A guide to exploring the mid-mountains area (and beyond) while you’re here visiting:

PLACES TO EAT / GET COFFEE

Woodford

  • 20 Mile Hollow (Sat & Sun 8am-2pm, kitchen closes at 1.30pm) – homely, spacious café with games for kids
  • Burger World (Sat & Sun 11am-9pm)

Hazelbrook

Lawson

Faulconbridge

  • Chapters & Leaves (Sat 9.30am-1pm; Sun closed) – small cafe menu, 150 different teas plus secondhand books and local ‘mountain made’ gifts


THINGS TO DO WITH KIDS

Playgrounds
Gloria Park, Hazelbrook – Playground, oval with plenty of picnic tables and open space. 

Wilson Park, Lawson– Simple playground, small waterfall followed by a creek that runs through Lawson’s famous ‘Australia rock’, picnic tables and open space.

Queens St Playground– A small simple, fully enclosed playground located a few minutes from Lawson cafes. 

Lawson Musical Park– A humble construction just next to the Lawson shops, where you can grab a coffee (and croissant) from the nearby cafes and and sit while the kids are entertained dinging the bells.

Woodford Park, Woodford– Small shady playground behind tennis courts.

Linden Playground– Simple playground located in Linden on the way to Tundarra Garden (although Tundurra is probably a better incentive for a playground!)

Wentworth Falls Lake – recently renovated playground near the lake, with paths for walking and scootering. 

Glenbrook – Great playground with equipment for both young and older kids is a playground that you can stop in on on your way up or down the mountain. It is a popular playground located next to Glenbrook village shops approximately 30 minutes down the mountain from the Garden Festival.

Bushwalks
Hazelbrook is known as “the village of waterfall walks” because it has six in the area!
Horseshoe Falls walking track is a favourite with kids with a wonderful waterfall to sight and fairy doors to spot along the way. A 30-min return walk for all levels. www.outofthenest.com.au/portfolio/horseshoe-falls-walk/

Lawson Waterfall loop track. www.outofthenest.com.au/portfolio/waterfall-loop-track/

To do the full loop you might take 2hrs, but you can also enter the loop from Honour Avenue or from Lawson Dog park www.outofthenest.com.au/portfolio/lawson-dog-park-reserve/ and just venture in to see one of the waterfalls then return out the way you came, both of which could take you 30minutes.


OTHER THINGS TO DO

Woodford Academy Open Day
Don’t leave the mountains without visiting Woodford Academy! The Academy has Open Days on the 3rd Saturday of each month. It’s the oldest complex of colonial buildings in the Blue Mountains, with a multi-layered history stretching back to the 1830s. The Central Blue Mountains Garden Club will have a courtyard stall offering information and advice and their volunteer run cafe will be open with a mouth-watering selection of cakes and coffee.

Relax in the courtyard of the oldest building in the Blue Mountains. Guided tours are also available.

DIRECTIONS TIP: Take the left hand turn at Woodford Avenue and then first left into Vale Rd to park around the back for access to the building.

Find out more

Local markets
14th Sept – Glenbrook Rotary Markets
15th Sept – Magpie Up Style Market in Lawson
22nd Sept- Springwood Growers Markets

More gardening
18 Sept – Blackheath Flower & Craft Show

Other events
16-18 Sept The Artisan Fair at the Fairmont Hotel in Leura

SHOPPING

Faulconbridge
Faulconbridge Farm – a one of a kind, eclectic antique store

Hazelbrook
Hazelbrook Cottage Antiques – a haven for antique hunters on Railway Pde, where Parade cafe resides.

Lawson
Rosey Ravelston Book Store and cafe – a charming social enterprise book store of mostly secondhand books that donates 50% of profits to charities supporting refugees, with a small cafe running on site.