Blue Mountains Area World Heritage Site Sydney Australia Tourism

The Blue Mountains, about 90 minutes’ drive west of Sydney CBD, comprises a range of sandstone plateau, valleys and heathlands. The name "Blue Mountains" is derived from the ever present bluish haze, caused by the release of volatile oils from the eucalyptus forests. Much of the Blue Mountains are incorporated in the Greater Blue Mountains Area World Heritage Site, a conservation reserve. Whilst bushwalking is a favourite pastime of many, the region is also acclaimed for its guesthouses and luxurious resorts that offer spa treatments, natural therapies, and great dining experiences. A string of townships form a vibrant cultural community where artists, musicians and writers flourish. Bayview Boulevard Sydney offers spacious and comfortable guestrooms with stunning views of the picturesque Sydney Skyline and Harbour.

The Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area is an accessible wilderness, covering more than one million hectares of rainforest, canyons, eucalypt forest and heath lands in New South Wales. This landscape extends north to the Hunter Valley and includes the protected areas of the Blue Mountains, Wollemi, Yengo, Nattai,
Kanangra-Boyd, Gardens of Stone, and Thirlmere Lakes national parks, as well as the Jenolan Karst Conservation Reserve. Six Aboriginal language groups treasure connections with this land. These connections include cultural practices such as songs, stories and art, as well as knowledge about places, landforms, plants,
animals and natural resources passed down through generations.

The Blue Mountains are not, as the name suggests, a range of mountains, but a sandstone plateau which shelters a rich diversity of plant and animal life. The name comes from the bluish tinge the landscape assumes when eucalyptus forests release warmed oils into the atmosphere. The colour is best seen when viewed from a distance. Although known to Indigenous Australians for thousands of years, the Blue Mountains were thought to be impenetrable by the early settlers until a group of three explorers, known as Blaxland, Wentworth and Lawson, found a way through this wilderness in 1813. Many of the towns and natural features of the region are named in their honour.

Blue Mountains

The Blue Mountains National Park protects an unusually diverse range of animal and plant life. There are rare and ancient plants and isolated animal populations tucked away in its deep gorges, and more than one hundred species of eucalypts grow here. The region is considered a natural laboratory for studying the evolution of eucalypts because the region has such a wide range of species. There are tall forest eucalypts and rainforest species, open forests and woodland species.

The Greater Blue Mountains includes a number of ancient plant species, the most famous of which is the Wollemi pine (Wollemia nobilis). This living fossil dates back to the age of the dinosaurs. It was thought to have been extinct for millions of years, but small populations were found recently in remote gorges within
the Wollemi National Park. More than 400 different kinds of animals live within the gorges and tablelands of the Greater Blue Mountains landscape, including rare species such as the spotted-tail quoll, the koala, the yellow-bellied glider, and the long-nosed potoroo.

The area is also home to the distinctive geological phenomena of the Jenolan Caves, an ancient network of eroded limestone. Another geological phenomenon sits on the edge of the Blue Mountains plateau. The Three Sisters are an amazing sight: three closely-spaced, steep-sided sandstone pillars that according to Aboriginal legend are the embodiment of three sisters Meehni, Wimlah and Gunnedoo who lived in the Jamison Valley. This National Landscape received World Heritage listing in 2000. The unique plants, animals, and land formations in this outstanding environment tell a powerful story of Australia’s natural and cultural history. Although this National Landscape is on Sydney’s doorstep, it feels a world away.

Centrally located to Sydney's CBD attractions, shopping, dining and entertainment districts, Bayview Boulevard Sydney is the perfect destination for business, leisure or a short getaway.