RIDE 93: GLOUCESTER TOPS

(WOMBAT CREEK)

FROM: Gloucester Tops (Kerripit Road)

TO: The Barrington Tops

VIA: Gloucester Tops Walking Track

LENGTH:

Day 1: Gloucester Tops to The Big Hole 18 km

Day 2: The Big Hole to Wombat Creek via Mount Barrington 31 km

Day 3: Wombat Creek to Gloucester Tops 13 km

Total distance is 62 km

RIDE/TRACK GRADE: 5-6/8

WALKING: Short easy 200 m walk up to Careys Peak

HEIGHT VARIATION: 310 m

TRANSPORT: Private transport to Gloucester Tops via Gloucester

FACILITIES: None

MAPS: CMA (LIC) Barrington Tops, Gloucester Tops and

Moonan Brook 1:25 000 topographical. Also useful is the Barrington Tops and Gloucester Districts 1:100 000 Tourist Map.

The beautiful Barrington Tops area can also be accessed from the Gloucester Tops via a ridge-track that links the two plateaus. The second day involves classic mountain biking through terrain described in the previous ride, but the first and third days contain a 6 km section where the trail is very overgrown with many fallen trees that frustrate rapid pro gress, hence the maximum ‘8’ grading for the track condition. The ride should only be attempted by cyclists expecting to manhandle the bikes through this difficult part. This is the pain one has to endure to reap the reward of unparalleled mountain biking action around the Barrington Tops.

It is suggested that you drive to the Gloucester River Camping Area on the first day and car-camp. It is accessed from The Bucketts Way south of Gloucester and involves a few fordings that are no problem unless it has just been raining heavily.

The next day, drive up to Gloucester Tops and do the Gloucester Falls short walk at the end before backtracking to Kerripit Road. Head left and drive as far as you can. A gate bars all vehicle access. From this point cycle west, making a brief detour to Munro Hut. The track to this building is the first on the right. It heads down through messmate and mountain gums, skirting around a large swamp. The road ends at a camp clearing. However a short walking tracks heads north west to the hut which is hidden in the bushes on the edge of an escarpment. A small stream provides water to hut residences. The condition has deteriorated considerably and it is no longer very hygienic. There are many bunks, even just under the rafters!

When you’ve finished checking out the hut, head back up to the road and continue west. After a downhill the road comes to another barrier and a sign again bars all vehicle access. This section is very overgrown due to the soft rich soils, high rainfall, and sheltered topography. The bikes will have to be walked up the hill here as many mossy beech trees have fallen over.

The vegetation soon opens out into eucalypt forest as you climb but there are still fallen trees to negotiate. Some can be ridden over, some can be skirted, but most simply involve lifting the bike over requiring constant mounting and remounting. It is then good cycling across a couple of creeks. The trail swings from south-west to north-west avoiding the beech tree stands. Although marked as a walking track on the map and signposted as such, this is clearly not the case. In the 1960s, four-wheel drives used this road to travel between the two plateaus. Today this involves over 100 km of detours.

The vegetation generally gets moister in nature as you come to a turn-off. Keep right—the trail ascends a ridge climbing from 1300 to nearly 1400 metres. Although it is not far until you are off the edge of the Gloucester Tops topographical map, this is the slowest progress of all. The track gradually gets worse—mud, vines, rocks and more fallen beech trees all providing problems. Many short sections however can still be ridden. The geology here is dominated by granodiorite, a granular rock with large visible mineral crystals.

The final uphill is particularly bad and you will indeed wonder what you’re doing with a bike in almost jungle terrain. This is the worst. At the top a massive tree forms a barrier just east of a metal chain. The terrain and vegetation improves considerably as you emerge on to the Barrington Tops plateau. The beech trees suddenly disappear, the snow gums return, and no fallen trees! The track undulates over a good surface and it’s a terrific downhill to Wombat Creek where you can refill your water bottles. The turn-off is signposted on the right and the camping area is set in pleasant wet sclerophyll forest just between the road and the creek. This is where you’ll be camping on the second night.

Continue west, where you soon come to a barrier blocking vehicles from the western end who wish to access Gloucester Tops. The road option at the junction here leads down to the Allyn River and Dungog. Head right from up a very steep hill to another turn off with the Careys Peak Trail. Another gate exists here. A sign points north to the Big Hole.

What follows are good downhills on a reasonable surface. On the way is Black Swamp, an open alpine plain surrounded by white eucalypt trees. Just before you cross a creek that flows out of the swamp, an informal picnic/camping area exists on the right hand side. After the creek, it is a bit of an uphill before more pleasant level cycling. The trail then drops into the Barrington River valley where it is downhill all the way to The Big Hole. This is one of my favourite camping areas in Australia. The cleared camping area is separated from the end of the trail by a barrier. The hole itself is a very deep wide bend in the river, set in open pleasant woodland.

If the place is crowded, one can reach another place slightly downstream from the boulders at the end of the road. This is a much smaller clearing with a rough walking track that takes you around some rapids directly to The Big Hole. The water is chilly but well worth the effort. You are swimming in a large pool on top of a plateau over a kilometre higher than the rest of the Hunter Valley area. There is a rare species of native pepper (Tasmannia purpurascens) among the snow gums here which are found nowhere else in the state.

The next day involves a round circuit of the Barrington Tops. Exit the Barrington River valley via Bobs Crossing upstream and then the Watergauge Trail up to Beenan Beenan Plain joining up to the Barrington Trail. A lot of Scotch broom and snow gums are passed through this section, and Beenan Beenan Plain itself must be one of the best sub-alpine off-road cycling environments in New South Wales due to its level gradient.

Head left, travelling south on the Barrington Trail. This track heads around two large flat mountains which mark the Mount Royal Range. Brumlow Top is the highest peak in the entire Barrington Tops area although it resembles a wooded hill. There are some pleasant stream fordings along the way, ideal for rest breaks.

On the way is a turn-off to Junction Pool which should be ignored. Keep right, following the Barrington Trail along the Mount Royal Range. A minor detour is up to the summit of Mount Barrington (1555 m) where you obtain reasonable views west. The Middle Ridge Trail which is passed is used by 4WD clubs as an entry and exit to the plateau. I was here once when an entire convoy of Range Rovers were leaving.

The trail swings to the east, always following the rim of the escarpment. It is now called the Careys Peak Trail and it is very easy and pleasant cycling to a spur just before Careys Peak. The trail deteriorates here and it is a difficult short uphill slog to the picnic ground on the right. An old hut marks a clearing right on the very southerly edge of the plateau. A walking track on the western end leads up for 200 m to the top of the lookout. A fence prevents sightseers falling down the steep slope. To the right is a stark dark green/light green line between dense moist beech rainforest and dry eucalypt bush on the plateau. The prevailing winds are from the south west, dropping most of their moisture on their way up the slopes.

Most of the Hunter Valley can be seen from this lookout. At night, even the lights of Sydney and Newcastle are visible. On a clear day, one can see as far south as Gospers Mountain in the Wollemi National Park, but usually warm days produce haze limiting views. Even worse is a white-out which often occurs, especially in the early morning. This is a perfect place for lunch. However no water is available here.

Head back out to the Careys Peak Trail and continue east to the turn-off where you were yesterday with a barrier barring vehicular access to the south. Head right down the steep hill retracing the first day’s ride to Wombat Creek. Since you have seen both Wombat Creek and The Big Hole on the first day, it’s up to you where you want to camp. Even though The Big Hole is the nicer area, Wombat Creek has been recommended for variety purposes.

The third day simply involves backtracking to the car on Kerripit Road, negotiating the 6 km ‘hell’ section on the way.