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Section D   click on thumbnail to see larger photo. Back

  

Get permission from Owner- (Armidale Outdoors has contact number)

 

D TTOPHIDEAW 0392117/6588023 ESE to Tabletop Retreat Road Junct. TTOPXHIDEA 0395447/6586908 4.50 km

100 minutes


 

1: 25000 Map

Projection

(AGD 66)

 Waypoint Name Zone Eastings Northings

HASL

(metres)
Winterbourne UTM TTOPHIDEAW 56J 0392117 6588023 915
Winterbourne UTM TTOPXHIDEA 56J 0395447 6586908 1035


Follow the directions to Tabletop Hideaway- 4WD Road for last 5 km

Armidale -20km-Uralla - left onto the Walcha road- 17.5km (AG66 602.928) left -11.5km (AG66 690.888)- right onto Hazeldene Road- 10km-(AG66 766.864) keep to right on Hazeldene Road- 4km - (AG66 806. 865) keep to right-3km- (AG66 831.856)- turn right onto Winterbourne Road- 2km- (AG66 825.837) -left onto Tabletop Road- 2km- (AG66 845.837) -keep left on Tabletop Road-8km- "Tabletop" - total distance from Armidale 78 km (about 1 hr 15 minutes)- then 5 km by fairly rough 4WD road to Tabletop Hideaway.


The Tabletop Hideaway is in an idyllic setting completely surrounded by Oxley Wild Rivers National Park. The house is solar-powered, well equipped, and is well worth a few nights’ stay.

Starting fresh from Tabletop Hideaway, knowing you are camping in the same place that night, and carrying light packs, it is an easy return walk to the Cockscomb.

Just entering the timber, from the open area around the Hideaway at AG66 925.880 on the Winterbourne 1:25000 map- you can see Tabletop Creek in the background. The gate to Oxley Wild Rivers National Park, at AG66 925.879. The road continues on…
…. through dry eucalypt forest/woodland. Dominant eucalypt in the walk is New England Blackbutt (Eucalyptus campanulata) - fine stringy/peppermint bark on trunk, smooth bark on x 6 cm branches. Juvenile leaves alternate, stalked, ovate, 10-12 X 3-9 cm, pendulous, greyish-green; adult leaves lanceolate, tapering to a sharp point , vein angle about 35 degrees. Fruit are lightly-constructed, in clusters of 7-10 or more , each on a 5 mm long stalk. The valves are enclosed.
There’s a number of of open glades along the walk, probably dating from areas cleared by early cattlemen. This one is at AG66 940.875, where we once saw two bright golden dingoes watching us pass. The vegetation is dominated by Blue Gums, including one striking example with new leaves growing from an epicormic bud, where there had been some damage- probably fire. Altogether it showed 4 identifying characters of the species - the short stocking of rough bark for the first metre or so of trunk, the beautiful smooth blotched -grey-blue straight trunk, and the penniveined leaves with much paler undersurfaces.
The trolley carried about 20 litres of water plus other bulky material for the walking group. Worked pretty well on the 4WD road, though we all suggested a number of changes to the harness. Especially the need for brakes on the downhill sections.  At the junction of the track from Tabletop Hideaway and Tabletop Trail – waypoint ( AG66 954.869 TTOPXHIDEA )