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
