Sydney & Surrounds – First taste of the Watagans

So I kicked off episode 1 of my “Sydney & Surrounds” series on a Friday afternoon: I’d packed my swag, but wasn’t sure where I’d go … enter ‘word of mouth tip-off’ to the rescue! I was promised good dirt tracks within 100km of Sydney so I went for it.

Leaving Sydney at 4pm meant an obligatory stay in traffic; one which followed me (wait for it) for 140km. 3hours later (gotta love Sydney!) and in 35 degrees heat, I finally took a turn-off … enter the I’m-glad-this-is-over smile that all riders know … when you shake off civilisation and find yourself cruising down an empty country road.

An empty country road leading to Watagans National Park. And my smile got wider when I hit the dirt road … the tip-off proved to be a good one as the tracks were in very good condition, winding through lush native rainforest.

I crashed for the night alongside Gap Creek at the day area, instead of the camping ground. Being the rebel that I am I ignored the no camping sign (rebel!) simply because I couldn’t resist unrolling my swag on to a fine, sheltered picnic table.

The night’s impromptu wildlife entertainment included: great big flashing bugs flying around (aptly called fireflies), a possum stamping on my feet just as I was about to fall asleep, and on the flipside, a nice gentle wake-up call courtesy of a wild turkey. Yep, ‘straya!

Unfortunately, the next day I had to head back home in the morning  so I didn’t get the chance to explore the rest of Watagans. But I’ll definitely be back to check out what else is out there …