A Brilliant Day in the Blue Mountains.
A beautiful, Autumn day for a drive to Mt Tomah Botanical Gardens on the Bells Line of Road, past Bilpin. For details have a look at this excellent website of Great Driving Routes with the Bells Line of Road as part of the Greater Blue Mountains Drive and Mt Tomah, Mount Wilson and Mount Irvine included in one of the 18 discovery trails, called The Mounts. I came the rather longer way via Leura, Katoomba & Mt Victoria instead of via Richmond. Fortunately, the bush seems to have recovered after the bushfires a few years ago, which left the area around Mt Banks looking like an horrendous moonscape.
Time for scones with raspberry jam & cream on the verandah of the Restaurant Tomah. They were disappointing & rather ordinary, but the view was magnificent. On a clear day like today, the view stretched right across the mountain tops & beyond. Pick up a visitors’ map as there’s plenty of ponds and walking paths, although some of them are a bit steep or have steps. Look for spots with lots of autumn leaves to rustle, as you walk. Great for burning up those calories and clearing the lungs!
Perhaps you might like to stay the night at the adjacent Jungle Lodge, which was recently acquired by the gardens. By travelling west from here, it’s possible to visit the Lithgow Zig Zag Railway or Newnes. Another day!
Nestled between Katoomba & Blackheath is the 
Seeing your there, it’s worth visiting the 
After enjoying their marvellous scones & pies for many years, the Bay Tree is closed until further notice, according to the notice on the door. It appears to have been For Sale recently and this is how it was described by 
The Commonsense Cookery Book has to have one of the all time, tried & true scone recipes. It was first published in 1914 & compiled by the NSW Public School Cookery Teacher’s Association and used for many years in High Schools. Unbelievably, or maybe not, it’s still available at 
Sconquest. 