19 April 2011 - Warrumbungle National Park, Central NSW

Yesterday morning dawned again with sunshine and the promise of a glorious day. We left our wonderful free camp at Terramungamine Reserve and headed north east on the Newell Highway for Gilgandra. We had absolutely no expectation of Gilgrandra, a small rural town of a few thousand people, there to service the community and a place that could not be otherwise avoided. We called into the Information Centre to find that it also served as a small museum cum gallery, housing a quilt exhibition, a collection of aborigine artefacts, rocks and fossils collected and subsequently gifted by a couple on their property further outback and the unique Coo-ee heritage museum.

This latter part of the museum celebrates Bill Hitchen who suggested in 1915 that he and a few mates start a recruitment march to Sydney in response to calls from the troops in Gallipoli for more support. And so these few set out, riding and walking toward Sydney via many of the places we have recently passed through; Dubbo, Orange, Millhurst, Bathurst, Lithgow, Katoomba, Penrith and so to Sydney. The first three weeks were spent enjoying the hugely generous hospitality of the communities they passed through, who put on balls and feasts in their honour, and then they reached Lithgow and they were subjected to army fare and discipline, and rumbles began. However of the 350 or so who arrived at Sydney, about 260 were proclaimed fit for service and were sent off to war on the other side of the world, many to never return. The exhibition was interesting and well displayed, hence it grabbed our attention.

The town of Gilgandra is situated on the banks of the Castlereagh River, an upside down river, so called because the sand is above the water. Because of this absurdity, the town has in the past obtained water by windmill driven bores. From the Information Centre, there is a charming walk along this bizarre river, lined with old retired windmills, many of which were manufactured by Southern Cross in Toowoomba, that delightful city just inland from Brisbane which we fell in love with. We stepped out along the walk to work up an appetite for lunch, and then sated, considered our options.

We had noted the national park just north of this town, and sought information about it. Reading through the brochures, we decided to go check it out. National Parks here in New South Wales have a very sneaky fund raising mechanism; they charge an entry fee for the vehicle, usually $7 per day, and then the camping fees are charged on top, in this case $10 per person per day for a powered site or $5 per person per day for un-powered. You will not be surprised that we elected to go for the un-powered option.

Heading toward the Warrumbungles

The road in to the park skirted around the southern reaches of the park, allowing entry through a gap in the caldera. We had travelled up on wide expensive pastoral plains, much dryer looking that the previous countryside travelled through. The road into the park passed through the foot hills from where one could look out across the plains to the south and west as far as the horizon, at the edge of the world.

The Warrumbungle National Park is an area of former volcanic activity. Its landscape includes forested ridges, barren spires and deep gorges. The range of the same name rises unexpectedly on the plains, and are quite awesome as on travel toward them from the south.

The other campers

Our camp in the National Park

The camp here is very busy, with four of five hundred campers staying in tents, camper trailers, caravans and motor homes. It is the second week of the school holidays here in New South Wales, a week that runs into Easter, hence the crowds. The camp boasts hot showers and flush toilets, however those closest to us are of the traditional composting variety. The tap water is not potable; we are advised to boil it for at last three minutes. So we are bush camping but paying for the privilege.

Sunset

However, in contrast to any negative comments I have made, it really is the most beautiful place. As we set up yesterday afternoon, there were a couple of kangaroos grazing on the course scrub nearby, the birds are numerous and raucous. The sunset both last night and tonight have been spectacular, and the walks in the park are just the best.

Last night, after dinner, we went out with the torch, spot-lighting. I spotted five different roos and Chris discovered emu tracks. We walked up a track for about a kilometre behind our camp. We are camped on the upper edge, looking out across to the high peaks of the park on one side, and down to the campers between us and the creek on the other.

The skies in this area are renowned for star watching just as is Tekepo in the South Island of New Zealand. The sky was clear of clouds, but the moon full enough to cast shadows ahead of us as we stalked wildlife. We watched for satellites until the cold and bugs drove us inside.

The Bread Knife

Lovely Black Boys

The path up through the gums

This morning we drove a few kilometres up the road, parked and walked for about four hours through the park, following up the Spiney Creek for about three kilometres, to a lookout, then on the return, detouring to complete the Gould’s Circuit which took us to two high tors, Macha at 743 metres and Febor at a height somewhat less. 

We had paused to snack on some of our lunch at the foot of the first Tor, and I had decided that I would wait at the bottom while Chris scrambled up the rock face to the top. However while we were sitting there, a young couple came past with their three and a half year old Edward, and duly set off up the route that had intimidated me. Could I let a three year old beat me? No way! 

I was glad I made the effort because the views across to the Bread Knife (a sheer pinnacle, thin and sharp like a knife) and the Grand High Tops ranging in height from 921 metres to Mount Exmouth at 1,206 metres were just amazing! (As an aside, Edward’s mother told us that her parents had taken her up the same peak when she was of a similar age and so she was just following tradition.)

Trees and Tors

We arrived back at the cruiser four hours after setting off, drove to the Canyon Picnic Area nearer the camp and ate the other half of our lunch.

This afternoon has been spent in a relaxed manner, recovering from this morning’s expedition.