Sydneysiders must forget how good they’ve got it. Seriously, the amount of quality offroad strike missions that can be made within a couple of hours drive of the western fringe of town is almost unfair to anyone else that owns a fourby but has to live in a capital city.

The Turon River cuts through dense bushland near Capertee. It’s a little past the Blue Mountains and just 180 clicks outta Sydney.

A lot of punters like to follow the highly enjoyable offroad track from Sunny Corner, near Lithgow, to the Turon River. A venture we can certainly recommend.

There’s some top notch driving to be had, with a couple of creek crossings thrown in the mix and a few challenging sections.

It’s ideal country for reasonably experienced 4WDers to hone their skills offroad, and if there have been recent rains, you will need to keep your wits about you.

Very peaceful country and hard to beat for a couple of days of wheeling and a night under the stars.

STUFF TO DO

4WDING: Varied terrain with some rocky sections, the steepest of which is the climb up to Pinnacle Rock.

There are a couple of fairly straightforward crossings of the Turon River, which become exponentially more tricky after heavy rains.

FOSSICKING is worth a go if you’re travelling with the kids. Check out a couple of YouTube instructional vids and invest in a gold pan or a proper Minelab detector if you’re feeling really lucky.

IMPORTANT INFO

LOCATION: 180km west of Sydney, not far from Lithgow and Sunny Corner State Forest.

CAMPING is available at Woolshed Flats and The Diggings campsites. Toilets are provided at both campgrounds but other facilities are limited. Camping is free and permits are not required.

FUEL is available in Lithgow, the Blue Mountains and Sydney.

MORE INFO is available at www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au