Leura Blue Mountains Australia Guide to Blue Mountains Recreation

Looking for something to do? You won't have trouble finding fun in Leura, and we've also included some great choices that are just a short drive from the village. Visitors come to Leura mostly to eat and shop, for it is the upmarket shopping village of the Blue Mountains. If it is raining or cold, most take time to browse in the book store, news agency and art galleries or sip tea in cafés, check out the "Shopping" and "Cafés & Restaurants" sections of the website.

Leura Village Fair - 2nd weekend in October... See Events...

Many visitors rarely venture onto the tracks (bush) at all, so we encourage you to take The Leura Bushwalkto find the Leura side of the escarpment. There are some relatively easy tracks to get to majestic lookouts you will long remember.

Looking for more of a challenge or to learn a new skill?We have included a little about some very active sports, abseiling and canyoning, where you can truly become part of the environment. The Blue Mountains National Park is often described as the epicentre of these sports, and you are here, so close to such an exciting opportunity. Instructors of these sports tell us that a moderate fitness level or better is the only requirement, so give it a go.

Leura Bushwalks

The Leura Bushwalks: The Lookouts

Bushwalk Map In the Leura Bushwalks, we are taking you on three easy walks that go beyond the shopping area of Leura. While not vigorous, these walks take you out of the village centre and into nature's bounty. Along the escarpment and down to the lookouts you will discover Leura in its relationship to the Blue Mountains and the World Heritage designation that preserves it. Each short walk to a lookout will get you up close and personal with the natural beauty that prompted Leura's attraction to Blue Mountains visitors.

Print Map (PDF)

Jeff Drewitz, Photographer

Phone:0412 160 358

For those of us with a limited skill level for canyoning or rock climbing in the Blue Mountains wilderness, we have turned to a young local photographer - a trekker, backpacker and bicyclist.

With an eye for the unusual and the personal, Jeff Drewitz' photographs of locations we could not access are often thrilling and always authentic. Modifying with popular software is not allowed in his studio. For us, his photographs are the 'next best thing' to being there and a visit to his website gallery http://archive.jeffdrewitz.comis a testament to his talent.

Tread Lightly Eco Tours (Nature Base Touring)

Accredited Ecological Guides

Phone:02 47 881 229

In the exquisite and wondrous heritage bushlandthat surrounds Leura and its neighbouring villages, you can explore ancient wilderness.

Tim Tranter's team of qualified ecological guides provides minimal-impact eco tours, bushwalking or four-wheel drive. The oldest rainforests, the tallest waterfalls and the deepest canyons on Tread Lightly's Tours are a reality, not a marketing promise. Tours are highly interactive - a few muscles will know they've been tested - accentuating ancient trails with local environmental and cultural aspects of the Blue Mountains.

For travellers experiencing jet lag, 'Rendezvous with the Kangaroos' is a terrific early morning activity - a continental breakfast in beautiful Megalong Valley, kangaroos within reach. This is a delightful experience for mixed-generation families.

Round out the afternoon with Tread Lightly's wilderness walk in the "Valley of the Waters" to an unimaginable 450-metre waterfall, a vision etched indelibly in your memory (and hopefully, your camera). A day with Tread Lightly and you are an environmental enthusiast forever.

A day with Tread Lightlyand you are an environmental enthusiast forever.

Werriberri Trail Rides

Address:Megalong Valley
Phone:02 4787 9171

Werriberri Trail Rides is the family business of Kathy Tucker and her four children. The rides, through the World Heritage wilderness are amazing for all equestrians, beginner or experienced. Experienced guides take you across streams, into rainforests and along trails where the view opens to sandstone ridges and forests of eucalypt. If you love the beautiful scenery and who doesn't love horses, you are in for a special experience.

Kathy matches horses to your abilities, and as we are a beginner, we were most grateful for her selection. All ages and abilities are welcome and for the very young, check out the pony rides - a great way to learn.

Though we have yet to try Werriberri's historic rides from Mt York following the historic tracks of early pioneers,we are planning on it.

