Blue Mountains National Park, just a couple of hours' drive west of Sydney, has World Heritage listing. The Three Sisters formation has been a popular tourist destination since the days of the horse and buggy. Even today a drive through the rugged bush-clad Blue Mountains inspires wonder at the extent of the ranges and their comparative preservation from development.
The Three Sisters is an impressive golden-orange sandstone outcrop that rises up from an escarpment, standing out against a backdrop of blue-green crags and valleys that extends to the far horizon.
Despite proximity of a town and numerous immediate reminders of human presence, the majesty of the stone figures and their vertiginous setting still exert a powerful effect on modern imaginations, attracting scores of visitors daily.
Landscape Architecture
Urban design
Planning
AILA Award Winner
Tract was principal consultant for the redevelopment of the public domain and visitor facilities for this national scenic attraction.
The site has three areas: Echo Point, including the vehicular turnaround, parking, terraces, lookouts and the visitors' information centre; Darley Park; and Lilianfels Park.
Tract's design was developed within the framework of the Draft Plan of Management prepared by the Blue Mountains Council. This highlighted the importance of safe and rational access for visitors, the dramatic views, the need for infrastructure and facilities to complement the natural qualities, and minimising the impacts of visitors and urban development. The paradox of the wilderness experience remains: the irresistible fascination of viewing/experiencing nature from the safety and comfort of a well-serviced tourist stop.
