Captain's Flat - Lowden Park - Big Hole - Braidwood
This drive is a fantastic day out that will take through historic villages and national parks. This is a full day scenic so pack a picnic basket.
An early start will see you complete this dive with much ease and take in some intriguing historical site, magical villages and a few natural wonders.
- Captains Flat - A quaint historic mining town
- Lowden Forest Park - Historic Water Wheel
- Dueua National Park - The Big Hole
- Braidwood - Heritag listed town
- Bungendore Village - Historic buildings, cafes & galleries
The first stop of the drive is Captains Flat, which can easily be reached by traveling east four kilometres from Bungendore Road and turning right at Captains Flat Road. The road will pass through scenic country, with historical properties like Foxlow and Carwoola stations and St. Thomas's Church.
If you arrive on the first Saturday of the month head to the market, or if local markets are not enticing pack a picnic, choose to stop by the Outsider Café or the Captains Flat Hotel. Scattered throughout the area are many mining sites and historic buildings.
Continue on your journey by taking Braidwood Road for 4km and hang a left at Harolds Cross Road, keeping an eye out for blue and white Forestry Commissions markers that will lead you into the Lowden Forest Park.
The park sits at an old logging camp and contains the historic electric generator Water Wheel as well as camping amenities such as toilets and fresh water.
Leave the park by heading back over your tracks until you get to a T intersection and turn left back onto Braidwood Road and make a right onto Krawaree Road, which will be about 18kms. You will see a sign for Deua National Forest and Big Hole trail; you should turn left and head towards the car park. In the car park you will find a map and can take the walking trail across the Shoalhaven River.
After completing the 1.5km trail leave the park by heading towards Braidwood on a mostly sealed road and then continue onto King's Highway to get back to Queanbeyan.