Dharawal SRA - Darkes Forest - O'Hares Creek by Mountain Bike

Longwall Mining links

Georges River Macarthur

General longwall mining pages

• longwall mining process - damage, cause and effects
• backstow - mining subsidence - backstow reduces surface damage, our politicians don't legislate for it
• Cataract river - Cataract river during the seventies
• Georges river dieing - Georges river greatly reduced water levels
• Iluka Creek - Iluka Swamp - Iluka Creek, Iluka Swamp, Georges River catchment
• Macarthur's rivers - Bargo, Georges, Cataract rivers - Broughton Pass Dam, Marhnes Hole, Appin
• Mine subsidence - mine subsidence in the Upper Nepean river catchment
• Georges River photographs - photographs of 7 km downstream of Freres Crossing
• Stokes Creek Wedderburn - Stokes Creek, Wedderburn, Georges River, Campbelltown
• Wedderburn - Wedderburns rivers, creeks and properties
• Wedderburn gorge - Wedderburn gorge, Georges River catchment, environmental damage
• Woolwash - The Woolwash junction with O'Hares creek Wedderburn - Minto
• O'Hares - Iluka - Georges River, O'Hares Creek, Dharawal State Recreation Area, Iluka Creek, Iluka Swamp, Maddens Creek.
• O'Hares - Wedderburn - Georges River, O'Hares Creek, Campbelltown, Wedderburn.
• Dharawal State Recreation Area - Georges River, O'Hares Creek, Darkes Forest.

• gr_punchbowl_kentlyn - Punchbowl Creek at the Basin Georges River NSW
• broken promises - longwall mining - deceit, denial and broken promises
• Cost clean coal - Clean coal, is it too costly to consider
• Longwall Mining - Global Climate Change, letter to Kevin Rudd, Prime minister Australia
• The hidden costs of clean coal - The environmental and human disaster of longwall mining - Multimedia from The Center for Public Integrity Washington DC. Video filmed in the mine and the effects above ground.
• BHP Billiton environmental damage - BHP Billiton, Fly river, Ok Tedi river, copper mines, Irian Jaya, Barrow Island, deforestation Indonesia, environmental damage, longwall mining
• BHP Billiton misinformation - BHP Billiton Illawarra Coal - Rio Tinto misinformation and the publics wrong impression of mining
• Politicians and approvals - These politicians approve longwall mining licences which pollutes our atmosphere, damages our rivers, water catchments and your homes
• Mine subsidence - longwall mining and its impact on water resources
• When longwall mining comes to your town - When longwall mining comes to your town, your home is in the hands of the mining company- from the US and applies here in Australia

Route 2 - River crossing of O'Hares Creek

Topographic & Orthophoto map 1:25 00 9029-1S Third Edition - GR 038137 -O'Hares River Crossing

This bushwalk - mountain bike ride starts at the entrance to the Dharawal State Recreation Area off Appin Road between Bulli Tops and South East of West Cliff Colliery and Cataract Reservoir. The area is part on the Woronora Plateau and part of the Sydney Catchment. The tributaries of the Georges, Woronora, Cataract and the Nepean rivers start here along with the Waratah Rivulet. This area is immensely important to the water supply of Sydney and the Illawarra.

The route follows Fire Service Rd 10B to Grid Reference 042110 where the trail divides with access to the left denied by the mines. The right fork carries proceeds North along Fire Road 10c, this trail is unmistakable being accessed through an unlocked barrier and the trail is composed of sand / clay. Follow the trail for approx 3.5 km as the crow flies to arrive at the O'Hares Creek crossing.

The gorge is very steep for older mountain bikers so we left our bikes at the top and walked down. Ben, the youngest of the group, a mere 32 years rode down but walked up much of the way up on the return.

The day was overcast with rain the night before and rain whilst we were there. The river flow was very slow, almost none existent although water was laying around in puddles and the ground was saturated. At the river is was difficult to identify a water flow which we identified by observing a floating object.

This is yet another very pretty area of the Georges River catchment with many of the plants coming into flower, some of the larger flowers are Grevillea Speciosa, Gymea Lilies and Yellow Leaf Drumsticks. The Yellow Leaf Drumstick and the grevillea are illustrated on this page.

All the photographs were taken in and around the gorge which is home to O'Hares Creek. The route passes between swamps of the upper catchment before reaching O'Hares Creek.