Hunter Valley - route suggestions

Chris Kemmett said:

My wife and I are hoping to get away for a few days to the Hunter Valley
area. I'm wondering if anyone has any suggestions for ways to tour parts
of the area by bike.

How many days?
How many kms per day?
Acommodation?
Interests?
How are you getting there?

Basic mid-upper HV tour is train to Maitland then do a loop,

Usually Sw towards Kurri-Kurri or Cessnock Wollombi, Broke, ???? west of
Muswellbrook and further north until you swing over to the other side
of the New England highway and make your way back SE. Option of
including Paterson, Dungog, Clarencetown, even over to Port Stephens, etc.

Otherwise, peeps choose a base town and do day trips out every road.
Probably the only way to do it if you want accommodation each night.

In article <[email hidden]>,

Chris Kemmett said:

My wife and I are hoping to get away for a few days to the Hunter Valley
area. I'm wondering if anyone has any suggestions for ways to tour parts
of the area by bike.
TIA,
ck

If you google 'cycling hunter valley' you will get a number of websites
that can provide some information. I have always been a bit wary of
cycling along the same roads as wine-tasters. Also, going to/from
Sydney, the F3 to Newcastle is hard yakka but the alternatives of Putty
Road or Northern Road are dangerous too (IMHO).

Are you taking your own bikes or hiring bikes in the Hunter Valley? That
could make a big difference.

The other thing is that the Hunter Valley now seems to include Newcastle
so consider things to do in that area also.

Two websites to start with.
The first one is not Hunter Valley but if you also consider the Central
Coast it is a good website:
<http://www.gosford.nsw.gov.au/cyclingguide/>

This is more the standard fare:
<http://www.huntertourism.com.au/cycle/>

enjoy yourselves,
Darryl

Darryl C said:

If you google 'cycling hunter valley' you will get a number of websites
that can provide some information. I have always been a bit wary of
cycling along the same roads as wine-tasters.

Numberswise, you are probably okay because there are lots of backroads
around many of the winery areas. But it is some of the more boring
countryside.

Quoted message said:

Also, going to/from
Sydney, the F3 to Newcastle is hard yakka but the alternatives of Putty
Road or Northern Road are dangerous too (IMHO).

Going up the F3 is gfar better than the old road west of the Lake. The
F3 has a wide almost lane width shoulder, whereas the old road has many
sections of no shoulder and 6" drop off.

The Northern Road is only dangerous to Wiseman's Ferry. You could take
the long alternative along the Hawkesbury from Windsor to Wisemans; if
you have the time.

In article
<[email hidden]>
,

Terryc said:

Going up the F3 is gfar better than the old road west of the Lake. The
F3 has a wide almost lane width shoulder, whereas the old road has many
sections of no shoulder and 6" drop off.

Terry,

I should have expanded my response but I am basically lazy.

I agree the F3 is not too bad on the shoulders, except for the [censored] that
migrates its way to the left of the road.
Once you turn off the F3 and head towards Cessnock the road is narrow
and populated with wannabe racing-car drivers in old commodes. Scary
stuff.

I hope the OP was not considering this weekend for a pedalling holiday.
It has been p**ssing down all night in Sydney. How are things in the
backblocks?

cheers,
Darryl

Darryl C said:

Once you turn off the F3 and head towards Cessnock the road is narrow
and populated with wannabe racing-car drivers in old commodes. Scary
stuff.

Yes, that bit past the Oaks, etc is rather chronic, but if you take the
first left over the hill, it is nice way into Cessnock which the
[censored] avoid.

I am hoping the OPs come back with more details. The HV is such a large
place and has many bicycle touring possibilities.

Quoted message said:

I hope the OP was not considering this weekend for a pedalling holiday.
It has been p**ssing down all night in Sydney. How are things in the
backblocks?

lol, http://www.canc.org.au/northern_ride is basically doing the North
Coast to Canberra in August. All I can think of is the cold, wet, windy
and miserable weather that is usually around that time.

No longer in the back blocks,but outer urban areas, sadly where we can
see sunlight atm.

Quoted message said:

cheers,
Darryl

Darryl C said:

I hope the OP was not considering this weekend for a pedalling holiday.
It has been p**ssing down all night in Sydney. How are things in the
backblocks?

Just been talking to my Mum in Maitland. It's a disaster area. A lot
of areas have been flooded, and more is expected to be under water by
tomorrow. Power will be off for a week in some areas. A container ship
has been grounded on Nobby's Beach.

Photos and news on http://www.abc.net.au/newcastle/

--
John
09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0

Thanks for all the information everyone.

As a few of you have already pointed out, getting north from Sydney can
be best left to more experienced riders. We're not up for the whole
journey. After a bit more looking around on the web and our local
tourist info office, we'll probably base in the Pokolbin or Cessnock
areas, and spin out from there. I hope the terrain is cycle friendly.

