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Leura
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Just two kilometres east of Katoomba, the more upmarket
LEURA
, packed with great cafAŠs, art galleries and small boutiques, retains its own distinct identity and a real village atmosphere. It helps that the main street - The Mall - is quite secluded from the highway and its green median strip practically qualifies as a small park. Even the flower-filled station manages to look pretty, and indeed Leura is renowned for its beautiful
gardens
, some of which are open to the public during the
Leura Gardens Festival
(early to mid-Oct; $12 for visits to around eight gardens, or $3 per garden; more details from the tourist office). Open all year round, though, is the beautiful
Everglades Gardens
(daily 9am-sunset; $6), situated in the grounds of an elegant mansion at 37 Everglades Ave. There are enjoyable views from its formal terraces, with a colourful display of azaleas and rhododendrons, an aboretum, and peacocks strutting among it all. Not far from the village, the flowers give way to the bush: less tame scenery, such as
Leura Cascades
, can be viewed from the picnic area on Cliff Drive; to see it at closer quarters, take the two- to three-hour walk to the base and back. Other waterfalls in the area include the much-photographed
Bridal Veil Falls
, accessible from the Cascades picnic area, and
Gordon Falls
, which you can walk to from Lone Pine Avenue. To the east of Gordon Falls, Sublime Point Road leads to the aptly named
Sublime Point
lookout, with panoramic views of the Jamison Valley. A popular walking track from Leura Falls is the Federal Pass, which skirts the cliffs between here and
Katoomba Falls
(6km one-way; 2hr 30min). Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections): |
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Australia,
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