SYDNEY TILL TAMWORTH
Sydney – Windsor by train
Windsor – Pilbin 35
Pilbin – Lithgow – Wallerelang 70
Wallerelang – cross Glenn Alice / Glenn Inn 60
Glenn Alice – Rylstone 50
Rylstone – Bylong+20 70
Bylong+20 – Sandy Hollow – Wylong 70
Wylong – Aberdeen 60
Aberdeen – Gundy – Timor Church 56
Timor – Cramley pass – Nundle – Wollomin dam 65
Wollomin – Tamworth 2 days stop 55Sydney – Lithgow – Wallerarang
This road is the first road made to cross the Blue Mountains, in 1815 about.
To go out of Sydney I take the train till Windsor. Windsor was the first inside settlement of farmers. The road is just near the station. Till Richmond, it is flat and easy. Then it start to be very windy, and with steep climbings, along fields with houses. Once I have to push the bicycle all along 4 km. Near the end a driver stops and proposes me a lift, but I refuse. Then a guy sees me and offers me a coffee, good to relax. He explains me he is selling Indonesian puppies in Sydney, with his Indonesian wife. I do 10 km more, meet some rain, and find the picnic area, entrance of the National Park, on right, 33 km from Windsor. Trees on a side make like a cave with the branches, and I camp there, protected from wind and rain. It is end of June, night falls at 5 pm. And all night there is very strong wind and cold.
The next day, wind and steep climbings continue. I enter in the eucalyptus forest, with strange birds sounds, like bells or horns. Suddenly my chain brakes, and the tool to repair it brakes too. Fortunately, the first van driver who is coming stops and lifts me till Litgow.
The buildings in the main street of Litgow look like a western US movie. The bicycle shop is in the main street, and it takes 5 mn for the repairing.
Then I take the motorway till Wallerarang, through fields, noise and big traffic. The dam at the entrance of the village is beautiful, perfect to camp. But better I go to a warmshowers home, David and …. where I am very well lodged by real cyclotourists.
Wallererang – Rylstone
In the morning I take the main street, till the power station, and then at the cross the road in front to join the National Trail, just follow the sign Hotel Resort. Fortunately, little further I meet a local cyclist. He drives me till the entrance of the trail on left, but also he proposes me 2 short detours, one to see 500m further on right indigenous paintings, and 1 km further the view of Wallon valley, deep down, large yellow grass fields with some farms, between 2 high orange cliffs, with flat top covered with forest. It is my first view of the typical Blue Mountain ranges.
Then I go back to the National trail. In fact it is a ground road parallel, following the river, rather flat. At the end it turns on right, and after a short steep climbing joins the real Trail. Quickly, I meet an other splendid view of the valley, and then at the fork I have to take on left, the downhill trail. Well I take first the other one, but it drives me to a steep path going in the valley. So I return to the fork, and go down in a gorge between 2 walls of rocks, 2 high cliffs, covered by eucalyptus. It is so steep that I have to walk, retaining the bicycle, with back stop blocked. Then it becomes flat, but still inside the gorge. Just before the cross there is a camp area, just a clearer, and then turn right till the gate. Cross the gate and take the very steep path going down for 2 km. I just can’t imagine how I could climb these 2 paths, with the bicycle loaded with all the panniers. I should have to do 2 travels, and take 2 hours. Then it flatters and it becomes cyclable, but rough. I get out off the forest, cross yellow grass fields during a long while, join a farm, and then meet an asphalt road, and turn on right. All that follows cliffs. A quick cycling downhill with wind in my back drives me till the bridge. I stop here, just before the bridge, to camp along the river, on left. I have beautiful views of cliffs around.
In the morning I turn on left till Glen Alice, take a breakfast in the very comfortable picnic area, near the school, with in front a campsite, behind the church. And I decide to follow the road till Rylstone, to avoid crazy steep climbings. It is a nice ride, along yellow fields, with range of cliffs all the way, covered with forest. The cyclist club of the National Trail proposes this way.
Rylstone is a village, with a big park at the end, along the river, where I camp, on left, near the pony club area. A guy shows me platypusses swimming in the river, and one other comes to talk a little. Other cold and windy night, and in the morning the entire field is covered with frost, the tent is white, and the water in the bottle ice. And it is foggy till 9 am.
