Southern Highlands from Sydney without driving?

[YoPhilly]

We'll be in Sydney for almost 5 full days after our cruise, and we'd like to see something of Australia's diverse scenery before flying home.  I'm thinking day trips to Blue Mountains and/or the Southern Highlands.  We're not comfortable driving on the left, and I only see expensive private tours to the Southern Highlands.  A couple of questions...1) what would be your top sightseeing destinations outside of Sydney?  2) Is there a way to do Southern Highlands day trip by bus or rail - if so, recommended or not?

If you have other thoughts/suggestions for things to see or do, please feel free to comment.  We're both in our silver years so not into strenuous activities.  I know 5 days is NOTHING to experience Australia, but we'd love to make the most of it.  We'll definitely tour the Opera House, spend an afternoon/evening at The Rocks, 1/2 day at Manly or Bondi Beach.  Maybe a DIY train trip to Blue Mountains.  Then what?  Please help!

[yarramar]

The train to Katoomba for the Blue Mountains is a good day trip. You could also look at the train to Cronulla, which is a beach suburb with a beautiful stretch of beaches. From there you can catch a ferry to Bundeena which is a coastal village surrounded by the Royal National Park.  

http://bundeenainfo.com/

[YoPhilly]

14 minutes ago, yarramar said:

The train to Katoomba for the Blue Mountains is a good day trip.

I've been researching the train to Katoomba, but reached a dead end when arriving in the town.  Can you help with these questions?  From the Katoomba train station, is it walkable to any of the lookout points (like Echo Point), and/or are the views of the Jamison Valley and Three Sisters seen from just about anywhere in Katoomba?  We're not interested in taking the Scenic World cable car over the valley....if DIY by train to Katoomba, what would you recommend doing/seeing/eating, etc.?  I've also read that Leura is a charming town; would you recommend spending an hour or two there as well?  One last question, are taxis or Ubers readily available in Katoomba and Leura?  Thanks so much for your assistance.😁

[YoPhilly]

29 minutes ago, yarramar said:

You could also look at the train to Cronulla, which is a beach suburb with a beautiful stretch of beaches. From there you can catch a ferry to Bundeena which is a coastal village surrounded by the Royal National Park.  

http://bundeenainfo.com/

Thanks for the link, which I just explored.  It looks charming.  For a beach experience, I'm leaning toward the ferry to Manly, which I understand has a relaxing vibe with cafes, beaches and a popular walking path.  How would you compare Manly to Bundeena?

[yarramar]

 

3 minutes ago, YoPhilly said:

I've been researching the train to Katoomba, but reached a dead end when arriving in the town.  Can you help with these questions?  From the Katoomba train station, is it walkable to any of the lookout points (like Echo Point), and/or are the views of the Jamison Valley and Three Sisters seen from just about anywhere in Katoomba?  We're not interested in taking the Scenic World cable car over the valley....if DIY by train to Katoomba, what would you recommend doing/seeing/eating, etc.?  I've also read that Leura is a charming town; would you recommend spending an hour or two there as well?  One last question, are taxis or Ubers readily available in Katoomba and Leura?  Thanks so much for your assistance.😁

The station to Echo Point is 2.5 km, walkable but you could also get a cab or Uber. Leura has a train station but is only 2km from Katoomba. The Three Sisters best vantage  is at Echo Point.

Scenic World also has 2 other "rides" besides the scenic skyway and is worth spending a couple of hours as well as to get access down into the rainforest where you can walk for miles. It has become a little cheesy with it's emphasis on dinosaurs but I would still recommend visiting it as it really is quite unique.

[yarramar]

2 minutes ago, YoPhilly said:

Thanks for the link, which I just explored.  It looks charming.  For a beach experience, I'm leaning toward the ferry to Manly, which I understand has a relaxing vibe with cafes, beaches and a popular walking path.  How would you compare Manly to Bundeena?

They are both worlds apart and can't really be compared. Bundeena has the advantage of being within the 2nd oldest national park in the world and a truly beautiful unspoilt location. Manly is a short ferry ride from Sydney and is quite built up but a lovely day out nevertheless.

