Bendethera Valley is in the Deua National Park, approximately 320km southwest of Sydney and 100km southeast of Canberra. There's a number of popular camp grounds within the region - some with picnic tables, fireplaces, and even long-drop toilets. Popular spots include Bendethera Valley campground, Wyanbene Cave and Berlang campgrounds to the north, and Dry Creek campground to the east.
Hiking, nature spotting, cave exploring, and simply enjoying the spectacular views from the highlands are some of the popular activities within Bendethera and Deua NP - so pack your hiking boots. Highlights include The Big Hole (just north of Gundillion), Marble Arch, Bendethera and Wyanbene Caves, Dampier Trig and Bendethera Mountain. The region is rich in culture and history. The remains of the old Bendethera homestead and the surrounding area provide a variety of artefacts, structures and features relating to gold and silver mining, grazing and tourism.
Due to the nature of most of the park’s roads and tracks, touring in a conventional car is limited to only a few attractions such as The Big Hole and Wyanbene Cave. Therefore, to make the most of the sights, a 4WD with low range and dedicated ‘off road’ tyres are ideal. There are some challenging 4WD sections throughout the park, including river crossings and considerably steep and rocky sections. The tracks into Bendethera are quite established and reasonably well formed, but being clay based - they do get slippery during wet conditions. As rugged as this region is, being well prepared, having competent 4WDriving skills, and going in with at least one other vehicle - will help pave way for an enjoyable and safe trip.
How to Use this Trek Note
- To download this information and the route file for offline use on a phone, tablet, headunit or laptop, go to the app store and purchase ExplorOz Traveller. This app enables offline navigation and mapping and will show where you are as you travel along the route. For more info see the ExplorOz Traveller webpage and the EOTopo webpage.
Environment
Geology -
Deua National Park lies over a basement of
granite that rises from the coastal plain westwards to the Monaro Tablelands. Metamorphic rocks lie over the
granite where the topography dips to the northeast. The fast flowing Deua River has cut deep V-shaped valleys through the park.
Both underground and surface features are associated with the
limestone (karst) areas within
Deua National Park. Each of the areas includes a number of
cave systems and sinkholes
Bendethera and Wyanbene caves were discovered late last century and have since had continual use, however Deua
cave was only discovered in 1980 and is in relatively pristine condition. All the karst areas contain features of high conservation or scientific importance, which are sensitive to any human activity. The karst environments in the park provide a significant geomorphological resource, in addition to providing habitats for a diversity of fauna, including important roosting sites for bats.
Fauna
There are around 90 species of birds, which have been recorded in the park together with swamp wallabies, red-necked wallabies,
grey kangaroos, echidnas, possums and bandicoots as
well as the rare tiger quoll.
Flora
Vegetation in the park changes markedly with altitude. A complex system of swamps, bogs and fens is associated with the watersheds of the Deua and Shoalhaven rivers providing clean and reliable water during times of drought. The
well drained slopes surrounding areas of rainforest support ironbark (Eucalyptus paniculata), with yellow and white stringybarks (E. muellerana and E. globoidea). On the ridge tops the vegetation changes to stands of silvertop ash (E. sieberi) in open forests, and snow gums (E. pauciflora) at higher altitudes.
History
Bendethera was once a pastoral lease, dating back to about 1861, and remnants of the
homestead and
farm are visible. A lot of the ‘historical sights’ have
well-presented signage explaining the history and operations of the area. In the last part of the 19th Century, the
Bendethera Valley was cleared to provide a resting-place for cattle driven from the Monaro Plains near
Canberra to
Bega, from where they'd be shipped to either
Sydney or
Melbourne. Settlement of the valley was especially difficult given its remoteness from both the coast and the tablelands. The area however was a favourite destination for early tourists, and in 1896 a portion was reserved for public
recreation. The main
Bendethera Cave has signatures dating from the 1890s including many old names in the district.
The idea for a national park for the Deua River was probably first discussed in 1920 when Myles Dunphy and Roy Davies walked through the region. But it was not until the 1960s that the National Parks Association's 'Deua–Tuross National Park Proposal' was put together. The momentum for a national park was developed during the 1970s, culminating in its dedication in 1979. In 1994, two sections of
Deua National Park were declared wilderness - the
Burra–Oulla and Woila–Deua wilderness areas. Take the time to read the NPWS advisory signs at the entry to the park, explaining the Flora, Fauna, Environment and History of the area.
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