Evans Head | The Bluff | Beardy Waters | Uralla | Wallabadah | Aberdeen | Bylong | Rylstone | Sofala | Hill End | Bathurst | Blayney | Carcoar | Millthorpe | Dubbo | Warrumbungles | Siding Springs | Aratula
https://walkerbouttravel.wordpress.com
EVANS HEAD Highlight reel on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/uPUbGBUaxXs
This trip commenced with four nights at Evans Head, NRMA Reflections Caravan Park. Great corner site, close to shops, hotel, bakery, RSL and Bowls Club as well as the river beach and surf beach a short walk away. Spotted a few dolphins as usual but no whales this time.
Our fourth time at this caravan park, it’s become one of our favourites and not too far from home (168km, a little under 2 hours drive via the M1 in both Queensland and NSW)
After a relaxing few days here swimming, walking, doing a bit of photography and a few short drives we headed west via Broadwater, Coraki, then the Bruxner Highway through Casino and Tenterfield and on towards Glen Innes via the Bluff on the New England Highway.
- THE BLUFF Highlight reel on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/eQmn8pGiM7Y
The Bluff area has some very sad aboriginal stories associated with the mountainous rocky outcrop from the colonial past. We stayed overnight at a roadside stop near the Bluff in 2013 on our way back from the Hunter Valley in our first caravan and we stopped briefly here again heading for Glen Innes. We took a few photos of the Bluff from the rest area before heading further south. - BEARDY WATERS Highlight reel on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/-G1t5Japgss
This camping spot is right on Beardy Creek just north of Glen Innes. It’s a free camp with the only facilities being a small toilet block. We stayed hitched overnight. A few shady trees as well as plenty of open areas if the solar panels need a top up. There are actually two locations to camp (less than a kilometre apart), the northern one has no facilities but a better outlook over the creek. Quite a few campers in vans, motorhomes and roof top campers. Far enough off the highway so that the trucks weren’t a noise issue.
Drove into Glen Innes the next morning and filled up with diesel and a swap ‘n go gas bottle. The United service station on the northern end of town is always the cheapest for fuel but doesn’t do gas bottle swaps – had to go to another station in town for that.
- URALLA Highlight reel on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/WVXbhjH3S8k
Uralla is home to statues and the grave of the bushranger Captain Thunderbolt (Fred Ward)
Uralla Shire is also big on the arts, culture and heritage (both Aboriginal and European).
Uralla is the country of the Aniwan people. Uralla means ceremonial meeting place. The Aboriginal history of this area dates back at least 50,000 years. Aborigines are proud participants of a vibrant indigenous culture of artists, professionals, youth and elders who welcome those interested to discover their past and enjoy the feeling of Country. Aboriginal rock art can be seen at Mt Yarrowyck and to find out the history and culture of the Aniwan. Keen eyes may spot shield scars in trees, stone tools scattered beneath your feet, ochre quarries and flat grinding stones used for making seed derived flour. - WALLABADAH Highlight reel on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/5mV1O02zcyA
Wallabadah is a little village with tree-lined streets on the upper reaches of Quirindi Creek, beneath the mountains of the Peel Range and on the eastern rim of the Liverpool Plains. Situated on the New England Highway, it is 60 km south of Tamworth and 359 km north of Sydney. Fine wool, stud cattle, turkeys, pecan nuts and prime lambs sustain the local economy.
The original Aboriginal inhabitants of the district were the Kamilaroi peoples who called the area ‘Thalababuri’ (its meaning is uncertain). The Kamilaroi tribe was subdivided into clans and classes which determined marital possibilities (girls being often betrothed in infancy and married by about 14). They wore opossum clothing and, for ceremonial or ornamental purposes, smeared themselves with red ochre and pipe clay, scarred their bodies and wore decorative headwear. The males hunted while the women gathered fruit. Weaponry consisted of elaborately carved clubs, spears and boomerangs and stone or flint tomahawks and knives. Fishing was carried out with the aid of weirs, spears and nets made of grass or bark.
The first European settlers began squatting in the district around 1830 and the Wallabadah Station (44 000 acres) was taken up about 1835. The current homestead (built in 1900) is 5 km east of the township.
A village emerged which was of some importance in the 1850s, being located at the road junction of the mail coaches which came from the north and north-west. This prospect proved too tempting for Thunderbolt, then the most notorious bushranger in the colony, who robbed the northern mail coach at Wallabadah in 1867.
The town was also of some importance as a service centre for the surrounding area. However, it was surpassed by Quirindi when the railway arrived at the latter in 1877. Wallabadah became a soldier settlement location after World War II.
