Lithgow (25.01.15)
Today's trip took us up to Lithgow for a day trip. Only 1 1/2 hours from Sydney and so many tracks and beautiful places to see, excellent spot for 4WDing. Today we explored the Gardens of Stone National Park, Wollemi National Park, Newnes State Forest & Wolgan State Forest. If you stick to the main tracks it can be a fairly easy drive, but get off onto some of the side tracks and you can have some fun and test your vehicle a little more.
After leaving the national park we found some interesting historical places - the Lithgow State Mine Heritage Park & Railway (we will be back to visit this and the museum) and the Lithgow Blast Furnace Park with ruins of the old pump house and foundations of the furnace. It was here that the first iron and steel in Australia were cast. William Sandford established the blast furnace in 1886 and it continued production until 1928, when the entire industry was moved to Port Kembla.
After leaving the national park we found some interesting historical places - the Lithgow State Mine Heritage Park & Railway (we will be back to visit this and the museum) and the Lithgow Blast Furnace Park with ruins of the old pump house and foundations of the furnace. It was here that the first iron and steel in Australia were cast. William Sandford established the blast furnace in 1886 and it continued production until 1928, when the entire industry was moved to Port Kembla.