In 2013, Kathy will celebrate the 200th anniversity with rides following the crossing of the Blue Mountains. Quite exciting!

Blue Mountains Heritage Centre & Shop

Staff and rangers are on hand here to give you an overview of the Blue Mountains National Park and World Heritage Site, including camping areas, walking tracks and the Discovery Program (see entry below for more information). There are interactive displays, videos and an art exhibition, all providing facts and insights into the natural wonders, and you can enjoy it seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Discovery Program - Walks, Talks and Tours

Address:End of Govetts Leap Road, Blackheath
Phone:02 4787 8877

The Discovery Program is a statewide education program aimed at fostering an appreciation for natural and cultural heritage in New South Wales residents and visitors. Walks, talks and tours are led by trained and experienced Discovery Rangers.

The Blue Mountains Region runs four seasonal Discovery Programs that offer half- and full-day walks, Junior Ranger activities, night walks and birdwatching walks every day of school holidays and Saturdays outside of this period. Activities are located in the region's World Heritage-listed National Parks such as Blue Mountains, Kanangra-Boyd and Wollemi.

Whether you are 5 years old or 95, there are affordable and enjoyable Discovery activities for everyone.

Blue Mountains Golfing

Leura Golf Club

Address:Sublime Point Road
Phone:02 4782 5011

It would be hard to find a more dramatic setting for a round of golf. With exceptional views from every hole, it is the 14th that leaves one gasping in awe. (Club golfers laughingly point out that the major hazard of the courseis Jamison Valley.)We are vividly reminded that even in a sporting environment, we are still surrounded by the spirit of the World Heritage-listed Blue Mountains.

For more than 100 years, golf and the Leura Golf Club - now adjacent to the York Fairmont Resort Blue Mountains, have been an integral part of the recreational and social scene. Members are proud of their important and long heritage in Leura.

And Leura golfers and their guests have been, and continue to be, a hardy bunch - inclement weather does not deter them. Driving along Sublime Point Road in an early morning misting fog, a lone golfer can be sighted, headed for the second tee. Hopefully spectacular vistas, however limited, bring out spectacular golfing!

If you have arrived empty handed, you can hire everything from the first-rate golf shop: motorised carts, clubs or shoes. Note: Call for details about the Leura Golf Open held annually in the Blue Mountains in September.

Kid's Activities in the Blue Mountains

Gordon Falls Reserve & Bloome Park (Picnic Spots)

There are two perfect locations for picnicking with very young children-Bloome Park, on the corner of Craigend Street and The Mall, and the Gordon Falls Reserve at Olympian Parade and Lone Pine Street. Both have flat terrain, playground equipment, picnic tables and space for running, jumping or kicking a ball. On warm sunny days, both locations are often crowded, so plan ahead. Street parking is available at Bloome Park, and at Gordon Falls there is a designated parking area.

Sample Discovery program for kids:

Junior Rangers and Little Lyrebirds

For kids aged 6 to 12, discover Aboriginal culture with stories, craft and a Blue Mountains bushwalk. Bring morning tea and water. Parents need not stay. Fee based.

Leuralla Toy & Railway Museum

A feature of this museum is the extensive collection of toys and childhood paraphernalia. Electric and steam model trains, stations and figures of the 1920s and '30s are housed in a restored cottage, which looks like an authentic railway station. Rail signs, signals, levers, trolleys and sound effects recall the great days of rail travel.

Nature-base Tours

Abseiling and Canyoning in the Blue Mountains

Abseiling is an old German term, "down rope", which simply means to throw a rope over the cliff edge and lower yourself down. We often hear the verb, to rappel, in this context.

Today, in the Blue Mountains where the cliff line extends for more than 2000 kilometres, abseiling is a sophisticated and popular sport. Friction harnesses keep you safe, and instructors encourage participants to forget the adrenalin surge and take it slowly. Enjoy the sport and take in the magnificent surroundings. Of course, for thrill junkies, rappelling down at a fast pace is still the way to go.

