UNESN Blue Mountains Weekend

***Tickets ($100) go on sale Wednesday April 20 @ 10am***

It's back and better than ever! UNESN goes to the Blue Mountains for a weekend to never forget. 

IT'S FINALLY HERE! As summer ends and the weather starts to cool down we will be heading off to the world famous Blue Mountains for a weekend of trekking and sight-seeing, with a bit of partying on the side!

This is a 3 day getaway over the weekend (Fri 6 May - Sun 8 May) and your ticket will include accommodation, breakfast for both mornings, dinner on Saturday and alcohol for Friday and Saturday night.

TICKETS - $100

FOR A TICKET: You MUST follow two steps:

1. Click 'Get Tickets' and complete the steps that appear.

2. Once you have a ticket, transfer the amount ($100) to this account by bank transfer from your bank:

UNESN

BSB - 062831

ACC - 10453847

 

Once you have done this you will receive an email confirmation and you are all ready!

Note:

- Your spot WILL NOT BE RESERVED until you have paid the full amount.

- If you are not able to get a ticket, unfortunately this means that the trip has sold out. DO NOT pay if you do not have a ticket.

 

Here is all the information you need:

 

How to get there:

We will be catching trains up on Friday to arrive at Katoomba before 9pm. Look here for train times www.sydneytrains.info/. Use the trip planner option, and set your arrival time to BEFORE 9pm on Friday night. The station to get off at is Katoomba. If you arrive later you will not be able to check-in.

When you exit the station on the Katoomba side, walk right along the road parallel to the station. You'll pass a bridge over the railway on your right and a Dan Murphy's (liquor store) on your left. Walk straight on, and the Flying Fox Backpacker Hostel is just around the corner on the left.

If you don't want to read on, the TL:DR version is, Friday night some drinks will be provided but you'll have to source your own dinner. Saturday we will be hiking, then a group dinner and drinks will be provided Saturday night. Sunday is a free day to go do whatever you want, but don't fall off a cliff. And you need an OPAL card to catch the train, that one's important.

**IMPORTANT** The hostel has a strict policy on NO NOISE after 11pm. If you cause noise after 11pm in the hostel or fail to return your key or towel at the end of the visit, you WILL be liable to PAY THE BOND TO THE HOSTEL.

Here is what your ticket includes: 
- Two nights in the Flying Fox Backpacker Hostel 
- Breakfast on Saturday and Sunday
- Dinner on Saturday night
- Drinks on Friday and Saturday night 

The weekend will go a little like this: 

Friday 6 May: Arrive by 9:30pm. 
- Tonight is a free night. 
- Grab some dinner around Katoomba 
- From 8pm Join us for drinks in the common 

Saturday 7 May: It's Hiking Time!

-8:00 Breakfast

-9:30 Catch train from Katoomba Station to Wentworth Falls

-10:00 Begin walk/hike through the Charles Darwin Walk/National Pass

-17:30 Return to the hostel

-19:00 Pizza Dinner!

-19:00+ free time, UNESN will once again provide drinks

Sunday 8 May: See ya in Newy! 
Check out by 10am but the day is all yours.
- Either head back to Newcastle or take advantage of what else the Blue Mountains has to offer. 

Detailed Itinerary:

On Friday, you will arrive and check-in you will be free to explore Katoomba. There are plenty of great places to get dinner along the main street, all within a 5-10 minute walk from the hostel. There will be some quiet drinks at the hostel Friday night.

The day will start early on Saturday morning with breakfast being served at 8am. We need to be on the train to Wentworth Falls by 9:30am, so we will be leaving the hostel no later than 9:15.

Once we reach Wentworth station, it is a short walk to the start of the Charles Darwin Walk that takes us to the beginning of the National Pass. There will be a short stop at a lookout before we start the National Pass. The Pass itself will take between 3-4 hours and requires a decent level of fitness.

The payoff is spectacular views of the valley, mountains, and waterfalls. You will have ample opportunities to stop and take in the views, relax near the waterfalls and eat. Do not feel rushed to finish the track, the sunset is not until after 5:30pm. We will wait at the end of the track until everyone has arrived and then make our way back through Wentworth to catch the train. Time permitting, we can stop at the local pub for a drink and a bite to eat before returning to Katoomba.

Saturday night is a group dinner at the hostel. The committee, with the help of some willing volunteers, will be preparing dinner for the whole group and it will be served at around 7pm. We will also be providing drinks until 10pm – the hostel requires guests to be very quiet after 11pm, so we will be moving out into town. There are plenty of choices, including a local Irish pub and a club next to the station.

Sunday is officially a free day to do whatever you like. The only requirement is that we are checked out of the hostel by 10am. We will be serving breakfast again from 8am. There are numerous free walks to do around Katoomba and Scenic World is worth a visit (it costs money though) if you want to experience the vertical railway or cable car across the valley.

Trains leave every hour from Katoomba station. We would recommend you leave before 5:30pm if you want to avoid an all stations train from Central – Newcastle. (It adds about 30 minutes to the trip).

What you need to bring: 
- Opal Card for the train, ID for the bars. 
- Comfortable hiking clothes 
- A BIG water bottle and sun protection (hat, sunscreen, sunglasses).
- Money for the bars and dinner for the first night. 
- Some snack foods and a lunch box so you can put a lunch together for our hike on Saturday. There are supermarkets near by or you can bring food from Newcastle. 
- Your camera for the amazing sites you will see!

Extra Details:

**The hostel is located a 5-minute walk from Katoomba train station. Turn left as you exit the station and walk down the road. A Bridge over the track will be on your right. Follow the road straight ahead past the round-about and you will find the hostel on the left.

**Ticket includes accommodation, both breakfasts, dinner on Saturday night as well as some drinks for Friday and Saturday night.

**You will need an Opal card to catch the train down. You can get adult ones from any station, or concessions are available through the SydneyTrains website. (Ask at a student hub on campus for more information and how to apply).

**Bring a daypack and plenty of snacks/water for the walk on Saturday. There won’t be anywhere to get food along the way.

**If you have any dietary requirements, please let us know a few days in advance and we will be able to cater to your needs. We will be providing vegetarian options as standard.