Over the last few weeks, I shared with you some details of our walk-a-thon around the City of Melbourne. I talked about the places we’ve been to in the city, mostly parks & gardens, heritage sites, hipster laneways & communal spaces. Melbourne is such a walk-able city – most of the places to visit can be reached by foot. I mentioned in one of my previous posts that my friends & I also went on day trips outside the city to see what the Victorian state has to offer.
One of the day trips, or should I stay half day trips, we took is a morning at the Brighton Bathing Boxes site. The iconic Brighton Bathing Boxes are located in Dendy Street Beach in Brighton, Victoria. These boxes played an important role in the seaside bathing culture in Melbourne in the 1900’s. Out of the thousands of bathing boxes present in the costs, only 82 of them remain. All these 82 bathing boxes are found at the Dendy Street Beach. Up to now, these boxes are licensed by the local government council as bathing boxes; although some of them are no longer functional.
The Brighton Bathing Boxes have become a popular tourist attraction outside Melbourne. Visitors flock to this site to see & have a photo with the colorful & uniquely-designed boxes. These boxes sport the intricate Victorian architecture with its original wooden materials. A photo with the bathing boxes is perfect for your next Instagram post or your Facebook profile photo. This place may be out of the way, but it’s definitely worth the visit.
Going to the Brighton Bathing Boxes is very easy. From Flinders Street Station, take the Sandringham Line to Sandringham. Get off at Middle Brighton Station & walk for about 15 minutes to Dendy Street Beach. The boxes are located on this beach. Take note that the nearest station to the bathing boxes is Middle Brighton Station & not Brighton Station.
The Sandringham Line was under repair / redevelopment during our visit. Public Transport Victoria provided free bus rides to Sandringham from the Parliament Station. These buses stop at every station on the Sandringham Line. We rode these free buses to Brighton & back to the city. It also helped us save some cash. Make sure to check the Public Transport Victoria website for service interruptions / maintenance.
Looking for a place to stay in Melbourne? Check out Flinders Backpackers. This hostel is affordable & has a great vibe. Know more details about the hostel by clicking this link.
Brighton Bathing Boxes
The 82 Brighton Bathing Boxes are positioned as one line on Dendy Street Beach. Visitors have 82 boxes to choose from for their best photo. We went there around 10-11 in the morning on a public holiday & oh boy, there were a lot of people. There were only a number of people swimming in the beach due to the relatively cold but sunny weather.
Brighton Beach
My friends & I decided to check out Brighton Beach since we were already in the area. Brighton Beach is about 15-20 minutes walk (about 1.2 kilometers) away from the bathing boxes site on Dendy Street Beach. Brighton Beach was quiet compared to the bathing boxes site. There were close to no one swimming because of the cold winds. We took the ride back to the city from Brighton Station.
This sums up our brief morning visit to Brighton & the Bathing Boxes site. Is this place worth going? Definitely. Will I visit the place again when I fly back to Melbourne? I don’t know. Seeing the boxes for the first time is great & that’s it. There’s nothing else to see in the area.
Have you been to the Brighton Bathing Boxes? What is your favorite bathing box? Were there a lot of people during your visit? Share your experiences & trips in the comment section below & let’s engage in a discussion. Do you have any questions about Melbourne & Brighton in general? You can also post them in the comments below or send it to me via e-mail to contact@thewkndtravel.com. I’ll respond as soon as I can. Don’t forget to follow me & please please please also help me in promoting my social media channels – Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
Thank you for taking your time to read my post. Watch out for my upcoming stories about our Great Ocean Road, Phillip Island & Yarra Valley Wine Tasting Tours. It should be posted on this website soon!
Last month, I revived the N9 In Straya Series & started talking about our 8 days & 7 nights adventure in Melbourne last April. First, I shared with you the list of parks, gardens & heritage places we visited during the trip. I also gave you some details about Flinders Backpackers, our cheap but super cool hostel in downtown Melbourne. I still have a lot about Melbourne to share & allow me to share some with you today. Let me talk about the laneways, communal spaces & modern areas we visited during the trip.
Note: As mentioned in the previous blog, tram rides within Melbourne CBD are free of charge. Also, the city is very accessible by foot.
