28-31 APRIL 2022
Last minute roadtrip to Katoomba
Relaxing and chilling 4 days away
Antiques / Cafes / Art / Pubs / Restaurants galore!

Map of Katoomba right next to Leura and Wentworth Falls which are both nice areas to explore

For thousands of years, the Blue Mountains were home to Aboriginal peoples, specifically, the Gundungurra and Darug tribes. They knew the area known as kedumba, meaning shiny, falling waters. Today, there are still many traditional Aboriginal peoples living in the Blue Mountains, where there are now a number of cultural sites that walk visitors through the region’s rich past and share the customs and heritage of the local tribes.

Katoomba and nearby Medlow Bath were first developed as tourist destinations towards the end of the 19th century when a series of hotels were built and then repeatedly extended.

Coal and oil shale mining was also carried out in the Jamison Valley for many years, but when the seams were completely exhausted by the early 20th century, Katoomba was an established resort town. By the 1960s, Katoomba had somewhat declined, and several of its guest houses were converted for other purposes, including convalescent hospitals.

In the 1980s, the guest houses and hotels again became fashionable and many were restored.

The area’s scenery and art deco-style shops and houses attract an alternative subculture. Many poets, artists and environmentalists reside in Katoomba and the Blue Mountains generally, and the town hosts the Winter Solstice festival, Winter Magic, that features local talent, art and handicraft. The festival was established in 1994 to provide a local focus for the Blue Mountains-wide Yulefest. Yulefest is a long-running tourism initiative that promotes Northern Hemisphere-style Christmas celebrations during the Australian winter months June to August.

Dont miss:

The Yellow Deli – https://goo.gl/maps/L91BdaL1WdHJrE8h8
The 3 Sisters walk – https://goo.gl/maps/uz87nWP4m3W1iHr98
Coffee @ the Lookout – https://goo.gl/maps/dVN2oF8EhKgVm2w1A
Aunty Eds Restaurant – French owner – lovely cocktails and food! – https://g.page/whoisauntyed?share
Bootlegger Bar – https://g.page/the-bootlegger-bar-katoomba?share
Mountain Culture Beer – https://g.page/mountainculture?share
Awesome Antique Store! – https://goo.gl/maps/VA5R74okD3kssc5K8

Looking onto the main area of Katoomba where all the shops are
Beautiful artwork was scattered around the town, this one was so colourful and beautiful
Artists paint the laneways around the city with their own unique style
A mushroom installation in one of the alleys
A little bookshop tucked away in one of the alleyways

The Street Art walk is a dynamic, community-driven cultural treasure of the Blue Mountains, created by Street Art Murals Australia (SAMA) in partnership with the Blue Mountains Cultural Centre. It displays world standard street art from all aerosol disciplines.

This dingey back alleyway has been transformed into colourful splashes of grafitti colours! I love it!

Went for a walk around the back streets – very quiet, green and autumn colours starting to show
Went for a hike through the bush at one of the hiking trails towards the 3 Sisters, a bit rainy and slick but it was still enjoyable
The 3 Sisters from the lockout
It was so cold this day that there were only a few people at the Katoomba shops near the lookout so it was nice and quiet, quick cup of hot coffee before the hike
Pub crawl started around 2pm, visited around 5 pubs that night and met some really interesting people and had great conversations
Op shops galore in Katoomba! preloved items
levels and rooms of pre-loved items!

All in all, I really like visiting Katoomba every now and again as its a nice place to escape to and get out of a big ciy and have a nice break – well recommended if you want to go for nice hikes in the bush – can be crowded in summer time as its all about tourism here