We’ll be coming round the mountain when we come 🎶🎶 🎶🎶

Nature’s brass band woke us next morning. It was a cold morning but the morning sun radiated through the rooftop tent walls. We could feel the kiss of dew that clung to the outside of our tent as we unzipped the door.  It was such an amazing feeling and there was nothing quite like opening the tent from a warm and protective cocoon to that first stretch followed by an ‘ahhh’ as we let our first breath expel into the chilly air.

Instead of each morning waking to the scream of our alarm clock to go to work we were now free to start each day in this beautiful natural wonderland. We had been on the move for over a week now and it has been so easy to settle into this relaxed way of life!

The day was mild and clear when we left Goobang National Park and headed for Dubbo and after exploring the city discovering its pioneers, bushrangers and ornate buildings we set off southeast along the Mitchell Highway.

We would be following the old Cobb & Co trail on the next leg of our trip. Cobb & Co became famous during the late 1800s for its horse and coach transport network across New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria, providing gold escorts, mail services, and passenger and freight lines to the towns and settlements scattered over the land.

Our next pit stop was the historic town of Wellington with it’s nearby limestone caves and Japanese Gardens. It is the second-oldest town west of the Blue Mountains and is a relatively large centre in the Wellington Valley at the junction of the Macquarie and Bell Rivers and at the foot of Mount Arthur.

Like all these towns there is a lot of history attached. The Cobb & Co had a booking office and stables in the centre of Wellington and the Lion of Waterloo Hotel at Montefiores, on the north west side of Wellington, was a changing station for the Cobb & Co coach teams. The old building has been restored and still operates as a hotel and after taking a walk through the park opposite the hotel we also discovered the story of the last pistol duel held in Wellington.

Burrendong Dam acquired its name from the Aboriginal language of the region meaning ‘Native bear’. The dam is four times the size of Sydney Harbour when it’s full and it stretches from Mudgee to Wellington and towards Orange.

Mumbil was a non-descript country town that has a history that is not evident when you pass through. Schooling for the locals started in 1881 and has been continuous to this day and gold in the mid 19th century and the building of Burrendong Dam (housing of the workers building the dam) between the late 1950’s and the early 1960’s were the more significant events that impacted the town.

Then came Stuart Town formerly known as Ironbark and immortalised by AB ‘Banjo’ Paterson in his poem ‘The Man from Ironbark’.

Euchareena, 51 kilometres from Wellington, was a tiny village like the others with only a few houses surrounded by a vast area of wheat, sheep, cattle and canola producing farmland. At one point there was a railway station here, which created much growth in the area. It opened in 1880 as Warne but was renamed Euchareena in 1899. The railway closed in 1976 and all that remains is a signal telephone mounted on a telegraph post on what appears to be the remains of the station platform. Ben Hall and his gang also left their mark on Euchareena. In 1865, they took over the Nubrigyn Inn for the night. The remains of the old inn still stand.

The village of Kerrs Creek is situated on the main western railway line and came into existence when the railway line was built in 1880. By 1843, a flourmill had been established and farmers, miners and innkeepers had come to the district. The village grew with the railway and farm workers living there and it was proclaimed a village in 1890. A school was established after 1883 and a Post Office in 1889. In the 1950s and 60s, smallholdings had already been incorporated into larger properties and employment on these and in the railway declined. The school closed in 1967 and the Post Office in 1985.

Mullion Creek was a quiet town with a school, hall and church and is quite famous for sightings of large orange cats that many people have thought to be cougars that have been accused of killing local livestock.

As we drove into Orange it was a picture as autumn wove its magic spell over the many trees and a kaleidoscope of colour was produced.
Autumn is arguably Orange’s most colourful season as the trees throughout the city changed their colour as the first frosts of winter appear.

Situated on Blackman’s Swamp Creek, Orange was proclaimed a village in 1846. The area had previously been known as Blackman’s Swamp Creek. Major Thomas Mitchell named the village in honour of Prince William of Orange whom he met during the Napoleonic Wars. Prince William later became the King of Holland.

It became the home of Cobb & Co director WF Whitney who ran the Cobb & Co booking office located in the Royal Hotel. The hotel, remodelled in the 1930s in an art deco style, caters for today’s traveller. Opposite the hotel is Robertson Park and the Whitney Fountain. The fountain was donated by the employees of Cobb & Co in NSW and Queensland.

