In 1945 the canny Hammon family took the old mining railway originally used to haul shale up the cliff and converted it into a Scenic Railway for the use of visitors. The ride passes down a hair-raising 52-degree incline through a rock tunnel into the Jamison Valley and the rainforest below. These days, just to get you into the mood, they play the Indiana Jones theme while you descend at a rate of four metres per second.
At the bottom there is a series of raised boardwalks called the Scenic Walkway. Partly wheelchair accessible, these platforms take you on a pleasant, dirt-free walk around the valley going past interesting examples of plant life as well as enormous pieces of old mining equipment. There are museum-style exhibits about the old mine down there as well.
If you want to take a really special walk, Scenic World is now offering new Buunyal Tours, where you can explore Gundungurra Country with an Indigenous guide who will share their heritage and provide everyone – from kids to adults – with a deeper, more meaningful connection with this beautiful part of the world.
For those who are adventurous, get up high. The Scenic Cableway is a glass-walled cable car that makes the same trip but with a more spectacular view of the valley. Decide whether you want to descend or ascend in the Cableway; most choose to ascend, because the Scenic Railway is more fun going down.
The Scenic Skyway is a 720m-return ride across the valley in a cable car, suspended 270m in the air, with astounding views that take in the entire valley including the Three Sisters. In operation since 1958, it was rebuilt in 2005 with a cable car featuring a glass bottom – those prone to vertigo might want to skip this one. If you're totally fearless, opt for the Beyond Skyway experience and climb atop the cable car while it's suspended above the canopy.
A day-trip tour to Scenic World was actually rated Australia's most popular experience, according to Tripadvisor data. If you haven't been, where the bloody hell are you?
Dining is available in the on-site licensed bar, Terrace Bar, named for its position perched 270m high above Jamieson valley, complete with panoramic views from its open-air deck and a locally-leaning drinks list.