Next in the flash bikepacking weekender series, a ride that requires a drive from Canberra. Or a drive or train ride from Sydney…
I chose to drive up to Moss Vale on Friday night, stay in the pub, and then ride the weekend before returning to Canberra on Sunday afternoon. There is plenty of back street parking in Moss Vale, so it would also be possible to drive up Saturday, park and cycle! However you get there, this route has to be one of the best gravel weekenders in NSW.
Day 1: Moss Vale to Taralga via Wombeyan Caves
Starting from Moss Vale, the route I chose headed out via Berrima and then Greenhills Road to connect with Wombeyan Caves Road. If so inclined you can refuel with caffeine in Berrima, and it also seemed that these roads were well cycled – I passed or was passed by quite a few roadies on this initial route including the sealed sections of Wombeyan Caves Road. I suspect that many of these cyclists were based in the Mittagong / Bowral area – and these towns would also be good alternative starting points for the ride.
After passing through farmland, Wombeyan Caves Road makes a mildly downhill and short sojourn through Nattai National Park, including the iconic Bullio sandstone tunnel. This part of the road remains sealed, as does the following farmland around Bullio.
The gravel properly starts after Bullio as you start to descend to the river crossing. In some of the steeper parts of the descent the road has been sealed, but this is a lovely and scenic cycle. At the bottom it seems to be caravan and camping central, with lots of people taking in the views and riverside chill-out. Very nice. This makes for a great place to break before climbing back out and towards Wombeyan Caves.
After the river crossing, the road also becomes rougher and track-like in parts – it is clear that this road is less-travelled but is not traffic free. You can see early on where the road seems to “summit” – around 500m of elevation up – you just need to grind it out! The climb, followed by descent into the caves reserve, is really scenic – just make sure you keep your eye on the pot holes and rutting as you go.
At the time CyclingGravel travelled this route, the Wombeyan Caves reserve was closed – including the toilets and picnic areas. These would normally make a good stop before the final climb out through Mares Forest and on towards Taralga. Some of the road initially was in poor condition and quite narrow, but once at the top the road is broad and smooth. Very nice gravel.
The final 10km of the route involves what could be considered a “main road”, namely Taralga Road. There was a bit of traffic, but the road provided lots of visibility and plenty of ability for vehicles to give a bicycle a wide-berth. Some of the farmland views are pretty epic, and if you are wanting a sugar hit on getting to town the General Store is a good place to stop before heading to the pub.
Day 2: Taralga to Moss Vale via Swallow Tail Pass
After a night of strong winds it was not a complete surprise to find a tree down on Bannaby Road – the quiet backroad out of Taralga that starts the journey back to Moss Vale. I was a little sheepish when lifting the bike over and a couple of four wheel drives came along – only to have to turn around and head back the way they came whilst I continued on. Needless to say, I wasn’t passed by any traffic the rest of the trip to the locality of Bannaby.
Turning into Brayton Road, there is plenty of warning that the road might be challenging. Overall, the 7km descent and then climb out of the Tarlo River is what I would classify as fire trail quality – the sort of terrain that if you were doing a whole lot of track consistently like this you would prefer a mountain bike. Having said that, the trail was dry and it was perfectly fine for a gravel bike – just be careful on the descent and ready for some steep pinches on the climb where lower gear ratios are handy.
It is also worth planning in advance if there has been recent rain as the Tarlo River crossing is a ford and may not be passable on foot/bike. You have to be adventurous to cycle across as the start and end of the crossing are not concreted – and particularly on the southern side the crossing drops off and gets a little deep. Nothing that can’t be walked normally, but worth checking out in advance so you don’t have to back track to Taralga and then head to Goulburn (yep – a very long detour).
Once at the top of the climb from the river, Brayton Road passes through a number of farm properties. This actually occurs a few times on the route – “public road through private property”. No shooting or pig dogs, so make sure you leave those at home! There is some great scenery as the road takes an undulated southerly roll towards Marulan. Around the locality of Big Hill (yes, it is a hill, but not that big), the road becomes sealed but fear not: the gravel returns on Canyonleigh Road.
There isn’t much at Canyonleigh, but the eponymous road is definitely something to check out. I’ve cycled this route twice now (also when travelling Nowra – Goulburn) and it makes for a great alternative to the Highland Way if travelling north from Marulan (see Day 1 of this route for comparison). Whilst it is a little annoying to have to open a few gates, this is pretty much the only downside.
After passing through Canyonleigh the road is sealed, and also seems to pick up a little traffic. The final part of the route comprises the Illawarra Highway. CyclingGravel is never much of a fan of highway cycling, but for or a two lane highway this is actually not bad: the first stretch through to Sutton Forest has an excellent verge, and from there the speed limit is 80km/h or less. Be cautious, but I would be happy to cycle this 12km stretch again.
Tips, recommendations and things I’d change
Other than the weather, this trip was just about perfect as a gravel weekender – pretty empty roads, lovely gravel, and a great pub stay in the middle. In summer I would definitely plan for the ability to take a swim mid-ride at the two major river crossings.
The Taralga Hotel is an above average pub stay. $80 for a night including a decent continental breakfast was good value for a weekend, and the bar and dinner offered more variety than most. Rooms and facilities have had a relatively recent refresh, and as a cyclist I was made to feel welcome: including invite to either store my bike in the room or in the corridor.
If you are staying the night in Moss Vale, I can highly recommend both the food and the beer at the Southern Highlands Brewing taphouse. The tasting paddles are extremely generous, and based upon a couple a visits now there seems a good mix of regular brews plus rotating seasonals. Lovely.
Update: November 2024. The Southern Highlands Brewing Taphouse has closed. A real shame. The Argyle Hotel is just not as fun.
CyclingGravel 