I am heading up to the Blue Mountains next weekend - never been before and I am hoping some of the FoAkers out there will be able to advise me on what is a must do - where to eat, where to drink etc. Anything like breweries, good coffee + food, shops, hikes. Holla.
Or anything that I should avoid for that matter as well.
Some of the second hand stores are worth a visit, cheap in a country town kind of way and some good items pop up, the ones in Springwood, etc.
Claustral Canyon!!
Okay - that looks amazing Aeons!
Maaaaaan you gotta get a pie from the ivenhoe hotel at blackheath!!! OMFG. It’s on the main drag and has a wicked little beer garden out front to catch some sun 
If you wanna look at shops n that, skip Katoomba and go straight to Leura. There’s a fucken ace “vintage” shop that sells vintage stuff and new designer-y sort of stuff that I really like. And good book stores and a killer candy shop. I recommend the Dr Pepper glass bottles…
Pack a sweater- was climbing there last month and lets just say camping was chilly
ftfy
Dang it - we are staying in Katoomba.
Ha! Nah katoomba is all good, I just had funny experiences with two headed people at the local k-mart.
Lolly shop at Leura.
We had booked in to a place in Katoomba - mother fuckers cancelled the accommodation. The place looks to be all booked out so I turned to airbnb and found this joint 20kms up the road from Katoomba.
Anyone been to the Mount Victoria area before? Good pubs + eats? I am just mindful of having a few beers on Saturday night and not being able to drive.
Your gonna drive right through Blackheath now bout 10mins before you get to Mt Victoria. There are some cool antique and coffee shops and bakeries on Govetts Leap Rd too. One more time Ivanhoe Hotel, PIE!!! There more like a steak pasty with gravy. I’m sure you got plans n stuff but there is some amazing climbing at Mt Victoria, if you wanna get off the beaten track (just to see the place, not climb) download a climbing guid PDF. The walk in out times, terrain, dangerous and non dangerous wildlife are explained extremely well and you can pretty much have the whole place to yourself. Won’t have to fight the tourists for a photo either.
There is one crag in particular out that way that is amazing but can’t remember the name, I’ll get back to ya…
I am not much of a pie eater. But I might give it a go. We don’t actually have that many plans - just hanging out together and chilling out I guess. If we can get a really good 3-5hr hike in, that would be awesome. That will make the beer (and pie) taste so much better.
Heaps of good walking up there. From Blackheath, a nice daywalk is down Perry’s lookdown into the Grose Valley and blue gum forest. From Katoomba, a great daywalk is to go down the Golden Staircase into the Jameson valley and then along past the Ruined Castle to Mt Solitary.
Both pretty standard, and well-used tracks, but they’re popular for good reason. Google either and you’ll get track notes.
I also highly recommend driving to Kanangra-Boyd - drive down the range from Mt Victoria via Jenolan caves (which is also worth a visit). The Kanangra walls are amazing. Also Google.
When you’re in Katoomba go to the Hominy bakery and eat the pear and ginger cake. They also do probably the best sourdough in the Bluies, at least when I lived there. It’s on the main drag.
If you’re a climber, then climb something at Pearce’s Pass (eg, Bunny Buckets Buttress) for a true airy Blue Mtns experience (relatively close to Mt Vic). Sweet Dreams at Leura is also great for nice views, although very easy depending on ability. Both Sides of the Glass at Narrowneck is also very good. The main Mt Vic climbing area is generally pretty average in my opinion.
I like diddys advice a lot. Ironpot ridge is a nice spot to walk out onto. I think its in Kanangra-Boyd, not sure about vehicle access… not too far from megalong road, i think?
Mt Vic has a big old hotel on the main corner that has a sunny area out front, excellent for sitting in to warm up. Not sure about the bar and night time, though. The corner that the pub sits on is also where you turn off to get some pretty awesome gardens (theyre signposted) that my cousin told me were pretty awesome gardens.
There is good applejuice everywhere… but thats not too exciting.
Ivanhoe hotel feels like a nana’s house. I’ve had some truly craptacular “meals” there, but the pies are alright.
You going up the back way, over shooters hill? Wicked drive! and its paved all the way now.
Oh wait - a back way? Just did a quick google maps and would probably like to do this on the way back for something different.
Had a rad time - thanks everyone for the advice. Some pics!
Awesome pics Ezy!
totally, hope the weekend ticked all the boxes mate