NSW backroads & Wombeyan Caves
Mar 13th, 2005, 04:12 AM
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NSW backroads & Wombeyan Caves
Hi,
Easter coming up and four whole days to go somewhere. I have the map out looking at possibilities. There's this road that goes west from the Princes Highway near Mittagong over past the Wombeyan Caves and joins a road running north via Oberon to either Bathhurst or Lithgow.
Looks interesting. Thing is - I can't find a legend anywhere in this otherwise marvellous map book, but I think it may be unsealed part of the way. My travelling companion has no idea and nobody else I know has ventured out that way. Is anyone familiar with this route (Alan, perhaps)?
Is this a do-able journey in a small hatchback?
Does that road north - which according to the map goes through a place called Black Springs actually allow access to Oberon?
Wombeyan Caves?
Oh, and any tips for old pubs with accommodation in the Southern Highlands, please.
Thanks in advance.
Easter coming up and four whole days to go somewhere. I have the map out looking at possibilities. There's this road that goes west from the Princes Highway near Mittagong over past the Wombeyan Caves and joins a road running north via Oberon to either Bathhurst or Lithgow.
Looks interesting. Thing is - I can't find a legend anywhere in this otherwise marvellous map book, but I think it may be unsealed part of the way. My travelling companion has no idea and nobody else I know has ventured out that way. Is anyone familiar with this route (Alan, perhaps)?
Is this a do-able journey in a small hatchback?
Does that road north - which according to the map goes through a place called Black Springs actually allow access to Oberon?
Wombeyan Caves?
Oh, and any tips for old pubs with accommodation in the Southern Highlands, please.
Thanks in advance.
Mar 13th, 2005, 06:58 AM
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Hi Alice....I took a small rental sedan out to Wombeyan Caves a couple of years ago while visiting my sister in law in Sydney. Being a rental, I wasn't supposed to drive on unsealed roads....boy could I have gotten myself in trouble!
Ralph R, CT, USA
The road from Mittagong is sealed for the first 20 km or so, but not for the rest of the way (another 40 km). Lots of curves as it winds up and down a beautiful valley. I took it very slow (trying to minimize any evidence of my breaking the rental contract) and it seem to take forever. It was sad to see many a dead wombat on that road.
Wombeyan Caves were worth the effort...it was just me and the ranger. A personal tour. Seemingly no other human beings for miles.
For the return, the ranger suggested the road to Goulburn via Taralga, which is mostly sealed. I took him up on it.
Can't comment on the road north to Oberon. My map, surely outdated, shows about 60 km of unsealed road from Wombeyan to Oberon (via Porters Retreat)- out of a total of about 120 km.
Ralph R, CT, USA
The road from Mittagong is sealed for the first 20 km or so, but not for the rest of the way (another 40 km). Lots of curves as it winds up and down a beautiful valley. I took it very slow (trying to minimize any evidence of my breaking the rental contract) and it seem to take forever. It was sad to see many a dead wombat on that road.
Wombeyan Caves were worth the effort...it was just me and the ranger. A personal tour. Seemingly no other human beings for miles.
For the return, the ranger suggested the road to Goulburn via Taralga, which is mostly sealed. I took him up on it.
Can't comment on the road north to Oberon. My map, surely outdated, shows about 60 km of unsealed road from Wombeyan to Oberon (via Porters Retreat)- out of a total of about 120 km.
Mar 13th, 2005, 02:46 PM
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Alice,
Ralph R has it exactly right about the road and conditions, it's beautiful scenery and easily done in an ordinary car. The Caves and the reserve are great too with lot's of wildlife around.
What's more the roads on the Oberon side of the Caves are lovely too, going through some old Gold Towns and the like. I thoroughly recomend it, but NOT AT EASTER.
At Easter the number of people on the roads and at Wombeyan goes up 100 fold, so the normally empty scenic roads become a slow moving traffic jam.
