Thread: Trip Report - West of the Divide

Two Trip Reports from a couple of the fairer sex.

Why Walk if you can Drive?

A Trip Report by a couple of International (Dutch) Visitors

Trip: West of the Divide – 3rd to 5th February 2012
by: Jacqueline Oversteegen

We are visiting our daughter Lisette, her husband Simon and son Julian once a year. Every visit we are welcomed by John and Carry, and this time they invited us to join them on a three day trip. A trip with their 4WD, in the direction of Rylstone. We see this kind offer as a chance to see a different part of Australia. John hires a cottage for four persons, and we are off!

In the pouring rain we depart on Friday February 3rd and drive to Bilpin. There we meet Roger and Judy in the Apple Bar. After sharing three yummy pizzas and a few hot chocolates, we continue our way to Peppercorn Cottages near Rylstone/Olinda. The owners of the cottage tell us many scary stories about black and brown snakes, so we spent a lot of the weekend looking at the ground! After we had a look at the lovely cottage and the beautiful views, we drove to the hut where Roger and Judy stayed. We took a walk through the beautiful valley to take some pictures, and had dinner back at the cottage.

Around 11am on Saturday we return to the hut and then drive the two 4WD’s up to Grassy Mountain. The views are becoming more stunning by the minute. Near another bush hut we have a closer look at the mountains and valleys and the water of Dunns Swamp that used to be used for the mining industry nearby. A bit higher and we leave our vehicles to walk to the trig point, together with Fred and Ros who had arrived in the meantime.







On our way back to the 4WDs John, Roger and Judy find many blackberries which we pick for dessert later that night. We drive back to the hut, have lunch and the luxury-guests (us) retire to Peppercorn Cottage to prepare for dinner. Around 7pm we are back at the hut and Roger starts to prepare a delicious meal in his cast iron Dutch ovens, on his stove and open wood fire. We have never seen these ovens in Holland before!



On Sunday we meet up at the cottage and depart in the direction of a track which takes us through the Capertee Valley. With Roger as excellent guide, we continue to the Garden of Stone NP where we weave our way between beautiful spots and have a good look at the canyon. The track is full of potholes, water, rocks, etc. Most of the time the cars cope well, sometimes a 4WD gets stuck and needs help from the others to continue. There were some frightening moments (for us), but all ended well.

After a well deserved lunch Roger takes us via Blackfellows Hand Track to a rock with Aboriginal art. It is an impressive thought that more than 1,000 years ago Aboriginals lived here. We returned to the normal roads near the Zig-Zag train and after looking at another interesting cave beside the Bells Line of Road, we said our goodbyes and went our separate ways.

We look back on a fantastic weekend: excellent company, delicious food, and a stunning landscape to which we look forward to returning to. Thank you for your hospitality!

Ed. Just prior to our farewells, Jacqueline was heard to comment that at a recent significant birthday she had declared that, for her remaining years she planned to “step outside her comfort zone once each year and that in the past two days she had done that, not once but twice”.

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Trip Report - West of the Divide
4th – 5th February 2012

by: Ros Mayer

The weather looked very doubtful leaving home on Saturday morning- heavy clouds and drizzling- but by the time we reached Kurmond the wipers were tucked away. There was little traffic on Bell’s Line of Road and we made good time, admiring the waterfalls off Mt Tomah, the roses in Lithgow Park “blooming lovely”, the milliner’s shop window in Kandos, and so to Olinda where we were camping the night.

The others, Rileys, Jenkins and their visitors from Holland, travelled up on Friday afternoon and were out and about when we arrived at the hut, so we quickly changed into summer clothes (the sun was out & it was quite warm) and joined them up on Grassy Mountain to admire the views over the Wollemi area, then walk up to the trig point. A tricky walk over basalt scree rocks, but well worth the effort.



We came back slowly to the cars with purple fingers and tongues - the blackberries were ripe and sweet! A couple of billys’ full were collected to augment our fruit for dessert.

The afternoon passed lazily yarning at the hut. Firewood was collected and as the evening drew in, camp ovens came out and under Roger’s supervision, our delicious communal meal was cooked and enjoyed.

Sunday, another treat - blue skies, puffy white clouds and a gentle zephyr. We decided to tour through the Capertee Valley, showing off the ‘widest canyon in the world’. The valley was at its best with lush green grass, running streams and full dams.

At Ben Bullen, we turned into the Gardens of Stone National Park. The track through to Baal Bone Gap is in good nick, but a passing Disco 4 driver warned us of a gnarly patch ahead and enquired whether we had diff locks, so when we stopped at the Baal Bone Gap lookout, tyre pressures were adjusted. Good advice!

The track winds through beautiful country - tall forest with ferny undergrowth and pagoda rock formations. Then you come to a very steep section. The first bit was OK, but the next bit was washed away, rocky then a wide trench before a smooth rock step. Hmm! All the traction aids were engaged, the route mapped out and with bouncing, rocking, wheel spin and grunt the Defenders made it up. The Disco, more laden, ran out of traction and just needed a tow to make it up the last large rock step.

All this was keenly watched by two modified 4x4 Mishubishi vans, waiting to descend. Amazingly, two of the people were Dutch! They made very controlled, slow and careful descents. Looked pretty scary with wheels coming off the ground!



So on along the Wolgan Rim Track with a pause at the Rock Lookout for lunch overlooking the Wolgan Valley. Then onto the Blackfellows Hand Track with a brief stop to view the hand stencils under the overhanging rock. Eventually back to Bell’s Line of Road at the Zig Zag, a brief stop at the cave known as ‘T. Sherwoods Cave Hotel’ followed by farewells and home.

A welcome break from home routine, enjoyed in good weather with good company.

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Thanks Jacqueline and Ros