Guests to our beautiful Blue Mountains self contained accommodation at Glen Isla always remark on our half acre of private gardens.  We love our beautiful cottage garden with many of our plants estimated to be at least 70 years old.  Our wonderful gardener Will helps to keep it in tip top shape.  He absolutely loves working on the garden and keeping it beautiful for our guests to Glen Isla.  Some of our plants are very old indeed and he often points out something new he has found in the garden.  At the moment, our blooms are starting to come out.  Our recent guests will no doubt have smelt the beautiful Daphne plant which smells so beautiful near our side entrance.

Last week Will and some friends of his climbed some of our large trees on the property to trim some dead branches and let in some more light.  Here are some shots of them hard at work!

We’ve received some truly lovely reviews from our recent guests to the house.  It is such a pleasure to hear that people have enjoyed staying at Glen Isla.  Here are just a couple of our reviews from this month:

“We had an amazing stay at Glen Isla. The property is exquisite and had everything that 3 families needed to keep us comfortable and well entertained. Kitchen has every appliance imaginable and the gardens are beautiful. The owners were only ever a phone call away. We would definitely stay again.”

– Gaby & Steve,  August 2013

“Our group of friends stayed at Glen Isla to celebrate Christmas in July. We totally loved our stay. The house itself is beautiful and is really well equipped like a home away from home. My girl friends loved the Kitchenaid mixer and the full sized oven. We baked yummy things and sat by the fireplace in the evening enjoying a game of Trivial Pursuit. The beds are very comfortable and we were all kept toasty with the electric blankets. Glen Isla was fantastic and we highly recommend it.”

– Kara, August 2013
If you’re considering booking Glen Isla for your next Blue Mountains escape, please remember to check our up to date availability calendar for upcoming free dates.  Lots of our weekends from now until the end of the year are booked so please get in quick to secure your Blue Mountains accommodation at Glen Isla!

Very best wishes to everyone and thank you for the continued support.

Amy xx

We’ve had an incredibly busy winter season this year at Glen Isla.  It has been a real pleasure to have so many wonderful groups of friends and families stay at the house and we’ve received some truly lovely feedback.

In some house news, our clever gardener Will has installed our very own outdoor fire pit in the back garden.  It’s the perfect place to sit outside and toast some marshmallows with the kids.  We’re looking forward to enjoying it with our own daughter too!

In some sad news,  Sydney IT worker Gary Tweddle (23) went missing from the nearby Fairmont Resort in Leura in the early hours of June 16.  Gary was known to us personally through his work and we are shocked and saddened by the news that he remains missing despite huge efforts from local volunteers and police.  We send our thoughts to his girlfriend Anika and all his friends and family and hope that he is found safely.  I encourage everyone to visit the Facebook page set up by his family, and to contact police if you have any information.

Glen Isla is the perfect place for self contained family accommdoation in the Blue Mountains. With 6 large bedrooms, 5 of which having Queen sized beds and one with 4 single beds, historic Glen Isla is well equipped to accommodate large family groups or gatherings.

Glen Isla is one of the few homes in the Blue Mountains which is able to accommodate up to 14 guests comfortably which is why we have been so popular for family get-togethers, girls weekends away, and birthday celebrations.

We love being able to share beautiful Glen Isla and one of Australia’s most beautiful locations – the Blue Mountains – with our guests. We have received some really lovely reviews from our recent guests which we really appreciate.

Winter has been extremely busy in the Blue Mountains again this year, with many of our guests celebrating Christmas in July in style with roast ham, turkey and of course wine! Our toasty fire has been keeping our guests warm and cozy through the winter months.

To find out more about our beautiful Blue Mountains Family Accommodation feel free to contact us to make a booking!

Best wishes!

Amy

The world famous Blue Mountains brings tourists from all over the world to Australia to marvel at their beauty.  A common question from visitors (and locals alike!) is:  Why are the Blue Mountains blue?  When looking at the Mountains from a distance, they appear blue and take on a strong blue haze.  This has baffled visitors since Europeans first settled in Sydney in the late 1700s.

So… why are the Blue Mountains blue?

The Blue Mountains are densely covered by Eucalyptus trees which release fine droplets of oil into the atmosphere.  When combined with dust particles and water vapour, the Eucalyptus oil droplets scatter short wavelength rays of light which are mainly blue in colour.  This is an optical phenomenon which is called “Rayleigh scattering”.

Blue Mountains Accommodation

Come and see the beautiful Blue Mountains and this amazing phenomenon with your own eyes.  Book a stay at historic Glen Isla Blue Mountains Accommodation

Well Winter is officially upon us!  And with the cooler months comes one of the busiest times in the year for us at Glen Isla.  All weekends (Friday and Saturday nights) are now fully booked between now and the beginning of September.  We do however have quite a few mid-week nights available so if you’re able to stay during the week, please do check our Accommodation Availability Calendar

We were thrilled to take part in the recent Bicentennial Flyover.  It was an absolutely stunning day and the view from the skies was just superb.  We flew from the Hawkesbury Area up following the highway all the way to Bathurst where we stopped for lunch at the Bathurst Airport.  The locals in Bathurst were so hospitable and I got to sample the best scones I think I’ve ever eaten.  They were amazing!!  On the flight back, we took a slight detour and I managed to get a few shots of Glen Isla from the skies which I’ll be adding to the website shortly.

