Sandy Hollow – Baerami -
Wollemi & Goulburn River National Parks – Merriwa – Sandy Hollow.
Self Drive Tour Route
150kms Driving
time 3 hrs
vSpectacular
scenery vSandstone
Escarpments
vNational
Parks
vWineries
vHorse
studs vCountry
Towns vRural
Villages
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Wildlife (sightings possible along much of the drive)
(some 30km of gravel roads between Honeysuckle Creek
picnic area and the Merriwa side of Goulburn River National Park,
but suitable for all vehicles)
Click here to print off
the 2 page A4 flyer of this drive
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Sandy
Hollow |
0 km |
Small rural village, with many vineyards and
horse studs, it was put on the map by the infamous Sandy Hollow
railway being built during the 1930’s depression. It remained
unfinished until the 1980’s, when the line was completed to
allow shipment of coal from Ulan to the port at Newcastle.
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east along Golden Highway turn right onto |
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Bylong Valley
Way |
1 km |
Cross the bridge over the Goulburn River. This
bridge was built in the 1950’s to replace the old bridge destroyed by
flooding in 1955. The prominent peak of Mount Dangar (670m
above sea level ) can be seen to the right.
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Pass horse studs on the left and continue on
to. |
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×James
Estate
Winery |
10.7 km |
James Estate Winery is set within the 1560 acre
property.
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The complex contains a fully integrated
wine manufacturing and bottling facility as well as a spacious
cellar door and tasting area open 7 days a week. James Estate
exports globally. |
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×Detour
- Baerami Creek Road |
14.6 km |
The road follows the floor of this scenic valley
Just past Baerami Thoroughbreds
on the right is Baerami Homestead, a 2 storey Victorian mansion
built of local sandstone in 1875
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The valley also contains olive,
cattle and pecan nut farms.
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Baerami Oil Shale Relics
24 kms down Baerami Creek Rd. These
relics are in the Wollemi National Park. Easy access is via
1km of private property. This is an important historic site
featuring machinery and other relics of a turn of the century
oil shale mining venture.
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Reubens Fire
Trail . starts at the Relics and
links up with Widden Creek Rd 8.4km further on. This is a good
walking trail passing old mine adits, powder magazines and
hand built roads
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Return the 24 kms to the Bylong Valley Way and to |
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×Baerami |
14.8 km
16.6 km |
Tiny rural village. The hall was built in 1925
with timber slabs and is still used for bush dances, play groups
and other local functions.
ØContinue
over the Baerami Creek bridge passing
Baerami Church ( now privately owned) on the
left and Dingo Creek where the Bushranger Thunderbolt had a
hide-out. |
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ØContinuing,
Wollemi National Park is on the left and the Goulburn River to
the right. |
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×Phipps
Cutting |
22.8 km |
BBQ/picnic area with toilets, & well-marked
trails into Wollemi National Park. There is a short walk to the
left, which takes you up to a bench with views across the
farmland. |
Other walks take you directly into the park where
there is an abundance of wildlife including brush tail possums,
kangaroos, regent honeyeaters, peregrine falcons and wedge tail
eagles.
The Bicentennial National Trail also passes here.
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×Detour
- Widden
Valley Way |
26.8 km |
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30 km detour with spectacular views of sandstone ridges and
escarpments of the Wollemi National Park; picnic beside the
Widden Brook. |
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×Honey-suckle
Creek Picnic Area |
43.8 km |
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a fireplace and
toilets and is surrounded by thick bushland and trees. |
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×Cox’s
Gap
Tunnel |
44.7 km |
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is on the right. This is a straight 761m tunnel
and was one of the few parts of the original Sandy Hollow
Railway project to be completed. To avoid going over the steep
Gap it was used by motorists on the Ulan Rd until “reclaimed”
as a railway tunnel in 1982. In the 1970’s it featured in the
opening sequence for the TV motor show Torque with Peter
Wherrett with a car bursting from the tunnel. It is now mainly
used to transport coal from Ulan and ore from Cobar.
ØContinue
along the Bylong Valley Way to the |
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×Railway
crossing
×Ringwood
Road |
57 km
71 km |
Øturn
right at the signpost for Wollar driving for 14kms
through farmlands
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right turn onto the
Øsign-posted
Merriwa. |
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×O’Brien’s
Crossing |
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78 km |
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Massive boulders strewn are about the gently
flowing Goulburn River.
The Goulburn River crossing is part of a
Travelling Stock Route.
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Continue along Ringwood Road into the Goulburn River National
Park. |
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×Lee’s
Pinch Lookout |
83.2 km |
A well-marked 800m loop walking track with 3
lookouts providing exhilarating, extensive views over the park.
This really is a must on this drive!
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Continue on the Ringwood Rd to the T
intersection at the |
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×Golden
Highway |
114 km |
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Turn right to Merriwa |
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×Merriwa |
120 km |
A little country town, Welcoming Centre and
Visitor Information Centre, 2 pubs, RSL, shops including gift
shop, butchery (excellent pies) and Merriwa Cakes & Pastries Bakery
(excellent pies sandwiches & cakes)
ØContinue
on the Golden Highway back to |
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×Sandy
Hollow |
150 km |
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Now enjoy a well earned rest!
Watch the sun setting over the hills while
enjoying your local wine purchases |
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