Translate

Saturday, December 14, 2013

The Old Great North Road

Wisemans Ferry NSW. Australia

An easy 14 km. walk over part of this historic road. We parked at the picnic area on the village side of the river and took the car ferry, there is room for hikers on the ferry. The first 3 kms. is uphill but nothing too difficult. We took the short option via Finch's Line but there are many options, it is also quite a good route for mountain bikes, some technical bits but also has some good quality bush and fire trails. The MTB route is approximately 27 kms.

The following detail is from the NSW Government Environment & Heritage website, click here to access that webpage.


The Great North Road, surveyed in 1825 and completed in 1836, was constructed using convict labour. Up to 720 convicts - some in chains - worked on the road, which spanned 264 km, connecting Sydney to the settlements of the Hunter Valley. It features spectacular and beautifully preserved examples of stonework, including buttresses, culverts, bridges and twelve metre high retaining walls.
Unfortunately the road was not popular. It was isolated, had no permanent watercourses, and bypassed existing settlements. By 1836, as the few remaining convict gangs were completing the last northern sections of the road, it had been almost entirely abandoned as a route to the Hunter Valley. Coastal steamers became the preferred mode of travel and transportation.
Only 43 km of the road remains undeveloped and relatively intact. Running through and alongside Dharug National Park and Yengo National Park, this section has been named the Old Great North Road. It goes from Wisemans Ferry in the south to Mount Manning (near Bucketty) in the north, and includes the oldest surviving stone bridges in mainland Australia. The road is closed to motor vehicles, but makes a great walk over two or three days - or an exhilarating day's cycle.
Short hiking route via Finches Line

MTB route








No comments:

Post a Comment