The Bylong Valley Way

26 October 2009

In early October Peter New and I rode from Mudgee to Rylstone to try out the road.

Leaving Rylstone early the next morning there was some steady climbing for the first twenty km, crossing the Great Divide near Ferntree Gully, before a steep downhill through Growee Gulf. Several hairpin bends meant that the brakes had a solid workout here.

The next thirty km through the tight little Bylong Valley were a real joy as we ran along a quiet road with wonderful natural and rural scenery.

The Bylong Store, at 53 km, was an ideal place to stop and refuel with a coffee and pie. Accommodation is available through the store or it is possible to arrange to camp on the reserve opposite. Just out of Bylong the road crosses the Sandy Hollow to Ulan railway line and rises through the first of two scenic climbs, mostly through National Parks.

The second climb over Cox’s Gap, at about seventy five km, passes the Honeysuckle Creek Picnic Area, which would make a suitable camping stop off the road. The steep descent from the gap was swift but the hairpins here were tighter than Growee Gulf and need to be respected. We were happy to be riding down the hill as it would be a challenging climb, especially for cyclists carrying gear.

Once at the bottom we followed the Goulburn River for the next forty km to Sandy Hollow. While we had experienced some great scenery there had been nothing to prepare us for this spectacular valley. With the benign Goulburn River wandering along beside us it is difficult to imagine that this placid stream carried the mighty flood of water the caused such destruction along the Hunter and inundated Maitland in 1956.

Our constant companion, the sandstone ridges and cliffs, showed us spectacular caves around Kerrabee, while further on the weathered and pock marked rock resembled grotesque imaginary figures. We walked over a dangerous wooden bridge at Widden. A replacement concrete one is under construction.

As the valley opened out sleek cattle, statuesque thoroughbreds and finally vineyards welcomed us into Sandy Hollow. We had ridden 120 km, with a supporting breeze, over good roads with challenging rises and open sections suitable for quick riding. This is a road suitable for a long haul, an out and back from Rylstone or Sandy Hollow or a carry and camp along the way.

Our return to Mudgee began along the Golden Highway where we left the sandstone country. There was some pain after the long ride the previous day, as we struggled over the rolling undulations between Merriwa and Cassilis, where we stayed the night in the lovely little hotel. The highway generally has a good shoulder and is much busier than The Bylong Valley Way.

The final stretch saw us turn towards Mudgee, pass over the upper reaches of The Goulburn River, through the coal mining area around Ulan, back over the Great Dividing Range at Cook’s Gap before a final climb over Frog Rock and a run of 14 km into Mudgee. The wind, which had been so kind to us for the trip, turned to blow into our face over the final 25 km and remind us that it would not always be our ally.

The Bylong Valley Way opens up two pretty valleys to the touring cyclists who are looking for an interesting alternative route to travel.