Orange is also well known as the birthplace of Australia’s famous poet, Andre Barton ‘Banjo’ Paterson, born on 17 February 1864. Banjo Paterson is an Australian icon who managed to capture the essence of Australian life in his poems and stories.

They have become and integral part of Australian folklore. His poems such as ‘The Man from Snowy River’ (1895) and ‘Clancy of the Overflow’ (1889) are indeed household icons today.

From Orange it was a straight run through to Bathurst, with only a slight detour for a quick look at Abercrombie House. Although not open to the public it could be seen quite easily from the road.  Built in the mid 1800s this homestead is one of the few true Manor houses in the country.

We didn’t stop at Millthorpe just 41 kilometres west of Bathurst but it will certainly be on our list next trip. It is an historic village set amidst gently rolling hills and is classified by the National Trust and because it is not on a main thoroughfare, has managed to avoid being overdeveloped consequently having retained a 19th century charm with cobbled, bluestone-bordered streets.

We were really looking forward to stopping at Bathurst , mainly so Guy could do his lap of around Mount Panorama. Most people would know that Bathurst is the home of Australian Motor Racing… and the ‘big race’, the Bathurst 1000.

This track is quite unique as it doubles as a public drive as well as being used by walkers, runners, cyclists and we even passed some skateboarders. Surprisingly people’s homes are dotted around the circuit and with a speed limit of 60, you can “slowly” enjoy Pit Straight, The Cutting and finally Conrad’s Straight!

Although no top speed records were broken I can assure you we would probably be in the running for the slowest lap record with the Hilux after crawling up Mount Panorama stopping continually for photos opportunities!

Bathurst is Australia’s oldest inland settlement. William Evans discovered the area in 1813 then Governor Lachlan Macquarie selected a site for the town in 1815 with Bathurst being selected as the name after the Secretary of State of the Colonies, Lord Bathurst.  It was proclaimed a town in 1852, incorporated as a municipality in 1862 and became a city in 1885.

It was show day when we arrived and the town was abuzz with people so after a quick visit to the Visitor Information Centre and a lap around Mt Panorama we headed for he coal mining town of Lithgow  where we checked out the train station of the famed Zig Zag Railway then squeezed in a visit to the Lithgow Small Arms Factory Museum.

The road to the Blue Mountains continued on from Lithgow and it was only a bit over 26 kilometres to Blackheath. We had visited the Blue Mountains a couple of years back with our son and his wife and her family and stayed at their home at Blackheath , so we decided to bypass the mountains this time and continue north… but if you are in Sydney, just 50 kilometres west of the city you have to experience the extraordinary scenery of the Blue Mountains or if you are travelling through Lithgow don’t miss the opportunity to take the drive over Mt Victoria, and although Mt Victoria is quite steep it is an easy drive and it has excellent views in places.

Hartley Village is not far out of Lithgow on the road to Blackheath and like Hill End, it is managed by the National Parks and Wildlife services who look after the historic buildings dating from 1837 onwards.

It was rather chilly when we stayed in the Blue Mountains last but the home we stayed in was beautiful and cosy with a lovely view over the golf course and a short walk to the edge of an escarpment with and a valley below full of walking trails.

Govetts Leap was incredibly beautiful with sandstone cliffs that changed colour with the light and eucalypt trees that blanketed the valleys and slopes giving a blue haze when looking at them from a distance hence the name, ‘The Blue Mountains’.

This haze is believed to be caused by the vast forests of eucalyptus (commonly called gum trees) which, in the hot sun, the oil from their leaves infuses the air with a fine mist of eucalyptus oil giving the mountains their blue haze.

There are seemingly endless bushwalks in the mountains, through towering tree ferns and glow worm caves, by swimming ponds and waterfalls and over chiselled rocky outcrops with amazing views and it is quite a playground for rock climbers and abseilers …so pack your camera!

Wentworth Falls offered incredible views surrounding the beautiful falls which you can view from lookouts either above the falls or up close and personal by walking one of the many tracks and kilometres and kilometres of bush and mountain ridges. The Blue Mountains in parts takes you about 1050m above sea-level so as you can imagine the views were pretty incredible.

