Yulefest in the Blue Mountains, New South Wales, Australia Travel Information

CHRISTMAS IN JULY? STAUNCH TRADITIONALISTS MIGHT BE A LITTLE SURPRISED, BUT WHEN JACK FROST WHITENS WINTER MORNINGS IN THE BLUE MOUNTAINS, THE LOCAL HOTELS AND GUESTHOUSES ARE BUSILY HANGING UP TINSEL, DECORATING CHRISTMAS TREES AND DECKING THEIR HALLS WITH BOUGHS OF HOLLY AS THEY PREPARE FOR THEIR OWN UNIQUE CELEBRATION.

Story by Mike Gebicki

Link to accommodation, cottages & bed and breakfasts in the Blue Mountains

According to local legend, it all began back in 1980, when a party of Irish visitors were relaxing around the fire at the Mountain Heritage Country House Retreat in Katoomba. The evening conjured up fond recollections of Christmas at home in Ireland, and so infectious were those memories told in lyrical Irish accents that the host and owner, Garry Crockett, who is half-Irish himself, decided to stage a celebration of Christmas the very next night. A Christmas tree was procured and decorated, a turkey was stuffed and roasted, a Christmas cake was hastily assembled, much drink was consumed, and so merry was the evening that the guests returned the following year, having spread the word to Australian friends who joined them around the dinner table for an unforgettable evening. It wasn’t too long before the idea caught on. Other establishments followed suit – and Yulefest was born.

Every year since, the Blue Mountains has celebrated Yulefest during the chilly months of June, July and August. Nowadays, there are about a dozen hotels and guesthouses that offer special Yulefest packages throughout the winter months, each with its own unique approach.

It’s only fitting that the celebrations revolve around the dinner table, and throughout the mountains, guesthouses and hotels will have spent months preparing for the festivities. Typically, the evening might begin with a traditional Christmas beverage such as a spicy, aromatic glass of gluhwein served in front of a roaring log fire, perhaps followed by carols around the Christmas tree. Then comes the time for a sumptuous dinner with all the traditional trimmings, served at a table crowded with festive decorations. An after-dinner glass of port or brandy beside the fire and it’s all most guests can do to stagger back to their rooms.

Some establishments adopt a theme for the evening – which might be an Agatha Christie-style murder mystery, sure to appeal to anyone who likes to dress up and pretend, or a Fawlty Towers-style evening with mayhem on the menu. Some adopt a Scottish theme, complete with haggis and bagpipes, but of course, there’s always the traditional approach – a visit from Santa and Mrs Claus – a big hit with all dinner guests.

And you have to admit that a Christmas feast makes good sense at this time of the year. Unlike the sweltering, midsummer heat that is typical of December 25th in most parts of Australia, the chill of the Blue Mountains in the middle of winter is one time when you can do justice to a meal of roast turkey with stuffing, glazed ham, cranberry sauce and Christmas pudding with brandy sauce.

Not to be left out in the cold, the local community gets into the act with its own Yulefest celebrations. Held on the Saturday closest to the Winter Solstice, the Winter Magic Festival takes over the streets of Katoomba with a vibrant celebration that includes a street parade, music, market stalls and cultural events. Even the Zig Zag Railway comes to the Christmas party with its own touch of nostalgia, combining a Christmas feast with a magical ride aboard antique carriages pulled by the huffing, puffing steam engine.

The tradition of fine dining runs deep in the Blue Mountains, and midwinter is also a perfect time for sampling the many atmospheric cafes in the towns between Leura and Mount Victoria, where Devonshire teas and homemade pies beckon behind steamy windows. High on any list is the quirky, wood-panelled dining room of the Paragon Cafe in Katoomba, and the many fine cafes at the lower end of Leura Mall.

Of course, you’re going to need a feisty appetite if you want to make the most of the evening indulgence of the Yulefest feast – and the Blue Mountains have a repertoire to inspire even the most reluctant legs and lungs. For sheer inspiration, head for the parking lot at the lower end of Falls Road in Wentworth Falls. The views that await you are one of the absolute jaw droppers of wild Australia. Nothing will prepare you for the moment when you grab the handrail as vertigo takes hold and you gaze down into the olive green forests that carpet the yawning chasm of the Jamison Valley. Where you stand was once the bed of an ancient sea, and for the last few hundred million years the river in the depths of the valley has been gnawing its way back through history, leaving in the cliffs an open book of planet earth.

This is also the trailhead for some of the many majestic walking trails that descend into the Jamison Valley. A classic is the half-day walk along the National Pass, which descends beside Wentworth Falls along a zig-zag trail that has been cut into the sheer cliff face, then doubles back along a narrow ledge to the sublime Valley of the Waters before returning through rainforest to the top of the escarpment. Whichever trail you choose, walking is a real pleasure at this time of the year, and there’s every chance that you’ll have the trail all to yourself.

Finally, one really terrific reason for the midyear Yulefest celebration; unlike the December 25th festivities that mark Christmas Day, Yulefest comes without an ounce of obligation. None of the feverish shopping for last minute gifts, none of the credit card meltdown, none of the crowds, the stress, the madness and mayhem. Yulefest is Christmas purely for pleasure. For more information on Yulefest, contact Blue Mountains Tourism on 1300 653 408, or consult their website.