Re-Charge your batteries by getting back to nature in the Blue Mountains

Escape the hustle and bustle of Sydney life and reconnect with nature in the Blue Mountains. These mountains have a lot to offer and some spectacular sights for budgets of all kinds. Not only that, but there is a variety of accommodation options depending on whether you want to rough it or stay somewhere nice. We stayed in the Blue Mountains for 3 weeks. During this time we used Work Away in the peaceful town of Wentworth Falls, camped in Blackheath and used Work Away again in Springwood. Thanks to Work Away, our 3 weeks in the mountains only cost $150 for 3 weeks accommodation (and that was for the 2 days in a campsite!). We saved a lot of money on accommodation and food and could instead use our money for sightseeing. However, most sightseeing could be done for free since the main attraction is the natural beauty and various hikes. If you’re looking for a small village away from the crowds, Wentworth falls is the ideal place. This small town is a short bus ride away from Scenic World (which I highly recommend). But you don’t even need to spend the money or time going there. While it is a stunning place, the Blue Mountains have so much more to offer for free.

Wentworth Falls

The Wentworth Falls waterfall and trail offer routes of various durations and options for different abilities. I found it more challenging in the afternoon with the scorching heat beating down, but you can always cool off once you reach the waterfall. There are so many scenic trails to choose from in this area. We sat at the picnic site for lunch then started our short hike down the steps to the cascading waterfall. The leisurely stroll down allowed us to take in the forestry along the walking trails. Along the way we took in the sights at Jamison lookout and Wentworth lookout. At these lookout points you can marvel at the rock formations or admire the beauty of the bushland that appears to be never ending. Once we finished exploring this section, we attempted to hike back up the steps. For someone as unfit as I am, it was quite a challenge. Elderly people hobbled past me as I gasped for breath and ruffled through my backpack for my inhaler (if you are asthmatic I urge you to take it before you set off, I regretted my decision not to do this). Exhausted, red in the face and with sweat dripping into my eyes, I finally made it back to the top. For seasoned hikers and those in good shape, this will probably be nothing to you, but for someone unfit, in scorching heat and who “forgot” to take their inhaler, it can be a challenge. However, the Instagram worthy photo opportunities are worth it, so you can post on Facebook and brag to all your friends back home.... They don’t need to know you nearly collapsed and took several breaks on the way.

The dreaded steps that almost led to an asthma attack

Something worth being aware of is the park has signposts around the area that lays out the various trails while also telling you how long they approximately take along with the difficulty level indicator. If you don‘t find a signpost, you can visit NSW National Parks website which has a lot of the same information.

If your keen to see the sights but not so keen on the uphill walks, there is a hop on hop off tour bus that goes around different locations. We did not use this, but I have seen discount offers online on sites such as Viator, Groupon and Get Your Guide.

Beautiful View from the Conservation Hut

On another occasion we did the circuit walk which we started at the Conservation Hut. We started our morning with a healthy breakfast of ice cream and ice cold water. Strolling along through the bush, this was not a difficult walk, but it was only 11am so it wasn‘t too hot. No matter where you go hiking in the Blue Mountains, you‘re surrounded by an array of colorful flora and a multitude of fauna. The towering eucalyptus and beautiful fern gullies give a true sense of what it means to be “back to nature”.Wherever you go, even if it is only a short walk, do not underestimate the power of the Aussie sun. Make sure you bring sun cream (high factor! You don‘t want to sizzle), insect repellant, a large bottle of water and an inhaler if needed. I don‘t need my inhaler regularly but the mountainous hikes got the better of me on a number of occassions.

If you plan on staying in the Blue Mountains and are on a tight backpacker budget, I recommend using Work Away, especially if you have a week to spare. Work Away is a site that links backpackers and hosts. It allows members to contact each other and organise homestays in exchange for helping out around the property. Our chores included weeding and pruning in the garden, mowing the lawn, shampooing the carpet, washing windows and cleaning out the garage. Some tasks were easier than others but for free accommodation and meals, we were more than satisfied with the arrangement.

Work Awayers contribute a prearranged amount of hours per day to complete the tasks and in exchange they receive food and accommodation. The site gives Work Awayers the choice to sign up as a couple which is what we did. For about $43 we signed up as a couple and could start looking at host profiles. We definitely made that $43 back in what we would have spent on accommodation. If you do not want to work while on your visit to the mountains, there are quite a few options on Air B’n’B but budget ones can be difficult to come by so these may be more suited to people with a more flexible budget. If you have a tent or camper van, there are a good few campsites to choose from. The campsite we chose for 2 nights was the Blackheath Glen Tourist Park. We paid $60 for an unpowered site for 2 nights. The facilities at the campsite include a public bbq, shower and toilet blocks that were extremley clean, a swimming pool, and washing machines and dryers.We eagerly set up our tent and were so excited as this was my first camping trip. Sadly, this was also the day there was a severe thunderstorm. It wouldn’t have been bad had our tent been waterproof (thanks for that Big W). However, despite waking up in a puddle and with all of our clothes drenched, I actually had a good night. The thunder and lightening surprisingly gave an authentic camping experience and I would have been happy to do it again the next night, if it wasn’t for the fact our tent and sleeping bags were now soaked. So, we went to the laundry block and were delighted to find tumble driers. At a cost of $4 for an hour, our clothes were soon dry and warm. The moment the clock struck 8am I was outside the reception office to ask to switch from our campsite to a cabin. With all of our fingers and toes crossed we asked if there were any blocks free. Thankfully, people were due to leave and we just had to wait until noon. Hurrah! We finally moved into a basic but clean cabin where we promptly took a nap in a warm (and dry) bed. The cabin, while basic, was well equipped with bed linen, towels and cooking equipment. We also had our own bathroom with a decent shower.While we found this campsite to be great in terms of cleanliness and to have high quality facilities, we found it to be a bit expensive on our backpacker budget. The campsite, at only $30 a night, wasn’t too bad but $120 for the cabin for one night was quite a stretch. It was a good thing we only had one day left in the park or we would have been out quite a bit of money.

The Bue Mountains seem to go on forever

There are a variety of other campsites around but I have found that many of them are around the same price and the ones that are cheaper or free usually don‘t have well-maintained facilities. Personally, I haven't used these sites but I did a lot of research online to find one that would be satisfactory. If you are looking for a campsite you can download the app Wiki Camps which I found to be of great help. It allows you to filter your search to include things like hiking trails nearby, toilets, showers, drinking water and much more. You can also search based on whether you have a tent or RV and if you require a powered or unpowered site. The app also allows you to state how much you paid and what you got for the price, however this varies a lot. For price verification your best bet is to contact the property directly.

The Blue Mountains website describes this area as “Australia’s most accessible wilderness, stretching over one million hectares”. There is so much to see and do for people of all ages and fitness levels. There is an abundance of flora, fauna and hiking trails to be admired. There are accommodation options for all budgets, whether you want to camp, travel in your RV, use Air BnB or really save the pennies by using Work Away, there truely is something for everyone. If you love the great outdoors, are keen to get in touch with nature and go hiking or camping, then the Blue Mountains deserves a spot on your to-do list while you are passing through NSW.

One of the many bush walks