No trip to the Blue Mountains is complete without a stop at Echo Point to see ‘The Three Sisters’ and ‘Katoomba Falls’ where the views are beautiful any time of day and after parking the car at Echo Point we made our way to the lookout where we had stunning views out over Jamison Valley and The Three Sisters… and of course we couldn’t visit without exerting a little bit of energy and a trot down the 800 steps of ‘The Giant Stairway’ to the bottom of the valley and back up again was all we needed to get our hearts pumping.

The Three Sisters are basically three unusual rock formations, which sit in the large Jamison Valley. Aboriginal legend says that three sisters were turned to stone to be protected from a tribal battle, but the witchdoctor who turned them was killed before he could turn them back, so they have remained as stone for many generations. The rocks are lit up until 11pm each night for amazing views. The sunset over the mountains is amazing if you are able to catch it and the colours in the rocks are spectacular as the sun sets over them.

The Sublime Point Lookout at Leura nearby is also worth a visit.

Aside from taking in the beauty of the mountains we also enjoyed the galleries, gift shops and cafés in the charming mountain towns of Katoomba and Leura, where many writers, musicians, and artists make their home.

We went horse riding in Megalong Valley, enjoyed a famous Devonshire tea at one of the cafes, visited the Blue Mountain Botanical Gardens on Mount Tomah, a breathtaking garden and the only botanic garden in the world located in a World Heritage Area and we drove along a dirt road to the start of the challenging 3 day  ‘Six Foot Walking Track’ that winds through state forests and the Blue Mountains National Park from Katoomba to Jenolan Caves, passing rivers and waterfalls.

The Blue Mountains has everything including many camping spots and we came across a nice spot on the drive down the mountain that allowed free camping and had toilets – there are a few of these about in the national park, so keep your eye out for ‘rest stops’ with camping icons.

Saying goodbye to Lithgow we headed for Mudgee turning off at Portland and taking the country roads, passing through the small towns of Sofala, Wattle Flat, Ilford and Apple Tree Flat that consisted usually of an old stone church and half a dozen houses or sometimes just one or two houses.

 Sofala is located on the Turon River and is a small village with loads of history and charm!  Gold was discovered in the region back in the mid 1850’s and the town boasts the title of ‘the oldest surviving gold town’.

Back in the gold rush era, Sofala spread approximately 16 kilometres across the valley.  Sofala was thriving with all manner of businesses to accommodate the thousands of miners that flocked to the region; general stores, post office, schools, gaol and cells, a hospital and churches. Today, the few streets are lined with beautiful historic buildings and you can still have a beer at the Sofala Hotel.

The Old Sofala Footbridge was washed off its piers in a record flood back in 1986 and a dedicated group of community members have restored it. It now stands at the entrance to the town and an information board details its history.

This track also led to the old gold mining town of Hill End. This historic gold mining Village is a short 35 kilometres west of Sofala. When gold was discovered in the area in the early 1870’s, this small town grew rapidly and was soon one of the largest inland towns in NSW. A kilometre stretch of shops operated during the boom years and an amazing 27 pubs were open to the public…  some pub crawl!!!  The National Parks have erected signs along the streets which detail what used to stand on the now vacant blocks of land and a few old buildings still stand. Only a handful of locals live in the town and operate the Royal Hotel, the General Store, Northeys Camping and Fishing Store and the Great Western Store where the Hill End history is housed.

Being near the Great Dividing Range the roads out this part of the world were quite windy but after a comfortable days travel we arrived at Lake Windermere Dam  where we set up camp. Lake Windermere Dam is located at the direct opposite side of Lake Burrendong where we camped on our way to Orange and is another popular inland sport and recreation destination for water sports and fishing enthusiasts, nature lovers, bushwalkers and campers. It is  a lot smaller than Lake Burrendong and is set in a very tranquil and peaceful valley where kangaroos and wild goats can be seen grazing together.

Only 30 kilometres east of Mudgee a visit to this area should not be considered complete until you have visited this lake. Located just off the main highway, there is a council-serviced caravan park with extensive camping areas. A large double boat ramp is also available and the park has a kiosk and amenities with laundry facilities available.

It was early morning when the first droplet of rain landed on my forehead having dripped from the canopy cover of the rooftop tent as I answered the call of nature. Only hours before I had gazed out of the tent through the insect mesh at the clear skies and the perfectly framed Milky Way as I drifted off to sleep.

