Wondabyne

Had a great hike on the weekend heading out from Wondabyne Station to Woy Woy (and then down to Ettalong beach for a swim).  I was quite excited to get a glimpse of the Wondabyne Quarry...  particularly as we've just been working with the sandstone on the Les Darcy grave restoration in Maitland.

With no access to the Wondabyne Quarry...  this is as close as you can get...

It turns out that the station at Wondabyne is awesome:  tiny and on the water– one carriage long only and you have to be in the last car and warn the guard in advance that you want the train to stop...  but you can hardly see the quarry at all.  The old Quarry manager's house (or what seems to be such...  as it is inside the fence) is great and then you can see some cranes and derricks and catch glimpses of the quarry faces.  It was one of those times when you're very happy to have a camera with a good zoom...  'cause even though I couldn't see much in real life...  the photos show things up quite wonderfully.

There is, however, a public wharf that you can sit on and cool your toes in the river...  and then a great hike up the hill and, some management trail sections aside, lots of interesting spots along a solidly good trek bringing you slowly around and then up Mount Wondabyne...  with a waterfall along the way

just watch out for the strange biting grubs in the water...

Here's to Wondabyne Sandstone!

a sneak peak at our carving for the Les Darcy gravesite restoration