Approximate Driving Times Cycling the Thunderbolts Way Gloucester - Gloryvale reserve 25 min The Climbing Cyclist Things to do Gloucester - Bretti 30 min The online blog ‘Climbing Cyclist’ grades the Thunder- Gloucester - Carson’s Lookout 1 hr bolts Way as the 12th steepest road climb in Australia, and had this to say about the ride. “The climb from Thunderbolts Gloucester - Nowendoc 1.5 hr Gloucester - Walcha 2 hr Bretti up the Great Dividing Range to Walcha is very Gloucester to Uralla Gloucester - Uralla 2.5 hr tough due to its length. With a long, flat section to Way Gloucester - Armidale 3 hr contend with it’s hard to find a rhythm for this entire ascent. With more than 1,200m of elevation gain only Picnic Spots a few climbs in Australia see you gain more altitude”. Thunderbolts Way is one of the most scenic stretch- es of road in NSW. It takes you through the rolling You’ll find riverside picnic spots dotted all along the www.theclimbingcyclist.com foothills of the Barrington Tops just north of Thunderbolts Way. Make sure you pack a picnic bas- Gloucester, and up along the steep ridges to the ket. plateau above. Well worth a day trip.

Gloryvale Reserve Construction began on the Thunderbolts Way back in On the banks of the Little Manning River you’ll find 1958 with the primary purpose of enabling logs from the natural beauty of Gloryvale Reserve, a rustic pic- the Giro State Forest to be transported to the nic area with camping, caravan sites and long drop Graph courtesy of Strava - depicts the ride from Barnard River Bridge to Gloucester timber mill. By 1961 the 21km route had toilets. Further up the road look out on the left for Topdale Road Junction at Walcha. g been traversed by a 6.5 metre wide road. The work the entry gate to the Gloryvale property. Pull over was arduous and dangerous, the road having to be and take a moment to absorb the view down into Strava carved out of steep, rugged country. By re-routing this magnificent valley with the homestead visible by The Strava community of cyclists track their rides with the road to the north, the builders avoided the noto- the river. other cycling enthusiasts, where they compare various rious Hungry Hill, a one in three grade. The hill had details about the ride. Track your rides and runs via long been considered a serious obstacle to any road. Bretti Reserve your iPhone, Android or GPS device, analyze your per- The first logs reached Gloucester in September 1961, Shortly after crossing the Little Manning River for the formance, and compare with friends. across a new bridge over the Barnard River. third time over a narrow causeway, an entry will be www.strava.com seen on the right, to the Bretti Reserve located at Eric Carson and his sons, Max and Terry, were re- the junction of the Barnard and Little Manning Rivers sponsible for the construction of this first road across (picnic & toilet facilities). the Divide to Nowendoc. Eric, the son of Frederick

Gloucester Carson, who founded a timber mill near Gloucester Nowendoc in 1934, for many years sought to convince the au- Take a short diversion into the outpost village of Visitor Information Centre thorities of the benefits of such a road. With the Nowendoc where you will find toilets in the reserve 27 Denison Street Gloucester 2422 strong support of Doug Rye, proprietor of the alongside the community hall. There is a general New South Wales Gloucester Advocate, and other Gloucester citizens, store across the way, a police station, church and AUSTRALIA official backing was eventually gained. school(3km out of town). There is also a motel, should you choose to stop here for the night. 02 6538 5252 The road traverses country where the bushranger [email protected] www.gloucestertourism.com.au Thunderbolt, was active and although there was

some objection to using this name it was finally adopted. Thunderbolt’s Way is the name Waterfall Way Walcha given to the road which links Bucketts Way at Where wild rivers run! At 1,000 metres above Gloucester to the New England Highway at sea level Walcha is known as one of the best Uralla. Upgrading and sealing of the final fine wool growing regions in the world. The sections was completed in 1999. natural beauty of the region is quite breath- taking. Carson’s Pioneer Lookout The Shire is home to the magnificent Macleay Carson’s lookout is located on the Thunder- Gorges and boasts some 205,000 hectares of bolt’s Way approximately 45km north of dedicated national parks, wilderness and Gloucester. Named after Gloucester resident state forest. Parts of our Werrikimbe National Eric Carson (1913-1999). Eric was a member Park are World Heritage listed. The Shire is of the team who built the first road up the also a well known trout fishing mecca, mountain back in 1961, the original road was New England Highway boasting some 1,500 km of trout streams only 32kms long. Gloucester Rotary Club con- Oxley Highway which are a home to Rainbow and Brown structed the lookout to commemorate the trout. achievements of the men who blazed this More information | www.walchansw.com.au route up the mountain. Carson’s lookout offers the viewer a pano- Uralla ramic western view over Giro, State Forests The name "Uralla" was taken by European and the Barrington Tops World Heritage area. settlers from the dialect of the local Anaiwan A perfect spot to enjoy the view and take a people, and means "meeting place". Uralla is well-earned break from driving, Carson’s look- located at the junction of the Thunderbolts out also offers parking, picnic facilities and Way and the New England Highway. toilets While in Uralla don't miss these Captain Thun- ELEVATION | 936 metres derbolt related sites: GPS-DD | Latitude: -31.655875 Longitude: 151 809275 McCrossin's Mill Museum - Contains arte- ACCESS | Via car facts used by Captain Thunderbolt during DISTANCE FROM GLOUCESTER | 45km his daring escapades. Thunderbolt’s Grave - Located in Uralla’s Pio- After the steep climb, the Thunderbolts Way neer Cemetery, this headstone was erected now traverses open undulation cattle and by residents of Uralla as a memorial to Cap- sheep properties. About 30km on from Now- tain Thunderbolt. endoc, Topdale road to Tamworth is on the Thunderbolt's Rock - Originally known as Split left. This was the route used in the early Rock, this huge cluster of granite boulders is years to bring stock and produce down from located 6km south of Uralla on the New Eng- the highland to Port Stephens on the coast. land Highway. The rocks were infamously The AA company developed the section of - Sealed Road used by Captain Thunderbolt as a vantage - Sealed Road - section of road road known as Port Stephens Cutting to make named Port Stephens Cutting point for detecting approaching mail coaches. a shorter route between Peel estates and Port - Location point More information | www.uralla.com Courtesy of Google Maps Stephens.