Bushwalk Australia

I might have been the only person who missed this in the news.
But it apears that someone died on the GNW in the area on Wondabyne under (as they say), suspicious circumstances.

http://www.police.nsw.gov.au/news/media_release_archive?sq_content_src=%2BdXJsPWh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGd3d3LmViaXoucG9saWNlLm5zdy5nb3YuYXUlMkZtZWRpYSUyRjIxMDQxLmh0bWwmYWxsPTE%3D

Any one here who was walking in the area on the 15th of Jan might consider calling crime stoppers if they have any info.

Sad news

Matt

Has Wondabyne cleaned up its act a bit these days? Havent been there in years.
Used to regularly hike along the train lines to the station to exit from walks in the area, and pass the place twice a day on a Sydney commuter.
It used to be a hangout for destitute alcaholics and drug users. Remote, but easy train access to the pub at Hawkesbury or Woy Woy.
Any of the fires in the place would contain burnt tins of baked beans pal and catfood, and be surrounded by still brown paper bagged bottle empties.
It wouldnt be right to say people got stabbed there all the time or that it was particulary dangerous place, but the death wouldnt be the first incident at Wondy.
People have also passed out on, or been addled enough to be on the rails when they shouldnt and been cleaned up.
They took away the sculpure park. Maybe its changed a bit these days.

I have only been on the ground at Wandabyne once on a day walk to Pindar cave about 8 years ago, but used to pass through on the train as a commuter. The ferals had set themselves up semi-permanently in the sculpture garden by the water and at the top of the hill above the station there was an unofficial camping area delineated by empty bottles and cans that the more active ferals had carried up the rather steep climb. Gosford Council had occasional blitzes on the place but I think the feeling was out of sight out of mind. Can't have been much fun for the people living at the quarry house though. There is a similar camp in the caves above Brooklyn I believe.

Wondabyne is relatively clean and healthy these days. Yes, it has been cleaned up.
The caves near Brooklyn get camped in sometimes, but the main cave is a bit damp and people don't stay there very long there.

Cheers

Spoke to the woman who occupies the house near the quarry and asked about the ferals. With the sculptures gone that area is no longer accessible, and the track up to the GNW is quarry land until it enters the national park at the top, which makes them trespassers. The police now remove anyone who camps.

Not sure if the trains only stopping on request is new or not but perhaps they dont let ferals out there either anymore.
In any case ive walked there numourous tims in the past few years and not seen anything. Would have been scary for the residents back in the day though..

Current tenant moved there 4 years ago and death was a year later, and that has had the effect. They can't stop anyone from getting off the train but what has changed is that the police are very responsive to any complaints about illegal camping.