Section A  Back

This is the only public access point to Oxley Wild Rivers National Park in the 110 km plus stretch from Budds Mare to Dangars Falls.

This first section is pretty flat. It’s quite easy to ride a mountain bike up the easement to allow faster access to the Tabletop Crossroad, and along the fairly well maintained 4WD roads that take you via Apsley Trail to Steep Drop Falls (Section B) , or via Tabletop Trail (Sections C,E,F,G) to the start of a number of tracks into the Cocks Comb, Tabletop Mountain, and down into Blue Mountain Creek and the Macleay River (Sections H- X).

From the Karori Ramp, you can see the easement stretching up the hill, and Baynes Mountain about 3.5 km on your right front (SE). At nearly 1300 m, it is the highest point in the Winterbourne area. The trig station on top once gave great views, but the advent of GPS navigation had lead to the trees all growing back- hence, no views.

You pass through a stand of pines at RC (Rowleys Creek 1:25000 map) AG66 900.830. Radiata Pine (Pinus radiata) were widely planted in the 1920s throughout the New England, but these are much younger.

Crest just beyond the pine trees.

Just after the crest, you dip down into the double branch at the head of Port Macquarie Creek, where you might have to get off the bike, or get your feet wet if there’s been a lot of rain. This stream runs into Hole Creek , which joins Blue Mountain Creek about 25 km north of here.

Be sure to close the gate! Sheep farmers bordering the gorges have to maintain the dingo fence. As a dingo has been known to kill 20 plus sheep in a night. Quiet walkers will sometimes see them along the tracks in the park and often hear them howling  after dusk in the gorges.