Melbourne is known for its hipster laneways, coffee shops & everything artsy. I may not be a coffee-drinker but this city is full of small artsy shops offering special coffee, avocado toasts & pastries. My friends didn’t go to many coffee shops (we went to milk tea shops instead lol) but surely went to some of these laneways & alleys. Let me share with you some of these places below.
DEGREAVES STREET
Degreaves Street is a short pedestrian street that connects Flinders St & Flinders Lane. It is a famous place to eat a hearty brunch, get your morning coffee, avail your afternoon snack or buy your evening dessert. This vibrant street has become a famous go-to places for both locals & tourists. You’ll often see shops / stalls having random queues for something cheap, hippie or artsy.
HOSIER LANE
Hosier Lane is Melbourne’s famous graffiti street. This short lane is full of random & sophisticated street arts. International & local artists put on graffiti in the walls about anything & everything about the world. There are some iconic arts, some controversial while most of them are just random ones. These street arts or murals are not as organized as that of Penang‘s but they give a different experience whilst walking along the paved way.
FEDERATION SQUARE
Federation Square is a one-of-a-kind cultural precinct located opposite Flinders Station. This communal space is a venue for cultural events, arts & world-class activities. It also has bars & restaurants, making it a perfect place to just hang out & chill.
CHINATOWN
Just like any other city around the world, Melbourne has its own local Chinatown. It is in this place where you will have your rice fix (I know – very Asian). It’s also the place to have cheap food & souvenirs. We had our 1st lunch in the famous Shanghai Street Chinese Restaurant – cheap & good Chinese food.
COLLINS PLACE
Melbourne has a lot of modern & intricately-designed retail & commercial buildings. One of these buildings is Collins Place. This commercial complex was designed & built way back in the 1970’s & up to now, still embodies the true Melbourne character. The structures are unique & are well-maintained. It’s also a good place to meet with friends for random eats & drinks.
MELBOURNE CENTRAL
Melbourne Central is a massive commercial, retail & transport hub in the city. It has hundreds of specialty stores, bars & restaurants which makes it the best place to go out with friends. You can find both local & international clothing, footwear & accessories brands here. It’s also the best place to shop in Melbourne. This complex is located in the heart of the city in the corner of La Trobe & Swanston Streets.
YARRA RIVER
Yarra River is a body of water that originates from the Yarra Ranges & runs through the Melbourne Business District. This river played a very important role in the daily lives of the early city inhabitants. It made the lives of those living in the upper areas easier to transport everything to & from the city. Now, the city-part of the river serves a tourist destination, giving the visitors a perfect view of the Melbourne skyline. A walk by the banks of the Yarra River is a perfect way to start or end your day in the city.
SOUTHBANK
Southbank is a booming urban neighborhood located in the south of the Yarra River. It now an area of tall commercial & residential buildings. Southbank currently has Melbourne’s tallest observation deck in Eureka Tower. A 100-storey building in Southbank is currently under construction & will be Australia’s tallest building by roof height in a few years. The area of Southbank by the Yarra River is also a great place to have a morning or night stroll. It’s also the perfect place to have a pint of beer with friends overlooking the city skyline.
VICTORIA HARBOUR
Victoria Harbour is the Docklands precinct where Collins & Bourke Streets meet. This picturesque harbour has a stunning & relaxing view of Docklands, Marvel Stadium, Newquay & some parts of West Melbourne. Please do not compare this with Sydney Harbour because this place is way behind the famous New South Wales harbour.
SOUTHERN CROSS RAILWAY STATION
Southern Cross Railway Station in Docklands is Victoria’s major transport hub that links Melbourne to regional Victorian cities & even other Australian states like New South Wales & South Australia. This station is the main hub of Skybus – the only bus transport service that operates between the city & Melbourne Tullamarine & Avalon Airports. The station also serves as the departure & arrival points of interstate buses. The station is also connected to the city loop making it easier to transfer to Melbourne’s other railway hub – Flinders Street Railway Station.
This pretty much sums up all the interesting places we’ve been to within the City of Melbourne. However, the adventure didn’t stop there. My friends & I booked 3 well-recommended day trips to the countryside which you will know more about in the coming weeks. Stay tuned!
