Postcard from the Blue Mountains

POSTCARD FROM | CABANA TRAVEL | CABANA MAGAZINE

Driving through Sydney’s Blue Mountains offers stunning rock formations, Aboriginal legends and the quiet power of nature at its best. Writer Yaye Kassamali and photographer Harrison Thane take a rocky road trip through Australia's hinterland, discovering a few architectural treasures too.

BY HARRISON THANE | CABANA TRAVEL | 22 NOVEMBER 2024 

At dawn, The Three Sisters stand tall and resolute over dense forest, their peaks slicing through clouds and mist. The scene demands stillness, with the quiet power of nature pulling the observer into the now. These striking rock formations owe their name to an ancient Aboriginal legend: three sisters were transformed into stone to protect them from a war that started because they fell in love with three brothers from a neighboring tribe. The priestess who was to turn them back after the war did not survive, and so they remain, attracting visitors from all corners of the globe.

We drove just over an hour from Sydney to the town of Katoomba, nestled in the Blue Mountain region of Australia. It was night time and the lights from The Carrington Hotel dazzled us weary travelers with promises of warmth and rest. The semicircular staircase spilled from the entrance, slowly unfurling like molasses, inviting us in.

The wooden frames and stained glass windows instantly transported us to a time far removed from our own. Stepping inside the hotel, our eyes met royal blue carpets with golden motifs: the unmistakable opulence of the old world.

Built in 1883 and named after Lord Carrington, the Carrington once served as a retreat for Sydney’s elite. We had a continental breakfast in a banquet hall fit for an episode of Bridgerton, before setting out to explore Katoomba. The small town's unremarkable Main Street, dotted with restaurants, cafes, and shops, holds little sway—everyone here is drawn by the allure of the Sisters.

We’ve got a reservation for high tea at the Hydro Majestic. Opened in 1903, the hotel is another art deco gem of the Blue Mountain area. A maroon, carpeted hallway stretches out before us, guiding our steps from the entrance to the grand banquet hall. Old paintings and velvety furniture point you the way you need to go.

Every window reveals a spectacular view of the Megalong valleys. The tea is hot, the scones are warm and the butter is whipped. Our infant son is marveling at the delicate desserts at the top of our cake stand. A woman is sat at the grand piano delivering keys that offer up elegant background noise to groups of girlfriends catching up, families gathered around long tables, and couples clinking glasses.

We spent our final night at Lilianfels Resort, a short stroll from the most breathtaking viewpoint of the Three Sisters. Built in 1889, the heritage hotel is another emblem of a bygone era. In the suite, illustrated drapes cascade over the head of the bed, matching the wallpaper, matching the curtains. More! More! More! The breakfast buffet is no exception to the rule of excess. The pièce de résistance? An intimidating juicer, daring patrons to concoct their own health elixirs (we went with kale, apple and ginger).

My husband spots Geoffrey Rush sitting across from us with a companion going over some sort of schedule. Before our drive back to Sydney we made one last stop at the Everglades House & Gardens. Constructed in the 1930s, this property is celebrated for its on-site Art Deco house and sprawling 13 acres of gardens. No less, one is offered a whole new vista of the Blue Mountains. Mossen cobblestones disappear into manicured grass and the crisp morning air fills our lungs.

We reflect on the past and the present, how they seem to work together and contradict each other at the same time, while our three and a half-month-old son coos from his stroller, perhaps about a future we’ll never know.