Bridge View Inn

Rylstone
Interesting old stone village just three hours north west of Sydney
Rylstone is an old stone village of about 1200 people on the Cudgegong River. It is located 237 km north-west of Sydney, 47 km south-east of Mudgee, 93 km north of Lithgow and 590 m above sea-level. Wool, sheep, cattle, coalmining, wine, olives, tourism and cement production are the mainstays of the local economy.

The area was occupied by the Wiradjuri people prior to white settlement. A townsite was surveyed in 1842 at what had been a camping spot for stockmen. St James Anglican Church was founded in 1850. Notorious bushranger Captain Thunderbolt was once held at the lock-up overnight in 1861 while being transported to Bathurst to stand trial for horse theft.

The Rystone-Kandos Street Machine Meeting is held in January and the Rylstone-Kandos Show is held in February. Camping and fishing spots can be found on the Cudgegong, Capertee and Turon Rivers.

Things to see:  

Tourist Information
Visitor Information is available from the Shire Council Chambers during the week. Other information is available from a number of retail outlets around town.The district offers a number of attractions for the visitor besides sport, bush walking and scenic vehicle trips.

St Malachy's Roman Catholic Church

Heritage Buildings
The town has many fine old stone buildings, especially in Louee St. A Heritage Trail pamphlet is available from the information centre and from the box outside the courthouse.

A few buildings of note are the Bridge View Inn, the Globe Hotel, the post office, the police station, the courthouse and the shire hall. The old town granary was built in the early 1840s and Henry Lawson's father helped to build the fine timber railway station (1884).

Art-and-Craft and Gift Shops
No. 47 Pottery Workshop (at 47 Louee St) has an eclectic contemporary collection of objet d'art. It is open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 9.30 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. and weekends from 10.00 p.m. to 3.30 p.m., tel: (02) 6379 1345. The Rummage Shop (also in Louee St) has a collection of old memorabilia. It is open Friday to Sunday. Bizzy Birds (at the corner of Louee and Cudgegong Sts), sells local rustic furniture and pottery. It is open Friday to Monday, 10.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. tel: (02) 6379 1189. The Rylstone-Kandos Art & Craft Co-Op is located in the town's railway station, tel: (02) 6379 1379.

Tindale Park Reserve
Tindale Park Reserve, on the river's banks, makes for a pleasant picnic, barbecue and swimming spot. Platypus can sometimes be seen in the waters here and in the river below the showground. It can be found at the end of Cox St.

Dunns Swamp
Dunns Swamp is located within Wollemi National Park. It was formed by the trapped water of Kandos Weir, established in the 1920s when the Cudgegong River was dammed to provide water for the Kandos cement works. It is an ideal spot for bushwalking, camping, canoeing, swimming, li-loing, birdwatching, fishing and picnicking. To get there head due east and then turn left on to the Narrango Rd. En route you will see, to the immediate east, Mt Coricudgy (1255 m above sea-level).After about 25 km turn left into Dunns Swamp Access Rd which leads to a picnic and camping area.

From this point there is a short wheelchair-friendly walking track which leads to an Aboriginal site that features hand stencils which may be as much as 7000 years old. Numerous other less distinct walking tracks surround the lagoon (as outlined on a National Parks and Wildlife Service brochure relating to the swamp).

The flora and fauna is plentiful, including platypuses and kangaroos, and the incredible formations known locally as 'pagodas' which provide excellent views of the park.

Sites cannot be booked. There are barbecues with wood supplied. There are composting toilets but no showers or drinking water (if you are using dam water boil it first). For further information ring the National Parks office at Mudgee, tel: (02) 6372 7199.

Wollemi National Park
Wollemi National Park is the second-largest national park in New South Wales, covering 487 500 hectares. It is the home of the Wollemi Pine. This 'living fossil', first discovered in 1994, is the closest surviving relative of species which date back 150 million years.

As the park is situated on a soft sandstone base, erosion has created substantial valleys and precipitous escarpments. The terrain is rugged and there are few access points or trails, so access can be problematic but, for those willing to make the effort, this remote wilderness offers substantial rewards. The variety of land formations gives rise to a range of flora types, including swamp, heath, woodland and patches of rainforest. The fauna includes wombats, kangaroos, wallabies, wallaroos, koalas and rare species such as the glossy black cockatoo and the broad-headed snake.

The park offers abseiling, canyoning or treking to numerous mountain peaks. Limited access is available to 4WD vehicles. For more information ring (02) 6372 7199.

