The Blue Gum Forest, in World-Heritage-listed Blue Mountains National Park, has become a kind of spiritual pilgrimage for bushwalkers. The 5k round-trip from Perry’s Lookdown is one of the most popular hikes, taking about four hours. 

The environment here is a sensory feast, with cockatoos screeching overhead, cool creek water to splash in, and the heady fragrance of eucalyptus and damp earth infusing the air.

Stay overnight at the secluded Acacia Flat (internal link to Acacia Flat camping) campground to join a rare breed of intrepid campers who have walked into one of the most remote wilderness areas in the Blue Mountains.