Unplug in the Blue Mountains

Leave your phone and computers at home. Rustic Spirit is an opportunity to bring that book you've been meaning to read and get away from the distractions of being plugged in. The homely space came equipped with a cozy and well-stocked fireplace and a small TV with a few classic DVD's to transport us to the days of yesteryear. The property has some lovely features like a resident horse and a pond with a quaint little dock.

We arrived just before the holidays, so The Blueys were pretty quiet with many restaurants and shops closed. However, we got lots of recommendations for you to check out during your visit.

Our visit also landed us in the middle of a stormy week, so many of our hiking plans were washed out. However, we took some lovely drives through the gorgeous winding roads and admired the fog rolling through the valleys. After a long, wet day we unwound in the spa tub built for 2 (or possibly even more people if you're feeling ambitious).
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Things We Did

  • Food & Drink
  • Lookout
  • Hike
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    If you're like us, it's not uncommon that Andy will eat anything while I'm a bit more particular about my diet. In the morning he was starving so he grabbed a hot meat pie from the Pie in The Sky shop at the top of the road. However, I don't eat gluten or dairy, so we needed to find me a little something before beginning our day. A 15 min drive up the road took us to Hive Cafe, where I had all my dietary needs met. They had smoothies, and GF toasties and treats (as well as glutinous ones) and coffee and chai and all the things someone as picky as me needs to satiate hunger....
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      Spend a whole day exploring Katoomba. It's a 45 min drive from the accommodation but the time passes quickly with all the incredible scenery. First stop should be Cahill's Lookout. On a clear day, you can see far and wide. Just down the road, there are plenty of paths you can take to get those epic Instagram landscape photos you see plastering your feed - or to find a rock to meditate to the sound of far off birds. Whatever your nature vibe is, this part of the Blue Mountains will fill your bucket....
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        Unfortunately, the rain got the better of our hiking plans, so we only have photos of the trailhead. But we thought it would be a good start to get you on your way. It was only a 30 min drive from Rustic Spirit so we thought we might as well check it out and see if the rain was going to let up. We swung by on our way out of town to get a photo of the lay of the land on a clear day but didn't have the time to complete the hike.

        An alternative we sought to try (but unfortunately it was closed) is the Blue Mountains Botanic Gardens which a friend suggested we go check out. It's on the way to Mt. Banks so it was not a big deal when we saw the closure. Give it a gander and let us know what you think!
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