Visiting Scenic World Australia

Read More About Sydney Here: Pt. 1 // Pt. 2

The third day in Sydney, with my friend Christine, was what I considered our "excursion day". We debated for a bit on whether we should go to the beach or mountains, and ended up heading to Scenic World in the Blue Mountains! This is one of Australia's most popular National Parks, and it did not disappoint.

We first took the train from Sydney to Katoomba, then hopped on a bus that took us right to the park entrance! We were able to do all of that with just our Opal Cards, which makes getting around the Sydney area a breeze. Both of us had settled in for what we assumed would be an extremely long train and bus ride, but were pleasantly surprised that they didn't take quite as long as our research had led us to believe.

Once we arrived in the park, we began our exploring with the Skywalk—a gondola, with a glass bottom, that takes you across the canyon. From here we had amazing views of the waterfall below, and the Blue Mountain range expanding out in front of us. Once on the other side, we decided to be adventurous and make the trek out to see the Three Sisters, rather than taking the bus, which are an iconic landmark in Australia. The hike was beautiful and filled with lush vegetation and spectacular views.

Next, we hopped onto the Railcar, which was like a taking a rollercoaster to the valley floor! This was definitely my favorite part of the park, especially experiencing it with all the other visitors sharing the ride, who were not holding their yelps and cheers back. This Railcar is the steepest in the world, and you can feel it! If it weren't for the seat restraints, we all would have ended up piled at the front of the car. The park attendants even had the theme to Indiana Jones playing, which made it really feel like we were at Disneyland! Once on the ground, Christine and I spent as much time as we could exploring the Rainforest Walkway. This is not the type of scenery you get in our home state of Utah, so we were definitely taking it all in.

Just before the park closed, we caught the Cableway, which took us back up to the top of the canyon, while giving us one last gorgeous view of the mountain range, ate some snacks at the lookout, and then grabbed the bus back to Katoomba, where we did a bit of antique browsing, had dinner, and just enjoyed each other's company, before catching the long train ride back to Sydney.

Overall, Scenic World has been one of my favorite experiences in Australia! I'd had a few people let on that it wasn't worth the trip, and I would have to disagree, completely. The park is gorgeous, from the Three Sisters rock formation, to the giant stepping stones deep in the rainforest. Plus, getting around was so much easier than any other park I've ever been to, and all of the "rides" made it even more enjoyable and exciting!