COBBORA VILLAGE AND COBBORA CONSERVATION AREA.
SUNDAY 31ST JULY 2016
LEADER: Sharon Nott
REPORT: Sharon Nott
MAGES: Joby Mitchell
Sunday the 31st July saw 15 intrepid ‘explorers’ from the club adventure out to Cobbora Village and the Cobbora Conservation area. On a perfect sunny winter’s day people gathered from Mudgee, Gulgong and Dunedoo for a great social outing. It was the first time a bushwalking group had visited the 2261 ha Conservation area which came under the National Parks banner in 2010 when Cobbora Holdings bought up large parcels of land in the area for the proposed Cobbora coal mine. The mine has now been scrapped and one of the benefits is that we now have a great recreational and significant flora and fauna reserve that is available to the public. Located 25 km from Dunedoo the area has significant value as an Iron Bark-Cypress Pine woodland; Box gum Woodlands; Habitat for endangered scrub species Keith’s Ziera and threatened recorded fauna – Malleefowl, Glossy Black Cockatoo, Barking Owl, Specked Warbler, Varied Sittella. There is a small sandstone cave and an intact steam powered sawmill ‘Bengadee’ that was established in 1923 and as the group found, an array of different rock formations ranging from iron stone, sandstone and smooth dinosaur eggs (well that’s what they looked like!).
Team Leader was Sharon Nott and our first stop was out to Cobbora village which had been a substantial settlement in its day as an important staging post junction for mail and traveller’s on the Cobb and Co Coaches running from Mudgee to Mendooran. As we walked amongst the headstones at the cemetery little snippets of history unfolded of a bygone era that we can only imagine. Indeed Cobbora was often referred to as ‘Martin’ Town because of the number of people bearing the ‘Martin’ name. When Mary Martin died in 1913 at 84 yrs. she left 41 grandchildren and 42 great grandchildren. 2 year old Martha Nott was the first interment in 1868 and Mathew Thomas headstone (erected by his employer) sits alone in the NE section of the cemetery-he was killed driving the Cobb and Co coaches. Morning tea was shared and as we chattered we debated the pronunciation of the village-noting that the spelling of the town included a ‘h’ up to 1976.
Our greeting party at the Cobbora CA was an Eastern Snake-necked Turtle that decided to meet us on the road. We had to get NP permission to take our group into the area and so the key to the padlock was our first challenge-good on Wendy having the WD spray in the car!!. We made base camp and the party broke up into ‘the walkers’ and ‘the bikers’. We set off in different directions to take in the scenery and get to the former Bengadee sawmill. The conservation area is well sign posted with fire trail signs and offers a number of loops to cater for all levels of rider and walkers. Travelling through the middle of the day we didn’t see a great array of wildlife but did see kangaroo’s, red necked wallaby’s and we were entertained by plenty of bird songs. Some of the wattles were out and the gums were flowering. With some very established Iron Bark and Box Gum trees I am sure that the possums and gliders were just ‘chilling out’ oblivious to our visit. The sawmill and cottage were quite interesting, we commented on the old stove being encased with timber (no wonder so many old wooden buildings had fires starting in the kitchen); machinery that had come out from England and how goats had made themselves a home on the back veranda.
We all ended up meeting for a late lunch on top of the cave ridge with views across to Dunedoo and Cobbora village which were quite spectacular. Again, plenty of chatter as we discussed what the ‘walkers’ had seen and taken photos of and the epic ‘hills’ the ’bikers’ had conquered!! With quite a few stinging nettle plants around recipes soon came to hand the one with wine one was interesting! And everyone was amazed at the array of different rock formations within the park. When we arrived back at base camp the walkers had travelled 6.1km (according to Annette’s app) and the riders 12km. We had spent a nice introductory 4hrs in the reserve promising to come back. The bus and 3 vehicles made their way back to Dunedoo and afternoon tea was quickly set up in the backyard of Sharon’s.
Another place visited by the Mudgee Bushwalking and Bike Riding Club and another piece of nature able to be shared and appreciated by group members-Monique, Elly, Eunice, Jim, Paula, Eric, Hans, Joby, John, Peter, Annette, Wendy, Andrea and Sharon (self), along with visitor Pat from Dunedoo. Catch you next time on the track and remember, the club is always open to new members with plenty of planned activities to get outdoors.
Map Reference: Cobbora State Conservation Area- Trail Network: Fire Trails 2010.
Note: Thank you Sharon for organising with the National Parks and Wildlife Services for permission and access to this area. – Editor: Joby Mitchell.