Scenic World is a nature themed attraction that really lives up to its name as it is located amid a lush rainforest within the World Heritage listed Blue Mountains in New South Wales.
Established in 1945 when a local entrepreneur called Harry Hammond had the vision to transform a former coal mine into one of New South Wales top tourist attractions. When the Katoomba Colliery closed in 1945, Harry recognised an opportunity to convert the old coal skips and existing rail track into a passenger train, creating what is still the world’s steepest passenger train.
His vision evolved as visitors can now also take the cable car and skyway, explore forest-floor pathways and take in the views from the on-site restaurant. Still operated by the same family, Scenic World now attracts over a million people a year. Visitors can now use the railway and cable cars to descend into the valley and hike the trails, making this one of the most unique experiences in the Blue Mountains.
Getting there:
Scenic World is located close to Katoomba in the Blue Mountains and can be reached in under two hours by car from Sydney. For visitors arriving by public transport, trains operate between Sydney Central Station and Katoomba on the Blue Mountains Line with frequent connecting buses (686, 686G) and the Blue Mountains Explorer Bus covering the 3km onward journey to the attraction.
Tickets:
A range of entrance tickets are available with the Unlimited Discovery Pass AUD $54 (£27). This ticket includes the Scenic Railway, the Scenic Cableway, the Scenic Skyway, and the boardwalk trails on the valley floor. Visitors can ride as many times as desired in one day. There are also family options for this pass. Further ticket options can be found here.
We spent an entire day at Scenic World as there is so much to see and do for the entire family from taking a ride on the world’s steepest railway, the steepest cable car in the Southern Hemisphere and the first suspended cable car in Australia. As we were staying close by in Leura we were able to arrive by 10.00 a.m. just as the gates were opening. Tour buses begin arriving mid-morning so it’s a good idea to avoid lengthy queues for the railway and cable cars and get there early. There’s a large, free multi-storey car park just outside where we left our hire car. Unfortunately there was low mist hanging over the Blue Mountains that morning limiting visibility so we decided to take a ride on the Scenic Railway first to explore the valley floor in the hope that the mist would clear later.
Scenic Railway
The Scenic Railway connects the Scenic World top station to the base station, which sits on the valley floor. The Scenic Railway is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for the steepest passenger railway in the world with a 52° Incline. The ride is now in its fifth incarnation, having been most recently redeveloped in 2013.
Access to each of the attractions is by wristband ticket and with a relatively short queue we didn’t have very long to wait to board the train. Once steam-powered, the train is now on an electric winch system carrying up to 84 passengers in four cars. Seats can be reclined to a steeper angle for thrill seekers wishing to add to their experience but we were happy to leave ours upright for the exhilarating 310 metre, four minute journey down to the rainforest floor.
Scenic Walkway
On alighting from the railway we opted to follow the longest of the three Scenic Walkway trails covering a distance of 2.4 km along well maintained boardwalks over the valley floor.
Taking us around 50 minutes, the meandering paths took us alongside the remains of the original coal mining facilities as well as the lush rainforest floor. For visitors not wishing to walk quite so far or short of time, there are two other shorter trails to follow taking between 10 and 30 minutes.
Dinosaur Valley
A further section of the valley floor has been devoted to children as over 50 dinosaurs activated by sensors have been positioned under the rainforest canopy for younger visitors to hunt down and admire.
The dinosaur trail incorporates information boards detailing fascinating facts, turning the hunt into a fun learning activity.
Scenic Cableway
The Scenic Cableway runs between the Scenic World top station and the valley floor and ticket holders are also able to ride down the Scenic Railway, follow the rainforest walking trails and then ride back up on the Scenic Cableway (or vice versa) if preferred. Alternatively, round trips can be taken on both attractions.
The Scenic Cableway climbs the 545m high escarpment from the rainforest floor in 8 minutes and holds up to 84 passengers in its fully enclosed cabin. Thought to be the steepest cable car in the Southern Hemisphere, it’s another exciting experience.
Terrace Cafe and Eats 270 Restaurant
After taking the Scenic Railway back up to the top station we then enjoyed a tasty lunch in the Terrace Cafe, timing our break to perfection as just after we’d finished the low lying mist was rising and views of the iconic Three Sisters were coming into view.
Scenic Skyway
The remaining Scenic World attraction to experience was the Scenic Skyway which is a cable car running between the Scenic World top station to the Skyway east station. The Scenic Skyway is suspended between two cliffs dangling 270 metres over the valley floor along a 72m cable.
When the Skyway opened in 1958, it was Australia’s first cable car. The current cabin carries up to 84 passengers every 10 minutes and shouldn’t be missed.
On clear days visitors can enjoy fabulous views of Katoomba Falls and the Three Sisters. If you are starting at the Scenic World top station as we did, do remember to try and position yourselves on the left side of the cable car for the best view of the waterfall.
A section of the Skyway has a glass bottom floor, offering a different perspective of the valley below. After exiting the Skyway at the east station we took in the views from the lookout points back to Scenic World and of Katoomba Falls and the Three Sisters.
Passengers can return to the Scenic World top station on the Skyway or alternatively follow part of the Grand Cliff Top Walk. We chose this option which is fairly flat, taking around 20 minutes. The beauty of returning along the cliff top path is that it’s much quieter and there are some splendid viewpoints across to the Katoomba Falls and the Cascades.
That concludes my guide to spending a day Scenic World. I would highly recommend adding a visit to your itinerary whilst exploring the Blue Mountains as the attraction offers outstanding views and fun experiences.
During our visit we were guests of Scenic World, and as always, all views and opinions are entirely my own.
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