On the highway is the Marshall MacMahon Hotel which dates from about 1867. The original stone section has been incorporated into the present building.
First Fleet Memorial Gardens
We’ve been here before to explore the beginnings of our Australian nation by the banks of Quirindi Creek. This time we stayed next to the gardens at the ‘free’ camp – donation placed in the box at the gate. Again we stayed hitched as it was only an overnighter. There’s a clean amenities block and childrens’ playground with free barbeques and plenty of nice areas to park the caravan.
The award winning First Fleet Memorial Garden is a tribute to the European settlers who began what is now modern Australia. The Garden features extracts from the logs of actual participants describing the early history of the colony and the treacherous voyage to Australia. Hand carved tablets, by master stonemason Ray Collins, list the names of passengers, the crew, convicts, and civilians who travelled on the eleven ships of the first fleet. You can read the tales from those who were on the voyage and explore the list of livestock and provisions that were brought. A nice stand of Australian native She Oaks line the banks of the Quirindi Creek. The Gardens are open Monday to Sunday from sunrise to sunset.
6. ABERDEEN Highlight reel on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/WzwxXfXfiMg
Located on the New England Highway between Scone and Muswellbrook. Aberdeen was the first main township on the Hunter River. With more than 180 years of history, the small town is steeped in Scottish heritage. One of the first settlements in the picturesque Upper Hunter, the town was named after the Earl of Aberdeen. There is a small free camp in town where we were going to park up for the night, however we decided to drive further south and stay at Bylong.
The annual ‘Aberdeen Highland Games’ take place on the first weekend in July each year. The games are a gathering of pipe bands, clans, dancers, heavy event participants, as well as state and interstate tug-of-war teams to help celebrate the Scottish / Celtic history of the Upper Hunter.
Lake Glenbawn is just a few kilometres east of Aberdeen with an abundance of fish, including, bass, golden perch, Murray cod, and trout. The lake is also very popular for camping, boating, skiing, and other water sports.
7. BYLONG
We stayed at the Sports Ground for a donation fee and stayed hitched overnight. It’s right next to the old National Trust listed St Stephens church which made for some great photos on sunset. Picnic tables under shady trees, clean amenities block with hot showers but virtually no services in the village. The local service station and store never reopened after Covid. Very laid back, quiet village where the cows run up the main street (not intentionally, they escaped from their paddock and were being rounded up in the late afternoon with some help, or hindrance from some campers).
We travelled via the Bylong Valley Way, a regional road linking the Golden Highway near Sandy Hollow to Castlereagh Highway near Ilford. It is named after the Bylong Valley, through which the road passes. Pretty mountainous windy roads which made for an adventurous drive with the caravan, all the while Colleen hanging onto the ‘Jesus’ bar! We made it to Sofala in one piece after countless hairpin mountain bends and a wrecked caravan on the shoulder of a very tight mountain bend, just for good measure!
Some fantastic scenery (for passengers) along the Bylong Valley Way and a magic road for motorbikes, of which there were quite a few.
8. RYLSTONE Highlight reel on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ZSIKKCDlnI4
We liked this rustic little village with lots of stone houses set on the beautiful Cudgegon River, historic Rylstone is full of charm and beauty. Tucked into a picturesque corner of the Mudgee region of NSW, on the edge of World Heritage-listed national parks, with pretty sandstone cottages, food and wine outlets, a great little community with beautiful old buildings and a couple of great cafes and bakeries.
- SOFALA Highlight reel on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Iqm5nv-CZls
We drove down the steep windy entry into the town of Sofala after an exhilarating drive and thought we’d driven into an old movie set! One of the most interesting and unusual gold mining towns in New South Wales, Sofala is a 40-minute drive north of Bathurst, but we came down the range from the north. It is a four-street village packed with history that appears to capture the town snap frozen as if in 1870. Sofala is depicted perfectly by the famous Australian artist, Russell Drysdale, in his iconic 1947 award-winning painting of the same name.
The gold rush may be long over, however gold panning still takes place in the adjacent Turon River today. While staying at Hill End we talked to a couple whose friends ‘specked’ several large pieces of gold from the Turon River near Sofala in the week we were there. (We saw their photos as proof of the find). We walked around the historical town and were amazed at some of the sites. It was like walking back in time. Some buildings are close to being deemed too dangerous to live in they were that delapidated. You can actually snap a pic of the famous scene depicted in Russell Drysdale’s artwork!
After our town walk, a few “OMG’s” and many photos later we headed to one of our main destinations on this trip – the historic village of Hill End.
10. HILL END Highlight reel on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/E6WuDGbiSHQ
We’ve wanted to visit this place for some years and November 2024 we finally made it!
