This new boardwalk reveals a hidden side of the Blue Mountains

By Taylah Darnell
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There’s a new way to witness this World Heritage-listed national park.

Everyone knows the Blue Mountains in NSW is a paradise for nature lovers. A treasure trove of walking trails, magical waterfalls and outdoor experiences like Scenic World highlight the raw natural beauty that makes this place so special.

Many of the Blue Mountains’ best hikes and lookouts run along the Jamison Valley’s cliffs and offer views across southerly landmarks like Mount Solitary and the Megalong Valley. But the accessible Forest Lookout Boardwalk has just opened in a lesser-known part of the region, inviting visitors to see a different side of this incredible national park.

Where is the new Blue Mountains boardwalk?

Situated on the quieter side of the Blue Mountains National Park in Mount Tomah is the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden on Darug Country. Opened to the public in 1987, the 186-hectare landscape is considered the highest botanic garden in Australia. It is already home to a handful of well-maintained tracks, but the newly opened Forest Lookout Boardwalk is providing a new perspective.

Blue Mountains Botanic Garden in Mount Tomah, NSW

The botanic garden showcases the region’s natural beauty. (Image: Destination NSW)

At 100 metres in length, the fully accessible platform leads visitors to a rarely seen eastern viewpoint that looks out over the region’s unique basalt cap forests. Sustainability was a key factor in the design. Built using natural materials, the structure is sympathetic to the landscape and cuts a path around trees rather than through them.

But it’s not (just) about the destination, it’s about the journey, too. Take it at a leisurely pace and you might spot a few of the adorable animals that call this place home – like lizards, sugar gliders and ring-tailed possums, as well as over 150 bird species. It’s also a great way to see the garden’s native and exotic plant species, including maples, camellias, rhododendrons and ferns.

A native Australian superb lyrebird in the bush

Keep your eye out for native bird species, like the superb lyrebird. (Image: Tracie Louise)

The fern holds particular significance to the region; in the Durgah language of the land’s Traditional Owners, ‘Tomah’ means ‘fern.’ Visitors can learn more about the fern and its life cycle through newly installed art panels along the way.

Afterwards, pop up to the onsite cafe for tea, browse the Garden Shop for gifts and homewares, join a creative workshop or pick up a native plant from the nursery. Guided walking tours are also run during the spring.

The Forest Lookout Boardwalk in the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden, NSW

The new boardwalk is a short but sweet 100 metres in length.

Is it accessible?

The Blue Mountains Botanic Garden has accessibility parking (located in Car Park 1) and wheelchair-friendly bathrooms, as well as mobility scooters available to hire for $10. The new Forest Lookout Boardwalk has also been specifically designed to be accessible for all. Wheelchair users, parents with prams and those with reduced mobility can all enjoy the experience thanks to flat surfaces, safety railings and ramps.

The Forest Lookout Boardwalk in the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden, NSW

Sustainability and accessibility were at the forefront of design.

How do I get there?

For those travelling from regional towns like Bathurst or Lithgow, you can reach the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden via the Great Western Highway and Chifley Road. Sydney’s train line and A32 highway make visiting popular towns like Katoomba easy, but Mount Tomah is a little further afield. Head to North Richmond, an hour’s drive from the CBD, where Bells Line of Road begins. The winding route twists and turns for 37 kilometres before delivering you to your destination.

Bells Line of Road in the Blue Mountains, NSW

Bells Line of Road winds its way through the Blue Mountains. (Image: Destination NSW)

If you’re up for an autumnal road trip, Bells Line is an adventure in itself, cutting through historic settlements like Kurrajong and Berambing. It also provides access to many of Bilpin’s world-class cideries, which are recognised among Australia’s top 10 foodie wonders. It’s important to note that Bells Line of Road can be dangerous at times, especially after heavy rainfall and high winds. Check Live Traffic NSW for road closures or repair works.

