A plethora of activities for little ones makes the Blue Mountains a family-friendly holiday destination. Attractions on offer for children are varied in nature and there’s something available to suit all seasons, so parents can rest easy knowing that specific entertainment options are available when the weather precludes outdoor activities.

Blackheath Pool
Blackheath Pool is the ideal family hangout on pleasant summer days. Offering great picnic facilities, open spaces for games and activities, and a free outdoor swimming pool, families with kids are sure to have fun here. Phone: +61 2 4787 8018; website: http://www.bmcc.nsw.gov.au/councilservices/ aquaticandfitnesscentres/blackheathpool/.

Cinema
For lazy days or something to do in the evening, take the kids to Katoomba’s outdoor movie theatre known as ‘The Edge’. With a six-storey high screen, the chances are neither you nor the young ones will have experienced a movie on such a large scale or within such a unique environment. Phone: +61 2 4782 8900; website: www.edgecinema.com.au/.

Horseback Riding
There are several companies in the Blue Mountains offering horseback riding activities, each familiar with its own selection of trails and promising some unique sights and varying terrain. Blue Mountains Horse Riding (tel: +61 2 4787 8188), High Country Trail Rides (tel: +61 2 6336 5123) and Werriberri Trail Rides (tel: +61 2 4787 9171) are three of the best known firms in the region, each with the relevant experience to coach and assist young riders.

Megalong Australian Heritage Centre
Family fun can be found at the Megalong Australian Heritage Centre with attractions for youngsters including a petting farm with rabbits, ducks, chickens, pigs and goats. Pony rides are also popular with kids of all ages while older children will love the mini ATV quad bikes. Phone: +61 2 4787 8188; website: www.megalongcc.com/.

Nana’s Teddies
Ideally suited to younger children, Nana’s Teddies is a giant toy shop in which kids could easily spend all day if their parents would let them. With a collection of more than 14,000 teddy bears, the store is a must for all young cuddly toy lovers and is sure to warm the hearts of a few parents too. Phone: +61 2 4739 0677; website: www.teddys.com.au/newsitems/mary/mary.html.

Selwood Science and Puzzles
This fascinating shop is housed in a charming National Trust-owned cottage that was built in the mid-1860s. With a museum-like environment, young visitors are offered a wealth of interactive and hand-on exhibits and displays that are both entertaining and educational. A puzzle room is set to engage and challenge the brightest of young minds while the science room is filled with toys demonstrating aspects of chemistry, electricity, natural history and more. As this is a commercial store, kids taking a specific interest in any of the 1,000 different products on show have the chance to purchase them for further enjoyment. Phone: +61 2 4758 6235; website: www.selwoodscience.com.au.

Skating
Kids who are fans of skateboarding or inline skating will enjoy the facilities available at the skate parks at Katoomba and Glenbrook. No equipment or specialist clothing is provided, but young visitors are welcome get in on the local action if they have their own gear.

Swimming
Kids will enjoy either a focused swim or a fun splash around at the Katoomba Sports and Aquatic Centre, irrespective of the time of year. The centre offers a heated 25-metre long pool which includes a spa section which is popular with parents plus a 50-metre long outdoor pool and shaded toddler’s area. Phone: +61 2 4782 1748.

Wascoe Siding Railway
At Grahame St in Blaxland the kids will love riding the miniature railway which features steam diesel and electric powered locomotives which wind their way smoothly around a scenic course. Afterwards, the whole family can enjoy a picnic making use of the barbeque facilities on hand.

Wentworth Falls Lake
This popular nature spot is the ideal place for families to head on a warm sunny day. Young ones can have fun at the pirate ship playground, while parents cook lunch using the barbeque facilities provided. There are open areas for relaxing or playing games or sports.

The Blue Mountains is a unique destination, benefiting from its proximity to the urban conveniences of Sydney while managing to preserve its own distinct cultural assets. Visitors will find traditional arts, natural beauty, history and heritage as themes, ensuring that there’s something to satisfy all tastes and interests.

