Blue Mountains Icons 3 & 4

Now you can't say that the Hobbster does not provide good value. Today I am bringing you TWO Blue Mountains Icons at the one time. Icon 3 in this scene is the distant Mt Solitary which dominates the Jamison Valley scenery as viewed from Katoomba (just down the road from Blackheath).

Icon 4 is Mary's Lookout. After the Second World War, Mary Hammon and her husband Harry, purchased an old coal mining lease, adjacent to the Blue Mountains National Park, deep in the valley below where we are standing. Included in the purchase, there was an extremely steep rail line which had formerly been used to bring carloads of ore to the plateau above. Harry and Mary upgraded the old track and converted it to what we know today as the Scenic Railway, which carries tourists to a fabulous elevated environmental walkway in the valley below.

Over the years the entire site has been progressively expanded into a multi-attraction complex known as Scenic World, presently operated by Mary and Harry's grandchildren. When I was there today I saw that work had been commenced on a further multi-million dollar upgrade which I shall show you more about in time to come. This little corner of the complex was especially dedicated to Mary Hammon back in 2001.