Pindar Cave
Pindar Cave is a geological formation which appears as a massive concave of overhanging sandstone rock. It is located west of Woy Woy[1] which is north of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia in Brisbane Water National Park.
Although its name implies a cave, the whole formation is actually an overhang. It is large enough for sixty walkers to camp overnight under its shelter away from wet weather. Although most visitors speak very well of their visits to Pindar, it is the worse for wear from a great many visits. It was a beautiful pristine site in the nineteen sixties.
Location
Pindar is situated in the midst of a plateau peninsula of heath and moderate dry sclerophyll forest. The south end of the peninsula ends at the Hawkesbury River. Pindar is northwest of the north shore of the Hawkesbury River Railway Bridge north of Brooklyn. To the east of the peninsula is Mullet Creek and to the west is Mooney Mooney Creek. Both Mullet and Mooney Creeks are large drowned valleys formed at the end of the last ice ages when the waters of the world's oceans rose substantially.
Access
Rail
From Sydney there is only one practical access, which is by the Central Coast & Newcastle Line Intercity train that travels from Central Station to Newcastle, stopping at Wondabyne, which is north east from Pindar. There are no roads at Wondabyne, the backdrop escarpment is too precipitous.
Walk
The walk is about 13 km long and it takes three to four hours. The track starts from the south end of the rail platform on the escarpment side, which is at sea level. Just after the rail platform the foot track climbs to the plateau at about 100 metres altitude. From the escarpment edge one proceeds along the fully formed very eroded fire trail for 1,020 metres to the turnoff to the left to Pindar Cave. The actual turnoff is a large area of exposed flat rock. The fire trail from the escarpment continues on to Mount Kariong and then eventually on to the Gosford suburb of Kariong. From the flat rock area, one then proceeds along an old pleasant non eroded vehicle track, which heads north west. It proceeds for 440 metres and then comes to a sudden ending in a small turning circle. This turning circle is due west of the flat rock turnoff. One can find the foot track to the left where the terrain slopes downward. The track varies in form a lot. An area where the track winds around steep hillside, a stretch of rocky plateau with beautiful views, a section of steep crumbly eroding incline turning into a stretch of moderate dense forest. Nearing Pindar Cave one travels through high brush in a swampy area wet or dry according to the season.
See also
References
External links
- Track notes, maps and photos of bush walk
- Bushwalkers Wilderness Rescue Squad
Coordinates: 33°29′35″S 151°13′22″E / 33.49316°S 151.22291°E