Wombeyan is very popular for families in school holidays (I suffered a child practicing violin in the next tent at Wombeyan in Easter 2002) so I'd try avoiding it at all costs around that time.
Abercrombie Caves a bit further out west might be a better bet
cheers
Mike
Ralph R has it exactly right about the road and conditions, it's beautiful scenery and easily done in an ordinary car. The Caves and the reserve are great too with lot's of wildlife around.
What's more the roads on the Oberon side of the Caves are lovely too, going through some old Gold Towns and the like. I thoroughly recomend it, but NOT AT EASTER.
At Easter the number of people on the roads and at Wombeyan goes up 100 fold, so the normally empty scenic roads become a slow moving traffic jam.
Wombeyan is very popular for families in school holidays (I suffered a child practicing violin in the next tent at Wombeyan in Easter 2002) so I'd try avoiding it at all costs around that time.
Abercrombie Caves a bit further out west might be a better bet
cheers
Mike
Mar 14th, 2005, 02:35 AM
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Thanks loads all of you. You are wonderful. Now I have some thinking to do. Thing is you know and I know that EVERYWHERE will be busy at Easter - but that's my work break. I can stay in the city or get out. Blue Mountains? even more crowded, and I've been there and I have never been to that SW hinterland of Sydney except for a day trip to Bowral.
I'm tempted by the northern circuit - ie up to Katoomba and then off into uncharted territory - Lithgow, Bathhurst, Sofala, Rylstone, Mudgee - and back to Sydney.
But I don't think 4 days is enough. Do you? But in terms of crowding is that a better option than going south?
Happy travels and thanks again.
I'm tempted by the northern circuit - ie up to Katoomba and then off into uncharted territory - Lithgow, Bathhurst, Sofala, Rylstone, Mudgee - and back to Sydney.
But I don't think 4 days is enough. Do you? But in terms of crowding is that a better option than going south?
Happy travels and thanks again.
Mar 17th, 2005, 08:53 AM
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Alice - just go!
Dirt roads are mostly drivable in ordinary cars, as long as you don't go bat-out-of-hell!
I haven't been down to Wombeyan Caves for a while - but the last time I was there, we were driving out at dusk, slowly. We came around a bend in the road, and there were about half a dozen old man kangaroos, just standing in the middle of the road, having a bit of a chin-wag (I suppose 'roos have chins?) They looked at the car, but made no attempt to move - they knew they had us outnumbered! We watched them, and some others at the side of the road for about 20 minutes, before we started up again and slowly edged through - and they stood beside the road and watched us!
Abercrombie Caves - not too bad either.
I would have some doubts about these roads in wet weather, though - especially down to Wombeyan. I think the forecast is for a fair bit of rain between now and then, but none of it will fall in the catchment area, as usual! In which case, you should be fine - as most of these areas are within the Sydney catchment area.
Otherwise, how about the Mudgee Gulgong district - all on made roads. Are there still bike races at Bathurst over Easter? - if so, beware of raging bikers on the trip home
Dirt roads are mostly drivable in ordinary cars, as long as you don't go bat-out-of-hell!
I haven't been down to Wombeyan Caves for a while - but the last time I was there, we were driving out at dusk, slowly. We came around a bend in the road, and there were about half a dozen old man kangaroos, just standing in the middle of the road, having a bit of a chin-wag (I suppose 'roos have chins?) They looked at the car, but made no attempt to move - they knew they had us outnumbered! We watched them, and some others at the side of the road for about 20 minutes, before we started up again and slowly edged through - and they stood beside the road and watched us!
Abercrombie Caves - not too bad either.
I would have some doubts about these roads in wet weather, though - especially down to Wombeyan. I think the forecast is for a fair bit of rain between now and then, but none of it will fall in the catchment area, as usual! In which case, you should be fine - as most of these areas are within the Sydney catchment area.
Otherwise, how about the Mudgee Gulgong district - all on made roads. Are there still bike races at Bathurst over Easter? - if so, beware of raging bikers on the trip home
