Evergladea House & Gardens, Leura
As the chill of winter melts away, the Blue Mountains bursts into life with vibrant gardens, creative flair, and a calendar full of festivals. From the timeless elegance of Paul Sorensen-designed landscapes to film celebrations and street parades, spring in the Mountains invites you to explore, discover, and delight in the unexpected. Whether you're a green-thumbed garden lover, a film buff, or just ready to shake off the cold, this season has something blooming for everyone.
“In planning a garden, you must create vistas and place good focal points at the end of them. Ideally, your garden should show something unexpected at every turn. It should be natural and dignified, never vulgar.” Paul Sorensen, 1963
In 1915, a young Danish immigrant named Paul Sorensen was employed as a gardener at the Carrington Hotel in Katoomba before establishing his own plant nursey in Leura and starting a landscaping business.
Sorensen went on to become one of Australia’s most celebrated garden designers, planting over 100 gardens around the country. Many of these are found in grand Blue Mountains estates, with his signature elements of dry-stone walls, rocky pathways and outdoor ‘rooms’ prominent features.
Today, Sorensen’s legacy continues to be celebrated in the Mountains, particularly at Everglades House & Garden at Leura, often considered his finest work. Three Sorensen-designed private gardens, The Braes, Leuralla and Ewanrigg at Leura, are also open to the public during the annual Leura Gardens Festival, held over the long weekend in October; while the beautiful Kashmir at Mount Wilson is also open to the public during spring.
But the celebration of colourful blossoms and bulbs in beautiful, cool climate gardens is not the only thing luring visitors to the Blue Mountains in the coming months. As we pack away the winter woollies and enjoy longer, warmer days, a sense of joie de vivre permeates every element of life, from our love of regional produce to the arts.
So come along and join in the festivities as the Blue Mountains celebrates the good life this spring.
Mount Wilson
Daily or on weekends throughout spring, at discretion of owners
Perhaps nowhere in the Blue Mountains is more representative of the seasonal changes than the beautiful village of Mount Wilson. Located off the Bells Line of Road on the northern fringe of the Mountains, Mount Wilson is famed for its shady streets framed by oaks, elms and liquidambars, and grand estates with sprawling cool climate gardens, many of them more than 120 years old.
While it’s possible to soak up the atmosphere by simply parking your car and strolling along the main street, the real magic occurs within private properties. Gardens open to the public include Breenhold, Nooroo, Windyridge, Bebeah and Kashmir.
Entry fees vary according to garden, with some properties offering refreshments and snacks.
October 3 - 6
Gardens open 9.30am – 4.30pm
Eight magical gardens bursting with a kaleidoscope of spring bulbs, dazzling rhododendrons and azaleas are open to the public this year, including five returning favourites – The Braes, Allawah, Leuralla, Ewanrigg and Hill of Grace – and three newcomers - Komorebi, Carramar and Westholme.
You can visit all eight gardens for $40, $20 for three gardens or $10 per individual garden. A ‘hop on hop off’ bus runs between all gardens (including those at Wentworth Falls), with pickups from Leura Station every 30 minutes (all-day ticket $15). Money raised helps support the Blue Mountains District ANZAC Memorial Hospital and local health-related organisations.
October 4 – 6
37 Everglades Ave, Leura
T: (02) 4784 1938
10am – 4pm
Coinciding with the Leura Gardens Festival but under a separate ticketing system, The Everglades - Paul Sorensen’s most significant creation, designed during the 1930s - is open to the public with 13 acres of stunning gardens in full spring bloom.
Admire colourful scatterings of tulips, bluebells, freesias and daffodils on emerald lawns and under flowering dogwoods; wander beneath arbours of wisteria; and stroll along meandering pathways lined with azaleas and rhododendron as you gaze out across the Jamison Valley.
Stop by a variety of food stalls with sweet and savoury offerings, while children can get creative with spring-themed crafts and outdoor games to celebrate the season.
Adults $18, Concession $15, Children under 5 and National Trust members free.
Hartley Valley Garden Festival
October 25 - 26
T: 0404 531 555
Just 15 minutes from Blackheath, beautiful Little Hartley is fast becoming another gardening hub, with four privately owned gardens – Highfield, Wild Meadows, Hartvale and Gory’u – showcasing different elements of contemporary garden design. Admire beds of floral colour, naturalistic meadows, perennial borders, vegetable gardens and unusual trees and shrubs. There will also be guest speakers and stalls selling plants and refreshments.
October 25
Carrington Hotel, 15-47 Katoomba St, Katoomba
T: (02) 4782 1111
Inspired by the traditional Bavarian festival, The Carrington’s annual Oktoberfest celebrates all things German with an awesome line-up of local live music, delicious German cuisine, authentic German beer and the Carrington’s own Katoomba Brewing Co Bavarian Lager - an authentic Bavarian-style brew with a crisp, malty finish.
So dust off your lederhosen and dirndls and raise your stein to this fun day out in the Mountains! Free admission.
October 24 - 31
Main St, Lithgow
T: (02) 6352 9130
Lithgow’s famed Halloween street party has become a week-long event, with a dynamic mix of free and ticketed events for all ages. Highlights include the Carnival Street Parade on Saturday October 25 between 4 and 8pm, and a free trick or treat movie night in Queen Elizabeth Park.
Blue Mountains Writers’ Festival
October 31- November 2
Various Venues
T: (02) 4782 5674
With a theme of ‘a path to wonder’, the 2025 Blue Mountains Writers’ Festival will immerse readers and writers in a festival of creativity, inviting audiences to engage with literature with a sense of possibility. The three-day event will feature 82 speakers, 51 individual events and 14 workshops, with headliners including Christos Tsiolkas, Hannah Kent, Stan Grant, Kate Grenville, Craig Silvey and Bryan Brown.
The program includes an exclusive series of ABC Radio interviews at the Old Stables Lot 101 in the Megalong Valley, an opening gala at The Carrington, and the ever-popular Writers in the Sky, held in the Skyway at Scenic World.
Blackheath Rhododendron Festival
November 1 - 7
Since 1953, the upper Mountains village of Blackheath has celebrated its famous rhododendrons plantings and a strong spirit of community with an annual spring festival. Events throughout the week include a street fair, art displays, musical entertainment, a theatre revue, open tea rooms at the Campbell’s Rhododendron Garden, market stalls, Jazz at the Pub and a community lunch.
Meanwhile, the highlight of the week is a Grand Parade held on the first Saturday of the month, featuring decorated floats, a marching band, vintage cars and local fire brigades.
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