The train makes its way through the many villages of the Blue Mountains.

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.

Blaxland, Wentworth and Lawson.

 

The train stops at the largest Mountain town, Katoomba, with the famous Three Sisters rock formation.Katoomba

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.

station-bar-1_lrg

Each mountain village has a signature pizza, listed  in order of its height above sea level.

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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.

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

Blue Mountains Explorer Bus

Come on up!  Sometimes you can  even do it by steam train.

 

Steam train roars past Blackheath Station.

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.

 

2 Comments
  1. 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.

    • Pauline

      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!

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