There have been a few phone calls going around Sydney concerning a NSW LOST day trip during the Easter Holiday period. This would be just a day trip with a possible pub lunch. Destination suggestions made so far are: the Southern Highlands, St ALbans (always crowded and have to get there early), Sofala, Wollombi Tavern (and the Wattagans maybe), Lithgow area.

I think a prime criteria should be the ability to get there on dirt roads or tracks (at least stay off the M5, M7 outside of Sydney).

Jenko is making some phone calls but I am posting it up here for discussion of the destination options.

Other possible attendees: TK & family, Phil & Sandra, ??

Possibe location websites:

http://www.settlersarms.com.au/

http://www.wollombitavern.com.au/

http://www.shw.com.au/

WOLLOMBI TAVERN likes intresting just like the SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS

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A Black KJ with a lot of stuff on it

Never been to Wollombi tavern, sounds interesting! (Have to find on a map first)

How about South of Sydney - good pubs could include the George IV Inn at Picton http://www.georgeiv.com.au/index3.htm

Or even the Robertson Inn... There used to be some interesting tracks in to Avon etc dams (if you don't need keys for fire trails - check Google Earth), but I haven't been down that way in years...

Anyway, if anyone makes a decision, I'm in!

DaveG

Hi All,
Any where is good for us any day expect monday as I am marching.
Cheers James
gi frog

I'm suggesting the Wollombi Tavern as a destination because I know how to get there from Morrisett over the Wattagans (and I still have the maps). That was a day trip during Jambo 2008.

It would involve heading up the F3 to Morrisett then turning off to the west to the Wattagans (maybe morning tea at the Pines Picnic Grounds) and lunch at Wollombi. There is also a winery up the Wollombi Road that offers taste testing for those inclined. Return is a scenic drive down Hwy 33 (Wollombi Rd) to Peats Ridge Rod and back onto the F3 at Calga (at Mooney Mooney Creek).

There is an alternate route going up through wiseman's Ferry, St Albans and Perry's Crossing on the Mogo Creek Road to join the Wollombi Road at Bucketty, then north to Wollombi. I haven't been up the Mogo Creek Road so I don't know what it is like but its on the map as a road (but very twisty).

Here is a photo I found of the Mog Creek Road:



It also forms part of the Great North Road from Wiseman's Ferry to Bulga: See here:

http://www.greaterbluemountainsdrive.co ... n-road.php

These roads are very popular with motorbike riders on the holidays and weekends.

Just plug Mogo Creek Road into Google and you will get heaps of more info, likewise with Wollombi.

Looks like you can get there from Calga via Mangrove Montain off the F3 as well (turn onto Peats Ridge Rd). If we go there - and it sounds good - might go up that way and back via St Albans and Wisemans Ferry to make a loop.

How long is the run through the Watagans from Morrisette? Hard to tell on Google maps...

Dave

Hey Dave
That sounds like a good idea.

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A Black KJ with a lot of stuff on it

To get up to the Pines Picnic area from Morriset exit of the F3 takes about 20-30 minutes going through Martinsville.

So its an left hand exit at Mandalong Road, then up Deaves Road to Martinsville Road, and a left on Martinsville Hill Road (at the firehall) which runs into Watagan Forest Road. About 8kms into the Watagans from Martinsville you'll come to the Pines Picnic area and the Water Tower Picnic area, there are also some campgrounds adjacent to them. Near the Old Mount Onley HQ is the turn off onto the Wollombi Forest Road which takes you right down the other side to Watagan Creek Road. Watagan Creek Road intersects the Great North Road at Laguna where you turn right and go about 6kms to Wollombi township (and the Tavern).

Its fairly standard firetrail stuff all the way through the Watagans (sticking to the route I have decribed). The total distance from Martinsville to Laguna via the Watagans is 35kms. I would estimate you could do that in an hour but stopping for morning tea or nature breaks would stretch it out abit and who's in a hurry. The campground areas up there will be crowded over the holidays and there will be dirt bikes and 4wds on the roads, its a popular area.

Dave, yes another way is to go via the Calga exit off the F3 (which turns onto Peats Ridge Rd) and George Downes Drive and merges at Bucketty. That way is pretty much pavement all the way from my reading of the map, but I could be wrong.

