Wollemi Cycle Tour: Day 6

WOLLEMI CYCLE TOUR - DAY 6

Causeway over the brook at Widden Stud

Route: Widden, Sandy Hollow, Muswellbrook.
Distance: 76km (from Widden Stud to Muswellbrook; allow greater distance depending on the location of your campsite in the Widden Valley).

One of the advantages of camping in the Widden Valley is having the opportunity to witness both sunrise and sunset in this beautiful place.


Sunrise in the Widden Valley	Morning mists near Myrtle Creek

From Widden Stud, all the roads on this tour are sealed. It may be a good opportunity to clean your bike at Widden Brook at the Widden Stud causeway.

From Widden, head back to the Bylong Valley Way and follow it all the way to Sandy Hollow. Phipp's Cutting Picnic Area is found four kilometres east of the Widden Road junction, and has toilets, picnic tables and information about the Hunter Valley. After cycling through some tight passes (of which the historic Phipp's Cutting was one), necessitated by bluffs next to the Goulburn River, the river valley begins to open out and the road passes through part of the Hunter Valley wine growing region.


Goulburn River near Phipp's Cutting	Vineyard between Baerami and Sandy Hollow

The small town of Sandy Hollow (41km from Widden Stud) has a pay phone, roadhouse (serving takeaway food and doubling as a post office), caravan park and a pub. Getting there requires cycling 1km along the Golden Highway. Although not a busy highway here, the increased traffic is a marked contrast to that encountered since Capertee.

To get to Muswellbrook, cycle back along the Golden Highway for about 500m and turn left onto Wybong Road. When I did the cycle this was one of the quieter roads in the Hunter Valley, though this may change when the proposed coal mine at Anvil Rock begins operations. A creek causeway, located about 1km along the Wybong Road, was 10cm deep when I did the tour but would be deeper after heavy rain. The road from here to Muswellbrook (some 33km away) is mostly undulating. About 15km from Muswellbrook, road traffic again increases due to mining operations in the area.

Allan T., who cycled part of this tour in 2009, writes: "There is also a new road from about fifteen kilometres outside of Muswellbrook. I think it is called the Bengalla Road. It has a good shoulder and we were told it misses some hills. It sort of runs off Wybong Road. Wybong goes to the left while Bengalla is straight ahead."

From Muswellbrook, catch a CityRail train service to Sydney or Newcastle. Alternatively, extend the tour by connecting it with one of the other routes discussed here.