You will need your own vehicle to get to Newnes, as there is no public transport, other than by taxi from Lithgow (50km away). (Lithgow can be reached by train from Sydney.)

From Sydney: Head west across the Blue Mountains, either via Katoomba, or via Windsor and Bell; pass Lithgow and take the Castlereagh Highway towards Mudgee. About 11km from the highway traffic lights at Lithgow and just past the Wallerawang Power Station is a major road junction. Take the right-hand road here ("Wolgan Road") through Lidsdale to Newnes. Watch for "Lidsdale" on the advance road signs.

From Bathurst: Follow the Great Western Highway to the Mudgee Road, then as above. It is also possible to follow side-roads through Wallerawang.

From Mudgee: Take the Lidsdale turn-off after crossing the Cox's River. About 1km along this road in Lidsdale, turn left at the Pirtek building.

The drive from Lidsdale to Newnes is 35km and would normally take at least 45 minutes. North of Lidsdale, the road is bitumen to the foot of Wolgan Gap (12km), although sometimes narrow and deteriorating. From there to Newnes (23km) it is mostly gravel with some earth and clay patches. The road is not really suitable for large caravans, although small trailers should present no difficulty.
Read further down this page for specific road conditions.

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• As well as looking at the beautiful scenery when heading to Newnes, do take a note of possible driving hazards (such as sharp or blind curves), as they will still be there when you drive out again. For some reason, some people like to drive faster when going home.
• DON'T SPEED! Please stay within posted speed limits on this road. These are the maximum advisable on the best parts, provided conditions are good. If you have not driven this road before, it is recommended that you stay well under the limits and pay particular attention to all warning signs.
• There are several blind corners and crests on this road, while cattle, wallabies and wombats are additional road hazards, particularly in the late afternoon and at night. 4WD vehicles are particularly unstable at speed, while most modern 2WD vehicles with front-wheel drive can become undrivable with even minor front-end damage.
• KEEP TO THE LEFT! Frequently in the Wolgan Valley, you will need to pass vehicles coming the other way. At a few places the road is only one car width and these need to be taken with care. At all other places, please drive on the left-hand side of the road, particularly on corners and crests, where you need to SLOW DOWN!
• Please make sure you car is roadworthy and carrying normal spare parts such as tools and a spare tyre. Also, make sure you have enough petrol, as fuel is not sold at Newnes. The nearest service stations are at Lidsdale, Wallerawang and Marrangaroo, which are from 35km to 45km from Newnes.

• From the Castlereagh Highway, the turnoff to Newnes is at Lidsdale, just past the power station and immediately before the turnoff to Wallerawang. There is a service station on the corner. The turnoff is marked for both Lidsdale and Newnes, but only "Lidsdale" appears on the advance warning signs.
• Please keep to the left of the centre line over crests and around bends on this road. The speed limit here is 50km/h through Lidsdale, then 80km/h.
• Parts of this road to the top of Wolgan Gap have recently been upgraded. New sections are marked on the edges with white lines. Do not speed, as some of the corners are tricky. Older bitumen is generally good, although there are some places where rough repairs have been made.

• The road down Wolgan Gap is fairly steep, very winding and very narrow in a number of places.
• There are TWO "reduce speed" signs just before the top of the Gap. Yes, one sign is not enough; they REALLY MEAN IT!
• Watch out for fallen rocks on the road when descending this section, particularly after rain.
• Although posted with a 50 km/h limit, stay well under this, if you have not driven this road before.

• This section is in generally in fair to good condition, but can quickly become corrugated in dry weather.
• The speed limit is delimited (maximum 100km/h). However, it is recommend that you stay under 80km/h at all times, much slower on corners and crests and slower still if you have not driven this road before.
• Please pay attention to roadside warning signs erected along the road in the valley in advance of most of the "difficult" corners.
• Some sections of this road can be slippery when the road is wet.
• Keep to the left on all bends and crests and watch out for oncoming traffic.

• This section is in fair to good condition, but it is narrow and winding and may become corrugated from normal wear and tear when the road is due for regrading.
• It is recommended that you stay under 60km/h for this section of road.
• In sunny weather, drive carefully through shadows as dappled light may conceal damaged sections of road.
• Take particular care in wet weather, as the road can become slipery in some places.
• This section of road is also subject to flooding after very heavy rain.

• The road to the Little Capertee Camping Area is usually in fair condition, with water damage in a couple of places. Watch out for oncoming traffic.
• Slow down when crossing the creek into the camping ground. There is a sharp gutter at the gates and the creek crossing has a narrow concrete base marked by white posts.
• The Wolgan River crossing (on the right, 200m past pub at Newnes) is very sandy and unstable and is only suitable for 4WD vehicles with good clearance. This is the best point for pedestrians to cross and there are some stepping stones here.
• Do not cross the Wolgan River AT ALL following heavy rain or if the river is in flood. The river can rise very quickly and it could leave you stranded.
• Please note that there are no facilities at Newnes to extract bogged vehicles.