The Greater Blue Mountains Drive is a splendid mix of nature and culture, with bushwalks through ancient flora, waterfalls at every turn, unspoilt Indigenous Australian art and the Southern Hemisphere’s steepest aerial cableway. The perfect spot for your spring holiday, the Blue Mountains area is a sanctuary for tea lovers, history fanatics and zealous foodies.

Sydney to Wentworth Falls (95 kilometres • 90 minutes)

Set out on your journey west of Sydney, where after an hour’s drive you’ll arrive in the quaint town of Faulconbridge. With many marvellous gardens and bushwalks on offer, Faulconbridge is the departing point of the Blue Mountains Walkabout tour, which is led by an Indigenous Australian guide and explores local Aboriginal culture.

Continue to Wentworth Falls, where you can enjoy amazing views of the waterfall, which plunges more than 100 metres. With brilliant views over the Jamison Valley, the area is a birdwatching paradise and has charming areas that are perfect for a spring picnic.

Follow the falls’ walking track to the nearby Valley of the Waters, an idyllic spot to cool off with a swim at Wentworth Falls Lake, and enjoy the sight of the dragonfly nymphs and waterbirds that inhabit the area.

Wentworth Falls to Leura (five kilometres • six minutes)

Just six minutes away is Leura, the style capital of the Blue Mountains area. The spring Leura Garden Festival, which is held in early October, is an event worth planning your trip around, with its seas of vividly coloured flowers and lush greenery a sight not to be missed.

The town’s centre is a haven of culture, with many dainty shops, gourmet cafés, galleries and craft stores. The Leura Teapot Museum and Tearooms, the local candy store, and the Starflower Apothecary are not to be missed for tasty treats and other treasured trinkets. For a high-class dining experience, head to the Leura Garage Café for its five-star, Mediterranean-style menu.

Leura Cascades is a beautiful place to visit, boasting walks to many astounding lookouts, with the appropriately named Sublime Point Lookout being a most notable stop. While you’re in the area, be sure to have a look around the distinguished Everglades Historical House and Garden, with its gnarled banksias, birches and stunning Art Deco building.

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