TRAX Trip Report – Jenolan to Wombeyan
26th – 28th July 2024
TL Rob, Evelyn Drummond Landcruiser 76
Eric and Dianne Liney Prado & camper
Ralph Radovan Range Rover
Neil Bootes and Elly Landcruiser 200+
TEC Phillip, Linda Favaloro Nissan Patrol
After many moths waiting for NPWS to reopen Wombeyan for camping and all other activity, the trip was on!
The weather was looking good and the group began arriving at our starting point at Black Springs late Friday afternoon. Rob, Evelyn, Phillip and Linda arrived in time to set up camp and have dinner; Neil and Elly arrived in the dead of night (around 10:00 after everyone else was deep in snooze-land), with Ralph and the Lineys turning up on Saturday morning.
After discussing the intended itinerary, Neil prayed for the weekend and we headed off to our first stop at Kanangra Walls lookout. We would have arrived earlier but the Prado suffered and flat tyre. The short walk to the lookout reveals one of the best panoramas of the Great Divide with views to Picton and Warragamba just over the horizon. After morning tea, we set off for the Morong Creek Track. This easy track ambles through the forest and eventually comes to Morong Creek where we found several tents and cars set up very near the banks of the creek. After recent rains, the creek level was higher than normal.
We all made it through with out any issues, with Eric having let air out of his tyres on purpose this time. The track continues for a few kilometres until it reaches Kowmung River Track where we turned left and started the decent to Kowmung River.
The track down was not a problem with the surface being pretty good but with rocky sections slowing progress a little. The last section is a straight line down to river level where we stopped for lunch.
Following lunch, we made or way across the Kowmung. The river was not as deep as Morong Creek, though the exit was a little trickier being gravelly and traction being on diagonally opposite corners of the cars. The route onwards heads steeply up the hill and down the other until coming to Dingo Dell which interestingly had no one at all camped there. The drive south from here is an easy one, though the track appears to have been formed with many rocks exposed in sections, slowing us down.
After a while this track, Banshee Fire Trail, ends at Mount Werong Road, mostly known as the Oberon-Colong Stock Route, where we turned left. The drive along this road is an easy one. After a while, we arrived at Mount Werong Campground which well inhabited. We hadn’t planned to stop here so moved on further towards Yerranderie. After a few kilometres we turned right onto Range Fire Trail Road which would take us most of the way to Wombeyan.
Range Fire Trail Road is again a fairly easy drive through the forest, with few rough spots along the way. Looking through the trees affords views here and there, towards Yerranderie and Warragamba (though you can’t see into those valleys). We arrived at Wombeyan around 4:30 and went about setting camp. Due to the NPWS allocate campsites these days, we were scattered all over the campground even though it appeared as though there was space available for us all to camp as a group. (see note in next article from NPWS after I left a review!)
We all had our dinners then sat around Neil’s fire and told the usual stories, both long and true! Thanks to Neil for proving the wood – it would have been a very cold night without it.
Next morning we packed up camp and headed off to the visitor’s centre, which is currently nothing more than a kiosk. Maybe it will be more splendiferous in the future. We decided to book a cave tour of Wollondilly Cave at 1:00 and filled the intervening time walking down to the Arch and having lunch.
Getting to the entrance of Wollondilly Cave entails walking up the hill to a ridge and waiting for the guide to then lead us a short distance to a small doorway. There’s approximately 500 stairs encountered on the tour, so a level of fitness is required. The guide was excellent and gave us a great insight into the history of Wombeyan in general and the various aspects of the cave. It always amazes me to hear gasps from the tour group when guides mention the first tours were run using candles, no stair or ladders and ran for several hours. Gee we got it easy!
Our tour ended late with Eric being the last one in the group. Eric wasn’t the reason we were running late, just that the tour was full and everyone was enjoying the experience.
After returning to the cars, we had afternoon tea and debated if we would return to Sydney via Wombeyan Caves Road or Goulburn. Officially the way to Mittagong is closed to all but local traffic, but reports around camp suggested that plenty of people were still using this regular route. In the end, Neil ran the gauntlet, Rob, Phillip and Ralph went via Goulburn and Eric headed north via Oberon. Gladly, everyone made it home safely!
This was an easy, relaxed way to spend a weekend with a great group of TRAX Friends.
Rob Drummond