Scenic World in the New South Wales Blue Mountains has been inducted into the Ecotourism Australia Hall of Fame for reaching 20 years as a certified Advanced Ecotourism attraction.

Photo credits: 1-3, Scenic World; 4, Blue Mountains Explorer Bus

Scenic World's home, the Blue Mountains, are just a two-hour drive west of Sydney. Blue Mountains National Park is a walker's paradise, boasting over 140km of tracks and trails. 

The company operates a number of conveyances in and around the Blue Mountains. The Scenic Railway is a fifth-generation train that travels an unforgettable route through a cliff tunnel before emerging on the floor of the Jamison Valley. The Scenic Railway holds the Guiness World Record for the steepest passenger railway. It has a 52°-angle slope (128% maximum gradient). The 310-metre-long funicular was originally built for mining purposes in 1878 but was converted into a recreational ride for tourists in 1945.

The Scenic Skyway glides between cliff tops with panoramic views of World Heritage-listed landscapes in the mountains. The 720-metre journey provides the best views of Katoomba Falls, the Three Sisters, Mount Solitary and Jamison Valley.

Suspended 270 metres above ancient ravines, adventurous customers can view the rainforest canopy down through the electro-glass cabin floor. Recognising that this innovation will be vertigo-inducing for some passengers, the company also provides solid flooring.

Opened in 1958 the Scenic Skyway was Australia's first cable car. The current Swiss-made cabin was launched in 2017 and can carry 84 passengers every 10 minutes. It is the largest aerial cable car in the Southern Hemisphere.

The 510-metre Scenic Cableway descends gently into the Jamison Valley and returns to the top of the escarpment. The fully enclosed cabin is a unique vantage point for viewing the jagged rock formations and sheer sandstone cliffs.

Opened in 2000, it also features a Swiss-made, 84-passenger-capacity cabin that was launched in 2018. It is the steepest aerial cable car in the Southern Hemisphere. 

Located in the Jamison Valley, the Scenic Walkway is a 500-metre elevated boardwalk, an easy 10–20-minute walk between the railway and cableway stations. It is the longest elevated rainforest boardwalk in Australia. Protected by the rainforest canopy, the walkway has its own microclimate quite distinct from the weather at the top of the escarpment.

The local rainforest is home to many species of native flora and fauna, some dating back to the Jurassic era. Visitors can explore elements of the site's coal mining history including the original mine entrance, a replica miner's hut and scale bronze sculpture of a miner and his pit pony.

Constructed to improve existing walking trails that caused erosion, the walkway immerses visitors in the environment with minimal ecological impact. No trees were damaged or removed during construction and the company intervenes in the natural regeneration of the ecosystem only when preventative safety work is necessary.

In addition, Scenic World offers Beyond Skyway, a world-first adventure whereby up to four guests can enjoy an unimpeded 360-degree view of the Jamison Valley from on top of the Skyway.

Efficiency and sustainability

As well as its engineering feats, Scenic World has designed its rides to maximise efficiencies. It has also implemented a range of sustainability initiatives to target waste, water and electricity use. What's more, guests can jump on the carbon-neutral Explorer Bus to see the sights and take part in activities.

Scenic World was inducted into the Hall of Fame in June 2024. The Hall of Fame recognises businesses with 20 years of Advanced Ecotourism certification and a proven long-term commitment to ecologically sustainable tourism.

Climate Active certification, which Scenic World attained in March 2024, means it has made choices and changes in how it operates to make sure its carbon emissions are accounted for and balanced to become carbon neutral. (Scenic World offset 9kg of CO2 – equivalent to 4488 tons – per each person who visited in the 2022 calendar year and says it will continue to do this for each following year.)

In addition, the company offsets the carbon emissions from all its visitors' travel to and from Scenic World.

Each year Scenic World invests in projects around Australia and the world that reduce or remove carbon from the atmosphere to offset the emissions that it cannot eliminate. Many of these projects also have added environmental and community benefits.

Some of Scenic World's sustainability initiatives include:

• Electricity generated by the railway and cableway as they descend is fed back into the grid, helping to offset electricity used as they ascend.
• In 2017, the Skyway cabin was designed to increase capacity without extra energy requirements.
• All organic food waste is processed and taken offsite to be turned into fertiliser for farms.
• Food wastage output is consistently below the industry standard of 5%.
• All food and beverage packing and utensils, including coffee cups, are biodegradable or compostable.

About Scenic World

Scenic World, located in the World Heritage-listed Blue Mountains, is home to the Scenic Railway, the world's steepest railway, the iconic Scenic Skyway which travels 270 metres above the rainforest, and the Scenic Cableway, the steepest aerial cable car in the Southern Hemisphere, along with kilometres of elevated boardwalk beneath the rainforest canopy.

Scenic World is a third-generation family-owned business established in 1945, and the most visited privately-owned tourism attraction in Australia.

About Beyond Skyway

Beyond Skyway is a world-first rooftop cable car adventure like nothing else on earth. The Beyond Skyway experience opens after the rest of Scenic World closes and takes just four guests on the Scenic Skyway out into the middle of the Jamison Valley. 

Once on the roof, with no glass or fences to restrict the 360-degree view 270 metres above the ancient rainforest canopy, the immersive experience is exhilarating but not for the faint-hearted. Beyond Skyway is the ideal experience for people celebrating a special occasion, outdoor enthusiasts, aspirational travel seekers and those searching for that picture-perfect moment.

Title picture: Destination NSW

Useful links

​scenicworld.com.au

beyondskyway.com.au