Local Dining & Attractions

RESTAURANTS & DINING

nearby at Bilpin ~ Kurrajong ~ Mt Tomah
This dining info is correct as of Dec 2011.   Some are family places, others are fine dining.   All these restaurants are close-by & recommended.  Call ahead to ensure the restaurant is open and has space available for you to dine.   Ask about takeaway if you like!

• Apple Bar in Bilpin ~ Ph: 45670335
  Food: great quality, fresh seafood, wood fired pizza, Asian influences
  Open: lunch & dinner Thursday – Monday Driving time: 2 mins Loc: 2488 Bells Line of Road, Bilpin
  Web: www.applebar.com.au
  
  
• Kurrajong Heights hotel bistro ~ Ph: 45677140
  Food: terrific family place. Has pasta, steak, seafood, pizza.
  Open: lunch & dinner 7 days Driving time: 10 mins Loc: 1349 Bells Line of Road, Kurrajong Heights
  Web: www.eatability.com.au/au/sydney/city-view-bar-and-grill
  
  
• Lochiel House restaurant gallery ~ Ph: 45677754
  Food: Fine dining – awarded 2 chefs hats 2011 & awarded Best Regional Restaurant
  Open: lunch Friday – Sunday & dinner Friday – Saturday Driving time: 10 mins
  Loc: 1259 Bells Line of Road, Kurrajong Heights
  Web: www.lochielhouse.com.au
  
  
• Restaurant Tomah ~ Ph: 45672060
  Food: modern Australian, ideal for couples & families. Gourmet coffee, light meals thru to full lunches
  Open: lunch 7 days Driving time: 10 mins
  Loc: Blue Mtns Botanic Gardens Mt Tomah via Bells Line of Road (12 km west of Bilpin) The view from the restaurant is stunning – don’t miss it!
  Web: www.restauranttomah.com.au
  
  
• Kravings at Kurmond ~ Ph: 45731211
  Food: contemporary Australian, award winning great for couples, families welcome, special diets OK.
  Open: lunch 5 days & dinner 6 days Driving time: 15 mins Loc: 452 Bells Line of Road, Kurmond
  Web: www.kravings.com.au
  
  
• Kurrajong Kurries ~ Ph: 45732255
  Food: tasty, spicy & Indian. Perfect for families.
  Open: lunch & dinner 7 days Driving time: 15 mins Loc: 85 Old Bells Line of Road in Kurrajong village
  Web: www.kurrajongkurries.com
  
  
• More Restaurants: for Thai, seafood takeaway, Chinese, Italian, bakeries and coffee shops explore North Richmond shopping centre – just 15/20 mins easy drive from Bilpin. Kurrajong village also has many bakeries, great coffee shops and it’s a lovely village to stroll, soaking up real Aussie country town flavour and hospitality. Enjoy great food in the Hawkesbury!
  
  

Supermarkets:

• Bilpin; turn right at Bells Line of Road and go 2kms to small petrol station/mini mart. All basic supplies including bread, milk, drinks and some groceries/vegetables are available.
  
  
• Kurrajong village; small village supermarket, bakeries, cafes, hardware store, antiques.
  
  
• North Richmond; large Coles supermarket plus restaurants, bakeries, chemist.

Bars and/or Bottle Shop: all contact details as listed above

• Apple Bar in Bilpin; beer, wine, spirits available (no takeaway alcohol).
  
  
• Kurrajong Heights hotel (10 mins drive) or North Richmond hotel (15 mins drive) or Mt Victoria hotel (25 mins drive) for takeaway bottle shop facilities.

Nearby Attractions:

• Mount Tomah Botanic Gardens. Located 10 mins drive from Bilpin Springs Lodge the gardens are gorgeous throughout the year. They are run by the Sydney Royal Botanic Gardens Trust and showcase cooler climate plants that thrive in the mountain air of Mt Tomah. In addition to visiting the gardens there’s a marvelous restaurant onsite with great food and amazing views that stretch all the way back to Sydney. Find all details on www.mounttomahbotanicgarden.com.au
  
  Discover an enchanted world of plants at Mount Tomah Botanic Garden, the cool-climate garden for the Botanic Gardens Trust Sydney. Set on the summit of a basalt-capped peak, the Garden is home to over 5,000 species of plants displayed by geographic origin. A visit to Mount Tomah is like travelling the botanic world within the comfort of 28 hectares of beautifully landscaped grounds.
  
  Opening Hours Open every day except Christmas Day. April to Sept: 10 am - 4 pm. Oct to March: 10 am - 5 pm. Enquiries: (02) 4567 2154 FREE
  
  
• Zig Zag Railway. Located at Clarence (enroute to Lithgow) on the Bells Line of Road, 25 mins drive from Bilpin Springs Lodge. Find all details on www.zigzagrailway.com.au
  
  19th Century Engineering Masterpiece & Renowned Tourist Railway
  
  Trains run daily (except Christmas Day) at 11am, 1pm, 3pm from Clarence Station. Additional trains run on Sundays and some public holidays. Check the timetable for further details.
  
  The Zig Zag Railway appeals to children and adults alike, especially those who once rode behind steam locomotives on the way to school or on holidays. It is a magical step back in time, filled with sights, sounds and smells of a bygone era. Every trip from Clarence Station winds its way through the remarkable Blue Mountains’ scenery, offering glimpses of grand sandstone viaducts, accompanied by the chuffing steam locomotive. It is a chance to appreciate the difficult terrain that confronted the builders and marvel at how they brought the railway down into the Lithgow Valley and on westward.
  
  It is an experience that makes you stop, wonder and marvel – the perfect opportunity to create new memories.
  
