BMU Wednesdays Ride 12/1/2011 Lake Avon, NSW, Australia

[BMBEN]

Wednesdays Ride
12/1/2011
Lake Avon, NSW, Australia

I had checked the weather forecast for the surrounding areas and they all said the same. Overcast with the chance of a shower.
So with overcast skys, I still went around the road to see if anyone would turn up for a ride.
Myself, Allen R and John McC and we decided to go to Lake Avon with our morning tea stop at Thirlmere.
Its 9.07am and just before we head off, another 2 bikes turned up, Bruce G, his son and a friend as a passenger. So off we go, down the
Great Western Highway and turned off the M4 at Mulgoa Rd. We then continued through Wallacia and The Oaks around
some back roads to have morning tea at Thirlmere.
After morning tea we crossed the railway line and wound our way around to Tahmoor, then along Remembrance Drive and turned off at
Bargo and headed to Lake Avon. The only rain we had for the day was a 3km stretch at Bargo.



We walked over the dam wall then had lunch and a good chin wag. The depth looked about the same as this time last year when we looked. We were the only people there so it was really quiet. After lunch we decided to have afternoon tea at Burragorang Valley Lookout, the upper reaches of Warragamba Dam. We headed back to Bargo, then to Picton, then along Barkers Lodge Road to Oakdale where we turned left and went to the Burragorang Valley Lookout for afternoon tea. With all the rains that we have been having, some of it must be landing in the catchment area because it is looking a lot fuller.



We said our goodbyes and headed for home. Back to The Oaks, turned left and through Silverdale and Mulgoa to Penrith where the group split to go there own ways. A really good pleasant ride was had even though we got wet. I arrived home at 4.00pm and covered 220km.
Regards Franz



Facts about Avon Dam
Avon is the third and the largest of the four upper Nepean Dams. It was completed in 1927 to serve the Sydney area. The 72 metre high Avon Dam holds water from a 140 square kilometre catchment, forming a lake of 1,055 hectares, with a capacity of 214,360 megalitres.
The dams of the Upper Nepean collect water from the catchments of the Cataract, Cordeaux, Avon and Nepean rivers, which are tributaries of the Upper Hawkesbury-Nepean River. These systems supply water to the Macarthur and Illawarra regions, the Wollondilly Shire, and metropolitan Sydney.
Facilities include picnic shelters, electric barbecues, drinking water, toilets, disabled toilets, playground and viewing areas.

Facts about Burragorang Valley Lookout
Exploration of the Burragorang Valley commenced in 1802 and the first bridle track followed to explorers' trail. A zig zag road up the mountain started as a track for horses and bullocks but later made a wagon road although it was very steep. The valley became a popular tourist destination and featured many guesthouses. Completion of Warragamba Dam flooded the valley and residents were moved into the neighbouring towns.
From the Nattai township, follow the road leads to the Burragorang Lookout. From this point, visitors can enjoy the spectacular view of the valley, now Lake Burragorang. Views from the lookouts are spectacular, the silence of the bushland almost deafening.
There are tables and benches - seating up to 24, with a wood barbecue also available. Another seven tables, seating over 60 people, are scattered around a small park, which has a children's playground and another four wood barbecues. There are also clean toilet facilities available.