There is nothing quite like the Blue Mountains in winter. In summer they are harsh and dry and brittle – but in winter they are soft and wet and woolly.

This is one of our favorite parts of Australia and when we lived in Sydney we usually came up here at least once a year to stay in a mountain cabin and go for long bush walks. The days would end with us sitting in front of an open fire with some good Australian red wine. Bliss.

Our favorite walk is where we are now in Blackheath and starts from about a kilometer away. It is a four hour walk and takes us down to the valley floor and along a crystal clear river winding between canyons and dense bushland.

The only difficult part is climbing out of the valley on the other side but we are always spurred on by the thought of a Steak Sandwich waiting for us in the Wattle Café.