Some places just grab you and never let you go. They are beautiful or memorable in different ways but no matter where you go afterwards you always remember them. Julie and I have such a place and we’re fortunate it is also very close to where we live in Australia. And curiously, it is a town that no longer exists, lost to the Aussie bush and the passage of time. It is Newnes.

At the beginning of the last century shale oil was discovered in a remote part of a deep valley in the Blue Mountains. At that time the Wolgan Valley was known only to a few locals who would drive their cattle down into the valley for grazing but almost no one lived full time there. That all changed with the discovery of shale oil and with in a few years the town of Newnes sprung up to house the miners who would try to eek a living out of these harsh conditions. That they failed is also part of Newnes’ story.

Today Newnes only has one building remaining, the historic pub first built in 1907 and today lovingly maintained by Thomas and Helen, who have also built a few holiday cabins nearby. Rich in history, surrounded by extraordinary escarpment walls, filled with wonderful flora and fauna, this end of the Wolgan Valley is very special to all who visit.

And that is part of the story also because today the only public road into the valley is closed due to a massive landslide and residents can only access the valley through a temporary four wheel drive track that is gated and secure. So if you want to visit Newnes, bookmark it for about 2028 when they finish building a new public two wheel drive road.

Julie and I did a deal with Thomas and Helen which was perfect for both of us. They would borrow our fabulous camper Wanda and take a well-deserved ten day holiday to a few beautiful national parks nearby and Julie and I would move into one of the cabins and look after their place while they are away. A perfect win-win.

During those days at Newnes we went on bushwalks every day, exploring old favourite trails but also venturing into new places and seeing the valley from different angles. And we dove deeper into the history of Newnes, marvelling at how a thriving town of almost 2,000 people could slowly disappear, first by it’s inhabitants drifting off when the mine was closed and then by the Aussie bush slowly overwhelming what was left.