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Find beauty and adventure together in Blue Mountains

MORE than three million people venture to the Blue Mountains National Park in New South Wales each year.

The includes seven outstanding national parks - the Blue Mountains, Wollemi, Yengo, Nattai, Kanangra-Boyd, Gardens of Stone and Thirlmere Lakes National Parks - along with the Jenolan Caves Karst Conservation Reserve.

World Heritage-listed since November 2000, the park covers one million hectares. Half of it is wilderness, and within it are hundreds of kilometres of cliff faces to climb, chasms to rappel, canyons to negotiate, underground caves to explore, crystal streams to swim and deep valleys in which to ride.

The area was nominated for its globally outstanding bio-diversity of its plants and animal communities - it features 90 of the world's eucalypt species. These eucalypts help make the area famous for the evocative blue haze produced by the interplay of bright sunlight and the fine droplets of oils released into the air by the eucalypts that cover the rugged tablelands and deep valleys.

The greater Blue Mountains is a one-million hectare area of rugged tablelands, sheer cliffs, deep inaccessible valleys and swamps teeming with life. It is also home to the recently discovered Wollemi Pine, a living fossil dating back to the age of dinosaurs.

Some visitors to the area come to just stand and stare across its dramatic and uplifting landscape. But for thousands of fearless adventurers this is the place to mount a horse or don a wetsuit, a climbing harness or caving overalls for an exhilarating journey into the wild.

A number of excellent and highly skilled adventure companies, staffed by nationally accredited guides offer adrenaline-pumping experiences for people of all ages and skill levels. They work closely with the National Parks and Wildlife Service, which is passionate about protecting the park.

Tour options include learning bush survival skills on a wilderness trek or exploring the subterranean playground of caves beneath Kanangra National Park. Take an eight-day horse riding adventure deep into the scenic Megalong Valley with up to 200 other horses and riders.

You can abseil down a chasm or rappel through a waterfall to explore the hidden depths of natural sandstone canyons. And rock climbers will find their nirvana in the never-ending selection of faces to climb.