[YoPhilly]

3 minutes ago, yarramar said:

Scenic World also has 2 other "rides" besides the scenic skyway and is worth spending a couple of hours as well as to get access down into the rainforest where you can walk for miles. It has become a little cheesy with it's emphasis on dinosaurs but I would still recommend visiting it as it really is quite unique.

My husband and I love trains, so I was wondering about the Scenic World train.  Where does it go, and what would we see there?

[YoPhilly]

2 minutes ago, yarramar said:

They are both worlds apart and can't really be compared. Bundeena has the advantage of being within the 2nd oldest national park in the world and a truly beautiful unspoilt location. Manly is a short ferry ride from Sydney and is quite built up but a lovely day out nevertheless.

Last night I found I can get tickets to a performance at Sydney Opera House while we're in town, and this "beach" day would be a shortened day.  Here's my inexperienced thinking: Skip the crowds at Bondi; take the easy ferry to Manly for a relaxing few hours of swimming, walking and lunch.  Back into Sydney by around 4PM for a nap, shower and light dinner before the opera.  Is Manly "good enough" for a scenic ferry ride and experience?

[yarramar]

It's not really a train, it was originally rail cars which were sent down a shaft into the coal mines with a cable. It was an incredibly steep descent and quite thrilling to ride down into the valley. Today it has become sanitized and is more like a funicular for safety reasons. It is no longer thrilling but it still takes you down into the rainforest which is very lovely. From there you can walk along the pathways and come to the cable car which takes you up back to Scenic World.

If you love trains, the Zigzag railway is worth visiting. It is 35km from Katoomba but I am not sure how you would get there without a car. https://zigzagrailway.au/ Possibly taxi but not sure how you would get back. Maybe rethink on hiring a car. You could then also visit Jenolan Caves.

 

[yarramar]

2 minutes ago, YoPhilly said:

Last night I found I can get tickets to a performance at Sydney Opera House while we're in town, and this "beach" day would be a shortened day.  Here's my inexperienced thinking: Skip the crowds at Bondi; take the easy ferry to Manly for a relaxing few hours of swimming, walking and lunch.  Back into Sydney by around 4PM for a nap, shower and light dinner before the opera.  Is Manly "good enough" for a scenic ferry ride and experience?

That should work. Beachwise, Manly is better and also much easier to get to from the CBD by public transport (ferry vs train & bus) Manly is the best ferry ride. This may also be of interest https://www.audible.com.au/pd/Manly-Ferry-Audio-Commentary-Audiobook/B00FOEMLVI

[YoPhilly]

1 minute ago, yarramar said:

That should work. Beachwise, Manly is better and also much easier to get to from the CBD by public transport (ferry vs train & bus) Manly is the best ferry ride. This may also be of interest https://www.audible.com.au/pd/Manly-Ferry-Audio-Commentary-Audiobook/B00FOEMLVI

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my very novice questions.  We're looking forward to our time there.  I'd love to do a month of travel around your beautiful country, but we'll already have been away from home for 7 weeks!  All good things must come to an end!  Thanks again for your suggestions. 😀

[BINDY31]

On 8/14/2023 at 11:24 PM, YoPhilly said:

I've been researching the train to Katoomba, but reached a dead end when arriving in the town.  Can you help with these questions?  From the Katoomba train station, is it walkable to any of the lookout points (like Echo Point), and/or are the views of the Jamison Valley and Three Sisters seen from just about anywhere in Katoomba?  We're not interested in taking the Scenic World cable car over the valley....if DIY by train to Katoomba, what would you recommend doing/seeing/eating, etc.?  I've also read that Leura is a charming town; would you recommend spending an hour or two there as well?  One last question, are taxis or Ubers readily available in Katoomba and Leura?  Thanks so much for your assistance.😁

Once you get to Katoomba you will find the Blue Mountains Explorer bus…. Our very own Hop on, Hop off bus….  I live in the Blue Mountains.

 

Explorerbus.com.au has all the info regarding costs, timetable, and a useful map of the route.

 

scenicworld is worth exploring…. If you get the train down into the valley there is a great boardwalk around a loop down there…we even saw a lyrebird once!!

you then can either go back up on the train or use the gondola to go back up the top. 
there is also a cable car…called the Skyway over the valley 

 

the train trip from Sydney will take you through busy inner city suburbs… to suburban suburbs… over the Nepean River that separates the plains from the mountains… through the beautiful bushland areas up the mountain to Katoomba. Well worth the 2 hours it takes.

