Weekend/Long-Weekend Trip Suggestions

[glend]

I would like to try to gauge the interest in some short trips/tours (weekend or long-weekend) that are relatively close to Sydney. These would involve camping (with some amenities), attractions or points of interest, offer some trail/track challenges for those inclined, and be fairly low cost. For example, here are a couple that I have put together as suggestions:

1. Wombeyan Caves and the Wollondilly River: http://www.smh.com.au/news/new-south-wales/wombeyan-caves/2005/02/17/1108500200135.html
http://www.wollondillyriverstation.com/

2. Jenolan Caves to Yerranderie (old silver mining town): http://www.yerranderie.com/welcome.htm
http://www.openroad.com.au/travel_greatdrives_ghostsogyerranderie.asp

Obviously we have Bylong and Lake Lyle as trips already on the cards, and this is not intended to take away interest in those, but simply to widen options for consideration in the future.

[Maggie]

That is a coincidence you mention Wombeyan Caves Glen. Bear and I would talking with Steve Foster and Dave at dinner last night about the Wombeyan Caves picnic area and the Abercrombie State Forest but none of us knew much about the area.
Maggie.

[Cpage66]

We love the Jenolan Caves and that surrounding area...and very interested in the Wombeyan system as we have never been to them.

[Heidi]

Camping on Stockton is always good - but no facitlities
Bendethra valley is nice, steep hills, not rock climbing stuff though. Basic facilities

[Dave]

The drive in to Pidgeon House Mountain from Milton (Ulladulla - South Coast) is also fun. The walk to the top is strenuous but worth it. Been years since I've been so don't know about camping - it is a National Park.

[AussieCJ7]

Yerranderie http://www.yerranderie.com/welcome.htm is a great easy weekend, its funny timing Mark Lamb and I spoke about almost being time to go back there.

There has been a couple of trips there in the past including one of the early Classic Not Plastic events and the facilities are great

Google maps http://maps.google.com.au/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&q=Yerranderie+NSW&sll=-25.335448,135.745076&sspn=35.150095,56.601563&ie=UTF8&cd=1&geocode=FZVi9_0dPTP0CA&split=0&ll=-34.007135,150.221558&spn=1.020012,1.768799&z=9&iwloc=A

[spud]

jenolan to wombeyan is a very nice trip but u need 2 days to take your time
lots of dirt plenty of low range driving and you can do it with a camper on back as i done
it 8 weeks ago
8)

[glend]

Here is a basic map of the area from the Hartley access road down to Yerranderie and Wombeyan Caves. Circular route back through Mittigong is possible. The Banshea and Limeburners firetrails make some interesting wheeling. To do both Yerranderie and Wombeyan and the tracks you'd probably need at minimum a long... weekend. In and out to Wombeyan Caves could be a weekend trip. Note that the Limeburners Fire Trail is presently closed due to a NP&WL re-vegitation programme.

Next public holiday long weekend (after the June Bylong trip) is in early October (at the beginning of the school holidays), so have a think about it.

http://www.yerranderie.com/images/newmap.gif

[Heidi]

Just to let you know that Banshea is closed between the Molong falls lookout and Dingo Dell.

[spud]

limeburners is also closed was up 3 weeks ago but a nice trip to do from jonolan caves to womb caves you can take your camp trailer on this trip as i did with out a prob

[glend]

We'll need to keep an eye on the Limeburners and Banshea track situation. It's a fair while till the October Long Weekend (if we get the interest and commitment for the Jenolen to Wombeyan route).

[casey]

Barrington Tops would be a great weekend away.

I want to do the Barrington Trail next time we go there, it looks like it could be a good trip. They close the track in winter - that means its a bit more challenging than a gravel road, right?

[CraigB]

Hello,
My wife Lisa and I did the Mittagong-Wombeyan-Yerranderie trip on 27 to 29 April just past in stock standard JK. The main stock route was being re-widened and graded. Range fire-trail is easier to drive along than the parallel track 50m from Heathcote road up Menai. We stayed at Mt. Werong, about 50Km from Yerranderie one night, (cold, wet, high place, with an old stone cottage)then at Yerranderie the next. No-one but us and the caretaker (great bloke) was there - plus of course all the ghosts.
The problem is the main fun tracks, like Limeburners are closed and off-limits, we were told for a while yet and possibly IF EVER AGAIN. Range fire-trail, again, is an easy, though picturesque drive. Around Yerranderie itself, once again, no fun tracks (not allowed), though it's a cool place to camp out and you can have an open fire big enough to burn a witch, if you want, plus they have indoor shower, toilet and cooking facilities there if you want to use them (luxury, actually). Within easy walking distance of the 'town', the mine-heads there are worth seeing for sure. Costs $12.50 per head to camp, with plenty of firewood provided, though we snatched plenty and took it with us along the way. There are also some interesting off-track sideliners along the stock route to see, like the abandoned Ruby Creek mines and a few other campsites.
Wombeyan is fine to stop over for a picnic lunch, but camping with open fire is not allowed and totally sterile - there are gas bbq's there and cabins.
We stayed at Wollondilly about 6 years ago and dropped in on the way back from this trip for a snack and drive-break. That road is terrible, you can drive on it in a 20 year old Falcon wagon - and hope you dont get rammed along the way.
The other option to get to Yerranderie is to head in from the Lithgow area, hook south across the Kowmung river, then east along the stock route. I would avoid the Wombeyan Caves road, totally no fun there. You can drive any road car from Mittagong to Yerranderie, if you dont use Range Fire Trail.
After sounding like a downer (not), if it rained, that would be VERY different.

If anyone wants to see some photoes of this trip, PM me with your e-mail and I can send them to you.

[Maggie]

Thanks for that report Craig .. why not open an album in the Gallery and post up some of your photos for all of us to see.
Maggie.

[glend]

Agree with Craig that the way in from Jenolan Cave Road is the better adventure track, down to the Kowmung river ford and on to Yerranderie.

Re the Wombeyan Caves camping, the Wollondilly River Station (near the Caves) allows camp fires and has hot showers and toilets for a fee of $10 per adult per night -
see www.wollondillyriverstation.com

[CraigB]

Managed to sort half a dozen pics of Yerranderie and environs and post them in the gallery. Not much there, got a lot more to throw in when I get time.

CRB