answer to how long would all this take...about 8-9 hours.

I'm not keen on the stress of finding the car rental place, navigating on strange roads etc

#7 if not keen to join the ship's excursion, you could join a small tour company and ask for pick up at one of the hotels near the cruise port which is either barangaroo or circular quay. here is a link to get some ideas

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g255060-d1897292-Reviews-Colourful_Trips_Blue_Mountains-Sydney_New_South_Wales.html

#9 would suggest the train and then the HOHO bus

if your group includes one child under the age of 16, then you could take advantage of this great deal which is only for sundays...for $2.50/person you could travel up to the mountains and also use the blue mountains bus

http://www.cityrail.info/tickets/which/funday

#1 Definitely drop Featherdale if you are already doing all the other parks and yes it is way too complicated and time costly to visit Featherdale by train. One hour is sufficient if you do viist Featherdale.

Many people have visited Katoomba by train and this is a good option but forget trying to hire a car at Katoomba - there are several HOHO bus operators right at the station and there is usually no waiting in lines.

The route that your Cruise ship 4wd tour takes is ideal, that is, travel from Sydney via M2 to Windsor/Richmond, the Bells Line of Road, Mt Tomah then Blackheath (visit Govetts Leap) and on to Katoomba and the 3 sisters and Scenic world. This is a very scenic drive. Then return via the main (non scenic) highway and motorway back to the ship or drop at Olympic Park for a ferry ride back to Sydney. See if you can organise this through a small group tour operator such as Blue Diamond. No need for a 4wd to Blue Mountains - its all on road !!!!

Don't be concerned about parking in the Blue Mounhtains - lots of room. The rides you mention all commence from literally the same place. The cable car across the gorge commences from the top floor of the tourist facility (Scenic World) whilst the train down and cable ride back up is on the lower floor. BTW you can do the ride in reverse also with less waiting but it's not as exiting i guess. Do this though if you encounter large lines.

The boardwalk at the bottom is designed in 20 min segments, ie each loop is 20 minutes longer. A word of warning to every visitor - do not venture off the defined boardwalk unless in company of a guide. We had friends once who ended up lost for 4 hours on a side track - dumb.

Thank you so much! To clarify, are you suggesting that we just take the train, or should we rent a car in Sydney and drive the scenic route that the ship's excursion takes?

It's great to hear that the lines for the HOHO bus aren't bad. What time of year were you there? My only concern is that there will be so many people trying to get on the bus because it is summer vacation for the children, and it's such a popular time for families to travel. Also, as an alternative, do you have any experience with the Trolley Bus?

Thanks,

Shelley

A second vote for Blue Mountain. We missed out Featherdale it's not that great its ok and had a wonderful time seeing the sights. Much nicer seeing the Joeys in the wild. The HOHO bus does get delays and did not seem to go to as many of the smaller nicer places

Give Featherdale a miss... Taronga is central, convenient, new, more interesting etc! If you want to pat a koala and have a close up picture you can go and book in a time to do so.... cost is $20. Only bummer is that due to current renos on the paths it is a long way around to get there from the new entrance. But, you will get there!!! Look for the koalas and make a bee-line to get a time that suits you otherwise you may be waiting a long time (which is what happened to my Japanese friend who after 2pm had to wait for 90 mins for a time).

That is the main attraction at Featherdale IMHO - free koala pics! But save the time and hassle.. it is a long way off for you to get to!

Welcome by the way, you will love it! :D

We were in Sydney for 6 days in February. We bought the Multi 3 transportation passes. We took the train to Katoomba, had a wonderful lunch at the Savoy Restaurant, and then the HOHO bus. It would have been a wonderful afternoon except for the rain, so the sight-seeing in the mountains was difficult. We would do exactly the same thing again, if we get the opportunity. The bus/ferry/train passes were great, as we had no intention of renting a car.

Thank you so much! To clarify, are you suggesting that we just take the train, or should we rent a car in Sydney and drive the scenic route that the ship's excursion takes?

 

It's great to hear that the lines for the HOHO bus aren't bad. What time of year were you there? My only concern is that there will be so many people trying to get on the bus because it is summer vacation for the children, and it's such a popular time for families to travel. Also, as an alternative, do you have any experience with the Trolley Bus?

 

Thanks,

Shelley

No i'm not suggesting that you take the train - it's just another popular option for you to consider if you just want direct, cheap transport and some on here have already recommended it.

Unless you are fully conversant with driving on the opposite side of the road then i would not recommend that you hire a car. Our roads are nowhere in the same league as yours and i have seen too many accidents caused by overseas visitors driving on the wrong side.

If you choose a driving option then i would suggest you use a local small group or private tour operator and request that he follows a similar route to the one i suggested.

The lines for the HOHO bus and the trolley bus are never long at any time of the year. These buses only operate in the local Katoomba/Leura area serving the towns of Leura and Katoomba and the 3 sisters lookout at Echo Point and the rides at Scenic World. You would need to have private transport to visit other places in the Blue Mountains that is why i would recommend a guided tour.

We used Blue Diamond Tours on our recent stay on Sydney - there were 6 of us booked as a geoup and and it was a wonderful day in the blue Mtns and Featherdale....Elena and Roberto do a first rate job.....highly recommend

We used Sydney Tours R Us and they were great. The tour did include Featherdale, which was fine with us. That meant we didn't "need" to book another wildlife park tour in other ports.

They do a bunch of tours, so google them to see if they do Blue Mountains without Featherdale.

We went while we were staying in Sydney, not on a port stop. It's a long day, but worth it.

Blue Mountains, I would rent a car. Its an easy drive, toll road. There is plenty of metered parking. The steep train that get you to the bottom is a short ride. You won't be waiting long even if there is alot of people. The town there has nice shops and restaurants. I ate a Kangaroo Burger there. Don't remember the name of the place. At the Blue Mountains Gift Shop you can buy a giant box of individually wrapped Tim Tams that make good souviners for kids and co-workers. Make sure you eat a Meat Pie at some point.

Another option is that there is a reptile park North of Sydney which is about a 45 minute Drive. The Australian Reptile Park. There you get to pet and Koala's and hug Kangaroos and Wallaby's. They have snakes and Tazmanian Devils. Its a hands on zoo. You can do this in a couple hours or so, go back to Sydney and do the Bridge Climb, Luna Park, Manly Beach, or experience all that Sydney has to offer.

There is a Treetop Adventure Park in Wyong Creek or another option would be to go Game Fishing. Central Coast Reef and Game Fishing will take you out on a boat and catch BIG fish. After Fishing, while in Terrigal enjoy some Fish (White Shark) and Chips, the best in the world. Assuming you're renting a car.