View from the 66th Floor of Light House Melbourne – a beautiful skyscaper in Melbourne CBD
Have you walked around the Melbourne central business district in the past? How was your experience? What was your favorite spot in the city? Share some details in the comments section below. If you have anything to ask or share to me, feel free to send an e-mail to contact@thewkndtravel.com & I’ll respond as soon as I can. Don’t forget to follow me & please please please also help me in promoting my social media channels – Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
Thanks for your time & see you in the next Melbourne post. ✌️
We all got multiple entry visas on our 1st application (find out here how we did it) & we agreed to fly to Australia again before our visas expire. Fast forward to April 2019, we all flew back to Australia for another week of adventure.. But this time, in Melbourne! Yes, we went around Melbourne & Victoria in general for 8 days & oh boy, we had a great time. I cannot wait to share everything in this platform. This trip to Melbourne also means I’ll be reviving the N9 In Straya Series which started last year.
We were joined by my good friend, Lord of LordAroundTheWorld, for the first 4 days in Melbourne. Lord was the one who invited me to go to Its The Ship 2018 last November. We had the best party nights on board a cruise ship – good times. Anyway, I will be dividing the trip write-ups into 6 or 7 sections & I’ll try to remember as much details as I can.
FLIGHTS
Last year, I paid around ₱11,500 all-in for a return ticket to Australia. Yes, that cheap! We flew with Cebu Pacific Air, a low-cost carrier, for 8-hour trips to & from Sydney. The experience was alright, though nothing beats flying with a full-service airline. Given our planned dates fall on the high (Holy Week) season, we decided to fly with the same airline in their Melbourne route.
This time, I paid around ₱15,000 for a round-trip ticket to Melbourne, Australia. The ticket only included shared baggage with my friends, no in-flight entertainment or food. Both flights were on time which were good. However, the experience was terrible. The flight was full, we had no space to change seats & have a row of seats to ourselves. The cabin was noisy in general & the service was a bit slow. The crew were fantastic, there were just around 400+ passengers on board.
This Melbourne ticket is amazingly cheap considering higher fuel prices & taxes. I’d still take the same flights but not during peak seasons.
ACCOMMODATION
My friends & I stayed in Flinders Backpackers in the center of Melbourne. We got a 3-bed dormitory room (perfect for us 3 – Lord got his own bed in another dormitory room) for 8 days & 7 nights. I will talk more about the hostel, its location & our experience in my upcoming hostel of the day feature. Watch out for that.
WALKING AROUND MELBOURNE
Last year, my friends & I joined the I’m Free Tours in Sydney & we had a nice experience. We opted not to take the I’m Free Tours Melbourne because we already know about the history of Australia. It would’ve been nice to know more about Melbourne in that walking tour but my friends didn’t want to take it again. Instead, we explored the city on our own. Trams are free within the central business district plus everything in the area can be reached by foot. Today, allow me to share with you the list of heritage & historical sites, parks & gardens we went to in the city.
Flinders Street Station
Flinders Street Station is Melbourne’s main train station. It was built in the 1850s & then transform into what it is now in the early 1900s. It is Australia’s first railway station. The station serves the whole Victorian metropolitan network. Flinders Street Station also has one of the world’s longest train platform at 708 m long.
St Paul’s Cathedral
Located opposite Flinders Station & Federation Square, St Paul’s Cathedral is another heritage structure built in the late 1800’s. It is an Anglican cathedral in Melbourne, the cathedral church of the Diocese of Melbourne & the seat of the Anglican Primate of Australia.
Royal Exhibition Building
Royal Exhibition Building is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Carlton Gardens, Victoria. It was built in the late 1800’s & has been used for events & exhibitions in the city. Up to now, the place is used for those types of functions. Note that this building is undergoing a multi-million renovation & is expected to be completed by 2020.
Carlton Gardens
Carlton Gardens is a 26-hectare site located a few streets from the main city. This massive open space has the Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne Museum & IMAX Cinema in it. Just like the Royal Exhibition Building, Carlton Gardens was also declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004.
Shrine of Remembrance
The Shrine of Remembrance is a war memorial that is dedicated to all Victorians who served in the war, particularly during the World War 1. The shrine is located outside the Central Business District, but is only a few tram stops from Flinders Street Station.
Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne
Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne is a 36-hectare botanic garden located at the south of the Yarra River. This botanic garden is home to thousands of plant species located along slopes, garden beds, lakes & lawns. This botanic garden serves as a breakout space & a bonding place for people who wanted to take a break from the busy city life. Entry to the garden is free of charge.
Fitzroy Gardens
Fitzroy Gardens is another 26-hectare block of greens at the back of the Parliament Square. This massive parkland is another park that is located within the Melbourne CBD. The Cook’s Cottage can also be found in this park.
Parliament House of Victoria
The Parliament House of Victoria is the house or meeting building of the Victorian Parliament. This historical & heritage landmark is located along Spring Street, beside the Old Treasury Building. The building was under renovation during our visit last April.
Old Treasury Building
From the name itself, the Old Treasury Building used to house the Treasury Department of the Government of Victoria. This old but beautiful building has then been transformed into a museum of Melbourne History.
St Patrick’s Cathedral
St Patrick’s Cathedral is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne. It is also the seat of the Archbishop of Melbourne. The church was built in the 1850s but took a while to be completed. The cathedral is located in Cathedral Place, right at the back of the Parliament Building.
Old Melbourne Gaol
The Old Melbourne Gaol used to be a prison that held the country’s notorious criminals. It also had records of people being executed & hanged. It stopped operating as a prison after the world war & has then become a museum. Entrance fee to the museum is at AUD 28 per person, quite expensive to be honest. My friends & I decided not to go inside because it was out of our budget.
Queen Victoria Market
Queen Victoria Market, locally known as the QVM, is one of Victoria’s famous landmarks. It is an open air market that serves as the main trading hall for Victorians & for visitors. We visited the QVM on a Wednesday night & it was also the 2nd night of the Europa Night Market. This night market showcased different food, delicacies & drinks from selected European countries.
State Library of Victoria
The State Library of Victoria is the state’s central library. Built in the 1850s, it is Australia’s oldest public library & at the same time world’s first free libraries in the world. The library has various reading & collections room where locals & visitors can have a look. I’ve been to this library twice last April, 1st one with Lord & the 2nd time with my N9 friends. This is by far one of my favorite places in Melbourne. The view from the topmost floor of The Dome is just stunning.
This ends the list of parks, gardens & heritage sites we’ve been to in Melbourne. I’m sure we’ve been to more but I can’t remember the other ones. Melbourne is such a nice city. Its buildings are combinations of heritage listed brick ones & modern & contemporary ones. Its one of those cities where you won’t get tired of walking around.
Have you been to Melbourne in the past? What is the most interesting building you’ve been to? How was your visit? Feel free to send your thoughts & experiences in the comments section below. Do you have any questions about the matters above? You can also send them via e-mail to contact@thewkndtravel.com. Don’t forget to follow me & please please please also help me in promoting my social media channels – Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
Watch out for more Melbourne content in the future! Thank you for reading.
Hey, you! I hope you’re having a wonderful holiday with your families & friends. 2019 is just a few hours away. Another year will soon pass. Before we go into 2019, join me as I look back on how another year of travels went by.
Let me share with you where my friends & I went to this year. It was a fun & memorable year exploring with friends!
sapporo🇯🇵
Last February, Shane & I went to Sapporo for a week. We flew in to Tokyo & took another domestic flight to Sapporo. We explored Sapporo city on our 2nd day – walked around historic buildings & structures plus tried the famous Genghis Khan meat for late lunch. We tried the world-famous Hokkaido king crab in Nijo Market on our 3rd day, then went to explore the port city of Otaru in the afternoon.
Shane & I went skiing on our 4th day. We took a beginner’s ski course in the morning & skied on a downhill slope in the afternoon. It was tiring but a fun experience. We enjoyed it & we plan to do it again on our next winter trip. We chose to relax on our 5th day & tried a traditional Japanese onsen on a snowy day. At first, it was weird walking around naked but hey, everyone’s naked so there’s nothing to worry. We flew to Tokyo on our 6th day & do some last minute pasalubong shopping before flying back to Manila on our last day.
