Travel to Lithgow in Australia. Lithgow is a town that developed around the coal mining industry, just west of the Blue Mountains. With the exception of the nearby Zig-Zag steam heritage railway, it is not really recognised as a visitor destination. Lithgow does have many areas of natural beauty close by and some evidence of its history remains around the town.Lithgow is immediately to the west of the Blue Mountains, approximately an hour’s drive from the westernmost suburbs of Sydney. From Sydney and the east take the Great Western Highway through the Blue Mountains. Lithgow is located at the bottom of the western descent. The Bells Line of Road from Windsor is a narrower, quieter road, that avoids many of the Blue Mountains townships.On the west there are a few roads, including the Great Western Highway leading on to Bathurst and Mudgee.Lithgow is the westernmost town served by Sydney’s Cityrail train network. Cityrail trains to Lithgow depart every one or two hours during the day, and less often throughout the night. The train trip takes three hours from the center of Sydney and two hours from Penrith in the west.Countrylink trains to and from Dubbo also stop at Lithgow once a day in each direction, a little faster, but more costly.Countrylink, Cityrail, and the local Jones Brothers Bus Company run several bus services every day from Dubbo, Bathurst, Orange, Forbes and Parkes, each designed to meet the trains to Sydney.The Lithgow train station is on the main street and shopping area of Lithgow. You can walk to most of the pubs and hotels in the town and the rest are a short trip by taxi, available from the station.CityRail trains stop only by request at the Zig Zag station, one stop back, to ride the old Zig Zag Railway. Tell the train guard, before joining the train, that you want to get off there. Local buses comprehensively, albeit somewhat infrequently, service the surrounding residential areas. You will need a car to get any further afield, or to see any of Lithgow’s natural attractions.Lithgow City Radio Cabs 131 008Secret Creek Sanctuary 35 Crane Road Lithgow (5 mins from town), (02) 6352 1133. A 200 acre native wildlife Sanctuary established in 2003 with the creation of the Eastern Quoll breeding facility. It is now home to pure-bred dingo, long-nosed Potoroo, Rufous Bettong, Spotted-tailed Quoll, Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby, the Cream-striped Red-necked Pademelon, Swamp Wallaby, Emu and Brush Turkey.Old Lithgow Pottery Silcock St, 02 63 51 4483. Pottery Demonstrations, Fine Arts & Crafts or just take the time enjoying the historic atmosphere of the pottery. Open 7 days 1000 – 1600.The Zig Zag Railway is by far the most famous attraction in Lithgow. This original western railway cut a zig-zag down the sheer western descent from the Blue Mountains. The train went forward along a section of the track, the points were changed, and then it reversed down the next track section. The track section has long been bypassed by the main line, which runs through several tunnels to make its descent. A tourist railway now operates steam trains on the old section. NB The Zig Zag Railway is currently not running whilst work is underway on the section and rolling stock.Rock Climbing, canyoning and bush walks are very popular in what is a mostly untouched vast wilderness.Tamarin Tandoori, 277, Main St, Lithgow, º 02 6351 3008, . Tamarin Indian Restaurant at Main St, Lithgow º editLithgow Workies club 3-7 Tank Street (02) 6350 7777 Open 7 days.Lithgow Palace Chinese Restaurant, 1/59 Main St (02) 6353 1888Emerald Lantern Chinese Restaurant, 13 Main St (02) 6353 1110La Trattoria 277 Main St (02) 6351 4000The Bowen Inn Motel And Surveyors Restaurant Great Western Hwy, (02) 6352 5111The Valley Japanese Teppanyaki Lithgow Valley Motel 45 Cooerwull Rd, (02) 6351 2334Blue Sky Restaurant 192 Main St, 02) 6352 2008Bushman’s Bistro 526 Great Western Hwy (02) 6352 1655Secret Creek Cafe and Restaurant 35 Crane Road (5 mins from town), (02) 6352 1133. Located within the 200 acre native wildlife Secret Creek Sanctuary.Blue Mountains Tea Shack 3 Sir Thomas Mitchell Drv South Bowenfels NSW 2790 (02) 6352 3122The Comet Inn Bed & Breakfast, Hartley Vale Road, Hartley Vale (61 2 6355 2247. Guest House and licensed public Restaurant is set on two & a half thousand acres in Hartley Vale in the valley of the River Lett at the base of Victoria Pass on the western slopes of the Blue Mountains.Court House HotelClub LithgowLansdowne HotelGrand Central HotelThere is a wide range of Hotels, Motels and Bed & Breakfast see: http://www.lithgow-tourism.com/accomm.htmMany of the best day trip destinations are east of Lithgow, in the Blue Mountains. Drive up the Great Western Highway, or catch a Cityrail train to Katoomba, or drive up the Bells Line of Road to the Mount Tomah Botanical Gardens. Avoid driving back in weekend peak hours, especially on public holidays. The traffic jams can be horrendous, snaking the entire length of the Mountains for hours on end. The Glow Worm Tunnel, is 40km north of Lithgow on a forest fire trail. The trail is rutted, so drive there in a 4WD or a car with good ground clearance. The tunnel is an easy and pretty 1km walk from the carpark. Well worth it to see the glow worms in an old railway tunnel. The tunnel is long and turns a corner so it is very dark in the centre of the tunnel, but you can get by, just, without a torch.Newnes is an abandoned oil shale mining site off the Wolgan Valley. The mine operated in the early 20th century before being abandoned and is now partly surrounded by the Wollemi National Park. A place so ancient and remote that the Wollemi Pine, dating back to the time of the dinosaurs was only recently discovered in one of its narrow canyons. Get info from the local tourist information center on the Bathurst Road just outside of Lithgow.

Airport: Travel to Capital City Canberra Cities in Australia

Country: Australia