We did this trip in mid to late September.  It could be done at any time of year but winter and summer temperature extremes make it not pleasant, and the autumn colours would not be as vibrant as spring.

Be aware of potential accommodation shortages in Bathurst for the car races, Cowra in late September for the cherry blossom festival, Young in late September and Temora for the flying days at the Aviation Museum.  It may be worthwhile pre-booking should you strike these events when in the towns.

There were a number of special attractions for me on this trip.  We visited the Temora Aviation Museum with its collection of flying warbirds.  They have flying days about one weekend a month.  The details are on their website.  It is a number of years since I visited the Western Plains Zoo at Dubbo, but we changed some of our plans of visiting there due to weather.  And, the general area between Wellington and Cessnock holds a special attraction with its rolling hills and farming lands.

The trip was mainly on bitumen roads with a couple of days gravel riding.

We saw a number of dead and alive snakes on the road on this trip (probably about a dozen or so, and mainly big browns), and at one stage were warned to watch out for them.  This was partly due to it being their mating season, but large numbers were apparently around due to the mouse plague that made their food supply plentiful.

The start and finish point of this ride lend themselves to extending the trip to the north, or if reversed, to the south.

Climate

The following climate statistics are for the weather station at Bathurst.  For more information on this location, including wind roses, go to "Climate Statistics for Australian Locations" on the Links page.  You can also obtain similar details from other locations enroute from that site.

Itinerary
Towns listed below that have distances marked ( ) are those where food/drink is expected/known and those marked [ ] are points of interest

It is possible to catch a train to Lithgow, arriving early or mid afternoon.  Check timetables from Sydney at CityRail website (included under Links on this site).

All types of accommodation are available, but we stayed at Lithgow Tourist & Van Park - 58 Cooerwull Rd - 1km W of Information Centre, just off the Great Western Highway and about 5kms from railway station.  It had a sheltered kitchen with table, chairs, communal refrigerator, microwave and bbq.

This day was spent travelling along the Great Western Highway.  After the turn off to Mudgee, we rode up an avenue of a wide variety of wattles.  They were nearly all out in bloom and the varied yellows of that vista was spectacular.  Generally the road was OK, but there were some sections where it became narrow, but this was usually compensated for by 2 lanes for the cars in the same direction.  The one exception for that was for a few kilometres after the roadhouse at 33kms where there was absolutely no shoulder, nor anywhere to go to get out of trouble.  It was a bit unnerving, but I was fortunate not to have any traffic going my way for this section of road.  We travelled on a Monday, so if it was done of a weekend, it may not be as much of a problem.

Kelso is a suburb of Bathurst with supermarkets, pubs, motels and Easts Bathurst Holiday Park - Sydney Rd - 5km E of Bathurst PO - which has a minimum booking for Easter and October race weekends.  It had a sheltered kitchen with table, chairs, communal refrigerator, microwave and stove.

The main towns along the route are Bathurst and Blayney.  Perthville had a general store, but after the steep walk up the hill to Newbridge, we were disappointed to find all of its shops had been closed for some time.  We stopped at Blayney and got all of our supplies for the day and to carry us through to Cowra.

There is a lovely camp at Carcoar Dam that overlooks the dam and has a view of about a dozen wind turbines operating to the east of the dam.  We were not charged any fee, and there were some well kept toilets, and a cold shower, which none of us tried.

About 1km from the campsite, take the left turn at a gravel cross road.  After a couple of kilometres, it joins the Mid Western Highway.  Of the towns mentioned above, the biggest is Mandurama, and the others seem to be the usual small village with limited supplies.  There is a roadside stop at about 20kms, just after Lyndhurst where we met up and had a rest stop.

Cowra is a large rural centre.  The Japanese War Memorial Garden is worth the ride up the hill, and if you are interested in trains, there is also an active railway museum in the town to while away an hour or two.  There are regular steam train excursions from Cowra, but only on weekends.  The local tourist information centre is a short walk over the river from the caravan park.

We stayed at Cowravan Park, Lachlan St - 1km west of the PO and beside the river.  It had a sheltered kitchen with TV, table, chairs, communal refrigerator, microwave and stove.  This was probably the best kept park and the best facilities that we encountered on the whole of this trip.  I have camped there a number of times and it has always been good.

Only one of our group did the ride to Grenfell and he spoke highly of the town.  We chose to ride direct to Young and meet him there.  Had our plans permitted, we too would have been better to go through Grenfell rather than along the road to Young. 

Grenfell is a large regional centre with supermarkets and all types of accommodation.  Our touring partner spoke of the rustic old buildings giving the town a real character.  Camping is available at Grenfell Caravan Park - 10 Grafton St - 2km W of PO.

