An eerie scene from the mural as a train makes its way through the Blue Mountains at night.
In Australia’s bicentennial year of 2000, artist Vernon Treweeke completed a mural of an imagined night train journey through the villages of the magnificent Blue Mountains of New South Wales. The mural decorates the walls of the pedestrian tunnel beneath Katoomba station. Three of the villages were named for the first Europeans to cross the Mountains in 1813; Gregory Blaxland, William Wentworth and William Lawson.
Blaxland, Wentworth and Lawson.
The train stops at the largest Mountain town of Katoomba, with the famous Three Sisters rock formation in the background.
Just outside the station is The Station Bar, which incorporates a very popular restaurant. Virtually the only food on the menu is wood fired pizzas, but they have an interesting twist.
Each mountain village has a signature pizza, listed in order of its height above sea level.
Lapstone is lowest in height above sea level at just 160 metres. Its pizza is slightly below the others in price too; $18 for napolitana sauce with buffalo mozzarella.
At 985 metres is Leura, the trendiest and prettiest of our villages. Appropriately, its pizza includes a gourmet blend of herbed chicken, fetta, pine nuts, avocado, and basil. And check out Blackheath’s pizza. Sensibly, there is enough heat in this baby to raise the temperature of ‘Bleakheath’ by ten degrees.
Despite being residents of Blackheath, my partner Rob and I often choose the lower village of Faulconbridge’s pizza, featuring roast lamb and fresh mint. Purists may disapprove, but it’s delicious. Named after an early explorer, Lawson’s pizza is another favourite, with a more traditional topping of prosciutto, salami, field mushrooms and buffalo mozzarella.
The tasty Lawson pizza. Plenty for two.
By the way, Bullaburra (769m) should appeal to international tourists who want to try saltwater crocodile. It is served with wild lime and ginger marinade. Or there is the Warrimooo; shaved kangaroo fillet marinated in Shiraz with baby spinach and red capsicum.
All up there are 22 ‘village’ pizzas to choose from. Afterwards you can step outside and hop aboard a double decker Red Explorer Bus for a tour of the area’s world class scenery.
Blue Mountains Explorer Bus
Come on up! Sometimes you can even do it by steam train.
Steam train roaring through Blackheath Station.
In case anyone wonders why my husband and I chose to live at BLACKHEATH
COMMENTS ARE ALWAYS WELOME. USE THE BOX BELOW AND COMPLETE THE LITTLE ANTI-SPAM SUM.
My husband and son have been to Katoomba, but I’ve yet to see its incredible scenery. Of course, I’d have to taste at least one of the pizzas. Wentworth Falls pizza appeals to me. The three early explorers must have been very daring. Just by looking at photos of the terrain makes me realize it wasn’t for the faint-hearted.
I enjoyed your modern day account of traveling into the Blue Mountains.
Hi Heather, Hope you get an opportunity to visit the Blue Mountains one day. It’s a very special place, although I may be slightly biased!