Rylstone – Bylong
I still continue trough unbusy roads, following more or less the line of the National trail. It is what I will do till Cairns, the reasonable way. It is 15 km climbing, and then comes a very big and steep down hill, and then it flatters. It passes sometimes trough fields with trees, and sometimes trough the forest.
It is Saturday, and I cross a lot of motobikers, by groups.
Bylong is just some houses, a shop, with in front a nice picnic area.
Bylong – Sandy Hollow – Wybong
After Bylong, I continue on right, 20 km in the forest, till the next picnic area, just after the railway bridge, where I camp. It doesn’t have water, but it is a nice clearer into the forest. Not so cold this night, and no frost nor fog in the morning.
I follow in the forest, take breakfast in the next picnic area, an other clearer still in the forest. Then I get out of the forest, enter in fields, and take water from a tanker of the railway. I see a lot of beautiful horses. All the way is rather hilly, till the cross with the main road. Sandy Hollow is 1 km on left. It is just a horrible place, with convenience shop and hotels and restaurants, along the big traffic road.
I go back and just before the cross, I turn left to Wybong. And I follow till a cross, take on left Armadale road, and at the end turn again on left, and follow till Manobalai and the TSR campsite, witch is just a field, 100 m before the church.
On the next morning, I wander 1 hour in the fields to try to find the National trail, but no way. So a farmer explains me I have to go back till the last cross, and here continue straight 10 km, and then when arriving at the main road, turn immediately on left, castle rock road, at the bus stop and the church.
I think the main road is Wybong road, so yesterday it was no need to turn left at the first cross and continue till Manotalai, I could camp at that cross, in the abandoned house.
The Castle Rock road is very hilly, and steep, during 17 km. At the end I turn left, still a hilly road, Dartbrook road, 15 km, till the end, crossing New England highway. Take it on right, to join Aberdeen. Go to camp after the sport land, entering inside the village, Saint Andrew Reserve, other beautiful park with pony club.
All that way goes trough fields with trees or forests. I see new trees, acacias, mimosas, and some little cactus. There is too some Winiard. And I saw, all along that week, kangaroos, cacatoes, lories, fox, cow and horses and cheep.
Aberdeen – Gundy – Timor – Nundle
Going out of Aberdeen, just after the bridge I turn on right, Seenhoe road, flat till Gundy, 25 km, along fields, rounded by hills covered by forest. Gundy have a good store with petrol, and a picnic area and TSR.
Then I continue straight a while, turn on left over the Isis river bridge, and straight till Timor, hilly road through fields. At km 45 there is Isis school, a big group of buildings, and at km 55, 2 km after the cross with Greek road, there are the Timor church and the tennis club. This is the perfect place to camp, with veranda, toilets, and water.
The road changes gravel, hilly till Cramley station, through fields. Once I saw a group of strange Australian trees on left. Here at the fork take right, cross the flood, and climb the steep 5 km of the ground stock road, till the pass, 970 m, inside the forest. Then it is 6 km in the forest of very quick down hill, till the bridge.
Just before the bridge on right the path drives in a nice picnic area, 300m inside. Better go back to the bridge than cross the river to join the asphalt road which goes till Nundle, through hills and fields.
Nundle is a big village. Go straight till the big cross and Peels hotel, here turn left to Tamworth, and just front of the hotel is the park of the pony club.
Nundle – Tamworth
The road is gentle downhill, with some climbing, following the river through fields and farms. At 14 km is the entrance of the picnic and camping area of the Woolomin dam, perfect place to camp, with marvelous view on the lake, cacatoes and lories. Only problem, a fox tries to open the pannier with food in the night. The noise awakes me and I take the pannier inside the tent.
Then I stop in Wolomin village, with shops and hotels, and also a nice free camping site just behind the shops, where I meet granny nomads, there are retired who wander by car and caravan around Australia, nice couple indeed.
Tamworth is a small new town, with only one main street where are all the shops and bars. 3 beautiful building, a pub, the post office with the big tower clock, and the school in Marius Street. It is already the West end of the Blue Mountain range. After comes a large valley, then low hills, and abroad the flat centre of Australia, first with cereal farms, and then desert and cattle, till the West coast.
Here I meet a warmshowers, Graeme, who lives in a nice house 6 km up at the top of the hill, in the forest. I stay 2 days to relax. Graeme made in 18 months and 25.000 km all the large tour of Australia.