Ameralia's Plate World
An interesting destination regardless of your level of interest in ceramics, Ameralia's Plate World is home to the country’s largest display of rare, unusual and collectible plates. There are over 4,000 plates on display covering categories including history, science fiction, movies and movie stars, transportation, religion and animals. Besides the impressive gallery, there is a shop where visitors can purchase plates in all of the aforementioned categories and more. Phone: +61 2 4782 4824; website: www.bluemts.com.au/ameralia/.

Bygone Beautys
Visitors with an interest in history as well as those who appreciate the fine craftsmanship and attention to detail of furnishings and household products of yesteryear will love Bygone Beautys, a facility offering the largest collection of its kind in the Blue Mountains. Visitors are permitted to explore rooms filled with antique furniture, jewellery, dolls, toys, cutlery and dining sets. Among the highlights is the showroom’s teapot collection which features over 3,000 different tea vessels made from a variety of materials. Phone: +61 2 4784 3117; website: http://www.bygonebeautys.com.au/.

Everglades Gardens
Presenting an interesting mix of Australian bush land with historically significant gardens set in a 12.5 acre estate, the Everglades are a must for anyone who loves both history and nature. The gardens date back to the 1930s and offer winding pathways, flowering terraces, pools and fountains, while the bush land areas offer some awesome views over the Jamison Valley.

Fernbrook Garden and Gallery
Otherwise known as the Hawkesbury Art Gallery and Garden, Fernbrook gives visitors the chance to enjoy a combination of traditional artworks with the aesthetic beauty of manicured gardens. The gallery is a showcase for the works of local artist Elaine Musgrave, who it’s possible to see in action if you visit at the right time. The garden area is the work of renowned local horticulturist, Les Musgrave. Phone: +61 2 4567 7330; website: www.bluemts.com.au/fernbrook/.

Gallery Blackheath
Art lovers will enjoy the exhibitions of the works of local talents at this artist-owned gallery. There are permanent exhibitions by Blue Mountains artists such as Mandy Evans, John Marsh, Pat Skenridge, Jody Graham, Margaret Aalders, Fiona Hawkins, Kath Wilkinson and Michael van Langenberg. Visiting exhibitions also feature from time to time. Phone: +61 2 4787 8800; website: www.galleryblackheath.com/.

Hawkesbury Regional Gallery
Situated within walking distance of the Windsor Railway Station, Hawkesbury Regional Gallery is one of the newest galleries in the New South Wales area and is dedicated to displaying the artworks of local and regional talents via regularly changing exhibitions of both traditional and contemporary art. Phone: +61 2 4560 4441.

Norman Lindsay Gallery and Museum
Owned and operated by the National Trust, this museum is aimed largely at fans of Norman Lindsay, being a facility at which visitors are able to purchase both originals and reprints of some of the man’s most famous works. If you are not familiar with Norman Lindsay but are an art lover all the same, then make the effort to pay the gallery a visit and you may end up with a fine piece of art to take home. Phone: +61 2 4751 1067; website: www.normanlindsay.com.au/.

Australia is a country that has produced some world-class chefs, and the standard of cuisine at restaurants across the country is far from shabby. Nearby Sydney has restaurants of international repute so it’s not surprising that the Blue Mountains, with a climate and eco-system highly conducive to the rearing and growing of fresh meat and vegetables, is also well known for its excellent restaurants and high quality local cuisine.

Restaurants are plentiful across the region with the emphasis being predominantly on fine dining. Café-style establishments offer a cheaper and less exclusive alternative without a significant sacrifice in terms of quality. Fast-food establishments are few and far between; in fact, the locals have mounted campaigns to keep multi-national franchises out of the Blue Mountains in a bid to preserve the region’s unique environment and dedication to fine food.

For visitors wanting to dine on international cuisine, there are Chinese, Japanese, Thai, French and Italian restaurants plus a selection of establishments offering various other European dishes. The best choice in dining is found at Katoomba.

