The Trestle Track to Tolwong Mine - May 2021

This was a visit to the abandoned Tolwong mine. Copper, tin and arsenic was mined and refined here from 1910, to 1916. The refining was problematic owing to the type of mineral mined. About 1500 tonnes of refined ore was shipped from here during that time. The site was serviced by two aerial tramways (flying foxes), one went up out of the gorge to the east, the other crossed the river and, up and out of the gorge to the west. The western tramway had an altitude difference of 520 metres, the latter was used to transport the refined ore out of the gorge, the ore was then carted to the railway station at Marulan. Around sixty employees were working here.

Previously there has been some leaching of arsenic and other pollutants from the mine site into the Shoalhaven river, the mullock heaps have been covered and sealed in recent times. The Shoalhaven occasionally supplements Sydney's water supply as well as other nearby places.

Today's pictures are a little hazy due to smoke from the fuel reduction burns we have been having lately.

Further information about this mine can be found here.

Top of the Trestle Track

The Shoalhaven flowing out of the Blockup Gorge

Grass Trees on the Trestle Track

Long Point is in the centre

Mine Chimneys from the West Bank of the Shoalhaven

Lower Flying Fox footing the other end of flying fox was on the peak in the top of the picture

The Shoalhaven 

 

 

Stats,

distance: 14.7Km
moving time: 2hr, 46min
Elevation: 690metres
Calories:952

Great North Walk - Cherry Lane and Ourimbah Creek - April 2021

This run was another The Great North Walk section, part of the "Cedar Brush Track". Today I did next section further north from what I did in October 2020. Once underway I attempted to take my first photograph about 2km into the run, only to find the focus system was stuffed on my cheap Aldi camera, no doubt due to the rough times it has had in my running pack. So doubled back I did and grabbed my phone. At least now I could get some focused pictures. The resultant pictures are below.  Deep in the rain forest the phone camera was useless under low light conditions. I was unable to get any pictures in the really beautiful places, and there where where many such places today. 

Note: I am trailing a new email subscription service, Google is closing the service that I have used until now. So maybe I didn't get it correct if your subscription email looks odd, apologies if your email isn't correct.

Where I started & finished

High Voltage Transmission Lines

The start of the Rainforest

A Goanna at the campground

The Campground

Stats,

distance: 15.9Km
moving time: 2hr, 58min
Elevation: 477metres
Calories:1143

The Devils Hole & Nellies Glenn - February 2021

I had to visit the upper mountains for other reasons for a couple of hours this day. So rather than waste my time in the mountains, I figured a revisit of this route the opposite way round to the last time I did it was in order. The Devils Hole is a steep narrow clevis in the cliffs, with some large rocks forming a roof. It is probably the quickest way into the Megalong Valley from Katoomba. I was fascinated to find some water flowing out of a cave in the wall of the 'Hole', see the picture below. Navigation is a little tricky after emerging from the Hole,  there are several tracks that peter out, otherwise it was straight forward, if a little steep, made a bit slipperier with the misty rain on the day.

Katoomba Trackhead

Devils Hole (from a previous visit)

Spring water flowing out of the rocks in the cave

One of the waterfalls near the bottom Devils Hole

Another waterfall near the bottom

Nellies Glenn

Mt Solitary & Narrow Neck

 

The Megalong Valley & Six Foot Track

Stats,

distance: 11Km
moving time: 2hr, 01min
Elevation: 622metres
Calories:727

 

Gospers Ridge - Mailes Ridge - Colo Maroo Campground January 2021

When I did the following trip; Mountain Lagoon to Colo Maroo and return in 2020, I noticed a single track branch off and head East along Gospers Ridge. I had been wondering if that unmarked track continued through to the settled area of Upper Colo. So this time I parked at the Upper Colo RFS shed and took off along a rough track that headed up Gospers Ridge. I figured that if that track didn't go where I hoped it would, I would just back track to the ute and call it a day. Any way after three or four kilometers I was on the familiar Mountain Lagoon,  Colo Maroo track, near the southern end of Mailes Ridge. After traversing Mailes Ridge, like in 2020 I found it a little problematic safely descending off the Northern nose of Mailes Ridge, the track has been obliterated by the recent bushfires, after a little bum sliding I was down OK. There were a couple of bush walkers at the Colo Maroo camp ground when I arrived. This campground is only accessible by canoe, walking or bicycle. The Colo was turbid and swiftly flowing after recent heavy rains, the river water is usually crystal clear. From the campground I followed the four wheel drive track through private property, cyclists and walkers are allowed on this track, and then the public road to the RFS shed.

