Spring is a great time to take family road trips, and as the days get longer, and the temperature rises, it’s a perfect time to get out and explore! The great news is, you don’t have to travel for hours on end or spend a lot of money to have a great adventure…. there’s loads of great attractions in the local area to keep the kids (& parents) entertained. Here’s just a few in our local region to consider.
About 17km out of town along Ophir Road you’ll find the Mullion Range State Conservation Area. It’s about a 400m walk up the Central Mines Trail to see the gorgeous The Falls Waterfall.
Further on from The Falls you’ll come to the river crossing where the Summer Hills and Lower Lewis Pond creeks meet. Here you’ll find a camping area with BBQs and toilets, as well as interesting boards that detail the goldmining history of this area. There are short and longer walks to do with lots of old mining holes to check out.
Located in Howick Street, the Museum houses fossil specimens from every major stage of life on Earth (including Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton), as well as a stunning collection of historically significant and irreplaceable mineral specimens from mine sites around the world.
Head out along Glow Worm Tunnel Road at Lithgow until you reach the car park (it’s about 45mins in 2WD). The Glow Worm Tunnel walking track is an easy 1km walk to the tunnel entrance, past an impressive landscape of tall forests, lush tree ferns, narrow gorges and stunning pagoda rock formations.
The 400m-long tunnel was built in the early 1900s as part of the railway for the thriving mining industry at Newnes. It’s now home to thousands of glow worms that cling to the dark, damp walls. Switch off your torch, keep quiet, and wait for the worms to light up the tunnel with pinpricks of blue light.
Check out the World Heritage panoramas between the clifftops on the Scenic Skyway…. descend into the Jamison Valley on the Scenic Railway (the world’s steepest train)…. and then glide past ancient sandstone cliffs as you make your way all the back up to the top via the Scenic Cableway. Such an awesome experience!
Enjoy!
