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Photo: via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5
The Winter Magic Festival is a community festival celebrated around the Winter solstice in Katoomba in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales, Australia since 1994.
A 'must see' for any visitor to Sydney, there are spectacular views of the Three Sisters rock formation from this lookout. There are a lot of tourists, although the platforms are well structured to give you a great view. There are numerous walking trails from here, including a 30-minute walk to the Three Sisters. There's also an information centre here with displays about the environment of the area, so it's a good place to start your visit to the mountains. Maps and souvenirs available for sale. Come back at night to see the area lit up. There is an easy walk down to a bridge where you can walk to the base of the sisters.
The Scenic Skyway and Scenic Railway have been part of a visit to the Blue Mountains for as long as any Sydneysider can remember. It is home to the world's steepest railway at an incline of 52 degrees (128% gradient). The scenic cableway is much more sedate as descends down into the forest, and although it is common to do the railway down and the cableway back, if you want to enjoy the ride and not just the view, you'll have more fun just taking the railway both directions. Renovations to the railway have made it not quite as scary as it once was. Down in the valley you can walk on boardwalks along in the rainforest, the avalanche and see some mining remnant artifacts. There can be crowds on weekends, but you'll still get on okay. There can be school groups too, so just have a cup of coffee and wait for them to do their thing.
This grand hotel began its life in 1904 as a health resort, and it is the main attraction of Medlow Bath. The view from over the Megalong Valley is simply stunning, with large glass windows in the restaurants and lobby. The hotel has been renovated. If you are not staying here, it is still worth having high tea in the Wintergarden.
The main attraction is a 38-minute giant screen movie about the Blue Mountains, called Wild Australia: The Edge. This is an amazing show about the stunning scenery and the rainforest, filmed from an "adventure sports" and "conservation" viewpoint; not at all tacky or "touristy". The cinema also screens other giant screen films and conventional movies including classic films, so be sure to check the schedule before making the trip.
18+ venue. Ornate live performance venue.