Young is a large regional city with supermarkets and all types of accommodation. 

We camped at Young Tourist Park - Zouch St - 650m N of PO.  It had an under cover kitchen with communal fridge, stove/bbq, microwave and tables and chairs.  As this is the only camp in town it can be quite busy and prices accordingly.  It may be worthwhile booking beforehand.

Temora is a large regional centre with supermarkets and all types of accommodation.   The Aviation Museum is north on the way out of town and has a small camping area adjacent, so it would be best to buy supplies on the way through the town if intending to camp there.  The Aviation Museum is open from 10am to 4pm daily.  We visited the Tourist Information Centre and obtained a discounted joint ticket for the Aviation Museum and the Rural Museum.  The Rural Museum is a couple of doors from the Temora Caravan Park and is open from 2pm until 5pm daily.  It has an extensive display including a relocated timber slab sided home of Don Bradman.

We camped at Temora Caravan Park - 19 Junee Rd.  It is only a small camping ground where the caretaker comes around and collects the rent late of an afternoon.  He told us of their pay for 2 nights and get the third one free policy.  At the time that we were there it had an under cover bbq, but they were in the process of gradually adding improvements.  Booking any type of accommodation is essential when the Aviation Museum has a flying day.

Barmedman is a small town that is going the way of other country towns that have been severely effected by the drought.  Most of its shops appear to have closed down simultaneously leaving only a general store, a couple of pubs (whose futures may be uncertain) and a roadhouse that were still operational.  West Wyalong is a regional centre with supermarkets and all types of accommodation. 

 We camped at West Wyalong Caravan Park - 60 Main St - 500m E of PO, with its under cover kitchen and dining area containing a couple of stoves, communal refrigerator and table and chairs.

We found this to be a tough day and the beginning of 3 days riding along the busy Newell Highway.  There was very little relief brought about by terrain changes, so it was a slog all of the way, which on our day was made harder by a headwind.  The Newell Highway is the main freight road between Melbourne and Far North Queensland, so it is heavily populated with semi trailers and B doubles - most of whom were courteous to us.  The road itself had a shoulder which varied in width but was generally about 700mm wide.  Of the 3 days that we spent on the highway, we found that this section was the second best for road condition and traffic, and we rode it on a Wednesday.  It seems that the days of the week may have a profound effect on traffic volumes in this area.  Thursday was quite heavy, whereas Friday was the quietest of the 3 days that we were on this road.

There is no food and drink commercially available until Forbes, so carry plenty of water.  Just before the locality of Marsden, at about 36kms, there is a roadside rest area with toilets and tables and chairs. 

Forbes is a large regional centre with supermarkets and all types of accommodation.  We camped at Country Club Caravan Park - Sam St - 1km N of PO.  In addition to the Pet's Bathroom, it had a covered bbq with tables and chairs, TV, communal refrigerator and microwave.  We found it best to shop for supplies on the way through the town before setting up camp.  Good pub meals were within easy walking distance.

At last, some little hills to break the cadence and give some respite along the way!  This section of the road seemed to be consistently the narrowest on this highway, and traffic seemed to be busier than both the previous and following days.  Having said that, there were no memorable problems with other traffic along the way. 

Parkes is a large regional centre with supermarkets and all types of accommodation.  It had a large very busy shopping centre where we stopped to toilet and refuel, but it could be bypassed if you chose not to ride through it. 

Peak Hill is a small town with a supermarket and all types of accommodation.  The supermarket had very limited supplies, so, if you require anything but the basics, I'd suggest stocking up at Parkes. 

We camped at Peak Hill Caravan Park - 2 Ween St - 300m N of PO, where the owner really lifted the bar in hospitality.  Late in the afternoon he came around to all of the campers with jam and cream on scones.  I've never had that happen before, and his conviviality made everyone feel welcome.  The camp had a basic covered kitchen with bbq and table and chairs, while a communal fridge/freezer was available in the laundry.

Before leaving Peak Hill, obtain a copy of a map showing the streets of Dubbo.  It will be quite useful in avoiding the busy traffic sections. 

This section of the Newell Highway was the best for our 3 days.  It seemed to have a wider shoulder than that of the last 2 days, and being a Friday, the heavy freight was significantly less than Wednesday and Thursday.

Tomingley is a small town with pubs, motels and a roadhouse. 

Dubbo is a large city with all accommodation and supplies.  At the turn from the Newell Highway to the Zoo, use the map mentioned above and take the off road cycleway into the city to avoid the traffic and a few hills.  It is best to buy supplies before setting up camp. 