Shopping options in the Blue Mountains are plentiful and consumer goods of every description can be found at the wide selection of retail outlets that are available across the region’s urban areas. Local markets are a popular feature, with locations such as Katoomba, Bullaburra, Lithgow, Springwood, Glenbrook and Mount Victoria all hosting once-monthly markets (usually at weekends). These are the places to head for if you are looking for unusual gifts, handmade products or second-hand goods.

Elsewhere, it’s a mixed bag with some of the region’s small towns offering a correspondingly small selection of shops, while the larger destinations typically offer a wider selection. The nice thing about the smaller destinations is that the shops often have more character; shop owners are friendly and welcoming and you’ll often find products that are exclusive to individual towns.

Most items are available in the area, but of there is something very specific or specialised that you need, you may need to travel to Sydney.

There are few destinations in Australia that can match the Blue Mountains in terms of outdoor activity options. Close enough to Sydney to be visited on a daytrip while at the same time offering enough to keep enthusiasts occupied for an entire vacation period, the Blue Mountains is an outdoor haven. Tour companies and local specialists can be found in all of the region’s towns, making it easy to take part in specialist activities. Those visitors with enough knowledge and the necessary equipment can take off at their own discretion to numerous suitable locations.

Bird Watching
Something of an ornithologist’s dream destination, the Blue Mountains are home to a wide variety of bird species, with the Upper Mountains perhaps offering the broadest selection. Visitors bringing binoculars have the chance to view around 140 different species, among which are rarities such as the Australian king parrot. Australian ringneck, black-faced cuckoo-shrike, brown-headed honeyeater, eastern rosella, gang-gang cockatoo, noisy friarbird and the yellow-throated scrubwren.

Bushwalking
Bushwalking, also known as trekking or hiking, is considered an essential activity for any visitor to the Blue Mountains who is able-bodied enough. A variety of companies offer bushwalking tours, some lasting a single day and others involving overnight stops. Whatever kind of tour you opt for, you can be sure that you’ll get the chance to see some amazing scenery and an abundance of fascinating flora and fauna.

Canyoning
The Blue Mountains are home to around 400 known canyons, offering abundant opportunities for the pursuit of this popular activity. Canyoning tours are the best options for novices, with companies such as Blue Mountains Canyon Tours (tel: +61 2 4782 5787) and River Deep Mountain High (tel: +61 2 4782 6109) in Katoomba providing the necessary equipment and expertise.

Caving
Also referred to as spelunking, those who are familiar with the Blue Mountains will tell you that the Jenolan Caves and Kanangra-Boyd National are the best places to pursue this activity. Since there is a significant element of danger involved, it’s wise to do this sport as part of an organised tour or with locals who have good knowledge of the caving areas.

Fishing
Locations suited to fishing are plentiful in the Blue Mountains with opportunities for regular leisure anglers as well as those into sport fishing. The Lithgow and Oberon regions in particular are home to a great selection of lakes and streams where trout are prevalent. Visitors without their own equipment will find a good selection of angling shops in the area offering everything necessary to get started.

Golf
The needs of golfers are well represented in the Blue Mountains, with world class courses available at Katoomba, Leura, Springwood, Wentworth Falls, Leonay, Penrith and the Central Blue Mountains.

Horseback Trekking
A step beyond a regular horseback riding excursion, horseback trekking is a much longer affair covering greater distances and giving participants a chance to get closer to the indigenous plant and animal species of the Blue Mountains.

Mountain Biking
With such a varied selection of terrain available, it’s not surprising that the Blue Mountains are so well suited to the pursuit of mountain biking. Visitors with their own bikes can head off independently while others can arrange tours with companies such as River Deep Mountain High (tel: +61 2 4782 6109) in Katoomba.

Rock Climbing
This can be pursued with the assistance of local tour companies or independently. In the latter instance, an appropriate degree of knowledge and experience of the sport is essential, as well as the necessary equipment to ensure safe climbing. There are countless locations well suited to climbing although many in the Blue Mountains National Park are subject to restrictions, so it’s wise to check with a tourist information centre before you embark on a climbing expedition.