Scenic World, at Katoomba, NSW, is impressive for many reasons, not least the view it offers of the Three Sisters and the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Greater Blue Mountains. But what is also remarkable is that 80 years after the attraction opened to tourists, it is still owned by the same family.
The Hammon family have been welcoming guests ever since Harry Hammon founded Scenic World in 1945. He had spotted potential in the very steep railway that was built in 1878 to haul coal out of Jamison Valley. From 1928 to 1945, when the coal mine closed, the railway carried coal during the week and passengers at weekends.
All these years later, there’s still a palpable air of excitement as the crowd queues to ride the railway which operates on a 52-degree incline down into the valley, leading the Guinness Book of Records to designate it as the steepest passenger railway in the world.
The adventure starts at the top of cliffs overlooking Jamison Valley, high on the escarpment opposite the instantly recognizable Three Sisters. There’s a rush of adrenaline as the train descends 310 metres into the forest, at a rate of four metres per second. (Tech geeks will be interested to know that it is an inclined lift, not a funicular, the difference being that it has a winch system and no counterbalancing carriage.)
There’s also a Scenic Cableway that descends deep into the valley but it was closed for maintenance when we visited. The Cableway car is a huge thing – carrying 84 people and wheelchair accessible — and is said to provide magnificent views of Orphan Rock, Mount Solitary and the surrounding cliff faces.
An elevated boardwalk links the base of the railway and cableway, giving you a choice of going down on the train and returning by cable car, or vice versa.
Down here, deep in the forest, a web of hiking trails allows for exploration of the rainforest at your own pace. You could walk for as little as 10 minutes, stopping to see a display about the mine that operated here in the late 1800s.
Or you could walk a little further and do a 30-minute loop, as we did, and enjoy the birdsong and the cool afforded by the shady canopy. There’s also a longer loop that takes around an hour.
With our appetites sharpened, we returned to the restaurant, café and gift shop at the top of the escarpment. The family-friendly restaurant has a great range of lunch options including burgers, fish and chips, pasta dishes, and wraps, and the cool thing is that it’s surrounded by full-length panoramic windows and an outdoor terrace so you can soak in those amazing views while enjoying your lunch.
There’s also an adjacent café with indoor and outdoor seating and similarly great views where you can enjoy tea or coffee and a snack or bakery treat.
You can enter the shop and dining venues without having to buy a ticket to Scenic World, and you’d still be able to enjoy the sensational views. But for first-time visitors especially, you’d be doing yourself a great disservice if you didn’t buy the all-day pass that provides entry to the thrilling Railway, Cableway and Skyway attractions.
Sitting at lunch, we watch enthralled as the Skyway cable car glides horizontally across the nearly 400-metre gorge between escarpments. When the original Scenic Skyway opened in 1958, it was Australia’s first cable car. Today it is the largest aerial cable car in the Southern Hemisphere (like the Cableway car, it holds 84 passengers).
If I was a brave soul, I’d go for an even bigger adrenaline rush and experience Beyond Skyway, where at sunset you can clip on a harness, open a hatch and climb onto the roof of the cable car as it dangles over Jamison Valley, 270 metres above the forest canopy. Awesome!
But I’m not that brave, so we’re doing the regular Skyway journey across the valley, enjoying epic views of Katoomba Falls and the Three Sisters, and marvelling how lucky we are to have this world treasure on our doorstep.
It’s a 20-minute trip across the valley and back again, but you don’t have to return straight away. Once you’ve arrived at the Skyway East Station, you can walk for about 40 minutes along the cliff top to the Three Sisters and even hop on an Explorer bus to see the sights of Katoomba (a combined ticket is available).
If you do choose to return straight away, you’ll need to join the queue at the East Station. At busy times, this might mean a bit of a wait. Scenic World does get very busy, with tour buses arriving from mid-morning, so your best bet is to arrive early if you want to avoid queues for the cable cars and railway.
Scenic World offers unlimited rides on all three for a single ticket price, and over the summer months there’s an added attraction for no extra charge: Dinosaur Valley (on until January 26). This means Brachiosaurus, Stegosaurus, Kronosaurus, T-Rex and other dinosaur fan favourites popping up in the forest.
For an extra charge, you can tour Scenic World with an indigenous guide to learn more about Gundungurra Country, choosing from a 30-minute Buunyal Yarn (talk) or a 3-hour guided Buunyal tour.
The Beyond Skyway experience costs $369 which includes a digital photo package, refreshments and a glass of Mumm Champagne, Mountain Culture beer or Dry Ridge Estate wine on your return.
Scenic World
Violet Street and Cliff Drive,
Katoomba NSW 2780
Australia
Tel: +61 (0)2 4780 0200
Parking in the covered carpark is free. Local public transit bus goes right to the parking lot (tap on/off with credit card.
More information: www.scenicworld.com.au
With thanks to Scenic World for hosting our visit.
