Local horsewoman and shearer on the main road at Numeralla (Photo: Charlie Bellemore)
Onto the urban pleasures of Braidwood via Captains Flat
The ride to Captains Flat was a serious hill climbing day. The first 5 kilometres from Numeralla is 910 metres climb to Peak View. I stopped at the Peak Hill Rural Fire Service Station and paid my respects to the American pilots killed in the plane crash during the terrible bushfires of 2019-2020.
The road to tiny Jerangle was unsealed and parts of it were quite sandy so the going was slower than expected. I had an enjoyable lunch under a tree outside a small primary school. Entering Captains Flat is quite steep and the scars of the place being a mining town can be seen everywhere. There is a lot of work being conducted to rehabilitate the landscape over the next few years.
I stayed at the Captains Flat Hotel, a wonderful 1930s styled building with heaps of character. I was lucky I rode to here on Saturday as the Bowling Club was open for meals and drinks on this night only. The hotel was actually closed as it was being used as a backdrop for an upcoming movie to be released next year. Thanks to publican Greg Durr and colleague Beau for showing me around the place.
Braidwood was the next stop. Climbing steeply out of Captains Flat and attacked by a resident magpie, I turned left along Harolds Cross passing Tallangandra National Park. It was a magnificent, forested road where I spotted a wombat! I turned off this road and headed towards Bendoura which led onto the Cooma Road heading towards the Shoalhaven River.
Arriving in Braidwood felt like being in a large urban area after days of rural idyll. Booking into the Royal Hotel, I walked into a film set for the ABC’s Backroads Program. Heather Ewart was interviewing the publican and a few locals about life in Braidwood. Make sure you spend time wandering through the shops along the main street in Braidwood especially the Kerosene Lamp Shop and the Toy Model car shop. There are lots of good cafes and eateries here.
The journey’s end at Berry
The first 20km climbing out of Braidwood to Nerriga are beautiful with rolling hills sheep and big skies on a sealed road. The rest of the 35km trip was on unsealed road which is used by trucks as well so caution is needed with your cycling.
When you come into Nerriga the extent of the bushfires and how close they got to this place was quite scary. The Nerriga Hotel where I stayed was the last place of refuge for the townspeople during the 2019-2020 bushfires. It’s worth spending a moment reading the information board and relics from the bushfires outside the hotel. The accommodation was comfortable and the meal provided by the owners a lasagne was one of the best meals I enjoyed on the trip.
Although the 68km trip down to Nowra seemed easy, there were a few tight hill climbs before the descent. I had a stop at Tianjara, a beautiful waterfall in the Moreton National Park. Caution was needed as trucks flew past on the potholed final descent to the Fleet Arm Museum at Albatross Naval base. Nowra has loads of accommodation, restaurants and cafes. Greys Beach is worth a look.
I took the road to Bomaderry and then passed the huge Manildra factory along the excellent shared path that follows the Shoalhaven River out towards the head of the Shoalhaven River. After a visit to the Botanic Gardens, I finished my trip with a ride along the Coolangatta Road to Berry.
The old Butter Factory in Berry is now a boutique confectionery shop and ice cream café. The ice cream was wonderful!
Berry was a great place to finish up because you can roll your e-bike on to the train back to Sydney.
So ended my cycle trip of well over 1000kms and I would recommend you take the time and visit the many wonderful small towns in the Snowy Mountains region.
Before you head off on a big bike adventure….
Would you like to know more about Charlie’s trip? Head here for maps, a day-by-day itinerary, additional photos and a lot of really helpful advice.
For inspiration for other parts of Australia, check out the Bicycle NSW Rides Compendium.
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