My high school friends & I went on a weekend trip to Hong Kong last March. We left for Hong Kong on a Friday late afternoon & arrived back in Manila Sunday night. It was a quick 48-hour trip but we managed to visit a number of interesting places. Jericho & I explored went to Victoria Peak, Quarry Bay Monster Building, Nan Lian Garden & Kowloon Pier while our friends went to Hong Kong Disneyland. We met them in Mong Kok for dinner & went shopping together.
The following day, the whole group went to mass at St Teresa’s Church in Kowloon Tong in the morning. We all went to Ngong Ping via the cable car in the afternoon & went last-minute shopping at Citygate Outlets. We headed back to our accommodation to pick up our bags & went straight to the airport for our flight back to Manila.
Maanne, a friend who is now based in Vancouver, went home for a few weeks & asked us to join her visit Nacpan Beach in El Nido. I’ve been to El Nido & Nacpan Beach a number of times. It was Maanne’s 1st time in Nacpan. We spent a whole day at the beach area. The weather didn’t cooperate so we found ourselves having a good time (having lunch + free drinks / shots) at Mad Monkey Hostel Nacpan Beach. Our stay in El Nido & Nacpan was mostly spent in our hostels, Mad Monkey & Outpost Beach Hostel due to rainy weather.
After spending 2 days & 2 nights in El Nido, we headed down south to the small coastal village of Port Barton. I’ve been to this place in 2017 & had the best times so I decided to bring my friends to this paradise. We spent another 48 hours here, went island hopping, relaxed on the village beach & had great times with old & new friends.
My colleague & friend, Shiela, & I went to Siargao for 4 full days last July. We booked our tickets a few months back before I left for the airport for my Sapporo trip. Another friend in the name of Geof (from Siquijor 2017 trip) was also on the island with friends. We met up on our 1st day for dinner & decided to go together for crazy party nights & inland tours. We took the Sugba Lagoon & Magpupungko Rock Pool tour together & met a new set of friends. This marked the birth of the Siargao Squad. Half of the group left the island on our 3rd day while we took the Sohoton Cove & Tri Island Tour.
Shiela & I also had crazy nights with our roommates at Bravo Beach Resort & our ex-colleague Vanessa. This trip was all about exploring the island in the morning & drinking / partying at night – typical Siargao getaway. I look forward to flying back to Siargao to do the same time.
Last August, I flew to Sydney with my N9 buddies, Shane (from Sapporo trip) & Leng. It was my first trip outside Asia (finally lol). We took the free walking tours & explored Sydney by foot. The weather was not too hot & not too cold (well for me) so it was perfect for walking. My friends & I also went to see Bondi Beach & Coogee Beach, 2 of the many suburban beaches of Sydney.
We took a wine-tasting day trip to the mountains of Hunter Valley. We went to 3 wineries, tried different kinds of wine & had lunch at a fancy country club. We drowned ourselves with free wine that same day. We took another day trip to Blue Mountains National Park in Katoomba. The place is about 2 hours by train from Sydney. We walked around the peaceful rainforest of Jamison Valley plus enjoyed the thrilling rides of Scenic World. It was a perfect day out with the nature. Check the N9 in Staya Series blog list below.
I left my friends in Sydney & flew to Brisbane to spend a weekend with my relatives & cousins. My uncle, aunt & cousins took me around the city. We went to the koala sanctuary, had lunch at Mount Coot-tha overlooking Brisbane CBD, walked around South Bank, rode the Brisbane Wheel & drove around the central business district. They also took me to Gold Coast to see the famous beach, to go up Gold Coast’s highest view deck & to have lunch in a revolving restaurant.
My high school friends & I went on a quick weekend getaway to Bohol last September. We flew in Saturday morning, went straight to the countryside tour. We saw both the chocolate hills & the tarsiers on our first few hours on the island. We decided to skip the Loboc River Cruise & went to Bohol Bee Farm to have lunch. We passed by a few more places before heading to our booked accommodation near Alona Beach. On our 2nd day, we chased dolphins, swam with the turtles & snorkelled in Balicasag Island. We flew back to Manila the morning of the 3rd day. The trip was just right for a small island like Bohol.
