You can try seeing the Blue Mountains during a daylong trip from Sydney. But that is equivalent to eating from one section of a buffet. You will miss many of the best parts. So stay awhile by camping or selecting among several local B&Bs. A wonderful choice is the historic and highly-rated Carrington Hotel in Katoomba. The Great Western opened in 1883 and was renamed a few years later as a tribute to Lord Charles Carrington, the governor of New South Wales from 1885 through 1890. The Grand Old Lady was a premier Blue Mountains resort until it closed in 1985. After an extensive restoration renewed her Victorian charms, she reopened in 1998.