Finchs Line Viewpoint

This pleasant walk follows part of the historic Finchs Line road, the original route for the Great North Road up the hills just north of Wisemans Ferry. The walk starts in moist, fern covered scenery and climbs to drier forest and some stunning views over the Hawkesbury river and Wisemans Ferry area from the unfenced Finchs Line viewpoint. There are other great views along the way too. Let us begin by acknowledging the Dharug people, Traditional Custodians of the land on which we travel today, and pay our respects to their Elders past and present.

The track along Finchs Line. | Photo by admin, 2009.

Beautiful scenery along Finchs Line. | Photo by admin, 2009.

Rockface above the Finchs Line track. | Photo by admin, 2009.

Ferns surrounding Finchs Line road. | Photo by admin, 2009.

Old retaining wall on Finchs Line. | Photo by admin, 2009.

Climbing the Finchs Line track. | Photo by admin, 2009.

Nice boulder scenery. | Photo by admin, 2009.

Valley views from Finchs Line. | Photo by admin, 2009.

Views from Finchs Line. | Photo by admin, 2009.

Scenery along Finchs Line. | Photo by admin, 2009.

Views from Finchs Line over Wisemans Ferry. | Photo by admin, 2009.

Viewpoint on a rock outcrop along Finchs Line. | Photo by admin, 2009.

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Safer Bushwalks
Before you start any bushwalk ensure you;
• Tell someone you trust where you are going and what to do if you are overdue
• Have adequate equipment, supplies, skills & knowledge for the whole journey
• Consider the impact of weather forecasts, park/track closures & fire dangers
• Can respond to emergencies & call for help at any point
• Are healthy and fit enough for this journey
If not, change plans and stay safe. It is okay to delay and ask people for help.

Getting There

Start	(-33.3924095,150.9973863)
Mode	Bus Car (There is free parking available.) Special (Wisemans Ferry Dialacar provides a taxi style mini-bus service based in Wisemans Ferry. The cost is typically about $1 per km (ex Wisemans Ferry). They will pick-up and drop-off from Sydney or the Central Coast and will happily drop walkers off or pick them up from tracks in the area. The cost for a pick-up from Gosford and drop off near Wisemans Ferry would be approximately $150 (please call for up-to-date pricing) and the minivan can carry up to 13 passengers. Phone: 0448 122 374)
Directions	From Pacific Motorway, M1 Turn on to Peats Ridge Road Offramp then drive for 3.8 km Keep left onto Cooks Road and drive for another 2.8 km Keep left and drive for another 1.4 km Keep right and drive for another 410 m Turn sharp left onto Popran Road and drive for another 6.4 km Turn left onto Wisemans Ferry Road and drive for another 31.6 km

Track Notes

Getting started
From the signposted track head, marked as 'Finchs Line Walking Track', beside Wisemans Ferry Rd (about 1.8 km east of the car ferry), the walk follows the bush track, going up the hill. There is an information sign after a short distance and the track starts to climb, increasingly steeply, as it zigzags up a steep hill, along the path of Finchs Line Road. There are some beautiful views away from the track and a lot of ferns, grasstrees and vines surrounding the track. After winding up the hill for quite a while the walk arrives at an intersection with a management trail, marked with a sign indicating bikes must be walked (when going back down the hill).....

Terrain

Finchs Line Viewpoint

Grading

	Class 3/6 Moderate track
Length	4.4 km
Time	2 h to 2 h 15 min

Quality of track	Formed track, with some branches and other obstacles (3/6)
Gradient	Short steep hills (3/6)
Signage	Directional signs along the way (3/6)
Infrastructure	Limited facilities, not all cliffs are fenced (3/6)
Experience Required	Some bushwalking experience recommended (3/6)
Weather	Weather generally has little impact on safety (1/6)

Articles

Old Great North Road
The historic Great North Road was built using convict labour between 1826 and 1836 (this section south of Wollombi was completed in 1832). The road formed a link between Sydney and the Hunter Valley, including Newcastle. There are visible remnants of the original work in bridges, retaining walls and other structures along the way. The 'Convict Trail Project' has member groups involved in the conservation of historical remnants along the road. The Convict Trail Project and the NPWS have erected information signs at various points to illustrate the history. The Convict Trail Project has an excellent website for further reading.

Wisemans Ferry
Wisemans Ferry village is on the banks of the Hawkesbury river, NSW. The town, and nearby car ferry, is named after Solomon Wiseman, a former convict who received a land grant in the area and established the ferry service. The town is a popular day trip and weekend destination from Sydney. There are several good spots to eat in town, including bistros at the Wisemans Ferry Inn and the Wisemans Ferry Bowling club, and takeaway food from Bush Bites cafe. The Riverbend Restaurant can be found in the 'Retreat at Wisemans' for finer dining. The area has some great walking and interesting history surrounding the convict built Old Great North Road.

Finchs Line viewpoint
This informal, unfenced (and unnamed) lookout is on the trail along the historic Finchs Line Rd near Wisemans Ferry, NSW. The viewpoint sits on a beautiful outcrop of boulders and provides stunning views down across the Hawkesbury river and Wisemans Ferry township.

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