Wirraba Range - A Question?

[kanangra]

For years I've wondered whether the track along Wirraba Range goes? I've seen where it commences on Putty Ck where there are a couple of old bridges and also where it crosses Wollemi Ck. I have also seen a track branching off the Army Rd to the east near Gospers Mt. My question is do these two tracks join to form one continuous trail along the Wirraba and Wollemi Ranges? If they did it would certainly make navigation simpler on trips across Wollemi NP from Putty to Dunns Swamp. A continuous track is shown on both Gospers Mt and Wirraba 1:25,000 sheets first edition but no track is shown extending much beyond Wollemi Ck on the current edition. If there is a track the aerial photos on Google Earth and Six Maps would suggest that it is heavily overgrown but perhaps it can still be followed on the ground? I appreciate I should just go out there and find out myself but I've wondered for years and have never quite found the time. Does anyone here know?

K

[michael_p]

I was looking at this some years back as the area interests me as well.

I found some old reports on the web of trips (4wd and walking) from the Putty Rd side through to the Army Rd via Wirraba. From my (poor) memory the Putty side crossed private property and was closed off a long time ago.

If you decide to go for a wander please let us know what you find.

Michael.

P.S. The Gospers Mountain property was for sale a while back. Seems to have dropped off the real estate listings now. $400k was the asking price. I wonder if it got sold. Wish I had 400k..........dream on.

[ribuck]

P.S. The Gospers Mountain property was for sale a while back.

Do post here if you notice any other interesting property for sale in bushwalking areas...

[kanangra]

Thanks for that reply. A track is marked right through on the Wollemi NP Tourist Map 1st Ed. 1:150,000 scale.

As to interesting properties, Bindook was on the market recently as was Old Buck on Murruin Ck.

K.

[kanangra]

I've done a bit more research and it turns out that my old maps were right there was a track through there which was pretty popular with 4WD'ers in the '70's and 80's. It was so rough even then that it used to take them 2 to 3 days to do it depending on how many problems they had. The track has been closed since the 90's. So it would have grown back a fir bit now. I really must get in there and check it out.

K.

[rcaffin]

Hi Kanagra

I think that is the old Army Road, put in by the Army during WW II as a 'secret route'. Yes, it was 'popular', but it was also known as one of the hardest in the world. It wrecked many 4WDs. There is 'The Wall' part way along it: a very steep rock face. It has deep cable grooves at the top where the Army winched dozers up. And yes, the whole track would be a bit overgrown today, but I think it should still be walkable. You should carry water as there is very little on the ridge.

It is an interesting walk, IF you can get to the ends. Most the eastern access is through PP, and the owners do not grant access. One can understand why. At the western side you are again meeting PP. I used to know the farmer there, many years ago. Is he still alive? I do not know.

An overgrown 4WD track - OK, but you should see the country on either side. Or maybe not. Please, be very cautious.

Cheers
Roger

[kjbeath]

I think this is from the Eastern end.

[michael_p]

I think this is from the Eastern end.

Looks like the spot (starting at 35 seconds) in this video:

[north-north-west]

So much easier to just walk it.

[kjbeath]

So much easier to just walk it.

Especially if you just walked down Wollemi Creek rather than following this track. Having looked at the map we came in through Holland Park. This was twenty years ago so has quite probably changed hands, but it was owned by a guy in Sydney who used it as a weekender and was quite agreeable to people driving in, parking on his property and walking. I think by that stage 4WD weren't as popular, maybe the NPWS closed the road. The consequence of this type of 4WDing is the occasional wrecked 4WD left in the bush, something they don't like.

[simonsurf]

I did this track around 7 years ago and it's a hard slog. It was very overgrown in places and would be way more overgrown by now.
We came in via Dunn's Swamp and did Army rd, which is graded and maintained to firetrail standard, out to the old airfield. This was the easy part!
The Wirraba trail has been closed since the whole area was declared wilderness in the 90s and hasn't seen too much foot traffic since. There are a lot of steep, rocky climbs/descents and no water available at all along the ridge. The only reliable water is a spring at Gospers which is a couple of K's detour. For the most part the track is well defined and easy to follow - apart from the aforementioned overgrowth in some sections.
We saw a lot of evidence of wild cattle and actually had a run in with a massive bull at an old dam (dry) on Mt Wirraba.
We came out through Holland Park and I used to have a phone number for access but have since lost it - that was a few phones ago. From memory the number was on a sign on their gate at the Putty rd. I'm sure there are more options for access as the 4WD clubs used to enter through High Wollemi which is just up the road.

[kanangra]

Thank you very much for that report. It does sound interesting. I've been along the Army Rd to Gospers Mt but that is all. Can you recall how long the trip took you right through from Dunns Swamp to Holland Park?

K.