Windsor – Pilbin 35
Pilbin – Lithgow – Wallerelang 70
Wallerelang – cross Glenn Alice / Glenn Inn 60
Glenn Alice – Rylstone 50
Rylstone – Bylong+20 70
Bylong+20 – Sandy Hollow – Wylong 70
Wylong – Aberdeen 60
Aberdeen – Gundy – Timor Church 56
Timor – Cramley pass – Nundle – Wollomin dam 65
Wollomin – Tamworth 2 days stop 55Sydney – Lithgow – Wallerarang
This road is the first road made to cross the Blue Mountains, in 1815 about.
To go out of Sydney I take the train till Windsor. Windsor was the first inside settlement of farmers. The road is just near the station. Till Richmond, it is flat and easy. Then it start to be very windy, and with steep climbings, along fields with houses. Once I have to push the bicycle all along 4 km. Near the end a driver stops and proposes me a lift, but I refuse. Then a guy sees me and offers me a coffee, good to relax. He explains me he is selling Indonesian puppies in Sydney, with his Indonesian wife. I do 10 km more, meet some rain, and find the picnic area, entrance of the National Park, on right, 33 km from Windsor. Trees on a side make like a cave with the branches, and I camp there, protected from wind and rain. It is end of June, night falls at 5 pm. And all night there is very strong wind and cold.
The next day, wind and steep climbings continue. I enter in the eucalyptus forest, with strange birds sounds, like bells or horns. Suddenly my chain brakes, and the tool to repair it brakes too. Fortunately, the first van driver who is coming stops and lifts me till Litgow.
The buildings in the main street of Litgow look like a western US movie. The bicycle shop is in the main street, and it takes 5 mn for the repairing.
Then I take the motorway till Wallerarang, through fields, noise and big traffic. The dam at the entrance of the village is beautiful, perfect to camp. But better I go to a warmshowers home, David and …. where I am very well lodged by real cyclotourists.
Wallererang – Rylstone
In the morning I take the main street, till the power station, and then at the cross the road in front to join the National Trail, just follow the sign Hotel Resort. Fortunately, little further I meet a local cyclist. He drives me till the entrance of the trail on left, but also he proposes me 2 short detours, one to see 500m further on right indigenous paintings, and 1 km further the view of Wallon valley, deep down, large yellow grass fields with some farms, between 2 high orange cliffs, with flat top covered with forest. It is my first view of the typical Blue Mountain ranges.
Then I go back to the National trail. In fact it is a ground road parallel, following the river, rather flat. At the end it turns on right, and after a short steep climbing joins the real Trail. Quickly, I meet an other splendid view of the valley, and then at the fork I have to take on left, the downhill trail. Well I take first the other one, but it drives me to a steep path going in the valley. So I return to the fork, and go down in a gorge between 2 walls of rocks, 2 high cliffs, covered by eucalyptus. It is so steep that I have to walk, retaining the bicycle, with back stop blocked. Then it becomes flat, but still inside the gorge. Just before the cross there is a camp area, just a clearer, and then turn right till the gate. Cross the gate and take the very steep path going down for 2 km. I just can’t imagine how I could climb these 2 paths, with the bicycle loaded with all the panniers. I should have to do 2 travels, and take 2 hours. Then it flatters and it becomes cyclable, but rough. I get out off the forest, cross yellow grass fields during a long while, join a farm, and then meet an asphalt road, and turn on right. All that follows cliffs. A quick cycling downhill with wind in my back drives me till the bridge. I stop here, just before the bridge, to camp along the river, on left. I have beautiful views of cliffs around.
In the morning I turn on left till Glen Alice, take a breakfast in the very comfortable picnic area, near the school, with in front a campsite, behind the church. And I decide to follow the road till Rylstone, to avoid crazy steep climbings. It is a nice ride, along yellow fields, with range of cliffs all the way, covered with forest. The cyclist club of the National Trail proposes this way.
Rylstone is a village, with a big park at the end, along the river, where I camp, on left, near the pony club area. A guy shows me platypusses swimming in the river, and one other comes to talk a little. Other cold and windy night, and in the morning the entire field is covered with frost, the tent is white, and the water in the bottle ice. And it is foggy till 9 am.