Both planned trips in November got cancelled so I booked a last-minute trip to Malaysia. My initial plan was to spend 3 days in Penang & another 3 days in Kuala Lumpur but I had to cut short my trip for another last-minute invite. This 36-hour Penang stopover was the only ‘trip’ of the year when I was alone.
I flew in to Penang via Kuala Lumpur on the 1st day, explored Kok Lek Si & Georgetown (plus the murals) on the 2nd day & left for Singapore on the 3rd day. I stayed in a very cool shop-turned-guesthouse property called The Frame Guesthouse. I haven’t posted about my Penang trip, but watch out for the article soon.
As mentioned above, I had to cut my Malaysia trip for another trip in Singapore. I flew into Singapore a day before the event. I headed my hostel near Haji Ln & Arab St & met up with my friend Lord who is now based there. We first had late lunch in a Japanese restaurant at Bugis Junction Mall then headed to ATLAS Singapore to have afternoon drinks.
I sneaked in a quick trip to Marina Bay Sands & Gardens By The Bay before heading over to Zouk Singapore for the pre-sailing party of Its The Ship 2018. Check out how I managed to spend by 24 hours in Singapore. It was a quick one, but hey, I’ve been to a lot of places in such a short span of time.
Its The Ship 2018 was the main reason why I had to cut short my Penang / Kuala Lumpur planned trip & why I flew to Singapore on the 3rd day. Lord, my friend based in Singapore, invited me to join him in this party cruise. Thank you, Lord! Double meaning, I know. LOL.
This yearly 4 days / 3 nights cruise trip to Phuket (from Singapore) & back is Asia’s largest festival at sea. This year, the cruise turned into a massive party boat with international DJs over 3 stages. The cruise also had scheduled fun activities with the artists, plus an international buffet (which runs almost 24/7). This was my 1st cruise experience & will definitely be not the last.
I haven’t posted anything yet about my Its The Ship 2018 experience. Make sure to wait for that post next month.
Blog:To Follow
Cancelled Trips 🇨🇳🇲🇳🇯🇵
I know I have a long list of trips that pushed through this year, but I also had 2 international trips that didn’t push through. First is the 10-day trip to Beijing, China & Mongolia. My friend & I booked tickets to Beijing for less than ₱1,800 each & planned to go to Ulanbaatar by land. Unfortunately, we had to forego of this trip due to visa restraints. Apparently, the Chinese consulate does not grant double entry visas to first time applicants. We need this type of visa because we planned to go back to Beijing to catch our flight back to Manila.
Another cancelled trip was another set of flights to Japan. I was supposed to fly to Tokyo & Nagoya with my high school friends (from Hong Kong & Bohol trips) but I had to cancel. I had to attend an important family event that falls in the middle of that supposed to be 11-day trip. These China, Mongolia & Japan trips might have been cancelled, but I know I’ll visit these places soon. I’m still thankful most of my planned trips pushed through.
This pretty much sums up my year full of travels with friends. It was a year of many firsts – first winter trip, first out-of-Asia trip, first cruise experience & the list goes on. It was a year full of unforgettable experiences & memorable laughs. I may not have a clear plan on what’s in store for 2019 but I am positive it will be another year full of travels. Thank you very much for joining me. Happy new year & cheers to more fun travels in 2019!
Hello & welcome to the final installment of the N9 in Straya Series. Last week, I shared with you our Hunter Valley Wine Tasting Tour from Sydney. My friends & I had fun going around wineries & cellars & trying the best wines these businesses have to offer. Today, I will share with you some details & photos of our day trip to Scenic World Blue Mountains.
Hello Blue Mountains National Park! 😍
Blue Mountains National Park is a famous go-to place of people visiting Sydney. This World Heritage Site is the perfect place for everyone’s nature needs. It has a lot of walking tracks, camping sites, trekking & outdoor activity areas. It is also the home of the famous Three Sisters, Echo Point, Katoomba & Wentworth Falls.
Group photo at the Cliff View Lookout. Thanks Shane for the photo!
One of the famous destinations in Blue Mountains is Scenic World Blue Mountains. It is a private tourist facility located in Katoomba that offers great views of Jamison Valley, Three Sisters & Blue Mountains in general. The facility has 4 main attractions – Scenic Railway, Scenic Walkway, Scenic Cableway & Scenic Skyway. I will share more information about these attractions later in the post.