The village is a beautifully preserved gold mining area and provides an amazing snapshot of a miners life in the 1870’s. It provides an enduring legacy of colonial life in New South Wales. We walked around town taking photos and exploring the streetscapes, buildings, history and the harsh life in the late 1800’s. Clarke and Tambaroora Streets formed the commercial centre of Hill end in the 1870’s. There are around 80 photographs placed on historic sites, the originals all taken by Henry Beaufoy Merlin and Charles Bayliss on glass plates. This photography was arranged and funded by Bernhardt Holtermann after his discovery of the extremely valuable Holtermann nugget. Holtermann was a successful gold miner, businessman, politician and photographer. Louis Beyers, another gold mining pioneer and friend of Beaufoy Merlin and Bayliss arranged the planting of the avenue of trees leading into the town. It is a magnificent sight of 150 year old overarching trees, as you drive into the old town. Louis Beyers cottage is still standing on the corner of Warry Road adjacent to the campground where we stayed.
We wanted to discover life during the gold rush at the Hill End Historic Site and explore heritage buildings and mining relics. We stayed at the National Parks and Wildlife Hill End campground. There is another larger campground (Glendora) about one kilometre from town however this one was more user friendly, handy walk to town even if it had smaller caravan sites. Great new amenities block, hot showers, water on tap and powered sites.
Many old buildings including the hospital and Craigmoor House give a glimpse into the past. You can even try your luck at gold panning at the fossicking ground and check out life underground at Bald Hill tourist mine. Ore stamping batteries operated 24 hours a day right across the road from hotels and houses. There is one hotel still standing and fully operational (The Royal) from the forty plus that operated here at it’s peak, with a population of around 7,000.
We spent three days here uncovering layers of history and it was truly fascinating to see the history through the old buildings and particularly the free Heritage Centre with all the glass plate photos taken by Henry Beaufoy Merlin and Charles Bayliss. Beaufoy Merlin was the founder of the American and Australasian Photographic Company. Located right in the centre of the living village Hill End Historic Site, next to the General Store, the new Heritage Centre was a great starting point for our Hill End experience. The centre is situated in the beautifully restored 1950s Rural Fire Service shed, and the displays are an amazing insight into life in the 1870’s goldfields. This self-guided centre brings the incredible characters, stories, and more than 150 years of Hill End history to life through screen projections, historic artefacts and interactive iPads. We had a look into the remains of a miner’s cottage from the 1870’s gold rush glory days. There’s even an old red Blitz fire truck, and an historic mining trolley.
Original mining pioneer and photographer, Bernhardt Holtermann contracted Henry Beaufoy Merlin and Charles Bayliss to take thousands of photographs on glass plates to record all the activities and life on the goldfields in the 1870’s. These glass plates were found in a shed in Chatswood, Sydney in 1951 and are now listed on the National Heritage Register. Hundreds of photos taken by Beaufoy Merlin and Bayliss from 1872 came up on the display screens – what a hard life those pioneers endured. The photographs provide an amazing look into life on the goldfields in the 19th century.
We drove over to the Hill End/Tambaroora Common and looked towards the old diggings across the gorge to Hawkins Hill where Holterman found the worlds’ biggest ever gold nugget – a 630 pound (290kg), gold content 93 kg. monster worth at the time a staggering 12,000 pounds – over $5 million dollars in todays’ value. Quarrying operations continue there today via the very steep access road.
We went for a short drive to the old Tambaroora diggings to check out some history as well as walking through the cemetery. There were some very sorrowful stories associated with a lot of accidental deaths from the gold mines. Some of the headstones are very sad. One in three children never reached school age, dying from dysentery, typhoid, whooping cough and drownings. Tambaroora commenced gold mining around 1855, pre dating Hill end operations by 15 years so it is one of the oldest mine sites in NSW.
We also drove out to see the Cornish Quartz Roasting Pits and stamper battery which were all in good condition after more than 150 years since construction during the reef mining operations. The roasting pits were built to heat up the gold bearing quartz and prepare the ore for crushing and to release the gold. The operation wasn’t hugely successful but very ingenious in design. The craftsmanship was amazing, with all the bricks and structures being handmade back in the day.
We also walked around the old Bald Hill underground mine. Tours can be arranged underground in this mine and another one just out of town through the Visitor Centre and General store.
The Bridle Track is a famous route taken on horseback from Bathurst to Wellington back in the day. Even now the track is a wild adventure in a four wheel drive.
Hill End was definitely a favourite of ours and should be on everyones’ bucket list to find out more about our Australian pioneering heritage.