Rylstone – Bylong
I still continue trough unbusy roads, following more or less the line of the National trail. It is what I will do till Cairns, the reasonable way. It is 15 km climbing, and then comes a very big and steep down hill, and then it flatters. It passes sometimes trough fields with trees, and sometimes trough the forest.
It is Saturday, and I cross a lot of motobikers, by groups.
Bylong is just some houses, a shop, with in front a nice picnic area.
Bylong – Sandy Hollow – Wybong
After Bylong, I continue on right, 20 km in the forest, till the next picnic area, just after the railway bridge, where I camp. It doesn’t have water, but it is a nice clearer into the forest. Not so cold this night, and no frost nor fog in the morning.
I follow in the forest, take breakfast in the next picnic area, an other clearer still in the forest. Then I get out of the forest, enter in fields, and take water from a tanker of the railway. I see a lot of beautiful horses. All the way is rather hilly, till the cross with the main road. Sandy Hollow is 1 km on left. It is just a horrible place, with convenience shop and hotels and restaurants, along the big traffic road.
I go back and just before the cross, I turn left to Wybong. And I follow till a cross, take on left Armadale road, and at the end turn again on left, and follow till Manobalai and the TSR campsite, witch is just a field, 100 m before the church.
On the next morning, I wander 1 hour in the fields to try to find the National trail, but no way. So a farmer explains me I have to go back till the last cross, and here continue straight 10 km, and then when arriving at the main road, turn immediately on left, castle rock road, at the bus stop and the church.
I think the main road is Wybong road, so yesterday it was no need to turn left at the first cross and continue till Manotalai, I could camp at that cross, in the abandoned house.
The Castle Rock road is very hilly, and steep, during 17 km. At the end I turn left, still a hilly road, Dartbrook road, 15 km, till the end, crossing New England highway. Take it on right, to join Aberdeen. Go to camp after the sport land, entering inside the village, Saint Andrew Reserve, other beautiful park with pony club.
All that way goes trough fields with trees or forests. I see new trees, acacias, mimosas, and some little cactus. There is too some Winiard. And I saw, all along that week, kangaroos, cacatoes, lories, fox, cow and horses and cheep.
Aberdeen – Gundy – Timor – Nundle
Going out of Aberdeen, just after the bridge I turn on right, Seenhoe road, flat till Gundy, 25 km, along fields, rounded by hills covered by forest. Gundy have a good store with petrol, and a picnic area and TSR.
Then I continue straight a while, turn on left over the Isis river bridge, and straight till Timor, hilly road through fields. At km 45 there is Isis school, a big group of buildings, and at km 55, 2 km after the cross with Greek road, there are the Timor church and the tennis club. This is the perfect place to camp, with veranda, toilets, and water.
The road changes gravel, hilly till Cramley station, through fields. Once I saw a group of strange Australian trees on left. Here at the fork take right, cross the flood, and climb the steep 5 km of the ground stock road, till the pass, 970 m, inside the forest. Then it is 6 km in the forest of very quick down hill, till the bridge.
Just before the bridge on right the path drives in a nice picnic area, 300m inside. Better go back to the bridge than cross the river to join the asphalt road which goes till Nundle, through hills and fields.
Nundle is a big village. Go straight till the big cross and Peels hotel, here turn left to Tamworth, and just front of the hotel is the park of the pony club.
Nundle – Tamworth
The road is gentle downhill, with some climbing, following the river through fields and farms. At 14 km is the entrance of the picnic and camping area of the Woolomin dam, perfect place to camp, with marvelous view on the lake, cacatoes and lories. Only problem, a fox tries to open the pannier with food in the night. The noise awakes me and I take the pannier inside the tent.
Then I stop in Wolomin village, with shops and hotels, and also a nice free camping site just behind the shops, where I meet granny nomads, there are retired who wander by car and caravan around Australia, nice couple indeed.
Tamworth is a small new town, with only one main street where are all the shops and bars. 3 beautiful building, a pub, the post office with the big tower clock, and the school in Marius Street. It is already the West end of the Blue Mountain range. After comes a large valley, then low hills, and abroad the flat centre of Australia, first with cereal farms, and then desert and cattle, till the West coast.
Here I meet a warmshowers, Graeme, who lives in a nice house 6 km up at the top of the hill, in the forest. I stay 2 days to relax. Graeme made in 18 months and 25.000 km all the large tour of Australia.
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