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| A wind swept plain in the upper Hunter Valley |
Route: Muswellbrook, Gundy, Timor, Timor Caves.
Distance: 83km (if starting from Muswellbrook).
The first question one should address is whether to start from Scone, Aberdeen or Muswellbrook. All three towns lie on the Hunter Railway Line and are accessible from Sydney by CityRail. Muswellbrook is the largest of the three towns, has a bicycle shop and more frequent rail services to Sydney but is further from the day's destination. Starting at Aberdeen would be ideal if one intends to do a side trip to (or even camp by) Lake Glenbawn. According to one local, the Aberdeen pie shop makes the best pies in the Hunter region. Scone, the horse capital of Australia, places the cyclist nearest to Timor Caves (this evening's camp site) and starting here would allow more time to explore the caves. Scone also has a bicycle shop.
From Muswellbrook, take the Kayuga Road on the western side of the river. This quiet back road avoids the New England Highway, which has a good shoulder but takes heavy traffic. From this road, the "lie of the land" can be surveyed before one is engulfed by the foothills of the ranges.
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| Countryside on the Kayuga Road, near Muswellbrook |
This road eventually meets up with the New England Highway. Turn left onto the highway and then leave the highway after 1km, turning right onto Segenhoe Road. Follow the signs to Gundy. One may wish to take the detour down Allan Bridge Road to Lake Glenbawn (which has camping facilities), adding another 8km to the day's cycle.
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| Horse country near Lake Glenbawn |
The road to Gundy passes through lovely countryside, and at one point follows a small gorge forged by the Pages River. Gundy itself is a small village with a very basic general store and hotel (counter lunches 12-2pm). It is about 40km from Muswellbrook and an ideal place to stop for lunch. There is a picnic table and toilets near the general store.
After Gundy, the foothills of the Barrington Tops dominate the scenery to the east.
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| Foothills of the Barrington Tops |
Four kilometres from Gundy, turn left onto the Timor Road. From here it is about 45km to Timor Caves, mostly along a gravel surface, following the Isis River. The surface is reasonable but one must proceed with caution when riding down hills. The locality of Timor has a church, community centre, tennis courts and toilets about 28km from Gundy (or about 5km south of the main intersection at Timor). When I passed through, the tank water at the community centre was very brown.
From the community centre, continue cycling up the Isis River Valley for another 14km and then turn right onto the Ellerstone Road. The camp ground at Timor Caves is about 2.5km along this road; look out for the signpost on the left-hand side after one of the creek crossings. This is private property and permission to camp here should be obtained from the owner (call Mrs Elsie Rea on (02) 6546 6089). When I camped, there was running water in the creek adjacent campsite (though not further downstream). However, cyclists should not expect running water all year round. If conditions are dry, then water should be obtained from the Isis River prior to heading up the Ellerstone Road. There are no facilities at the site.
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| Campsite at Timor Caves |
Timor Caves are a series of underground limestone caves, many of which can be accessed from the hill on the western side of the campground. Simply find a hole in the hillside (some are marked with ribbons or paint on adjacent rocks and trees) and go exploring. Make sure you bring a good headlamp, sturdy shoes and common sense.
© 2008 Robert Taggart. Last updated 13 November 2008.