The gardens at Glen Isla have been covered in lots of beautiful Autumn leaves over the past couple of months.  Here’s a shot of our 18 month old daughter Chiara enjoying them!

Last weekend we were excited to add yet another feature to the house for our guests – a pool table!  We hope that our future guests at Glen Isla will enjoy it!

Thanks again to all our guests for your support.  We have been so grateful for all the lovely reviews.

Enjoy!

Amy

2013 marks 200 years since the first crossing of the Blue Mountains by Blaxland, Lawson and Wentworth.  Coming up this month, there will be lots of great activities and events to mark this historic occasion.

Blue Mountains Bicentennial Fly Over – 25th May 2013.

One of the most spectacular planned events will be the Bicentennial Fly-Over.  Up to 200 aircraft are expected to take part in a flyover on May 25th including RAAF Roulettes.  This event will be the first ever flyover for the Blue Mountains and the largest ever civilian flyover in Australia.  Spectators will be able to enjoy this event from a number of great viewing locations.  We recommend the following places for a great view:

1. Melrose Hall Park – Emu Plains
2. Glenbrook Park – Glenbrook
3. Faulconbridge Public School – Faulconbridge
4. Lawson Public School – Lawson
5. Blue Mountains Grammar School – Wentworth Falls
6. The Carrington Hotel Chimney – Katoomba
7. Melrose Park – North Katoomba
8. The Gardens – Blackheath
9. Mount Victoria Memorial Park – Mount Victoria
10. Hartley Historic School – Hartley
11. O’Connell Avenue Cafe & Store – O’Connell

The flyover will commence at approximately 10.30am over Penrith, and head west.

We’re excited to be taking part in the flyover with Amy’s father Andrew joining in the festivities in his beloved R44 helicopter “Harold”.  We’ll be sure to include some pictures of the day here on our blog.

Blue Mountains Crossing Re-Enactment (11 – 31 May 2013)
As close as practicable to the original route, in the same time frame, and with similar equipment as the original crossing, the Blue Mountains Bicentenary Re-enactment crossing of the Blue Mountains in May 2013 will be a 21 day event to retrace the steps of Blaxland, Lawson & Wentworth. The party consists of 7 people, three representing Blaxland, Lawson & Wentworth, three representing convicts and one kangaroo hunter. They will be accompanied by four horses and five dogs.

Click to find out more information on the Blue Mountains Bicentennial Celebrations

Christmas in July Yulefest in the Blue Mountains is a very popular activity every June to August.  It is one of the busiest times to visit the Blue Mountains but as most Australians don’t get to experience European-style winter Christmas in December.  Celebrating Christmas in July in the Winter period is a beautiful way to experience the Blue Mountains.  Warming up next to our cozy log fire is a great way to relax with family and friends.  There’s lots to do here in the Blue Mountains for Yulefest!

Here are our tips on some of the top things to do in the Blue Mountains for Yulefest:

• Cook a turkey in our fully equipped kitchen.  Dine with 10 of your closest friends and family at our large dining table, then curl up on our cozy lounges next to the log fireplace for a night cap.
• Have a laugh at The Goon Show in Katoomba

• Join the locals in June for the annual Blue Mountains Winter Magic Festival.  Each year on the Saturday closest to Winter Solstice, Katoomba comes alive with a vibrant parade of jugglers, gymnasts, musicians, dancers, choirs, troubadours, buskers, storytellers and poets. There are also markets and unique Blue Mountains experiences, including a Christmas feast aboard the puffing Zig Zag Railway.  This year the Winter Magic festival will be held on the 22nd June 2013.

With the tinsel and turkey, crisp days and storybook scenery, it’s easy to see why in the Blue Mountains, Christmas comes early.

Blue Mountains Accommodation – Historic ‘Glen Isla’

Glen Isla was built in around 1885 by Captain James Somerfield Murray – a key figure in Wentworth Falls over 100 years ago.  Murray was a captain of ships which sailed between Britain and Australia.  He was also the leader of a small team known as the ‘Irish Brigade’ who worked for two years to construct the National Pass – a spectacular bushwalking track completed in 1908 that descends down a 90 metre cliff face to the middle tier of Wentworth Falls.  Captain Murray lowered himself over the ledge in a bosun’s chair to survey and assess the cliff.  The Brigade completed the work using dynamite, picks and shovels.

Captain Murray married Elizabeth Lilla Murray (pictured) in 1884.  Elizabeth came to Australia in 1882 on a P&O ship commanded by Captain Murray.  In that same year she was appointed the first matron of Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.  She continued as matron until 1886.  Captain & Mrs Murray acquired property in Wentworth Falls during the 1880s and built several houses both for themselves and for letting.  ‘Glen Isla’ was one of these letting houses and was built in circa. 1886.  It shared an original timber laundry building with another Murray letting cottage next door – ‘St Cyrus’.  This laundry building still exists on the property (the locked timber shed in the northern corner of the property).

Over the years, the original house fell into a state of disrepair.  In the late 1980s, a previous owner bought and painstakingly restored Glen Isla and the grounds over a number of years.  The original cottage was extended to include the additional main bedroom, en-suite, loft and garage in the early 1990s. The house has been beautifully restored and furnished to offer couples and families visiting the Mountains with beautiful accommodation in the world heritage listed Blue Mountains.  We are sure that you’ll enjoy your stay with us and will want to return to Glen Isla again and again.

Wentworth Falls – A Local Guide