 

there is also a hop on hop off bus that takes in the sights of Sydney.

 

enjoy!!!

 

cheers

Belinda

On 10/27/2023 at 5:03 AM, pking said:

We've been busy booking excursions for our trip and I am wondering if any of you have plans for Napier/Hawkes Bay? 

We had found one that had a trip to a farm with sheep (which my wife loved) and a couple of wineries (which I love).  Unfortunately, when pressed for a more detailed itinerary, the farm/sheep experience was dropped, and it was all wineries.

What are your plans for excursions in Napier/Hawkes Bay?

 

Additionally, we have booked a Viator tour at Christchurch on March 19th.  Our tour operator mentioned that 4 additional people were needed for this tour to go.  A link to the tour is below.

 

Shore Excursion with Farm Tour: Lyttelton to Arthur’s Pass 2023 - Christchurch (viator.com)

 

Anyone else interested in this tour?  It does stop at a sheep farm and goes to Arthur's Pass National Park which looked like it has great scenery.  

 

[beatleman]

On 8/14/2023 at 11:53 PM, YoPhilly said:

Last night I found I can get tickets to a performance at Sydney Opera House while we're in town, and this "beach" day would be a shortened day.  Here's my inexperienced thinking: Skip the crowds at Bondi; take the easy ferry to Manly for a relaxing few hours of swimming, walking and lunch.  Back into Sydney by around 4PM for a nap, shower and light dinner before the opera.  Is Manly "good enough" for a scenic ferry ride and experience?

Manly is a far better option than Bondi,great scenic ferry trip on the harbour and top ocean beach

[YoPhilly]

On 11/16/2023 at 5:38 AM, BINDY31 said:

Once you get to Katoomba you will find the Blue Mountains Explorer bus…. Our very own Hop on, Hop off bus….  I live in the Blue Mountains.

 

Explorerbus.com.au has all the info regarding costs, timetable, and a useful map of the route.

 

scenicworld is worth exploring…. If you get the train down into the valley there is a great boardwalk around a loop down there…we even saw a lyrebird once!!

you then can either go back up on the train or use the gondola to go back up the top. 
there is also a cable car…called the Skyway over the valley 

 

the train trip from Sydney will take you through busy inner city suburbs… to suburban suburbs… over the Nepean River that separates the plains from the mountains… through the beautiful bushland areas up the mountain to Katoomba. Well worth the 2 hours it takes.

 

Thanks very much, Belinda.

[YoPhilly]

On 11/16/2023 at 6:22 AM, beatleman said:

Manly is a far better option than Bondi,great scenic ferry trip on the harbour and top ocean beach

Beatleman, thanks for the recommendation.  Based on my research, Manly seems to be the better choice.

[dreams_of_travel]

On 11/16/2023 at 5:38 AM, BINDY31 said:

Once you get to Katoomba you will find the Blue Mountains Explorer bus…. Our very own Hop on, Hop off bus….  I live in the Blue Mountains.

 

Explorerbus.com.au has all the info regarding costs, timetable, and a useful map of the route.

 

scenicworld is worth exploring…. If you get the train down into the valley there is a great boardwalk around a loop down there…we even saw a lyrebird once!!

you then can either go back up on the train or use the gondola to go back up the top. 
there is also a cable car…called the Skyway over the valley 

 

the train trip from Sydney will take you through busy inner city suburbs… to suburban suburbs… over the Nepean River that separates the plains from the mountains… through the beautiful bushland areas up the mountain to Katoomba. Well worth the 2 hours it takes.

 

there is also a hop on hop off bus that takes in the sights of Sydney.

 

enjoy!!!

 

cheers

Belinda

 

I just did this trip to the Blue Mountains last month.  It was lovely.  We did not get the Scenic World pass or visit due to some things being closed/temp out of service.  But we did use the HoHo Bus Explorer, and hiked a good bit along the trails for views of the Three Sisters, waterfalls, and other vistas.  It was peaceful hiking,  Leura was lovely with all the little shops.  We did not explore Katoomba on arrival by train but jumped straight away onto the HoHo.  I would go back to explore Katoomba, especially the street art area, and galleries.  YMMV