Getting There
The Boarding House Dam Walk is in the Watagans National Park west of Newcastle. We drove in via Cessnock and found most of the drive to be easy. However, the last section of road into the Watagans is dirt and very rough in places. Take care because of the corrugations and holes in the road.
Apart from the road the scenery as you drive into the National Park is very nice with beautiful trees along the road. There are several lookouts that provide views over the surrounding countryside and the forrest.
Boarding House Dam WalkÂ
The walk starts at the Boarding House Dam picnic area which is nicely set up with covered picnic areas and bar-b-q sites. There are seats near the creek, so you can sit and relax by the water while in the shade.
The Boarding House Dam Walk is very easy and only takes about 15 minutes. The walk forms a loop so that you leave on one side of the creek and return on the other. The scenery along the way is nice and the walk culminates at the moss wall which is the highlight.
When we went there had been little rainfall resulting in only a small flow in the creek. This was a pity as there is a weir that would have looked amazing with water spilling over it.
Even with the poor road condition we were very pleased that we did this walk. It was quiet and shady with A very nice moss wall at the end.
Kitchener
On our way home we stopped at Kitchener to look at the preserved
poppet head structure from the Aberdare Central Colliery. Coal mining is still important for the Hunter Valley but historically was located around Cessnock. As these mines were exhausted, mining operations moved further up the valley. To maintain a link with their past a residents’ group organised the preservation of this structure. If you are passing through it is a great place to stop for a break, let kids run around and read about the poppet head preservation on the signs placed there.
To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.