Blue Mts Harley ride – Momolé 10.04.24

The Blue Mts Harley ride was a special birthday gift for Momolé from Mum. Our rider picked Momolé up from home in the Blue Mountains village of Woodford.

Mount Victoria

Firstly, they rode west to Mt Victoria. It’s the westernmost village in the Blue Mountains, and is brimming with historic charm and natural attractions. Originally, it was a stockade for convict chain-gangs, and later an important staging post for Cobb & Co coaches. The town became known as Mount Victoria in the 1860s when the railway came to town.

Then, the Harley Davidson rider turned north to cross the Darling Causeway.

Darling Causeway

Secondly, they rode along the 9 km Darling Causeway, and up into the Bell Range. 2 km of the Darling Causeway has a steeper in incline/grade than 5%.

Bell

Next, they rode to the little village of Bell. Widely known because of its key location at the meeting point of Bells Line of Road and the Darling Causeway – which connects with Mount Victoria and the Great Western Highway. Bell is really nothing more than a small village with a few services and a major truck checking point. So far, the Blue Mts Harley ride has been fun and interesting.

Bells Line of Road

From Bell, they turrned west on to the Bells Line of Road. It is a 59km major road located which provides an alternative crossing of the Blue Mountains to the Great Western Highway. The route has numerous sections of steep and winding road. The steepest section is at Bellbird Hill, where the road rises around 450 metres.

Lithgow

This leads into Lithgow. Lithgow has played a significant role in Australia’s industrial history. A centre for coal mining and steel production, it is the gateway to ‘secret’ treasures. Wollemi National Park, the pagodas of the Gardens of Stone, the vast Capertee Valley and dramatic Wolgan Valley. As well as world-renowned Jenolan Caves.

Pass Of Victoria, Little Hartley

Then, they turned south east and headed along Victoria Pass. It is part of the Great Western Highway, connecting the Hartley Valley to the upper Blue Mountains. It is the steepest Highway in NSW. It’s also part of the only major road within 50km of Greater Sydney with sections of just one lane in either direction.

Katoomba

This led to Katoomba, the most visited town in the Blue Mountains. The rock formation known as the Three Sisters, viewable from Echo Point about 2 km south of the main town, attracts four million visitors each year. Katoomba is the chief town of the City of Blue Mountains, its name is a derivative of the Aboriginal word ‘Kedumba’ meaning ‘shiny, falling waters’ after the natural beauty of the area.

The Three Sisters

The Three Sisters is essentially an unusual rock formation representing three sisters who according to Aboriginal legend were turned to stone. They are stunning and it’s an easy walk to them.

Leura Village

Finally, they rode into the garden village of Leura, showing the autumn trees with the leaves turning reds & yellows. What a great time of year to see this. Leura is arguably the prettiest village in the Blue Mountains. It’s has character-filled heritage homes, glorious cool climate gardens and a National Trust-classified town centre lined with cherry trees that sends Instagrammers into a frenzy during blossom season.

However, it was time to head back home so they rode along the Great Western Highway, back to the starting point where mum met us at the front gate.

In conclusion, the Blue Mts Harley ride was a success. Mum wrote, “Moms really enjoyed the ride with Ron. I think it’s confirmed the rider bias and down the track a licence will be sought out!” Design your own ride!