The highest and most spectacular section of the Tinderry Range forms the backbone of the Southern Tablelands Nature Reserves, of Cuumbeun, Hickory Hill, Googong Forshores, Burra Creek, Yanununbeyan and Tinderry. To the west of the Tinderrys are the Northern Australian Alps, and to the SE are the national parks of Yanununbeyan and Tallaganda and the Tallaganda State Forests eventually becoming the wilderness regions of Deua, Wadbilliga and Brogo. The explorer Dr John Lhotsky claimed that his journey in 1834 south from the Limestone Plains toward Michelago represented a descent into what he considered barbarism: "No church south of Sutton Forest, no window pane south of the Limestone Plains, no white woman south of Michelago" ... well, not much has changed since then you'll find, when you take on the Tinderrys.
Looking across the ranges to Mount Clear and the Southern Tinderry Range to the Deua, Wadbilliga and Brogo Wilderness Regions near the horizon.
The range, characterised by huge granite monoliths and dominated by Tinderry Peak (1619m) and Tinderry Twin Peak (1560m), rises abruptly from cleared and undulating hills east of Michelago.
From the highest point of Tinderry Peak it drops gradually eastward to remote sections of the Queanbeyan River, which forms the eastern boundary of the Tinderry Nature Reserve.
Tinderry Peak and on the right Tinderry Twin Peak. Mountains, mill and mutton, east of the ranges at Captains Flat and Woolcarra Road.
A gravel road crosses the Tinderrys from Michelago, leading ultimately to the 1950s silver mining settlement of Captains Flat.
... but I chose more obscure routes, on farm roads and locked firetrails and what ever I could find when the trails ran out. The weather was fantastic, I only had one night of rain and one day of rain and there was plenty of water in the creeks and farm dams. Being Wild Dog, feral dog and sheep country, I processed the water thoroughly ... this is Hydatids Country with copious lashings of Liver Fluke.
I left Queanbeyan on the Old Sydney Road, an atrocious old coach road that once headed to the rail head at Bungendore and Taralga ... and beyond. This was my second time on Old Sydney Road and third trip into the Tinderrys. Last time I swore there would not ever be a third time ... but I forgot. Possibly a sign of Oldtimer's Disease.
Sit back and enjoy the trails, South to the Tinderrys and across to Captains Flat. I returned to Queanbeyan on the hard top.
I was soon told Your Gay Really! Am I? ... I notice National Parks have painted out their contact number ... probably too many queries.
It all got a bit better ... but it needed to. The tracks improved and I was now getting over my previous shock of being told. By this time I'd stopped looking back over my shoulder.
On one of the tracks, alongside Valley Creek, I found a rareish type plant, one of the Buckthorns. Possibly the Wooly Pomaderris.
The Chyrsocephalum semipapposum were delightful. Yellow Buttons.
The Queanbeyan River, Valley, Bradleys, Tinderry and Urialla Creeks all had good water. When I was out of the nature reserves, I put 2 lift nets into one of the farm holes overnight to catch some yabbies, and in the morning the nets were ripped in several places, each. Possibly ripped by an Eastern Spiny Crayfish, one of the big crays. I don't think it was by a native water rat because I was using lift nets. I was too tired to stay awake and watch the nets.
The forests were very healthy because of the fantastic rain that the region has had, over the past two years. It was hard seeing through the trees, until up on top of the ridges.
The mornings were glorious. Looking across to the heavily forested (traditional) Brindabella Wilderness.
... and for the Ist time in the past two years of touring (5 tours) I saw a sunset. I saw several sunsets. Have I mentioned that it has been raining a lot over the past two years?
A few more images coming.
Warren.
PS, the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 5th photos are from a previous trip ... http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=1 ... =8470&v=jV