  
• Scenicworld in Katoomba. Located on the edge of a sheer 300 metre cliff overlooking the Jamieson Valley, the scenic railway, skyway and cableway are a ‘must do’ attraction for visitors to the Blue Mountains. Thrilling, exciting and educational you can ride over Katoomba Falls on the skyway, enjoying the view all around and even below you via the amazing see thru floor. Then ride the scenic railway to the valley floor. This is the worlds steepest railway, originally used for hauling coal from the valley to the top of the cliffs now it’s the most thrilling ride in Australia. On arrival in the valley walk the boardwalks, get close and feel the spray of at the base of Katoomba waterfalls, see old coal mining shafts disappearing into the cliff face and then ride the scenic cableway back to the top of the cliff. There’s restaurants and an excellent souvenir shop at Scenicworld. Find all details on www.scenicworld.com.au
  
  
• Three Sisters in Katoomba. Australia’s most famous lookout point the 3 Sisters and Echo Point at Katoomba are truly a natural wonder. If you visit in the early morning or late afternoon you’ll miss the day trip tourist crowds from Sydney and get to enjoy a magnificent view including the 3 famous rock pinnacles making up the ‘3 Sisters’ as well as Mt Solitary and the Ruined Castle rock formation directly due south plus to the west is the Narrow Neck plateau. The lookout is called Echo Point with good reason. On a quiet afternoon if you coooee you’ll hear your call echo back. Pretty cool really! Find all details on www.BlueMountainsAustralia.com/tourist/thingstodo/threeSisters.asp
  
  
• Blackheath and Leura. The towns and villages of the Blue Mountains are well worth visiting. There’s cute shops selling clothes, antiques and other lovely gifts plus best of all there are renowned bakeries in the Blue Mountains. In Blackheath turn left off the Great Western highway heading towards Govetts Leap, stop and park the car then explore the back streets as well as the main street. After Blackheath drive over to Leura. This is the prettiest main street in the Blue Mountains and well worth a visit. There’s a carpark round the back of the main street mall. Explore each side of the main street enjoying the shops, restaurants and cafes. If you have kids, the Leura lollie shop is a definite ‘must do’. It’s located adjacent to the carpark so very easy to find. At the bottom of the main street is Bon Ton Café which has been doing great morning teas, afternoon teas and light lunch for years. Further down the hill past Bon Ton Café is the Leura Bakery with really good pies and lots of other goodies. Anywhere and everywhere there’s good food to enjoy in Leura. Find all details on www.leuravillage.com.au and www.BlueMountainsAustralia.com
  
  
• Windsor, Richmond and Kurrajong Villages. After establishing the colony of Sydney in January 1788, Governor Arthur Phillip began to explore the areas around the colony to find good land for growing crops to save the starving village. In July 1789 he discovered the Hawkesbury river and the land where Windsor and Richmond stand today. These towns are the second oldest settled areas in Australia, sitting peacefully on the banks of the Hawkesbury River. Later on settlers moved west into the mountains founding towns and settlements like Kurrajong and even Bilpin. These towns are full of history, they have lovely parks to stroll in, main streets full of life but they move at a slower, much more relaxed pace away from the hustle of Sydney city. You’ll enjoy visiting these towns today. Find all details on www.hawkesburyaustralia.com.au/information/townships_windsor.asp
  
  
• Blue Mountains National Park. You can visit the Blue Mtns National Park by car to enjoy easy to see views or take a few more minutes to walk the tracks and trails. You’ll be inspired no matter what with the views in the Blue Mtns. Only 15 minutes from Bilpin Springs Lodge is the turnoff to Mt Banks – possibly the most spectacular short walk anywhere in the Blue Mountains. Park in the carpark and immediately walk the track that starts at the low stone walls in front of the cars. In only a couple of minutes you’ve climbed steps taking you onto a flat rock platform with amazing views into the Grose Valley and sheer cliffs rising above you to the top of Mt Banks. It will take 1 – 2 hours to walk to the top of Mt Banks and if you have the time and energy this is a great walk. Or if you only have 15 minutes you can still enjoy a real Blue Mtns bushwalk experience before returning to your car.
  
  
• Other memorable walks and viewpoints to enjoy are Govetts Leap (do the short 10 - 15 minute walk to Horseshoe Falls) as well as Leura Falls walk (the Grotto at the bottom is magical). And Finally Wentworth Falls is spectacular. There’s level walks to fine lookouts nearby to carparks. Plus short walks down to Princes Rock are well worthwhile with great views over the falls and for the more adventurous do the Undercliff Walk. Finally if you have all day the walk along the very narrow ‘heart pumping’ Cliffside then down to the bottom of the falls is amazing. There’s lots of stairs with this last walk. Find all details on www.environment.nsw.gov.au/NationalParks/parkHome.aspx
  
  
• Jenolan Caves. One and half hours from Bilpin Springs Lodge is Jenolan Caves – a magnificent mix of limestone cave formations. On arrival you drive thru the Grand Arch and the road infact follows the course of the river flowing underneath the road pavement. Then it’s time to explore the caves. There are many fully guided tours to join and they operate 7 days a week. There are 1 hour tours in easier to access caves plus longer 2 and 3 hour excursions into rarely visited areas of the caves. All tours guarantee magical sights of stalagmites and stalactites plus curtains, shawls and an amazing array of spectacular underground rock formations. There’s excellent bistro and restaurant meals available to ensure the whole family will enjoy a visit to Jenolan Caves.
  
  
• If you have the time and energy for more walking, drive on past Jenolan Caves and out to the Kanangra Boyd National Park. Full of wildlife and truly amazing rock walls and waterfalls, there are level, short walks as well as longer walks available. The Waterfall walk to the left side of the track as you approach the main lookout is amazing. It’s quite steep and the ground is a bit loose but the waterfalls, pools and views are mind blowing. Well worth exploring. Find all details on www.jenolancaves.org.au