Blue Mountains or Grampian mts

[Jwerking]

Sorry, more questions.

Are Blue mts or Grampian mts better? We will be in the Melbourne area for a week anyway before returning to SYdney to pick up my daughter's stuff before flyiing back to the States. So, we can either stay in the Melbourne area and do the Grampians after the Ocean Road or fly back to Sydney a few days earlier and go the Blue Mountain area for a few days.

Any thoughts on which is better? Honestly, just as well stay in the Melbourne area and see the Grampians - unless there is something really unique and special about the Blue MOuntains. Maybe I could even use a timeshare week in the Melbourne area instead of paying for all the accomodations on this trip - ouch!

Thanks once again.

Joyce

 

[chubby]

The Blue Mountains is near Sydney with no timeshare near by they are very ruggard mountains with very good veiws and some very old towns BUT the time of year you are going is winter time and if it is couldy you will not see a thing as it is gets clouded in

The Grampians would be better at that time of year and you could go there from the end of the Great Ocean trip from Port Fairy there is a road that goes staight up to The Grampians
The Grampians National Park is a good place to see Austalian wild life if you want to see them there is a very small town of Halls Gap which you can stay in good motels or caravan parks with cabins Kangaroos come down out of the hills into the town just on dusk or early in the morning
At Halls Gap do get a map of the sites at the store and drive to the lookouts in the hills we have stayed at the Best Western motel and stayed at the Big4 caravan park just out of the town it has all tipes of cabins very much like a time share it is very good
And again there is no timeshare near by the closest would be At Ballarat there is a Worldmark there
Have you looked up the big4 web site they give prices just add com au they two or one bedroom condo type of units for the price a one bedroom motel or cheaper we stay in them lots of times where there is no timeshare also there is http://www.toptouristpark.com.au they are much of a same type of accomodation

 

[sage]

Joyce,
I haven't been to the Grampians but the Blue Mountains are spectacular! It is one of our biggest tourist attractions outside of the city centre. Nearly every tourist to Sydney goes there.
If you go there, there are many lookouts. You can walk down the side of the 3 sisters & into the valley. There are trails that go to waterfalls - they are very pretty.
They have a skyway that goes across the Jamieson Valley and a railway that goes almost vertically down the mountain.
Katoomba is a quaint village with lots of art, craft & antique shops to look at. There is an Imax (3D) theatre there as well.
You could also go a bit further out to see Jenolan Caves and there are trout farms a little further past Lithgow.
Most of the bigger hotels there have Christmas in July - a traditional Christmas dinner with all the trimmings that can be enjoyed because it is actually cold that time of year.
Definitely lots to do & see and only a couple of hours from Sydney.
Take a look at http://www.bluemts.com.au/tourist/. This may give you a better idea of whats on offer.
Gillian

 

[Jwerking]

HI Chubby and Gillian:

Thank you both for your comments. I can appreciate the comments about the Blue Mountains being possibly fogged in on certain days. That happened to us the first time we did the Big Sur drive from Carmel down the coast to the Los Angeles area (just like your Great Ocean Road) in California. We had reserved tickets months in advance to go see Hearst Castle at a very dear price and it was so foggy that we could not even see the house from the pool.

Yes, I am not thrilled that it will be winter in the Blue Mountains while we are there and I understand that it can even snow - Yiks - that would not be fun to drive in the mountains in a snow storm. But have found some nice cottages that you can rent in Katoomba for a few days - just wish it were not winter so we could enjoy walking about a bit more. Gosh, decisions and more decisions!

I need to just decide! Thanks again.

Joyce

 

[sage]

Blue Mountains NOT Snowy Mountains

Joyce,
Not sure if you know but the Blue Mountains - although very cold in winter - may only get one really light snowfall per year (for one day). Usually the daily temperature is around 10C but it drops at night to about 0C.
This, as you mayrealise, is nothing like the winters you get back home. Ours are considered relatively mild by US standards.
Consider this - most schools have whole day excursions up there during winter. Just rug up and enjoy a nice long brisk walk!
Gillian

 

[Sydney]

Joyce,
Not sure if you know but the Blue Mountains - although very cold in winter - may only get one really light snowfall per year (for one day). Usually the daily temperature is around 10C but it drops at night to about 0C.
Gillian

Yes, and whenever it snows, even just a powdery fall, it's big news because it's so out of the ordinary. The road there is also very good, mostly motorway and well signaged. No need to worry about driving there in the snow. I'd be more worried about it raining than snowing.
Nice restaurants, lots to do and see.
If it works out better financially for you to see the Grampians then do so. Afterall, seen one mountain, seen them all. Seriously, though, you have the Grand Canyon in the US and that's spectacular compared to the Blue Mountains. At least we thought so.

We're in Melbourne at the moment and are looking forward to visiting the Grampians sometime this year.