11. BATHURST – BLAYNEY – CARCOAR Highlight reel on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/LSBrAA_-4P8
Bathurst was a close second for the main reason we went on this trip. I hadn’t been here since 2000 on the way to our second Summernats trip to Canberra with our sons. It has certainly changed, very cosmopolitan and busy. The city has so much history.
First port of call was to Mt Panorama and a couple of laps of the most famous racetrack in Australia. Colleen was keen as well and we went back a second time the next day for more laps! The motor racing museum was well worth the entrance price. Some amazing race car history there with fine examples of the real thing from the 1960’s onwards, including some rare racing motorcycles. Highlight reel on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Ivq0GBpuXo0
Just some of the places we visited while in Bathurst:
Prime Minister Ben Chifleys House. Born in Bathurst in 1885, worked at the Railway yards, progressing from shop boy to fireman to first class locomotive driver (the states youngest at 29) then onto union work and politics and eventually became Prime Minister of Australia.
Railway museum – greatworking display and one of the largest model railways in the Southern Hemisphere.
Mineral and Fossil Museum – fantastic if you’re into rocks and fossils! One of the biggest and best collections in the Southern Hemisphere. There’s a full size replica skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus Rex which is fascinating too.
Miss Traills House – Built by the Reverend Thomas Sharpe in 1845 soon after land became available in the Bathurst area, Miss Traill’s House and Garden is named after Ida Traill, a socially prominent, independently wealthy resident, who lived in this pretty Colonial Georgian bungalow from 1931 until her death at 87 in 1976.
Ida Traill was a descendant of early settlers in the region. Her great grandfathers, pioneering freeholders, were amongst 10 men selected by Governor Macquarie to explore and settle the area, which became Bathurst, one of Australia’s first inland cities.
The home Ida bequeathed to the National Trust (1976) – to ensure it would not be demolished to make way for ‘progress’ – is today an elegant house museum containing Ida Traill’s significant collection of artefacts relating to four generations of the Lee and Kite families. Together with her tasteful furniture, intriguing horseracing memorabilia, paintings and ceramics, they are linked to the house and the early history of Bathurst.
Machattie Park –
In the heart of Bathurst is Machattie Park – absolutely stunning. Since replacing the Bathurst Gaol in 1889, Machattie Park embodies the seasonal changes you will find throughout the Bathurst region. Ideal shady spot to picnic in summer, chasing the golden leaves in autumn, enjoying the light displays of the Bathurst Winter Festival, or gazing at the blooming flowerbeds and cherry blossoms in spring, there’s always something fascinating to experience. The park is also of architectural interest as it displays principal elements of 19th century Victorian design in the layout, bandstand, Caretakers Cottage, Cargo Fountain, Fernery and Lake Spencer.
Bathurst District Historical Society Museum –
This was a great find – The museum is overflowing with historical artefacts, you can see the tree trunk carved by Surveyor Evans to mark his reaching the Lachlan River and investigate the world of Aboriginal artefacts, convict and colonial era, gold mining history, a famous Prime Minister, items from the Sudan and later wars, local businesses and professions and the life of early pioneers. The museum is also home to Bathurst Archives, which has extensive family history records.
Bathurst Gaol –
Originally built in 1888 it remains a fully functional prison with sandstone walls and buildings with colonial features – a very beautiful set of structures – from the outside!
Site where Governor Lachlan Macquarie placed the flag to proclaim that the town of Bathurst would be here on the banks of the Macquarie River (Lachlan was known for naming places after himself!) The actual timber marker is still in it’s original spot bordered by timber deckers from the original river crossing.
Peace Garden –
Along the edge of the Macquarie River Bicentennial Park, the Bathurst Peace Garden, is a monument to peace. In 1956 the Indian Government donated 19 Teak seats for the original gardens. Inscribed with the words “Presented By The People Of India 1956” you can still find several of these seats in the Peace Garden. In 1988 the Peace Garden was re-dedicated by the Deputy High Commissioner of India C.M. Bhandari, where he presented a bust of India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. The brick walls of the Peace Garden are decorated with designs of local children. Today visitors can enjoy the peace park and learn about the friendship between Bathurst and the country of India.
Abercrombie House – Highlight reel on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/HbJED6VVI3A
What a gem!! We visited this 52 room mansion of significant heritage value, about eight kilometres west of Bathurst at Stewarts Mount. Set in stunning grounds, it truly is an amazing colonial residence. It is one of New South Wales heritage treasures. We met the owner Chris, from the Morgan family and toured the house and grounds with all it’s artefacts. The bluestone dairy and coach house and stables were just as good as the house. The historic pieces inside the house would be worth millions. They even had genuine/certified crucifixion nails on display. One of the former owners was a well known archaeologist and lots of his work was featured in display cabinets. Queen Elizabeth II visited the house on two occasions and the family has photographs in both England and at the house with Royal family members.