Canyoning is a summer sport in the Blue Mountains and not for the faint of heart. Wetsuits protect you from the canyons' chilly waters as you drop through narrow slots and fern-lined walls down to the canyon floor. You can wade and swim through some 700 canyons in the Blue Mountains where you'll have a chance to see the Blue Gum Forest, temperate rainforest and eucalyptus forest. And for that extra thrill, water-slide into deep pools, which are home to water dragons, crayfish and amazing bird life. After an adventure like this, the term "spectator sport" is stricken from your vocabulary.

Tread Lightly Eco Tours (Nature Base Touring)

Accredited Ecological Guides

Phone:02 47 881 229

Exploring the thrilling World Heritage wilderness that surrounds Leura and its neighbouring villages is a mustfor visitors to the Blue Mountains.

Round out the afternoon with Tread Lightly's wilderness walk in the "Valley of the Waters" to an unimaginable 450-metre waterfall, a vision etched indelibly in your memory (and hopefully, your camera). A day with Tread Lightlyand you are an environmental enthusiast forever.

Misty Mountains 4WD Tours (Nature Base Touring)

Misty Mountains will personalise your tour through the Blue Mountains to fit your time constraints. They offer a wide range of interesting tours including a self-drive one in your own 4WD vehicle. They are eco certified.

High 'n Wild Mountain Adventures

Whether you are a novice or an old hand, you seek adventure and out of the way places. Satisfy the quest deep inside you for an adventure you won't forget. High n' Wild is geared up to take you on a magnificent journey of your choice, abseiling, canyoning or mountain biking. Abseil instruction takes a full day, and you're ready for the real thing on the second day. You begin with a five-metre drop, and by the end of the day you have pulled off that 60-metre abseil. Exciting? We think so.

Other Activities in the Blue Mountains

The Edge, Maxivision Theatre

With little exaggeration, we can say movies at this theatre are colossal. Films are projected onto a six-storey-high screen. Uninterrupted viewing is possible from all seats, and popular films are shown daily.

Climbing Centre Leura

The Climbing Centre has a variety of different climbs for beginners and advanced climbers. The Centre caters to groups, families and individuals. Build your skills before your venture into the great outdoors.

Spas for Health & Wellbeing

Leura is home to an array of exceptional day spas and wellness centers. Several of these spas are located on The Mall and up a flight of stairs where the hustle of street traffic is muted and you step into a calm and relaxing environment. Others are at a nearby resort welcoming day use of their facilities. Each offers some distinctive product or package, but collectively their approach to wellbeing and good health is respectful and purposeful. Stop in and take a look at the extensive products available and make an appointment for some great body work. It is unusual to have such choices in a village this size, so take "the cure", relax and be pampered.

Body & Being Massage, Healing, Beauty

Address:173a The Mall
Phone:02 4784 3498

A long established Leura healing spa, Body & Being brings a focus upon healing therapies and body maintenance. The spa offers massage, holistic therapies and beauty treatments which include a wide range of massage options to luxurious facials and a sensational Ayurvedic scalp treatment.

Rejuvenation treatments - a deep massage or a blissful body wrap - will refresh and rejuvenate your mind and body. With the stress of modern life, pampering and body maintenance seems a necessity today - after too many hours at a computer, juggling demanding schedules, just putting one foot in front of the other becomes an effort at times. This is when Body & Being comes to your rescue. Note: The Hot Stone massage worked miracles for this editor.

Ask the staff about the one-of-a-kind organic skincare products. And for a great gift to someone special, check out the deluxe "pamper packages".

Walk-in appointments are certainly welcomed, but to be ensured of your time, call for a booking.

Mandala, Massage & Holistic Living

On the second floor, recently opened Mandala is hushed, a calm refuge from the busy Mall below. Timber floors, high ceilings, flowers and a welcoming cup of tea immediately instill peace and quiet in our frenetic lives. Mandala is Sanskrit for 'circle' - the journey for reunifying the self. Three young Blue Mountains women have joined together their creativity, intuition and skill to form a practice of holistic living through healing modalities, massage, yoga and meditation. Workshops and personal consultations are yet another aspect of their practice.