Ever wondered what Sydney was like 200 years ago? When the buildings were convict built and engineers hadn’t spanned mighty rivers with great iron bridges, so to get to the other side you had to wait for a punt or ferry. Spend a day driving the back roads to Wisemans Ferry and St Albans and you’ll soon get a good idea.
This area north-west of Sydney, between one to two hours drive depending which way you go, seems to have escaped the developers plans and the suburban sprawl. It’s an historic area, full of beautiful sandstone buildings, ancient (by Australian standards) pubs and sleepy villages. The landscape is rugged, with towering sandstone ridges backing on to dense national park bushland and there’s always a wide expanse of river somewhere close by. Life here moves to a 19th century beat.
It’s a popular place to come on a sunny Saturday or Sunday, where most people while away a large slice of the afternoon over lunch at one of the two historic pubs: Wisemans Ferry Inn or the Settlers Arms at nearby St Albans. Both pubs are restored grand sandstone structures and offer good, simple pub fare. There’s often some lazy live music in the courtyard, always lots of kids playing out the front and a guaranteed lively crowd. For those with more upmarket tastes try the restaurant at The Retreat across the road from the Inn.
If you would rather bring your own, pick up a copy of the Hawkesbury Farm Trail map (available from visitor centres) before you go. There are lots of farms in the area, many offering farm gate sales, so bring an empty picnic basket, stock up on the way and head for a shady spot beside the river for an alfresco lunch. Dharug National Park also has some good bushwalks and picnic spots.
Long lunches aside, take some time to wander around the historic buildings. Keen history buffs should check out the historic cemeteries, where you’ll find a good portion of colonial history reflected in the gravestone inscriptions. For a taste of river life there are lots of houseboats available for hire or you could take a two-hour cruise with Wisemans Ferry Cruises.
There are two ways you can get here. The scenic, but longer way is to head north out of Sydney on the F3 Freeway (the old Pacific Highway is more scenic but much slower, and a favourite for weekend motorcyclists) and head for Peats Ridge before joining The Wisemans Ferry Road at Central Mangrove. 10 minutes off the freeway you’re deep in Central Coast farmland. From Central Mangrove to Wisemans Ferry is only 56km, but it seems much longer - 200 years longer! The road winds its way through orchards and farms and then descends in a series of twists and turns to Mangrove Creek. From here on in you follow the water to Spencer, where you meet up with the Hawkesbury, which you trace to Wisemans Ferry. To reach the village you must catch the ferry – it’s free and it runs all day.
The other more direct route is to head north of out of Sydney through the north-western suburbs via Dural on the Old Northern Road, but travelling this route means you miss out on the river as tour guide.
From Wisemans Ferry it is only 20km or so to the National Trust hamlet of St Albans. Half the drive is on dirt, but it is in good condition and the drive through the Macdonald River Valley is worth it.
There are some good 4WD opportunities around St Albans, where the road becomes rougher and is quite narrow in places. It passes through some beautiful river flat country beside Mogo Creek, where it's not a bad idea to keep any eye out for stock. 25 km north of St Albans is a camping area at Mogo Creek.
The road then twists and turns as it climbs up the rugged edge of the Hawkesbury plateau to join up with the sealed Central Mangrove-Wollemi Road at Bucketty. Stop at the intersection and have a look at a section of the old convict built Great North Road, on the left.
Alternatively, you can take a left turn just before Fernaces (about 15 km north of St Albans) and follow the Boree and Yengo tracks to join up with the Putty Road, at Howes Valley in the lower Hunter. This is a much longer drive through seriously wild, remote country, but you end up right at the entrance to the Hunter Valley vineyards. You might just have to stay for the night. Oh well…
If you plan on exploring the farm trail keep in mind that there is so much to see and do - the map lists 34 places - and even though the travelling time between Windsor and St Albans is given as just over an hour, you'd need almost a day to see everything just in this part of the trail. So plan to stay for several days, or make several day-trips, remembering Saturday is one day most places will be open, to really see what this astonishingly rich area has to offer. And whatever you do - don't forget to bring your shopping bag!
Dharug National Park is the place to linger if you really want to get out there amongst all that bush for a while. Try the 1.6 km Grass Tree Circuit or stroll a section of the convict-built Great North Road. Picnic at Mill Creek or Hazel Dell (both have tank water). Discovery walks, talks and tours are available year round. The park is also good for mountain biking (bikes must be walked up Devines Hill); phone the Gosford National Parks office for details on (02) 4320 4200.
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