There is something almost other worldly about waking up to endless blue hills, to sitting on a verandah with a freshly made cup of tea and a good book, wrapped in a fluffy complimentary robe and not having anywhere to be – except breakfast (made by someone else) in an hour or two.
For our thirtieth wedding anniversary my husband and I decided to eskew the usual card and dinner out with the kids. On the day itself we hardly even gave it much thought, I was working, he doing the retired house husband thing – not that we were ignoring it, instead saving it for a time when we could really enjoy.
Thanks to pandemic, my full time job and the stresses of raising families and just life – time to ourselves and a trip away had not been on the agenda for years. So, when this magic milestone came around we decided to celebrate in style – and well out of our home region.
Instead, we returned to a place we’ve always loved – the Blue Mountains. But while previous visits were spent in cheap hotel accomodation, staying with friends and in family friendly motels – this time around my husband took the recommendations of Sydney-based friends and contacted Lilianfels Blue Mountains Resort and Spa.
While we weren’t in the beautiful main Lilianfels Resort, we were still able to avail ourselves of all the facilities – indoor pool, restaurant, main lounge, gym and gardens – while staying just across the road at the adjoining Echoes Boutique Hotel. With just eight well-appointed rooms, all with balconies with stunning views across the beautiful Jamison Valley and with it’s own restaurant for breakfast and dinner – it offered everything the main resort did but with less people.
Being greeted by a short note and a box of chocolates congratulating us on our anniversary set the tone for our four-day visit, quality hair and skin care products in the bathroom, a queensized bed with a view across the Valley and tea and coffee making facilities in the room didn’t hurt either as did being at Echo Point just a short walk to the Three Sisters Lookout.
As a young couple we loved to travel – exploring new places was more important than where we stayed but now a little bit of luxury, a slow pace and time to just relax and be, is just as important as exploring.
Lilianfels and Echoes offers all sorts of Spa services and packages as well as other luxuries including a high tea which we enjoyed on our final night – served in the main lounge of Lilianfels – where we sat in plump lounge chairs, books in hand and a bar nearby if we needed more than the tea, coffee and bubbles. We also took advantage of the breakfast package enjoying a choice of six- different cooked breakfasts served with tea, coffee and juice and the fruit, danishes, yoghurt, toast and cereal of a continental buffet each morning (a luxury to a busy working mum).
Mornings were spent strolling the resorts beautiful gardens and nearby parks or reading in one of the many little nooks in and outside Lilianfels and Echoes.
From mid-morning it was time to jump in the car and out into the Blue Mountains proper – heading out to visit several of the beautiful gardens open to the public around the region, up to Bilpin to enjoy pies and pick apples, taking in all of the amazing lookouts and a few easy bush walks.
We bypassed Scenic World this time – it’s worth the visit especially if you’ve never done it – a chance to travel across the gorge in a gondala to take in the Three Sisters or travel down the bluff to enjoy views and walks instead choosing instead to avoid too many tourists and wander the many shops along the Main Street of Leura (stopping for BLT’s and Soup at the Red Door Café for lunch – one of the best meals of our trip) and Katoomba and get out into nature.
A lot has been made about the condition of the main street of Katoomba in the news recently and it did come as a little of a shock to see.
Like many main streets around Australia there are for lease signs and one of the areas most iconic café’s has been been little more than a building site for a while. However while Katoomba’s main drag isnt looking her elegant self, it’s a little run down and looking a lot more shabby than chic it’s still worth a wander. There are antique stores to visit and still plenty of eateries to enjoy from traditional fish and chippies to cafes and restaurants. I’m a big fan of a Reuben sandwiches so when we passed The Yellow Deli I had to drag Mr “Fish and Chips with aoli is too fancy for me” in for lunch. The Reuben was lovely and traditional and served with a side of potato chips (crisps) and a pickle which delighted me and had the Big Guy taking a rare food selfie to send his mates.
My must for this trip was the High Tea at Lillianfels which didn’t disappoint but the Big Guys’ was the Mountain Culture Katoomba Brewery in Parke Steet, just around the corner from the Main Street and a short walk from the Katoomba Station.
Their Katoomba Brewpub is housed in a restored 1900s heritage-listed building that has lived many lives – rustic and industrial in style, the pub offers snacks and burgers as well as beers for drinking and tasting. Sent by a mate to try a couple of varieties, he wasn’t disappointed and left with an expensive but “worth the money” four pack tucked under his arm – and me rolling him into the car and driving us back to our hotel. Who said romance is dead!
Getting there:
We chose to drive – the Pacific Highway is a pretty smooth run these days other than Coffs Harbour (where we skirted around the City Centre) and Hexham (we travelled out to East Maitland to have a night with friends and family and so avoided that bottle neck).
If you don’t want to drive, flights are available to Sydney regularly from the Gold Coast and Brisbane and a train and buses can carry you up the Mountain, while a tourist bus is available from Katoomba – allowing you to get on and off all day at different spot around the region.
