Bushwalking in the Southern Highlands

Bargo (including Pheasants Nest)
Unassuming township on the edge of Sydney's south-western commuter belt.
Located 84 km south-west of Sydney via the South-Western Freeway, Bargo has a population of 3227 and is situated 370 m above sea-level.

The first European sighting of the koala and lyrebird are said to have occurred in the area in 1798. John Price, a servant of Governor Hunter, recorded the two in his diary while a member of an exploratory party investigating the land south-west of Parramatta. The trek's objective was to accumulate data about the southlands to discourage convicts from escaping south in the belief that China was only 150 miles away.

Price described the lyrebird as a pheasant, hence the name of the nearby village of Pheasants Nest, and he noted that the koala was known as Cullawine by the local Aborigines. There is a cairn describing these events on the Hume Highway, near the railway station.

Over the next decade the district was visited by John Warby and a botanical collector for Joseph Banks named George Caley. In a letter to Banks (25 September 1807) Caley said that his Aboriginal guide, Mowattin, had told him of a large 'tract of forest land called Barago'. Governor Macquarie's diary entry of 1815 refers to the district south of Stonequarry Creek as 'Great Barago'. The area of the current townsite was known as 'West Barago'. The word may mean 'place of cliffs' or 'thick scrub. Certainly, at one time, bushrangers found the environment suitable for concealment which led to frequent complaints from settlers.

The Hume brothers, probably in the company of their uncle John Kennedy, investigated the area in 1814. With pasturage around the Sydney area becoming scarce John Oxley and his stockmen drove cattle into the area the following year. Charles Throsby also visited the area several times between 1817 and 1819, usually in the company of Hamilton Hume and Joseph Wild.

Things to see:  

Kissing a wombat at Wirrimbirra Sanctuary

Wirrimbirra Sanctuary
A portion of the old Bargo environment has been preserved at Wirrimbirra Sanctuary, a 90-ha flora and fauna reserve and research sanctuary managed on behalf of the National Trust at 3105 Remembrance Drive, 3 km north of Bargo on the way to Tahmoor, contact (02) 4684 1112. Consisting of open forest, with heath and swamp areas, there is a major creek system running through the reserve. There are excellent bushwalking trails, a native plant nursery and a wildlife enclosure. The sanctuary is open seven days and has cabin accommodation. It is also becoming a venue for family events, workshops and weddings. Wirrimbirra hosts festivals, such as the Wattle Day Festival in September and Brush with the Bush in April, and there are special attractions in the school holidays.

Dingo at the Dingo Sanctuary

Dingo Sanctuary
The Dingo Sanctuary, at 590 Arina Rd, tel: (02) 4684 1156, provides a rare opportunity to observe 44 dingoes in a natural bush setting. They are open Thursday to Mondays from 10.00 a.m. - 3.30 p.m. or by arrangement. Personal guided tours are available and there are picnic and barbecue facilities.

Avon and Nepean Dams
Two of the four Upper Nepean dams are located in the vicinity: Avon Dam and Nepean Dam, both on Avon Dam Rd, contact (02) 4640 1200. Avon was the third to be completed (1927) and is the largest. The dam wall has been classified by the National Trust as a site of architectural importance. The Nepean was completed in 1935. Both are open seven days a week from 10.00 a.m. - 5.00 p.m. with extensions to 7.00 p.m. on weekends and public holidays and during daylight savings. Both have toilets, water, picnic and barbecue facilities in bush surroundings with shady trees and attractive gardens.

Canoeing is possible on the Bargo River with easy access from the Bargo River Bridge Reserve off Remembrance Drive. The Bargo Colonial Fair is held annually.

	Tourist Information
	Tourism Southern Highlands 62-70 Main St Mittagong Bargo NSW 2574 Telephone: (02) 4871 2888, 1300 657 559 Facsimile: (02) 4871 3515
	Caravan Parks
	Avon Caravan Village Park Avon Dam Rd Bargo NSW 2574 Telephone: (02) 4684 1026 Facsimile: (02) 4684 1197 Rating: ***
	Wirrimbirra Sanctuary 3105 Remembrance Dve Bargo NSW 2574 Telephone: (02) 4684 1112 Facsimile: (02) 4684 3120
	Restaurants
	Golden Palace Chinese Restaurant 76 Railside Ave Bargo NSW 2574 Telephone: (02) 4684 1300
	Cafés
	White Waratah Cafe, Wirrimbirra Sanctuary 3105 Remembrance Dve Bargo NSW 2574 Telephone: (02) 4684 1112 Facsimile: (02) 4684 3120