On the Coast – Over 55 Issue 30 I July/August 2019 | Page 17

Old Lady of the Mountains reopened
her doors after eight years of Botox and
tummy tucks. Fortunately, by then the
Blue Mountains had once more become
a fashionable holiday destination. This
time as a winter retreat: enter Yuletide.
As we arrive on dusk we find our
room has a charming view of Katoomba
Street. Gazing out the heavy sashed-
window (with original turn-of-the-
century handblown glass) we see
distant mountain glimpses, framed by a
galah-pink sunset. Before heading out
for dinner we enjoy drinks downstairs
in the hotel bar. Above us is the most
breathtaking Parisian-cafe-style stained-
glass dome. The novelist in me imagines
the earnest conversations under this
dome over the century: will there be
another war with the Germans? Will
the Wall St crash affect Australia? Will
Clive Palmer ever
win a seat in the
senate? Flanking said dome is a bespoke
mezzanine gallery. This was built for
The Duke and Duchess of York to hover
over the royalist throng when they last
visited the hotel in 1927. Newspapers at
the time report the royal couple being
impressed with the Blue Mountains,
with the Duchess telling journalists
that “the clouds are wonderful”. It was
reported that the future monarch
agreed with his wife and “nodded in his
passive manner”. When I recall the film/
play The King’s Speech, I find this casual
observation rather moving.
Mrs Pictures imbibes the bubbly
and I’m downing delicious black gold
from the Carro’s micro-brewery 1 from a
long tap at the curling bar. The porter’s
quite strong,” the barkeep whispers. ‘Yes
I saw that when he fetched my bags,’
I whisper in reply. ‘It’s
1
“6%”, he adds, nodding at my glass. ‘Glad
you told me. I better have another pint,’ I
smile, slapping my snow-ringed glass on
the bar.
The atmosphere at the Carrington
saloon is perfect; from the trickle of Chet
Baker crooning Jerome Kern’s ‘Look for
the Silver Lining’; to the soft light of
the dome painting the room in pastel
hues; to the veiled conversations in cosy
fire-lit corners. The Carro is indeed a
national treasure. While these hotels are
legion in Europe they are rare indeed
in Australia. We adore the creaking
staircase and the turn-of-the-century
Otis lift - one of the oldest working lifts
in Australia – with its sliding brass cage.
(Why on earth would you stay in a
McHotel franchise for the same money?)
I  n its earliest days Katoomba's Carrington Hotel produced electricity for the
surrounding town from its power house. This is now the micro brewery.
JULY/AUGUST – ISSUE 30
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