Leura Village

Widely known as the ‘Garden Village’, Leura is renowned for its magnificent mix of private and public gardens, and the spectacular row of cherry trees that line Leura Mall.

Beautiful at any time of year, this Upper Mountains village is home to around 4,400 people and sits between Wentworth Falls and Katoomba, at an elevation of 985 metres. The word Leura is Aboriginal for ‘lava’ and many volcanic stones have been found in the area.

Visitors flock here just as much for the fabulous shopping and world class eateries as they do for the surrounds. Walk along Leura Mall and through to Megalong Street carpark, and you’ll discover an eclectic mix of shops selling everything from vintage fashion and handcrafted goods made by local artisans to furniture, leather goods, lingerie, beauty products and native plants.

When seeking out a dining spot, expect to a find plenty of Mod Oz options, along with Indian, Thai, French and Chinese cuisine. Excellent coffee is a given at Leura’s great mix of cafes. A visit to Bygone Beautys to view the largest private teapot collection in the world and to enjoy a traditional High Tea in style is a valuable detour from the main shopping strip.

Nestled in the picturesque village of Leura, Bygone Beautys Treasured Teapot Museum & Tearooms is home to the world’s largest private collection of teapots. It is also the largest private emporium of antiques and collectables in the Blue Mountains. Turn back time as you browse antique jewellery, furniture, fine china, dinner services and toys. www.bygonebeautys.com.au

One spot worth pulling out your picnic rug for is Everglades Historic House & Gardens, open daily. Presided over by the National Trust and considered one of the country’s foremost heritage gardens, Everglades combines European-style gardens with native Australian bush and breathtaking views. It was designed in the 1930s by Danish horticulturist and architect Paul Sorenson, and changes with the seasons. The former squash court building has been beautifully converted into a light and airy art gallery which displays ever changing exhibitions.

If you fancy a round or two with spectacular scenery as your backdrop, book in at Leura Golf Club. Established in 1902, this 18-hole course is the oldest in the Blue Mountains. It’s located on Sublime Point Road, which takes you to Sublime Point – a popular rock-climbing and bushwalking area. The lookout platform on the point gives you a sense of standing on the very edge of the world.

Leura’s annual events attract thousands of visitors at various times throughout the year. The excitement starts in January with the Leura Shakespeare Festival, presented by the Sport for Jove Theatre Co. and conducted outdoors at Everglades Garden.

The Leura Harvest Festival, set to be held on Leura Mall on the first Sunday of May and focuses on a theme of ‘fresh, regional and sustainable’. This great community event gives local chefs, providores, producers and sustainability experts the chance to demonstrate their skills. Highlights include the popular chook show, jam-making competition and sustainability talks.

The Leura Gardens Festival, in October (cancelled in 2020 due to Covid19), sees the whole of Leura on display, with some of the region’s most glorious private gardens opening up over six days in order to raise funds for the Blue Mountains Hospital and other health-related charities. The final weekend of the festival coincides with another must-do event – the Leura Village Fair, which has been running for over 30 years. Held across two days and attracting visitors from all over the state, the fair sees over 130 stalls setting up among the cherry blossoms on Leura Mall and spilling into Megalong Street carpark. If you’ve never seen pink cherry blossoms in full bloom, add the fair to your calendar and join in the family fun!

Everglades boasts over five hectares of European-style gardens and Australian bush overlooking the Blue Mountains National Park. This 1930s treasure was designed by “Australia’s Master Gardener” Paul Sorensen for Belgian-born businessman Henri Van de Velde. Terraced lawns, pools, fountains, glades, urns and statuary are dramatically set against stunning views of the Australian wilderness. Miles of stone walls and winding paths weave the spectacular gardens together.

In spring the view from the upper drive to the blue and orange cliffs of the Jamison Valley has a foreground of tulips to the right, the daffodil lawn and woodland sea of bluebells to the left. On the southern slopes, rhododendron and azaleas provide a wash of pinks and purples running down to the creamy flowers of the dogwood trees. On the Cherry Terrace the blossoms of the weeping cherries give way to fresh green leaf.

Winter and autumn each have their own beautiful characteristics. The colours of autumn in this largely exotic garden are exquisite while the mists and crisp air hanging in the leaf-bare trees transforms the gardens into a mystical wonderland.

In summer, the stream which meanders through the property leads eventually to a drop into the grotto pool where the ladies once privately bathed on hot summer days. Not now available for bathing, the grotto area and it’s upstream flow through the garden provides many quiet, shady picnic spots beside the babbling waters.

The tea rooms in the elegant art deco house are open every day. Visitors are also welcome to picnic amongst the gracious spaces and varying vistas of Everglades. Open every day, 10am-4pm Spring-Summer, 10am-4pm Autumn - Winter. Everglades House & Gardens, 37 Everglades Leura. Ph: 02 4784 1938 www. nationaltrust.org.au/nsw

Everglades is also home to a beautiful art gallery nestled in the garden and bathed in natural light. New exhibitions are featured most months and details are included in the art section of this magazine on pages 9-15.

Please check the website above for opening times before visiting to avoid disappointment due to Covid19 demands.

(above) Beautiful fungi on a mossy log, photo by Denys Joannes (below) Govetts Leap Falls, Blackheath, with rainbow by Denys Joannes