4WDing near Hill End - Dubbo
Submitted: Thursday, Jun 01, 2006 at 08:43
ThreadID:
34496
Views:
8057
Replies:
6
FollowUps:
3
This Thread has been Archived
chump_boy
Morning All,
Just planning our longweekend, and was wondering about 4WD tracks between
Hill End and Dubbo?
Our plan is to
camp down on the river on the side of the
Bridle track on the Saturday night, then head to Dubbo on the Sunday.
Is there a way through from the
bridle track to Dubbo, or is it best to head back to
Bathurst? I vaguely recall some campsites on the other side of the river, about 5km's south of
Hill End, but it has been a while.
Any input gladly appreciated.
Cheers,
Chump
Reply By: 3.0turbob - Thursday, Jun 01, 2006 at 12:28
Thursday, Jun 01, 2006 at 12:28
Chump,
You may have heard of a book called 4WD Trecks close to
Sydney. It a has a trip similar to what you plan, (I'm at work at the moment and don't know what the actual treck is called, the book's at
home) Good detail, trip notes, and things to see and do. I did the
Bridle Track on Sunday just gone with our club and it was VERY dry, rough and dusty. Plenty of campsites along the river.
Rob
AnswerID:
176121
Follow Up By: chump_boy - Thursday, Jun 01, 2006 at 12:32
Thursday, Jun 01, 2006 at 12:32
Rob,
Yup - got that book, but it hasn't quite got what we want I don't think - I will
check later though.
How high was the water on the causeway? were there many people around? and when you say rough - how rough? I remember when we last did it, we could have taken a sports car.....
Cheers,
Chump
FollowupID:
432151
Follow Up By: 3.0turbob - Thursday, Jun 01, 2006 at 12:47
Thursday, Jun 01, 2006 at 12:47
No water across the causeway, infact very little water in the river around the causeway. No sportscar this time, rocky and corrugated in
places with lots of bulldust around, as I said it is VERY dry
Rob
FollowupID:
432155
Reply By: Member - bushfix - Thursday, Jun 01, 2006 at 13:45
Thursday, Jun 01, 2006 at 13:45
G'day Chump,
you've got three questions I guess
1. 4wding
near Hill End - Dubbo?
2. Track from
Hill End to Dubbo?
3. Camps on Bridle just sth of
Hill End?
Just north of
Hill End is Dixon's Long Point Rd (i think that is right) which takes you through to
Orange via Mullion Creek. Signposted 4wd only but no low range and river should be okay to cross at the moment.
check closer to your trip.
We recently picked our way from Dubbo via
camp at
Ponto Falls (just north of
Wellington) and then along the Twelve Mile Rd just before you cross the
bridge. It is mostly dirt road, no 4wd, and you can come out at
Hill End Rd off Yarrabin Rd.
Yeah heaps of camps along the Bridle and if you want to
camp nearest to
Hill End there are some just over the Turon Crossing.
AnswerID:
176126
Follow Up By: Vince NSW - Thursday, Jun 01, 2006 at 15:49
Thursday, Jun 01, 2006 at 15:49
The only thing I would add to Bushfix is that there is a crossing over the river on the
Bathurst side of
the junction with the Turon. If you cross to the western side of the river, ( I think is called sailors
Bluff) you most likly will have the campsit to your self. River is very low at the moment but it can come up quite fast in a storm.
Vince
FollowupID:
432178
Reply By: Richard W (NSW) - Thursday, Jun 01, 2006 at 17:17
Thursday, Jun 01, 2006 at 17:17
Depends what you wan't. Their are a couple of short knarly tracks off the
Bridle Track. Did Dixons Long Point about two weeks ago and the Macquarie
River crossing was normal height ie. quarter/half wheel. You can then go through Ophir and head for
Orange.
AnswerID:
176160
Reply By: Member - Stephen M (NSW) - Thursday, Jun 01, 2006 at 18:48
Thursday, Jun 01, 2006 at 18:48
Just keep $5 in your pocket cause that's what the
Ranger charged us for camping there at
hill end on the
bridle track down on the river. Told us was towards having the
toilet kept clean for us.LOL hole in the ground with a timber shed around it Regards Steve M
AnswerID:
176177
Reply By: Member - Mike DID - Thursday, Jun 01, 2006 at 21:28
Thursday, Jun 01, 2006 at 21:28
Just on the
Bathurst side of the ford over the Turon River is a
campground that's 2WD. From here you can drive downstream along the Turon River, right to
the junction with the Macquarie River. This is only because the river is so low.
At
Easter there was no flow in the Turon and a little flow in the Macquarie.
Mike
AnswerID:
176216
Reply By: atoyot - Thursday, Jun 01, 2006 at 21:49
Thursday, Jun 01, 2006 at 21:49
If you do decide to go to Dubbo via Long Point, then you don't actually have to go to far in toward
Orange. Once you cross the Maquarie at Long Pt, just follow the track till you go through some gates near a shed and house. At this point, the track starts to look like a dirt road, and not too far along is a turn to the right to Euchareena. Euchareena is on the back road between
Orange and
Wellington, past
Burrendong Dam. If you miss the Euchareen T/O, you could just follow the road back to Mullion Ck, then just turn right to head to
Wellington (and Euchareena is on that road), but the back road to Euchareena from near Long Point is a bit more interesting.
The only other way from
Hill End to Dubbo would be via
Mudgee on the blacktop.
There are heaps of side tracks off the
Bridle Track, mostly short, and there is one particularly interesting spot at the top of the track behind the gold stamper on the left after you cross the Turon crossing. Heading along the
Bridle Track toward
Hill End, about 100m after the Turon crossing, on the left, you'll see a gold stamper 100 or so metres off the track. There are a couple of tracks that go up behind the gold stamper to a spot called
the lost city (local name only). There are a heap of old mines etc, and the
ruins and foundations to some houses. Just need to be careful with kids and dogs not falling down the shafts.
Well worth the visit if you've got time, but also need to be a bit careful on either of the tracks up as they are steep with some side slope as
well. I can send you some waypoints if they'll help.
regards
Andrew
AnswerID:
176224