Darryl, thanks for the pointers, the best site for me was
http://www.huntertourism.com.au, which also contains links to several
sources of maps (though the tourist info offices don't seem to know
about them).

After the rain and difficulties that the area has experienced over this
weekend, we'll be checking by phone before we travel; sounds like the
people in the area have had a very trying time.

All the best!

Chris Kemmett said:

Thanks for all the information everyone.

As a few of you have already pointed out, getting north from Sydney can
be best left to more experienced riders.

Naah, its easy really. Just takes time.

We're not up for the whole

Quoted message said:

journey. After a bit more looking around on the web and our local
tourist info office, we'll probably base in the Pokolbin or Cessnock
areas, and spin out from there. I hope the terrain is cycle friendly.

Basically flat, few undulations. Lots of opportunities if you don't mind
a bit of gravel. If you can read a topo maps, they would be best.

When the flood subsides, Maitland or Morpeth to Dungog via Paterson is a
good two dayer. Come back via Alison, Clarence Town and Seaham. Or throw in
Dungog to Chichester Dam for a 3 dayer.

Maitland to Singleton via Rosebrook and Elderslie on north side of Hunter is
scenic, not much traffic.

Maitland to Pokolbin via Old Maitland Rd, Majors Rd and Lovedale Rd is
fairly quiet. Cessnock to Paxton and Ellalong is a nice cruise, stay at one
of the old pubs.

Muswellbrook to Denman via Wybong is good, get in before the Anvil coal mine
stuffs it.

fb

"Chris Kemmett" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

My wife and I are hoping to get away for a few days to the Hunter Valley
area. I'm wondering if anyone has any suggestions for ways to tour parts
of the area by bike.
TIA,
ck

Fractal said:

Maitland to Singleton via Rosebrook and Elderslie on north side of Hunter is
scenic, not much traffic.

"In the bottom row of the images on this page
http://www.abc.net.au/newcastle/stories/s1946209.htm

Third from the right is a picture of damage to the Lamb's Valley Road.

Do you know where this is?
Up the valley?
On on that route along northern side?

Its a few years since we've been up there and we're havng trouble
placing it.

Chris Kemmett said:

Darryl, thanks for the pointers, the best site for me was
http://www.huntertourism.com.au, which also contains links to several
sources of maps (though the tourist info offices don't seem to know
about them).

Newcastle Cycleways Movement <http://users.hunterlink.net.au/~magsb/>
may be able to help you with ride suggestions. From the website, it
appears that they host a variety of rides in different parts of the
Hunter.

--
John
You can pick your friends, and you can pick your nose, but you can't
wipe your friends off on the saddle. - Kinky Friedman

Lambs Valley runs north off the Rosebrook to Elderslie Rd, about 25 km NW
from Maitland or due north of Lochinvar. A scenic valley with some big
"lifestyle" spreads and right up the end they are flogging off acreage a
long way from anywhere up an extremely steep hill. I think it is a dead end.
Eaglereach Mountain resort is up there somewhere, which you can see from the
Paterson to East Gresford Rd on top of a high ridge. That would be some
ride I reckon. Gresford is a nice town too and Torryburn nearby is a
beautiful country valley.

fb

"Terryc" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Fractal said:

Maitland to Singleton via Rosebrook and Elderslie on north side of Hunter
is scenic, not much traffic.

"In the bottom row of the images on this page
http://www.abc.net.au/newcastle/stories/s1946209.htm

Third from the right is a picture of damage to the Lamb's Valley Road.

Do you know where this is?
Up the valley?
On on that route along northern side?

Its a few years since we've been up there and we're havng trouble placing
it.

Fractal said:

Lambs Valley runs north off the Rosebrook to Elderslie Rd, about 25 km NW
from Maitland or due north of Lochinvar. A scenic valley with some big
"lifestyle" spreads and right up the end they are flogging off acreage a
long way from anywhere up an extremely steep hill.

Well, that certainly cleared the stomach. When we did rides into
there,it was a few farms with friendly farmers.

Quoted message said:

I think it is a dead end.

Yep.

Terryc said:

Fractal said:

Maitland to Singleton via Rosebrook and Elderslie on north side
of Hunter is scenic, not much traffic.

"In the bottom row of the images on this page
http://www.abc.net.au/newcastle/stories/s1946209.htm

Third from the right is a picture of damage to the Lamb's Valley
Road.

Do you know where this is?
Up the valley?
On on that route along northern side?

Its a few years since we've been up there and we're havng
trouble placing it.

www.bikely.com has some routes

Dan Say said:

www.bikely.com has some routes

Err, clarification. I know where Lamb's Valley is and how to get there
having taken about a dozen rides into it, pased it or near it in the pasr.

What I was wondering was if anyone knew if the bridge shown as
undermined was in the valley or on the way to it.

More to do with "is it a viable ride (to Singleton) one day/weekend"?

no probs.