It seemed that accommodation is at a premium during school holidays, so booking may be prudent.  There are a number of caravan parks in the city, but we camped at Midstate Motor Park - 21 Bourke St - 1km N of PO.  It had a bbq and tables and chairs under shelter.  We walked about 1km to the local bowling club for an all-you-can-eat buffet, which was reasonably priced and had quite a good range of food and plenty of it.

The general store in Wangarbon is about 1km off the main road, while Geurie has a number of small shops. 

Wellington is a regional town with most facilities.  It is best to ride the couple of kilometres into town to replenish supplies before setting up camp.  We camped at Wellington Riverside Caravan Park - 1 Federal St - 2km N of PO.  It had an under cover kitchen with a gas ring, bbq and tables and chairs.

We found this to be another tough day with strong headwinds and lots of climbs.  The heat of the day meant that we consumed quite a bit of water, which we had carried from Wellington, as there were no supplies along the route.

Gulgong is an historic town with all types of food and accommodation.  We camped at Gulgong Henry Lawson Caravan Park - Mayne St - 1.5km W of PO.  Its camp kitchen consisted of an old gutted caravan with a stove and communal fridge.  In addition to the tables and chairs inside the caravan, there were some under cover outside along with some bbq's.

The road via Wollar to Bylong was in the process of being upgraded.  The opening of a large new mine in the section between Ulan and Wollar will probably see this section increasingly improved in the near future.

Ulan only has a pub, while there is a general store at Wollar which seemed to have a good range of supplies.

Bylong consists of Bylong General Store (a takeaway/store/fuel stop), a showground and community hall opposite the store, and scattered homesteads on properties.  The store has a wide range of supplies and is open every day.  We put a donation into the tin at the store for the use of the good shower and toilet facilities at the showground opposite.  There were tables and chairs under cover.  Here we were warned about the number of snakes around, but we did not see any where we were, but there were a few large dead  browns on the road into Bylong.

Again, the gravel road is being upgraded, so check recent motoring maps for its extent.  Be prepared for a steep climb to the top of the range at Cox's Gap at about 20kms.  It is followed by an equally steep descent into the Goulburn River valley. 

Baerami has a community hall with toilets that were open when we rode through.

Sandy Hollow is the only food and drink source before Denman and is 1-2kms from the turn on the Golden Highway.  It is a small village with a pub, store/fuel stop, coffee shop/restaurant and Sandy Hollow Tourist Park - adjacent to PO.

The road shoulder on the Golden Highway between Sandy Hollow and Denman was generally narrow to non-existent.  Traffic was a moderate to high volume with high speeds.  Generally I was OK, but there were a couple of morons along the way.  My touring companions chose to ride over Kings Gap on Yarrawa Rd, rather than along the Golden Highway.  There was a bridge closed to vehicle traffic, but it was OK for bikes or pedestrians.  It was also about 5kms shorter than my trip, but it did have a short steep height gain of about 200m.  I think that I would travel this alternate route next time.

Denman is a town of an increasing size that has all facilities - including a coal rail line that is in use 24 hours a day, with level crossings that seem to require the toot of a locomotive horn for each crossing.  We stayed at Denman Van Village, 10 Macauley St - 700m S of PO.  It had open air tables and chairs and bbq.

Jerrys Plain is the first village along the way.  I can recommend the Old Post Office Cafe for friendly service and good food.  At Warkworth, take the turn along Wallaby Scrub Rd to Broke.  If you wish to break the journey at Broke, there is a popular free camp beside the river that has toilets.  Broke has a general store that serves takeaways, etc.  At about 88kms, the goat track that the Cessnock Council uses as an access to the lower Hunter vineyards begins.  It is badly repaired, narrow and often has high volumes of traffic travelling at variable speeds.  Alcohol will also be thrown into the mix along the way.  At about 93kms, Broke Rd meets McDonalds Rd.  There we turned right and took the hilly route through the vineyards to Cessnock.  By continuing left and then right along Broke Rd to the main road into Cessnock, most of the vineyard traffic and narrow hilly roads are avoided, with the distance being about the same for both routes to the camp site.

We stayed at Valley Vineyard Tourist Park, Mt View Rd - 2km W of PO.  The park had a good under cover kitchen with communal fridge, microwave, stove and tables and chairs.  It also had an excellent onsite Thai restaurant.  Other supplies were a kilometre or so down the road.

The route through the old coalfields villages is generally on a good road.  However, near Cliftleigh, at about 24kms, the road shoulder disappears for several kilometres on the main arterial road between Kurri Kurri and Maitland, so expect fast traffic and impatient drivers in this vicinity.  At 30kms, there is a busy dangerous roundabout near the Maitland railway station.  Take the footpath across the narrow Tarro railway overbridge at 45kms. 

Check timetables at CityRail website (included under Links on this site) as well as for any airline flights from the city.