Visit Blue Mountains: Beyond the Black Top Adventures

Disclosure: Our family was a guest of Blue Mountain Tourism and Beyond the Black Top Adventures.

If you're visiting the Blue Mountains, I would highly suggest Beyond the Black Top Adventures for a thrilling experience.

Owner Paul, who was also our driver and guide, took us on a 3-Hour Army Truck adventure on a 6-seater "Wombat," which is an open air Ex-Australian Army Land Rover.

We buckled in, and began our adventure in Katoomba, where we were picked up at our hotel, and then we visited a few stops (since we visited in the middle of winter, it was very, very cold riding on the Wombat, but we did get two blankets each to help keep us warm).

The first stop was Landslide Lookout.  We walked a short trail, and came upon a cliff with amazing views.  It was quite anxiety-inducing because you are literally standing right near the edge of the cliff, but it was quite exhilarating too.  

It was too amazing for words.  

The landscape was vast, with thousands of trees, and it was just pretty mesmerizing.

We could see and hear hundreds of cockatoos flying around.  

We saw thousands and thousands of eucalyptus (gum) trees.  The trees are a source of oil, which is one reason why bush fires grow so rapidly in the area.  

It is these same oils that when emitted, create the blue haze that gives the Blue Mountains its name.

Another stop was the Wind Eroded Cave in Blackheath.  To think that it was once under water is pretty hard to imagine.  It was such an incredible sight!

It was really neat getting to see all of the nooks and crannies created by time and nature.

My youngest son and husband, along with Paul, did a short climb up part of the cave. 

The trail for Anvil Rock Lookout was right next to the Wind Eroded Cave's trail.  Named after its shape, the lookout offers stunning views of Grose Valley.

It's hard to describe the feeling when you're gazing at thousands of trees in peace.  It's even harder to imagine the devastating bush fires that consumed so much of the Blue Mountains just a few years prior.  The experience definitely gave me a deeper sense of appreciation for our natural surroundings. 

I'm always intrigued by plants whenever hiking or in the outdoors, and I was busy snapping away during the adventure.

It was neat to see plants native to New South Wales, and ones that even thrive on bush fires.

Mountain Devil

Wattle

Throughout the tour, Paul identified various plants, gave us the history of the different areas, told us all about the bush fires, and even pointed things out that we would never have noticed on our own - like the home of one of the deadly spiders in Australia - the Funnel Web spider.  

I also thought it was really neat to see the spectrum of colors on the rocks (the red is rust!).

Throughout the tour, charred remains were constant reminders of the bush fires.  It was a powerful reminder of the fragility of our eco-systems.

Beyond the Black Top Adventures offer a number of tours in varying lengths, and you're sure to find one that suits you and your group.  

They offer an ideal way to visit areas of the Blue Mountains that you may not otherwise have access to, especially without a car.  

Beyond the Black Top Adventures was a memorable experience!

To book a tour with Beyond the Black Top Adventures, click here.