BLAYNEY –
We drove down to this classic gold-rush town with beautifully preserved historic buildings, Blayney comes with charm to spare. The countryside that surrounds it is all rolling hills, vineyards and orchards, so you know you’re going to eat and drink well. This was also a great stepping stone to explore the historic township of Carcoar.
CARCOAR – Highlight reel on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/HbJED6VVI3A
Carcoar is a beautiful village south of Bathurst and is the third-oldest town west of the Blue Mountains, and home to many beautifully restored heritage buildings from between 1850 and 1890. We walked around town taking photos and talked to visitors and locals. The Stoke Stable Museum, the town’s oldest existing structure wasn’t open unfortunately. Constructed by convicts in 1849. Carcoar is home to the para Olympic champion, Kurt Fearnley.
- MILLTHORPE Highlight reel on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/4yM7eafeyrc
Visiting Millthorpe was a bit of an afterthought due to being asked by someone at Carcoar had we been to Millthorpe – it was well worth a visit they said. They were not wrong, what a beautiful town. Some very historic buildings. We made a slight detour on our way to Dubbo via Orange to check out Millthorpe and we’re glad we did. - DUBBO Highlight reel on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/xLUfLT3z-k8
It was a long time between drinks for this town and us.
Dubbo has changed since the mid 1990’s when we had two teenage boys in tow. We still remember them saying: ‘Who goes to Dubbo for their holidays?”!! Back then it was mainly for the zoo and on the way to check out a private observatory in Gilgandra and a visit to Siding Springs and the Anglo Australian Telescope.
We stayed at Blizzardfield near the airport in a private camp area for $30 a night with power and water. Nice place and the owners were great. The airport was reasonably busy with nine interstate flights daily, but not so noisy that it was a nuisance. The town itself has grown so much. There was a medium high rise being constructed while we were there – a first for the city. They even have Myer, Kmart and Spotlight in the main street as well as large suburban shopping malls and national commercial companies in the industrial estates. We checked out the Botanical Gardens including the Japanese Gardens – nowhere near as good as the one in Toowoomba with a totally different climate of course.
Taronga Western Plains Zoo was a highlight – so different to the mid ‘90’s. We drove around the exhibits and got some great wildlife shots. The cheetah, hippos and elephants we our favourites. We also revisited Dundullimal Homestead, an original residence from the 19th century, also in the same road as the zoo.
After our two night stopover in Dubbo we headed further north to the Coonabarabran area via the Newell Highway. Some minor roadworks on the way plus a couple of wide load agricultural machines with escorts. - WARRUMBUNGLES – SIDING SPRINGS Highlight reels on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/VY5d1rIzjhI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGDxB-Ea4cI
We stayed at the Warrumbungle National Parks and Wildlife Camp Blackman in a great site, handy to the brand new sandstone amenities block with hot showers, automatic taps and movement sensitive hand washing liquid dispensers would you believe. The park has numerous sites – 78 all up.
One major walk while we were there had impressive scenery towards the ‘Breadknife’ sandstone formations and the camp itself looked straight towards Split Rock. Great area for photography and wildlife spotting. A large goanna right near our caravan was menacing a nest box with young Mynahs in it. The goanna couldn’t quite get to the nest box and the two young birds as dozens of Apostle birds and Noisy minors attacked it, making it drop to the ground from 3 metres up the gum tree.
We had to call in to the Anglo Australian Telescope, a short drive from our campsite as we hadn’t been here since 1999. Virtually no one there so we did a tour by ourselves – awesome!
After two days here it was time to head north again, initially to Goondiwindi, however when we arrived, the showgrounds were closed to campers so we kept going to Inglewood, had lunch at the pub (bloody terrible meal actually) and checked out a free camp near the bridge in town. This proved unsatisfactory also as the one ‘permanent’ resident in a camper van there didn’t look too friendly (or sober), so on again to Warwick and eventually Aratula! Big towing drive that day – over six hours drive time on some pretty crappy parts of the Cunningham Highway. - ARATULA PUB
Arrived here around 4pm, a late pull in for us. We had never stayed behind the pub before. For the cost of a drink at the bar or a meal you can stay in the large area behind/beside the pub. It was a bit noisy with trucks, being close to the Cunningham Highway but good enough for an overnighter – we stayed hitched. It also has a dump point for ‘paying’ guests in caravans.
The next morning in less than two hours, we were back home – about two days earlier than planned but good to be back to home base after three weeks away. Great trip with lots of memories.
Walkerbouttravel 