Reading the Great North Road notes:

http://www.greaterbluemountainsdrive.co ... n-road.pdf

there are other possible diversions along the way (like the "Finchley turnoff into Yengo National Park. Although narrow, the circuit around the Finchley and Boree Tracks is quite negotiable by 2WD and not to be missed if at all possible. Follow the signposts to the Finchley Trig lookout, then a little further on to Finchley Aboriginal Area. The trig gives a stunning panorama over the bushland of Yengo National Park".

I would not want to be returning down the F3 on any of the holiday days but going up should be ok particulalry if we get going early. Coming back down the Great North Road into Wisemans Ferry should not be an issue as there wil be no main road type traffic till Windsor area.

So can we agree that this area, (loop) are the destination/route, and just work out whether we want to use the Watagan firetrail options or the Calga pavement sector up to, or back from, Wollombi and the Great North Road?

We seem to have four vehicles: Jenko, gi-frog, DaveG, and glend.

Gi-frog can't go on Monday the 25th because he is marching. The Easter Monday is actually gazetted as Tuesday the 26th of April due to Anzac day falling on the Monday. So we have the option of Friday the 22nd, Saturday the 23rd, Sunday the 24th, and Tuesday the 26th. I assume people may have family related activities on Easter Sunday (the 24th), and it's also likely that some of the venues we might want to visit may be closed on that day - so I suggest we drop the Sunday.

So Friday, Saturday or Tuesday? I can go on any of these (but my preference would be Saturday). What say you?

Forecast to help with picking a day:

Friday 22 April: Summary, Min 15 Max 24 Partly cloudy.
Winds west to southwesterly averaging up to 20 km/h.

Saturday 23 April: Summary, Min 14 Max 21 Shower or two.
Cloudy. The chance of showers. Winds southeast to southwesterly averaging up to 30 km/h.

Sunday 24 April: Summary, Min 16 Max 23 Partly cloudy.
Partly cloudy. Winds south to southwesterly averaging 10 to 20 km/h tending south to southeasterly during the afternoon.

Monday 25 April: Summary, Min 17 Max 23 Partly cloudy.
Partly cloudy. Light winds.

Tuesday 26 April: Summary, Min 16 Max 23 Partly cloudy.
Partly cloudy. Light winds.

I'm cool with tue

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A Black KJ with a lot of stuff on it

After Jenko called me last week, I thought Sunday was the plan. Sorry if I got that wrong. I am booked on Friday and Tuesday, Saturday sounds like it could be wet, and GI at least is busy Monday, so if Sunday suits...

I am happy to follow Glen through the Wattagans, I have been to the Pines before but no further. If someone says where and when we meet then either dirt or bitumen is fine with me!

Dave

Look I can go any of those days, I was trying to make suggestions based on what I knew of other peoples plans and of course Sunday being Easter I thought people might have other plans. I need to ring the Wollombi Tavern to see if they are going to be open on Sunday. Jenko and Frog we need to hear from you. Sounds like if it is not Sunday we'll have to go with reduced numbers on another of the days.

I just checked the Tavern website and they are definitely open on ANZAC day for their traditonal even, including 2UP, ashame we could not go that day (so it looks like they will be open Sunday but still need to confirm this).

http://www.wollombitavern.com.au/events/index.htm

For more info on what there is to do around the Wollombi village have a look here:

http://www.wollombivalley.com/

I'll cool with any day you guy want to go.

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A Black KJ with a lot of stuff on it

The Wolombi Tavern has confirmed that they are open on Sunday from 9am, so no problems there.

Where do you want to meet up? Since we are coming from a couple of diffferent directions, I was thinking of 9am at the F3 layby just to the left after the Hawkesbury River bridge (near the boat ramp). Or other suggestions?

Okay, if ever body is cool with sunday we can meet up on the F3 at 9am

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A Black KJ with a lot of stuff on it

Sounds Good! See you Sunday morning on the F3!

Dave

This Day Trip has been postponed until further notice. Phone calls this afternoon have resulted in no trip tomorrow.

In due course someone will organise another one.