Windamere Dam
Windamere Dam, on the Cudgegong River, is located about 19 km south-west of Rylstone. It was completed in 1984 to meet irrigation, stock and domestic demands. The main drawcard for recreation seekers is the fishing, though sailing and waterskiing are also popular.

Cudgegong Waters Park, located just off the Mudgee Rd at the southern end of the dam, has cabins, campsites, barbecue areas, on-site caravans, a concrete boat ramp and a kiosk selling bait, lures, ice, groceries and petrol.

There are plentiful stocks of golden and silver perch, with lesser numbers of Murray cod and catfish. The numerous fishing spots are outlined in a brochure about the dam which is available at Cudgegong Park or at the Mudgee Visitors' Centre.

To get there from Rylstone take the road south-west out of town, keep to the right and you will see Cudgegong Park on your right a little before you reach the Mudgee Rd. For further information ring (02) 6358 8462.

Fern Tree Gully
Fern Tree Gully is a highly scenic rainforest area to the north of town which has been furnished with walkways and lookouts. To get there head north of town on the Bylong Valley Way (towards Bylong and Muswellbrook) past the airport and down to the valley where the surfaced road ends. About 16 km from Rylstone take the signposted turnoff to the right at the old stone house. For further information ring (02) 6372 7199.

Farm Holidays
Rylstone is noted for its farm-stay and other out-of-town accommodation. High Tweeters Country Holiday Farm is 36 km from Rylstone high up on the mountain range, tel: (02) 6379 6253. Wonga Guest Cottage is located near the village of Lue (en route to Mudgee), tel: (02) 6379 1264. Frank's Breakaway is on Narrango Rd, tel: (02) 6379 6236 and the Mountain Valley Rootreat is located in an antiquated stone home (c.1830), tel: (02) 6379 4318.

	Hotels
	Globe Hotel 46 Louee St Rylstone NSW 2849 Telephone: (02) 6379 1048 Facsimile: (02) 6379 1536
	Rylstone Hotel Louee St Rylstone NSW 2849 Telephone: (02) 6379 1118
	Bed & Breakfast/Guesthouses
	Bridge View Inn 28-30 Louee St Rylstone NSW 2849 Telephone: (02) 6379 1870
	Lansallos Be & Breakfast Rylstone NSW 2849 Telephone: (02) 6379 7767
	RooTreat B & B Clandulla 2848 Rylstone NSW 2849 Telephone: (02) 6379 4318 Facsimile: (02) 6379 6180 Rating: ***1/2
	Cottages & Cabins
	Carwell Cottage Cox St Rylstone NSW 2849 Telephone: (02) 6379 1109
	Carwell Cottage Rylstone Club Rylstone NSW 2849 Telephone: (02) 6379 1109
	Franks' Breakaway Olinda Rd Olinda Rylstone NSW 2849 Telephone: (02) 6379 6236 Facsimile: (02) 6379 6235
	Horse Gap Huts Dunville Loop Rd Rylstone NSW 2849 Telephone: (02) 6379 7620
	Redbank Cottage Hillview, Lee Creek Rd Bylong Rylstone NSW 2849 Telephone: (02) 6379 8252
	Sandstone Cottage 51 Mudgee St Rylstone NSW 2849 Telephone: 0404 875 142
	Wilderness Bunkhouse 1492 Mt Coricudgy Rd Rylstone NSW 2849 Telephone: (02) 6379 6244
	Farm & Eco Holidays
	High Tweeters Holiday Farm Nullo Mountain Rd Rylstone NSW 2849 Telephone: (02) 6379 6253 Rating: **
	Caravan Parks
	Cudgegong Waters Caravan Park Cudgegong Rd Rylstone NSW 2849 Telephone: (02) 6358 8462
	Dunns Swamp (Wollemi National Park) off Mt Coricudgy Rd Rylstone NSW 2849 Telephone: (02) 6372 7199
	Rylstone Caravan Park 6 Carwell St Rylstone NSW 2849 Telephone: 0409 873 340
	Restaurants
	Jessie's Steak House at the Rylstone Hotel 62 Louee St Rylstone NSW 2849 Telephone: (02) 6379 1118
	Shed Bistro at the Globe Hotel 46 Louee St Rylstone NSW 2849 Telephone: (02) 6379 1048
	The Rylstone Club Cox St Rylstone NSW 2849 Telephone: (02) 6379 1109
	Cafés
	Bizzy Birds 71 Louee St Rylstone NSW 2849 Telephone: (02) 6379 1189
	Bylong General Store 7690 Bylong Valley Way Bylong Rylstone NSW 2849 Telephone: (02) 6379 8252
	Carlton Cafe Louee St Rylstone NSW 2849 Telephone: (02) 6379 1540