Wombeyan DISCOVERY TRAIL There are two ways to get to Drive summary Wombeyan Caves. • 87km (one way), 3hr to drive (one way) • Sealed roads, narrow gravel roads The first is to travel there via • Start: Mittagong Goulburn, through Taralga. • Finish: Richlands, on the Abercrombie Road (joins Tablelands Way and Greater Blue Mountains Drive) While this route has sections • Alerts!: A very winding and remote mountain drive across the dramatic Wollondilly of dirt road leading into River valley from Mittagong to Richlands, through rural countryside and bushland. Tight bends with steep drops off the side of the road. Extreme care required. Wombeyan, the drive itself is Suitable for experienced country drivers only. relatively straightforward. Route Description The second way is to follow This Discovery Trail heads west from and down into the valley of Wombeyan the Wombyean Discovery Mittagong, across the Hume Highway Caves. At Wombeyan Caves you can camp or expressway and onto Wombeyan Caves picnic in the spacious grounds or hire a cabin. Trail across from Mittagong. Road. The road at first travels through Self-guided cave tours are available anytime, This option is a much more plateau farmland then through a tunnel to with guided tours scheduled regularly. There reach Wollondilly Lookout. are also several interesting walking tracks adventurous undertaking as is Take a break to enjoy views of the Wollondilly and a kiosk (ph 02 4843 5976). described here. River valley before tackling the descent After enjoying Wombeyan Caves, follow to the river. The road changes character the road west out of the valley and up dramatically as it winds around steep onto the rolling countryside of the Central slopes into the gorge, with the bluff of Tablelands. After 21km from the caves, you’ll Perpendicular Rock towering overhead. reach Richlands and the Abercrombie Road Extreme care needs to be taken on the many (which is followed by both the Tablelands tight bends that continue all the way past Way and the main Greater Blue Mountains Wombeyan Caves. Always assume there is Drive). At Richlands you can turn left (south) another vehicle coming the other way! to the historic village of Taralga (9km) or right (north) to continue on the Greater Blue The road crosses the Wollondilly River at Mountains Drive, across the Abercrombie Goodmans Ford before gradually climbing River to Oberon. up the steep terrain of the Jocks Creek valley ��������� ������ � ��������� ����� � � � � ������� � �� � � ��� � � � � � � � � � � � � �� �� � � � � � �� �� � � � � �� � �� � � � � �� ���������� � � � �� � ����� ��� ��� � ����� �� � � �� ��� � �� � � ���� � �������� � � ���� ����������� � �������� � ������� � ��������� � ����� � ������� � � �� � ���� � ����� � �� � ����� � � � � � � ���� � � � ��� � � ����� � � � � � � � � � � � � ��������� � ���������������� � � �� � � � � � � �������� � �� � � � � � ��� ������� � � � � �� � � � � � � � �� � � ��� � ���� � ������������ � � ����� � � � ��������������� � � � � � �� ���������������� � � � � ������������ � ��������� ����������� Wombeyan DISCOVERY TRAIL: an account of things to see and do along the trail As I swing the car carefully into another Then there is a brief interlude as the route Guided tours of other caves operate sweeping corner a rude sign pops up: traverses more rural land to the main regularly. The kiosk/visitor centre can SOUND HORN ON BENDS. This is no standard descent. From the brink of the gorge, the direct you to several fine walks through the country road of wide-open straights and road ahead can be seen winding down across limestone landscape, with its forests, creeks, wind in your hair. But then if you reckon that steep rocky slopes. Driving slowly, sounding canyons, sinkholes and natural arches. variety is the spice of life you won’t want to my horn at every blind bend and keeping miss the Wombeyan Discovery Trail. religiously to the left, I make the descent. Although not part of the World Heritage Area, Wombeyan Karst Conservation Reserve The main Greater Blue Mountains Drive I remember that many years ago I used to has its own special values. Underground is travels quite a ways south around the rugged drive through here regularly in my old Mazda a richly decorated showroom for the karst southern end of the World Heritage Area, so Capella, travelling between the Central West processes that form caves. Cave sediments it can keep to main arterial roads that easily and the South Coast. It was often at night, and bone deposits are a treasure trove for connect different regions. But the backroads which has only one advantage - you can see researchers studying changes in climate and are often more interesting, so instead of this other vehicles coming by their headlights. ecosystems over thousands of years. long tableland sweep through Goulburn and But you miss the scenery, with the semi- Taralga, keen travellers can opt for the direct circular bluff of Perpendicular Rock towering I found out that it was here that the ‘short cut’ from Mittagong to Wombeyan