Wollemi National Park

 

Crossing the ford at the start of the Glow-worm tunnel walk

By Jan Herperger

A couple of Saturday evenings ago I was invited to go on a spontaneous camping holiday into NSW with my daughters; leaving the next day. Who wouldn’t say yes to an invitation like that! So I packed a bag and the following day jumped in my car and drove to Myrtleford and stayed overnight with daughter number 2. Next morning we packed her station wagon and set off for Bathurst over 6 hours away. The countryside the whole way from Myrtleford was very attractive with rolling hills and farmland and forested lands and the road wound around and up and down (hmmm, a bit like our hikes!). Later that day after we’d arrived and were hurrying to the public toilets (!) we heard a “yoo hoo” and there was daughter number 1 who’d driven up from Sydney. After checking out some op shops and the supermarket we put all of number 1’s camping gear into the now very full station wagon, left her car on a side street and found the local caravan park. (Note: take ear plugs if you stay at the Bathurst Panorama Holiday Park as it’s close to a busy road). We had to wait for the sun to dry our tents in the morning as the dew was VERY heavy. But we finally headed off and went further north towards Mudgee. On the way we stopped and explored Sofala which described itself as “The oldest surviving Gold Town est.1851” It was very cute, kind of like a tiny Clunes. Onward to Mudgee, just because number 1 had heard that it was a pretty town. And it was. More op shopping and a picnic in a lovely park and a wander around the town and we were back in the car and travelling south along the Castlereagh Highway. We turned east at Capertee with the aim of finding a certain camp ground and followed a potholed dirt road passing creepy looking derelict houses and an abandoned caravan. The road got worse and steeper and so we chickened out, turned around and ended up at the Mount Airly Camping Area at dusk. It was closed! It was getting dark! We were in the middle of nowhere! In desperation we stepped over the orange plastic fence and pitched our tents just off the side of the road. It was pitch black by the time we’d finished. The evening was spent reading books – me in the car where it was a bit warmer and my girls outside on camping chairs with head torches as their only illumination. It looked quite eerie. With more time it would be a great area to explore as the Capertee National Park is to the north and the Gardens of Stone National Park is just to the south.

In the morning we drove into the World Heritage-listed Wollemi National Park and down a narrow road that wound down the side of a mountain showing stunning views around every bend and then through the Wolgan Valley. The road met up with and followed alongside the Wolgan River until the Newnes Campground. We were amazed at the beauty of this hidden spot as it is in an amphitheatre of dramatic sandstone cliffs. We put up the tents as soon as we arrived and after a bite to eat we drove back along the road a short way to the start of the 9km circuit track to the Glow-worm Tunnel. The weather was perfect for walking; bright and sunny, but cool. Right at the start of the track there was a wide ford, so we had to take our boots off and wade across before heading off and up a steep stretch of path until a sign told us that the easier way to the tunnel along the Pagoda Track was closed due to landslips. So we walked up, up, up the steep ascent of the Old Coach Road. The scenery was stunning with views of the valley and mountains. There was a lot of “wow, this is beautiful!”. Then we reached the top (above 850m) and joined the Pagoda Track which started going downhill. The vegetation changed to become thicker, greener, and with more ferns and bracken. The whole place reminded me of the movie set of Jurassic Park. I’ve never seen anything quite like it.

The glow worms were in an abandoned railway tunnel with a small stream flowing through the middle of it. It was magical to see clusters of brightly shining lights on the walls and ceiling of the tunnel. We needed our torches to see where to walk safely as it was a bit slippery in places. The trail kept on going through the tunnel, but I discovered that one of my daughters doesn’t like caves or tunnels so we turned around and went back the way we’d come. I’m so glad we did because we saw a lyrebird in full song with it’s tail displayed! We froze and hardly breathed as we watched and listened in awe to the wonderful array of songs and sounds coming from this bird. I’m sure it made a sound like a horse galloping and then some weird machine/electronic noise. A bit further along another lyrebird ran across the path and waded into a stream and had a bath. Again we stayed as still as statues as we watched it splash about and then hop onto a tree stump to shake itself dry. It brought the lyrics “c’mon let me see you shake your tail feathers” to life! I felt so privileged to have seen these creatures so close. The return walk was much faster because it was downhill back to the car but with many stops to admire the scenery. I would love to return to this area and explore it more thoroughly. There are river walks, lookouts, canyons, industrial ruins and places called Moon Rock, Lost City and Spanish Steps. That night it rained and rained but we were snug and dry in our tents. After breakfast we shoved the dripping gear into the car and drove south to Bathurst, found daughter no. 1’s car still parked where she’d left it and then headed off in different directions back to our homes. Eating lots of snacks and listening to the audio book of Harry Potter made the long drive back to Myrtleford more fun. The next day I op shopped my way back to Ballarat and was so, so glad that I’d joined my daughters on such a spontaneous adventure. Further exploration of the stunning Wollemi National Park is now on my bucket list.

Mt Airly campground (closed)

                                  Along the Old Coach Road

The lovely Newnes campground

Big sisters never really stop annoying their little sisters, do they?
 

     The Tunnel Beckoned.

Getting closer to the tunnel

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                And then we started going down.....

         Ascending the old coach road in Wolgan Valley.

Tiny town of Sofala, NSW