Things To Do

Fossicking is a popular and rewarding activity in the Oberon district, with a few designated fossicking areas accessible to the public where you do not require a “Fossicking Licence”.

A fossicking license is required in all other State Forest areas. More details can be obtained from Forestry NSW (Bathurst Office 6331 2044). Gold, sapphires, zircons, occasionally diamonds, smoky quartz. Fossicking in other than designated fossicking areas or private property requires permission from the owner.

Blue Mountains National Park is one of New South Wales’ best known parks, and at over 247,000 ha is also one of the biggest.

It is just 50km to the west of Sydney, and is part of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area which protects over a million hectares of land. It offers much to both the keen bush walker and the casual tourist. The edge of the park is relatively developed in areas with information centres, constructed walking tracks and picnic areas. Yet in the interior there is a huge amount of rugged, relatively unexplored country with spectacular gorges and canyons, soaring cliffs and forested ridges.

Opportunities abound for bush walking, mountain biking, canyoning, abseiling, climbing and caving in the park.

Most of Australian famous inland fish species were first described in the area. Most specimens were collected between Lithgow and Orange soon after settlement. Fish such as Murray Cod, Trout Cod, River Blackfish, Silver Perch and Golden Perch all thrived here.

However in the past 200 years heavy fishing, siltation of water ways, mining, introduced pests and the building of dams impacted these species and they have been in steady decline until recent years.

In some waterways native species are starting to gain a foot hold again following remediation work and restocking, however in some other water introduced species dominate.

A spectacular 65-hectare private garden that delivers not only a significant horticultural experience but also a day out that is both magical and unexpected.

Mount Panorama, Motor Racing Circuit Bathurst (also known as Wahluu by the Wiradjuri people, or often simply Bathurst) is a motor racing track located in Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia. It is the home of the Bathurst 12 Hour motor race, held each February, and the Bathurst 1000 motor race, held each October. The track is 6.213 km (4 miles) long, and is technically a street circuit, as the circuit is a public road when no racing events are being run, and there are many residences which can only be accessed from the circuit.

The track is an unusual design by modern standards, with a 174 metre (570 foot) vertical difference between its highest and lowest points, and grades as steep as 1:6.13. From the start-finish line, the track can be viewed in three sections; the short pit straight and then a tight left turn into the long, steep Mountain straight; the tight, narrow section across the top of the mountain itself; and then the long, downhill section of Conrod Straight, with the very fast Chase and the turn back onto Pit Straight to complete the lap.

Fauna

More than 400 different kinds of animals live within the central tablelands area. These include threatened or rare species of conservation significance, such as the tiger quoll, the koala, the yellow-bellied glider and the long-nosed potoroo as well as rare reptiles and amphibians including the green and golden bell frog and the Blue Mountain water skink.

The largest predator of the area is the dingo. These wild dogs hunt for grey kangaroos and other prey.

The greater Blue Mountains region has been identified by BirdLife International as an Important Bird Area (IBA) because it supports a high proportion of the global populations of the range-restricted Rockwarbler as well as populations of Flame Robins, Diamond Firetails and Pilotbirds. The endangered Regent Honeyeater is seen there regularly. It is also a migration bottleneck for Yellow-faced Honeyeaters.

Vegetation

The area has been described as a natural laboratory for studying the evolution of the eucalypts. The largest area of high diversity of eucalypts on the continent is located in south-east Australia. The Greater Blue Mountains Area includes much of this eucalypt diversity.

As well as supporting such a significant proportion of the world’s eucalypt species, the area provides examples of the range of structural adaptations of the eucalypts to Australian environments. These vary from tall forests at the margins or rainforest in the deep valleys, through open forests and woodlands, to shrublands of stunted mallees on the exposed tablelands.