Holiday houses in Mount Victoria

Perched more than 1,000 metres above sea level in the western reaches of New South Wales’ World Heritage-listed Blue Mountains, Mount Victoria is a town of rich history and natural attractions. Originally called One Tree Hill, Mount Victoria became known by its present name in the 1860s when its railway station was built. It then became a popular escape for Sydneysiders, and has prospered as a tourism destination to this day, with its heritage landscape — complete with a museum housed in the former refreshment rooms of the original railway station — complemented by a string of stunning lookout points and easy access to the Blue Mountains National Park directly east of town.

More lookouts, hiking trails, and dining options can be found in the neighbouring town of Blackheath, 10 minutes to the southeast, as well as the Blue Mountains’ main tourism hub of Katoomba, a further 15 minutes’ drive to the south.

The Blue Mountains are a year-round destination, with hikers tending to prefer the drier and cooler months from autumn to spring. The region is generally cooler than Sydney throughout the year, with frosty days and occasional snow during the winter months. Weekends are particularly busy, with traffic jams leaving Sydney commonplace on Friday afternoons year-round; arrive midweek for a more relaxed visit. Typically held over a weekend in May, the Great Train Weekend celebrates Mount Victoria’s railway heritage with steam train rides and entertainment. On the first Saturday of November, the neighbouring town of Blackheath comes alive with a street fair, music, art, and dance during the annual Rhododendron Festival, a fundraiser held to coincide with the peak flowering season of Blackheath’s signature flowers.

Architecture Tour

Mount Victoria’s key heritage landmarks include the Toll House (circa 1849), one of only two of its type surviving in New South Wales, and the Gatekeeper’s Cottage (circa 1868), one of only four habitable railway gatehouses remaining in the Blue Mountains. For another blast from the past, catch a film at the town’s independent arthouse cinema that captures the golden age of Australian country picture theatres.

Bushrangers Cave

Located just off the rugged Little Zig Track that drops into the Kanimbla Valley behind the Pulpit Rock Lookout lies a rock shelter where a variety of possessions were discovered in 1897, including part of a Sydney newspaper dating from 1822. While it was never proven that a bushranger once used the shelter as a hideout, this little-known natural attraction makes for a fun mini-adventure.

Hartley

Since you’ve travelled this far into the Blue Mountains, it would be a shame to miss the historic town of Hartley, just 10 minutes’ drive to the northwest. Like Mount Victoria, Hartley was also a staging post for horse-drawn carriages heading to the goldfields further west. Dating from the 1830s, the original village has been beautifully preserved, with several sandstone buildings you can tour, including the Grecian Revival style courthouse.