Oberon

It was a beautiful scenic drive from Yass to Oberon, via Goulburn, Taralga and crossing the Abercrombie River. The sky was blue, the fields green, the river the colour of tea. As I approached Oberon, the highest town in the Blue Mountains at 1113 metres elevation, the swishing sound of the pine forest and its sharp scent spoke of familiarity. My brother has lived here for years and I worked at nearby Jenolan Caves for a bit, so have spent much time riding, bushwalking, camping and yabbying in this beautiful area.

After sitting in the car for a few hours, a ride around the town was in order, especially since it was a glorious sunny Spring afternoon. The rhododendrons and azaleas were in full bloom; the vibrant colours so picturesque.

I rode along the Oberon Cycleway, which conveniently ends about 5kms out of town at the first gate to my brother's bush block, located at Hazelgrove, right alongside the old railway station. This site will soon be restored by the Oberon Tarana Heritage Railway group (OTHR), who are preserving the 24.3km long track and its associated stations to one day operate as a heritage tourist railway. The train line runs behind my brother's 50 acre block, past an old eucalypt oil distilling plant and onto Tarana. The railway line first operated in 1923 and the last train completed the journey in 1979. It has one of the steepest gradients of any track in New South Wales and is a very scenic railway as it descends from the Oberon Plateau through wooded hills and farming country to the beautiful Tarana Valley, crossing two creeks and the Fish River. The bush has taken over any infrastructure left, but OTHR is determined and on track to achieve their objectives: they already have two locomotives and other rolling stock in the Oberon yard ready to go when the line restoration is complete. Something to look out for!

 

It's another couple of kms on a rough and steeply undulating dirt road to my brother's actual property, but this is what I love about the mountain bike: it can go anywhere. There were a few trees and limbs down from the huge snowstorm the week before, so the chainsaw will be kept busy in the coming days and months.

Back over on the other side of town is the Lions lookout, presenting glimpses of the surrounding countryside, Oberon dam (the town's water supply: currently at 67% capacity), and a smattering of houses.

A tour of the Oberon Primary School, where my brother is the handy man extraordinaire; a tour of my nephew's engineering workshop, where he is in the final stages of completing his apprenticeship; and a meal at the local pub rounded out my Oberon visit this time. Thanks for a fun visit, and for turning the weather on. I didn't need my thermals; we didn't even light the fire!

Next stop, the Bathurst High School - Class of 1984 - reunion.