The Blue Mountains Botanic Garden is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm.
Taylah Darnell is Australian Traveller's Writer & Producer. She has been passionate about writing since she learnt to read, spending many hours either lost in the pages of books or attempting to write her own. This life-long love of words inspired her to study a Bachelor of Communication majoring in Creative Writing at the University of Technology Sydney, where she completed two editorial internships. She began her full-time career in publishing at Ocean Media before scoring her dream job with Australian Traveller. Now as Writer & Producer, Taylah passionately works across both digital platforms and print titles. When she's not wielding a red pen over magazine proofs, you can find Taylah among the aisles of a second-hand bookshop, following a good nature trail or cheering on her EPL team at 3am. While she's keen to visit places like Norway and New Zealand, her favourite place to explore will forever be her homeland.
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A Japanese-inspired bathhouse just opened in the Blue Mountains

    By Carla Grossetti
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    Memories of a childhood in Japan were the inspiration behind Aqua Ignis, a new Blue Mountains bathhouse.

    A new revolutionary bathhouse in the Blue Mountains is redefining wellness by drawing on ancient bathing traditions from around the world. Aqua Ignis co-founder Taku Hjelgaard says it was the experience of visiting an onsen near his grandparents’ home in Osaka that first inspired this contemporary take on a bathhouse.

    “I remember riding on a bike around the narrow winding streets of Osaka, immersing myself in these giant baths and then lying on my back in the tatami room feeling relaxed and rejuvenated,” says Taku, who was born in Japan, but raised in the UK and Australia.

    “I would ride home with the wind in my hair at night through these beautiful Japanese streets. These memories are etched in my mind and ultimately inspired the creation of Aqua Ignis,” says Taku.

    the front of Aqua Ignis bathhouse, Blue Mountains

    Aqua Ignis is the newest bathhouse to open in the Blue Mountains.

    The name Aqua Ignis draws from the Latin: Aqua (water), which represents the bath and steam room elements; and Ignis (fire), which represents the sauna. Taku says the two words capture the core experience of visiting the Blackheath bathhouse.

    “It’s that interplay between hot and cold, water and heat. One of the things I really love about Japanese bathhouses is that it’s therapy for both the mind and the body. It’s engaging in a hot and cold treatment, soaking up the magnesium, and then having a really restorative rest in our beautiful spaces,” says Taku, who also works part-time as a counsellor.

    Taku’s brother-in-law, Korean-German architect Siki Im was behind the transformation of the old Art Deco property that houses Aqua Ignis. Taku’s business partner, carpenter Lee Nias, was also involved in the transformation of the heritage structure. The building was reimagined as a ‘room within a room’ concept that allows for fluid transitions between spaces.

    inside Aqua Ignis bathhouse, Blue Mountains

    Not only does the bathhouse feature onsen-like baths, but it also has steam rooms and saunas.

    Taku says Aqua Ignis also nods to Turkish hammams with its herbal-infused steam rooms.

    “My business partner Lee’s heritage is a real mix. He’s part Chinese, part Indian, part Irish, part English. Our architect is Korean but lives in Germany. And my heritage is Japanese so it makes sense that we blend a lot of different global traditions together,” he says.

    Both Lee and Taku grew up in the Blue Mountains and say Aqua Ignis is a way of giving back to the community. Taku says the ultimate goal is for visitors to experience a uniquely Australian form of wellness. “It’s wellness that respects diverse cultural practices while creating something entirely new,” Taku says.

    “We are eternally grateful to the Blue Mountains, the people, the landscape, the trees, the water that has shaped us. Our way of giving back to community is by creating this bathhouse, which reflects the country’s rich, complex cultural landscape,” he says.

    Taku says he and Lee have been consulting with a local Gundungurra woman to incorporate Indigenous Australian elements through a eucalyptus cleansing ceremony.

    the sauna at Aqua Ignis bathhouse, Blue Mountains

    The hot rock sauna is a nod to the European tradition.

    Aqua Ignis has a hot rock sauna, herbal steam room, magnesium mineral bath, cold plunge and rest areas. Together, Taku says the treatments provide visitors with a space to reset.

    You can find Aqua Ignis at 239 Great Western Highway, Blackheath, NSW

    Stretch your legs on one of these hikes in the Blue Mountains. Next, enjoy a restorative session at Aqua Ignis, followed by a stay at one of these cosy Blue Mountains cabins?