Are you planning to tour the Blue Mountains in Sydney? If so, you should learn about some of the more unique facts about the mountains.
Anyone visiting Sydney should not miss this spectacular mountain range – which is a premier attraction on the outskirts of the city. This colourful rock formation offers some of the best views in Australia.
If you are wondering what’s so unique about the Blue Mountains, you should keep on reading this post as we take a look at the following:
- Where Are The Blue Mountains?
- How Old Are The Blue Mountains?
- The Highest Point Of The Blue Mountains
- Are The Blue Mountains Really Blue?
Where Are The Blue Mountains?
Sydney is the state capital of eastern Australia’s New South Wales. The Blue Mountains are located approximately 80 kilometres west of Sydney.
If you head down the M4 motorway, it takes only a 90-minute drive from Sydney to reach the Blue Mountains. If you want a more scenic route to the mountains, you should head along Bell’s Line of the Road passing the Hawkesbury.
You can expect a leisurely drive along this route passing multiple thoroughfares, farms, and small towns.
The town of Katoomba is located in the outskirts of the Blue Mountains National Park. Katoomba is located about 110 kilometres west of Sydney.
How Old Are The Blue Mountains?
The rocks underneath the Blue Mountains are about 470 million years old. The mountain range itself is about 10 times older than the Grand Canyon.
William Charles Wentworth, Gregory Blaxland, and William Lawson discovered the Blue Mountains in 1813 through a successful expedition. The area was declared a national park in 1932 based on the proposal of Myles Dunphy.
This park was recognised in 2000 as Australia’s 14th World Heritage Site in order to preserve the cultural and geographical significance of the region.
When you look at the mountain range from Sydney, the cliffs appear to be clad in blue. The mountain range subsequently derived its name from this striking blue haze.
The Highest Point Of The Blue Mountains
Mount Werong is the peak of the Blue Mountains range. It has an elevation of 1,215 metres above sea level. Close to the pinnacle of the mountain is the popular Three Sisters formation. This formation rises 3,000 feet above sea level.
The lowest point of the Blue Mountains is on the Nepean River at only 20 metres above sea level. Here are some of the other peaks of the Blue Mountains range:
- Mount Irvine – 850 metres
- Mount Solitary – 950 metres
- Kings Tableland – 1,000 metres
- Mount Wilson – 1,008 metres
- Mount Banks – 1,049 metres
- Mount York – 1,061 metres
- Mount Boyce – 1,093 metres
- Mount Piddington – 1,094 metres
Are The Blue Mountains Really Blue?
The eucalypt forests that cover the Blue Mountain range is what gives the blue haze to the region. Experts believe that an optical phenomenon named Rayleigh Scattering is what causes the blue tinge in the area.
The ultraviolet rays of the sun are scattered by particles in the environment – smaller than the wavelength of light – to create a blue-greyish colour in the region.
That’s why the Blue Mountains look blue in colour to people who look at it from a distance.
If you plan to visit the Blue Mountains in Sydney, you should hire a reputable tour guide to arrange the tour for you. This will give you peace of mind and you won’t need to worry about having to plan every aspect of your tour.
Therefore, if you are planning to visit the Blue Mountains, then look no further than FJ Tours Day Tours.
At FJ Tours, our friendly sightseeing day tours are the best way to maximise your travel time, which means you can relax and enjoy the beauty of the Blue Mountains.
Find out more about FJ Tours Blue Mountains Day Tours here.