The clear skies under which we had previously enjoyed a refreshing beer while recounting the day’s adventures, had now made way for brooding rain clouds and with them, an immenent downpour causing a minature waterfall to cascade over the edges of our canvas abode.

When day finally broke, the rain had cleared leaving a heavy but pretty mist over the lake and with enthusiasm for the day ahead and with our camping equipment packed back into our Hilux it didn’t take long to settle back into our seats and hit the road.

Today’s journey would see us continue north a bit before heading east… our ultimate destination for the day unknown.

Mudgee is wine country with the first grapevines planted as early as 1858 by a german family, the Roth’s.

It seemed a quiet country town when we first drove in and nothing spectacular, just an old town surrounded by lots of the old fibro and weatherboard houses lining one side of the railway track that passed through the town, but when we looked further afield it had plenty of old world charm and ambience with its old builidngs.

It is the second oldest settlement west of the Blue Mountains, following Bathurst,  and is nestled on the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range, known as the Central Tablelands of NSW. It was established in 1838 as a result of two historic gold rushes at nearby Gulgong and Hill End in the early 1970s and there is still a spot of gold to be found in the rivers and creeks today.

30 kilometres north of Mudgee was the historic town of Gulgong. The old buildings of the 19th century have been retained here, with businesses still operating from them. It was a very quiet town with more reminders of Henry Lawson’s childhood.  This little town is also proud of its favourite son! The historic Prince of Wales Opera House in Mayne Street… yes, the main street, was built in 1871 and it appears in Lawson’s poem ‘The Last Review’.

Other buildings in the street were featured on the first $10 note in 1966, along with a portrait of Henry himself.

Judging from his poems and stories, he gives the impression that he enjoyed his childhood in the Mudgee and Gulgong area but it was a very difficult time for his parents. Their marriage eventually failed, with his mum Louisa, going off to live in Sydney with his younger siblings. At first, Henry stayed in Gulgong working with his father, but then went to Sydney in 1883. In Anzac Memorial Park, there are war memorials, flower gardens and a statue of Henry Lawson himself.

It was getting  late in the afternoon as we travelled through Dunedoo and we knew we would have to find a camp soon.

Driving from Dunedoo it was clear the countryside had been badly scorched by a recent fire and we were later to learn that 55,000 hectares in total had been ravaged with more than 30 homes destroyed, along with thousands of  livestock killed.  The Sir Ivan Bushfire burnt for several weeks after it was started by a lightning strike in February and now a couple of months on the devastation was still  quite visible.

After looking at the map we decided to head to Uarbry  to camp but our plans were soon dashed when we pulled in only to find the little village had been burnt to the ground. Most of Uarbry had been wiped out too, and 9 of the 12 homes in the town had been destroyed, some of them belonging to volunteer firefighters. All that remained was the charred skeleton of what was once a small community.

It was an eerie feeling driving through bushfire ravaged country, especially late in the day when the sun was setting and after driving right past the Goulburn River National Park turnoff we decided to head to Merriwa down the road in the hope of finding somewhere to camp.

Merriwa, situated on the Golden Highway,  was a lovely little rural town on the western side of the upper Hunter district,  with a campground right on the Merriwa River and a welcome change from the ravaged country we had just driven through.  This small town is known for its majestic early colonial buildings and is the centre of a vast farming district of cattle, sheep, horses, wheat and olive trees. People converge on the town each year for the ‘Festival of the Fleeces’, which includes shearing competitions, yard dog trials and a woolshed dance.

We set up camp a bit back from the river and close to the highway where we were serenaded by noisy trucks all night but who was complaining… after our long day of travelling we settled for an early night and drifted in and out of consciousness as the monster road trains rolled past the park in the darkness, setting their sights on their next destination while everyone slept. 

Merriwa derives from an Aboriginal word thought to mean ‘grass seeds’ and possibly the first European in the vicinity was Allan Cunningham who made a camp here by the river in the 1820s. The area was initially known as the Gummum Plains district, after the river, which was then known as Gummum Creek.

 

It was all about horses and country music today as we headed through Scone in the Upper Hunter Valley and Scone is noted as a horsey town, mainly for breeding thoroughbred racehorses… and the Ladies and Gents in the park were aptly named!