Home of the original Yulefest Christmas in July

By | June 1, 2022

Hotel Mountain Heritage (formerly The California) is proud to be the original home of Yulefest! Originally known as Christmas In July, this most unusual “out-of-season” festive season was created by the previous owner of the Hotel Mountain Heritage, Garry Crockett who wanted to bring the wonder and magic of a European white Christmas to a… Read More »

Council releases 2022 report card

By | June 1, 2022

Blue Mountains City Council is pleased to share the results of the latest Community Satisfaction Survey. 88% of residents surveyed were at least somewhat satisfied with the performance of Council. Of these 59% were very satisfied or satisfied. Council conducts a survey every two years, as a way to check in with our community to find out… Read More »

Wentworth Falls Lake Park upgrade plans

By | June 1, 2022

Community consultation on the current Wentworth Falls Lake Park upgrade has provided a wealth of valuable feedback that will help shape the delivery of this exciting project, as well as future stages. Extended consultation with the community was held earlier this year on the design of the accessible bridge that will connect to a walkway… Read More »

The Mysterious Black-faced Monarch

By | June 7, 2022

The black-faced monarch (Monarcha melanopsis) gets its name from the black band on its face, which is only visible in older adults. Adults have grey bodies with rufous underparts and wings, and this colour scheme changes as the birds age. Juveniles have brown plumage and their wings are tipped with black and white bars, which… Read More »

Mount Banks Submit Walk

By | May 31, 2022

NPWS describes the walk this way: “For some of the best scenic views in the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area, try the steep Mount Banks Summit walk from the picnic area, near Mount Wilson.” The first half of the walk offers great views. We stocked up on essential provisions from Piccolo Deli, Mount Victoria.… Read More »

A closer look at the Brush-Tailed Rock-Wallaby

By | May 24, 2022

Petrogale penicillata, commonly known as the brush-tailed rock-wallaby or small-eared rock-wallaby, is a kind of wallaby that can be found in the Blue Mountains and southeastern Queensland in Australia. They can be seen throughout the upper Blue Mountains and at Jenolan Caves. Rock wallabies are endemic to Australia. What does the brush-tailed rock-wallaby look like?… Read More »

Murder at St Hilda’s Katoomba

By | May 23, 2022

St Hilda’s Church of England, Katoomba was designed by prominent 20th century architect John Burcham Clamp, a partner of Walter Burley Griffin, and built by a Mr. Johnson of Leura. At about 4.00 pm on Sunday 10th May 1959, John (Jock) Reynolds, a 36 year old cook from the Gearin Hotel, accompanied by his baby… Read More »

The Ghost of Victoria Pass

By | July 14, 2024

In the 1800’s, if you were travelling down Victoria Pass at night, there was the added risk of encountering the Ghost of Victoria Pass, which haunted Mitchell’s viaduct, also known as the second bridge, on Victoria Pass on the eastern side. Travellers reported that their horses would become restless as they approached the bridge, then… Read More »

Rename Echo Point to Frustration Point

By | May 19, 2022

Echo Point is probably the most visited attraction in the Blue Mountains yet few people have ever heard an actual echo from this location. There are in fact a number of Blue Mountains locations named for and associated with echoes. The traditional method to test for an echo was to shout Coo-ee and wait. In… Read More »

The Galah: A Cockatoo Unlike Any Other

By | May 17, 2022

Galahs are in the cockatoo family, although they look very different from most other species of cockatoo. They have pink feathers on their chest, sides, and back and grey feathers on their heads and wings, as well as large bright red patches on their cheeks. They’re known for being one of the smallest cockatoos, with… Read More »