Colo Maroo, National Parks camp ground

White speck in the furthest grassy area is my ute. This picture was taken from the end of Mailes Ridge. 

Double Drummer (thoph saccata) said to be the loudest cicada in the world, and the largest in Australia

Notice the Colo river water is brown & well up.

The Colo much further down stream taken on the drive home

Stats,

distance: 18.6Km
moving time: 3hr, 13min
Elevation: 671metres
Calories:1262 

 

 

Morisset to Windsor via the Convict Road - December 2020

I caught the train to Morisset, once off the train at Morisset I rode west, after about ten kilometers the road turned to dirt, I was now in the Onley State Forest. My destination for the first day was the Basin Campground. The Onley State Forest is on the southern end of the Watagan Ranges. I stopped for a late lunch at Muirs Lookout, the trees have now mostly blocked the view, which is to the east back to the coast.

Day two from The Basin to Mill Creek campground through the Yengo and Dharug National Parks. With approximately Thirty kilometers along the convict built Old Great North Road some of the Old Great North Road is only open to walkers and cyclists, much if it is very badly eroded and too rough to ride.

Day Three from Mill Creek to Windsor was along the sealed Lower Portland road. The Lower Portland road follows the eastern bank of the Hawkesbury river upstream. Passing many water ski parks along the banks of the river. I had two ferry river crossings on this section, Wisemans and Sackville ferries. About seven kilometers from Windsor I joined the Putty road. The Putty road here is on fertile river flats making it ideal for turf and vegetable farms, there are many. Then a train ride from Windsor to Strathfield station and few kilometers cycle to home.

The Basin Camp ground

My fully loaded bike

The Wollombi Brook at the Basin Camp Ground

Wisemans Ferry

The Hawkesbury near Lower Portland

Sackville Ferry

Dinner is served

Ruins of a Bridge on the Great North Road, this is similar to Clares Bridge which was further south on my ride

Boat sheds & accommodation on the Hawkesbury

Stats,

distance: 171Km

Elevation: 3400metres

  

Hunter Main Range & Mount Monundilla - November 2020

The Hunter Main Range trail is now the only four wheel drive trail that traverses east west the Wollemi  Wilderness, there where others, but those have been almost completely allowed to return to their natural state. From the eastern end of the Hunter Main Range track there are two very substantial locked gates at the junction called 'Three Ways'. Back in August 2013 a friend and I attempted to ride our mountain bikes from Three Ways to the western edge of the park, after negotiating many many fallen trees across the track and approximately half way and 25km we gave up, camped the night and headed back the next day. One of my reasons for coming out here this time was to see if the track was suitable for cycling. Alas the track is in about the same condition as it was in 2013, the bush fires have undone any clearing that National Parks may have done. 

Keeping an eye on the time, I ensured that I turned back after 10km. This area is remote, just get to Three Ways was over three hours driving with an hour of four wheel driving. 

Mount Monundilla is one of the Basalt capped mountains in the predominantly sandstone Greater Blue Mountains/Wollemi. I turned back a little way from the summit, the undergrowth is very dense on the richer soil of the summit.

The cicadas where in full song at various parts of the track.

A sample of the track

Native Clematis

More Wild Flowers

Mount Monundilla

Stats,

distance: 20.3Km

moving time: 3hr, 46min

Elevation: 417metres 

Calories:1674 

 

 

Shark Rock Ridge - October 2020

Access to this track was a little obscure. Part of the access involved proceeding north along the edge of the freeway in the breakdown lane until arriving at the track head. The track is unmarked, quite faint and very 'scratchy'. There is a "Rock Art" warning sign some distance in. The noise of the freeway gradually lessened as I continued, but never really ceased for the whole shuffle. The rock engravings are worth a look at, but there are other more accessible engraving sites around Sydney.

An early sixties Ford Falcon

The Motorway

 

 

Cowan Creek

 

 

Tessellate Rock

Stats,

distance: 9.33Km

moving time: 1hr, 33min

Elevation: 72metres

Calories:745