Sydney to Orange

From here it's about 20 minutes to Wentworth Falls, where there are a number of good choices for a breakfast and a coffee including Bakery Patisserie Schwarz, with its huge range of sandwiches and strudels, and the Conservation Hut, where you can admire the panorama of rock formations while tucking into your meal. After lunch take an easy stroll to the Princes Rock Lookout for a view across the falls described by Charles Darwin as "exceedingly well worth visiting".

Just five minutes down the road, Leura is considered by many to be the Blue Mountains' most appealing village. Take a stroll along Leura Mall, lined with boutiques, galleries and charming antique stores. 

Follow the scenic clifftop drive to Katoomba, stopping at Echo Point to drink in the magnificent view across the mountains' most famous rock formation, the Three Sisters. From here, you have a choice of adventures with the many walking tracks for all fitness levels. If you are reasonably fit, the Furber Steps Scenic Railway walking track is a good option. Expect to spend about two hours descending ever deeper into the valley, surrounded by calls of catbirds or wompa pigeons. But be sure to plan your walk wisely as you'll need to return back up the stairs. 

Don't be afraid to work up an appetite, the Blue Mountains is packed with good places for the hungry. Try Vesta in Blackheath, which serves up comfort food classics such as slow cooked lamb that falls apart on your fork. If it's on the menu, the bread and butter pudding is the perfect way to end the meal.

Stay at Echoes Boutique Hotel as it offers panoramic views from every room and is a short walk from the Three Sisters.

Just over an hour's drive from Katoomba lies one of the area's most spectacular sites, the Jenolan Caves. While indigenous Australians knew about the caves, which they called Binoomea ("dark places"), the first cave was not officially discovered by European settlers until 1848 (though local legend has it that outlaw James McKeown had previously used the caves as a hideout).

Much of the cave system, which is believed to cover about 40km, remains unexplored, but a number of spectacular caves can be toured with a guide, including some that feature sound and light shows. Tickets for each cave are sold separately. Among the most popular are the Pool of Cerberus Cave and the River Cave; the latter featuring stunning stalactites, stalagmites and limestones shawls. If you prefer something more strenuous, adventure caving options are also available.

Enjoy breakfast at Chisolm’s Restaurant and Caves Café before discovering the charms of Caves House hotel and seeing some of Australia’s most iconic and rare wildlife in their natural habitat.

NRMA Bathurst Panorama Holiday Park is a great base for exploring the Central West - it's less than an hours' drive from Orange. Choose from one or two bedroom cabins or a range of caravanning and camping sites. There's a pool, a giant jumping pillow, a playground, plus kitchen and barbecue facilities.

Day 3: Bathurst and Orange

1 HR | 55 KMS