When I was planning our Australia trip, I knew we’d be spending a few days in Syndey, so naturally, I wanted to plan a few days out of the city. I had heard about the Blue Mountains before, named for the blue haze that is so common in the area. Preferring mountains over cities, I was excited to add Blackhealth to our itinerary, a small town about an hour and a half from the major city.

So, it was planned! We’d rent a car, head to the mountains, and enjoy some quiet time. Here’s how it went.

1. Rent a car and drive to Blackheath

We rented through Hertz, which had a pickup spot in the middle of the city (instead of needing to head back to the airport). When we arrived, our originally assigned car was not clean yet, so we were offered a free upgrade to a Polestar, a nice brand new EV! I loved the way it drove, and there were many fast charging stations on the route. One thing to note: many of the electric car charging stations in Australia function through mobile apps. If you have a SIM card/eSIM and only have a data plan (meaning you have no Australian number that receives texts), this may cause some issues. In order to create an account on the charging apps, you have to verify your mobile number…and if you can’t receive texts, you can’t create an account. (we almost got stuck but thankfully was able to use the Tesla app since we have an account back home). But don’t run into that problem like we almost did!

So, how was the driving?

I have driven on the left side of the road before, so it wasn’t a jarring experience. Just keep repeating: STAY LEFT. I was surprised to find out that the locals tend to stick to the speed limit unlike in America. Especially leaving/entering Sydney, pay attention to the limits because the new tunnels have cameras, and you WILL get fined if you don’t follow the rules (or so I’ve heard).

2. Settle into our AirBNB

This place was A GEM. Here’s the link.

3. Where to Eat

One of the reasons I wanted to stay in Blackheath was because of the food options. It’s sort of an unassuming town, but they have surprisingly good food.

For breakfast/coffee

1. Bakehouse on Wentworth

2. Sanguinary Coffee

For dinner

1. Zoe’s

2. Ate’s

4. WHAT TO DO

We hiked (it was more of a walk until the end) to Hanging Rock. It was AWESOME. You can find the route on AllTrails here.

We also walked around the Campbell Rhododendron Gardens. Even though the Rhodedendron were out of season, it was still beautiful. And I was obsessed with what I believe are Japenese Anemone (the pink flowers in the photos below).

Our last stop was on the way back to Sydney to see the famous Three Sisters. There is a hike you can do, but we were pressed for time so just enjoyed the lookout view. I’d recommend getting there early.

That’s all for now. If you visit, comment below! If you want to visit, comment below. If you don’t want to visit, go eat some chocolate and cheer up.

See ya,

Katherine