above, the silver river below and interesting Mountain Pygmy Possum, a rare mammal Caves across the steep Wollondilly River vegetation along the road. still surviving in the Australian Alps, was first valley. The route tucks in closely to the edge recognised from its bones. Wombeyan also There are actually a number of wider places of the World Heritage Area with dramatic has the richest collection of cave-dwelling where you can pull over quite safely to take scenery. invertebrates in New South Wales, including in the view. This time I only met one other 11 troglobites – those weirdest animals that With over 50 km of narrow and winding car, but on a fine weekend I’m sure it can be live all their lives underground. gravel road – picture the drive into Jenolan quite busy. It always pays to drive defensively Caves without the backtop and steel and assume another vehicle is coming Of course you’ll probably have trouble guard-rails, and then multiply it by six – the around every bend. spotting some of those, but Wombeyan Wombeyan discovery trail is not for nervous also has more than 70 bird species, grazing Crossing the Wollondilly River at Goodmans Nevilles or Nellies. Only experienced and kangaroos and wombats and five types of Ford provides a brief change of pace and careful country drivers should attempt for cave bats – which might be seen fluttering maybe a spot for a cup of thermos tea. Then this adventure. A four-wheel-drive is not around in the evening. All-in-all Wombeyan the road climbs up the long valley of Jocks needed, but expect some bumps and mud is a wonderful place. Creek, winding in and out of numerous or dust. gullies with small cliffs sheltering patches of Our journey is nearly over. The road winds The drive at first is gentle enough. Heading what botanists call ‘dry’ rainforest, before out of the valley (what, again?) through westward off the old Hume Highway, the crossing a high saddle into Wombeyan Creek. beautiful forests to the rich basalt grazing sealed road meanders over rolling, well-treed As I climb higher, distant views wave in and country of the Central Tablelands, skimming tableland for 22 km. When I was there it was out of sight as tendrils of mist swirl up the the southern edge of Blue Mountains raining, the paddocks were green and the mountainsides. Then comes the highlight of National Park on the way. countryside was looking lush and productive. the drive. It turns bitumen and reaches the The way is dotted with wineries, taking I’m often struck by the ambience of tourist Abercrombie Road at Richlands, 21 km from advantage of the ideal environment as well caves – little valley sanctums of calm and Wombeyan. Here the trail rejoins the main as passing connoisseurs. genteel order, like friendly islands in a Greater Blue Mountains Drive, as well as its The experience suddenly shifts down a few stormy sea of mountainous landscape. overlapping sister drive The Tablelands Way. gears as the deep Wollondilly River gorge Jenolan, Abercrombie, Yarrangobilly: they It feels like I’m back in civilisation after a looms ahead. The road changes to gravel, all have their manicured grounds and sojourn in the wilds. enters sandstone bushland on the edge historic buildings holding nature at bay. Hmm…which way to go? Will I turn right to of Nattai National Park and dives under a Wombeyan is the same, with its grassy flats Oberon, 93 km to the north, or should I nip narrow ridge through the famous Bullio of mature elms and comfortable facilities. back to the lovely historic village of Taralga Tunnel, hand-carved in 1899. In such a remote place it seems an unlikely for a refreshing break first? I turn the wheel juxtaposition – but a boon for travellers! The tunnel leads to a less gentle world. Out to the left. the other side, the first ‘sound your horn’ sign Wombeyan is an ideal place to break the appears, a cliff hangs over the road and the journey, spend a night or two – camping seemingly endless bends begin. Wollondilly or hiring one of the excellent cabins – and Lookout appears on the right – a good place explore the magical underworld as well as to catch your breath and take a look into the the open-air attractions. Self-guided tours valley you’ll soon be crossing. Five hundred through the Figtree Cave can be done metres below, the Wollondilly River runs anytime – even in the middle of the night if northwards into Lake Burragorang, where it you’re not afraid of the dark! makes a big contribution to Sydney’s water supply. To the east, sandstone cliffs of Nattai National Park’s Wanganderry Tableland edge the rim of the valley, while in the north-west The Greater Blue Mountains Drive has been established by the regions which share the mountains as their steep ridges rise from the river into Blue own backyard working together to develop the drive in collaboration with the NSW Dept of Environment Mountains National Park. and Climate Change, Tourism NSW and Tourism Australia. Further development of the drive product has been enhanced by the ongoing involvement of Transurban.