A new Blue Mountains walk has opened and it’s a nature-lover’s dream

By Taylah Darnell
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The Grand Cliff Top Walk in the Blue Mountains has opened following years of trail closures and restoration efforts.

The Blue Mountains has added another incredible walk to its list, with the opening of the Grand Cliff Top Walk after four years of track closures and restoration efforts.

If you’ve ever been to the Blue Mountains, you know it’s got more than one claim to fame. There are quaint towns with historic buildings, industry-leading restaurants pushing the envelope and unique stays rivalling accommodation around the world.

But the region’s pièce de résistance has to be its over one million hectares of pristine, protected wilderness. And now, the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) has revealed a new walk showcasing the best of it.

 

Grand Cliff Top Walk, Blue Mountains, NSW

Soak in views over the Jamison Valley along the way. (Image: RBrand/DCCEEW)

Officially launched on 24 March by the NSW NPWS and Blue Mountains City Council, the Grand Cliff Top Walk connects the charming towns of Wentworth Falls and Katoomba.

Traversing 19 kilometres, the trek begins at Darwins Walk from the Wilson Park picnic area, follows a path past gushing Wentworth Falls, through majestic ancient forest and along cliff-edge tracks, ending at Scenic World in Katoomba.

Grand Cliff Top Walk, Blue Mountains, NSW

Admire Wentworth Falls as it gushes into the valley. (Image: RBrand/DCCEEW)

The walk blends older tracks with newly built trails that offer a different perspective, now connected by missing links. The NPWS has been opening it in stages as they’re completed, but it is now available as one continuous two-day hike.

Throughout the build and restoration of the walk, safety has remained a high priority. Timber steps along the track have been replaced with sandstone ones, ensuring bushfire resistance and supporting the region’s heritage values. Handrails have also been installed where necessary for safety.

Grand Cliff Top Walk, Blue Mountains, NSW

Handrails have been installed for safety. (Image: RBrand/DCCEEW)

Although the Grand Cliff Top Walk is designed to be completed across two days, there are plenty of adjoining tracks that allow hikers to come and go as they please. But for those going all the way, you won’t have to rough it.

The Grand Cliff Top Walk has been purposefully built close to nearby towns. Why not spend the night at one of many cute country stays in Leura, which roughly marks halfway? This means camping equipment and heavy rucksacks can be left at home, too.

Orchard Cottage in Leura

Spend a luxe countryside stay at the Orchard Cottage.

Visitors travelling to the region can also extend their trip to experience everything else the Blue Mountains has to offer.

“We urge visitors and walkers who experience the Grand Cliff Top Walk, on a guided tour or self-guided walk, to explore our villages along the way with their unique Art Deco buildings, colourful boutique cafes, restaurants and shops," says Trish Doyle, Blue Mountains MP.

There are many things to do in Katoomba, the charming town where the hike ends. Put some time aside to visit Scenic World, hit the shops or treat yourself to a luxurious stay at Lilianfels. Or head to a Blue Mountains spa to soak away those post-hike aches and pains.

Scenic Skyway cabin at Scenic World Katoomba passing over the Jamison Valley in the Blue Mountains

Pass through the Jamison Valley on the Scenic Skyway cabin. (Image: Destination NSW)

Whatever you choose to do, you’ll be supporting an industry that needs it.

“The walk will boost the economic value of nature-based tourism in the region by attracting more domestic and international visitors and more overnight stays," says Penny Sharpe, Minister for Climate Change and the Environment.

The project, which cost the NSW Government a cool $10 million, is anticipated to increase visitation to the region by 50,000 per year. It may seem like a lot of money, but it’s a huge investment for a region so deserving. And the views along the way – well, they’re priceless.

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?