Katoomba: Upgrade will transform Echo Point
The Three Sisters Lookout and its beautiful surrounds will be barely recognisable when the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge next visit.
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The Three Sisters Lookout and its beautiful surrounds will be barely recognisable when the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge next visit.
For one, exploring one of the Blue Mountains favourite waterfalls by night will be that little bit more magical.
Like the royal couple — who were in awe of the famous Three Sisters on their last visit — visitors are sure to enjoy improved night lits walk at Katoomba Falls Reserve, to be completed in February.
And in August the Prince of Wales Lookout will be reopened for the first time in 10 years, along with a new ampitheatre (Gathering Space) that will totally transform the Echo Point Three Sisters Lookout.
“To me this is really just a good piece of news in the midst of really difficult times,” Blue Mountains Mayor Mark Greenhill said.
The Prince of Wales Lookout will provide a 140-metre accessible, night-lit elevated walkway connecting the lookouts, amphitheatre and council’s visitor information centre which, for the 2018/19 financial year, had just over 550,000 visitors.
The Gathering Space, on the eastern side of the Echo Point platform, will provide a place for up to 70 visitors to sit and experience the Blue Mountains’ most spectacular landmark, The Three Sisters, and the majestic Jamison Valley.
Designed in consultation with Gundungurra and Darug Traditional Owners, the ampitheatre will have an etched map of Country in the stage area.
The timing of these projects couldn’t be better, with Blue Mountains Council ramping up its campaign to help get tourists back to our beautiful Blue Mountains in the wake of the fires in the valley floor below.
Despite the smoke, the bigger Echo Point project — started in September — was unaffected by the fires.
“The fact it remains on track means it’s another element we can use in our (economic) recovery, another element of the Blue Mountains we can showcase to attract people to come here, stay here and experience what we’ve got to offer,” Mr Greenhill said.
The projects form part of a $7.2 million Scenic Southern Escarpment project funded equally by the National Stronger Regions Fund and Blue Mountains Council that will also see Katoomba Falls Kiosk upgraded.
Completed works include three new cabins and upgrades to the toilet block at Katoomba Tourist Park.
“Echo Point is one of the most popular visitor destinations in NSW and we want it to be easily accessible, and safe, for everyone who comes to experience this special place,” Mr Greenhill said.
“I understand that the Blue Mountains is more than Echo Point and what I seek to do it to get people here to stay and explore our towns and villages and our businesses, big and small.”
The council will also use up to $200,000 of the $1 million it was allocated by the Federal Government grant to help the community recover with projects including promoting the Blue Mountains as a conference centre and putting on small events in town centres to stimulate economic activity and employ local creatives.
These may take the form of ‘Live and Local’ style micro-music festivals, a council report said.