Applying for an Australian tourist visa soon? I shared with everyone how I applied for my visa a few months ago. Check out these 6 easy steps on how you too can get your visa to Australia.
How We Went By Public Transportation
Katoomba Station is the nearest station to the Blue Mountains!
Scenic World Blue Mountains is very accessible from Sydney. We took the Blue Mountains Line from Sydney Central Station to Katoomba Station. The ride takes roughly 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours & 5 minutes, depending on the stops included in the trip. One way train ride costs AUD 12.20. After getting off at Katoomba Station, we walked for 110 meters to the Katoomba St before Bathurst Rd bus stop. We boarded Bus 686 to Scenic World Blue Mountains. The bus ride took us 30 minutes to the tourist facility. We took the same modes of transportation back to Sydney. By the way, the Opal Card works for both the train & bus rides.
Guide map to locate the stop of Bus 686
Attraction Tickets
Scenic World Blue Mountains tickets cost AUD 37 – 43 per person, depending on season. We got our discounted tickets from Klook. My friends & I paid AUD 29* each instead of the regular ticket price on the day of visit. Redemption was easy – there is a dedicated fast line for tickets & vouchers purchased online.
Three Sisters & Jamison Valley in one photo 😍
*Regular tickets during our visit were at AUD 33 per person because 1 of the 4 attractions was closed & under redevelopment.
Scenic World Attractions
Scenic World Blue Mountains has 4 main attractions. Of these 4, Scenic Cableway was closed due to an ongoing upgrade of the cableway cabins. My friends & I enjoyed every second spent in the other 3 attractions.
Scenic Railway
Welcome to the Scenic Railway!
Right before boarding the world’s steepest passenger railway
Scenic railway is the world’s steepest passenger railway in the world, with seats that incline up to 52 degrees. The glass-roofed carriage passes through a cliff tunnel & a forest before reaching the final stop. The ride takes about 5 minutes per way & passes through a 300+ meter railway.
View upon getting off the train 😍
Scenic Walkway
Pathways around the rainforest 😍
The Scenic Railway exit will lead you to the Scenic Walkway. It is a 2.4 kilometer pathway around the base of Jamison Valley. The elevated walkway gives stunning views of the rainforest. Walking around the forest can be tiring & relaxing at the same time.
What a peaceful & relaxing place..
Scenic Skyway
The other side of the Scenic Skyway
The Scenic Skyway is a little over 10-minute cable car ride suspended 270 meters above the forest. The ride goes back & forth a 720-meter pathway & gives a 360-degree view of Blue Mountains. The ride also gives the best views of the Katoomba Falls, the Three Sisters & the Jamison Valley.
View from the aerial cable car – beautiful!! 😍
That’s me after the thrilling Scenic Railway ride!
My friends & I had fun in the rides & walking through the peaceful rainforest at the foot of Jamison Valley. There were other nice places to visit such as the Echo Point Lookout & Wentworth Falls but we didn’t have enough time & we had things to do back in Sydney. A visit to the Blue Mountains is a perfect nature day trip from the very busy city life. I am so glad we took this day trip.
The day trip up to the Blue Mountains was worth it! 😍
This pretty much sums up our day trip to the Blue Mountains. This is also the last post about our N9 Sydney trip last August. Thanks a lot to everyone who took their time to read all the blog posts.
In case you missed the other posts, allow me to give a quick recap about the trip. My friends & I took our time exploring Sydney by foot. We joined a free walking tour & went around different heritage buildings & city icons. We also went on day trips to the Hunter Valley, the suburban beaches of Coogee & Bondi & the beautiful Blue Mountains National Park. I left my friends in Sydney & spent a weekend with my relatives in Brisbane. It was indeed a packed but fun week in Australia. I look forward to visiting Melbourne soon!
Do you have questions about Scenic World Blue Mountains or Sydney in general? Don’t be shy & post ’em in the comments below. You can also send it to me via email to contact@thewkndtravel.com. I’ll try to answer your queries as soon as I can. Don’t forget to follow my social media pages – Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. Like & share my Facebook page too!
Again, thank for reading & see you in the next Australia trip! ✌️
