Have you ever wanted to walk in the footsteps of the people before you? Literally? At Wisemans Ferry, you can hike along the Convict Trail as part of The Great North Road, which was built by the convicts who were sent to Australia in the late 1700s. With historical remains, plaques and amazing views, it’s definitely a way to spice up your next bushwalk!
The Great North Road was built by convicts between 1826 and 1836 to connect Sydney with Newcastle and the Upper Hunter Valley. The road spans 264 kilometres, with only 43 kilometres of it still left undeveloped with stone retaining walls, buttresses and dirt roads. This is now known as The Old Great North Road. The rest has been modernised and is still used today as a slow scenic route between the two major cities of NSW. The convicts’ efforts along The Old Great North Road have been preserved in their original state by the NSW Government, and is now a World Heritage Site with UNESCO.
Since this walk was over 1 and a half hours away, we made a day out of it by packing a picnic lunch, snacks for the road, and getting comfy in the car. I love days like this when the sun is shining and the birds are chirping, perfect for walks and hikes! But when we finally arrived at the start of the walk… the gate was closed with a sign up. Please tell me we didn’t travel this far for nothing! So dad hopped out of the car to go take a closer look at the sign, which said it was closed for repairs until August 31st, after which they’re open for business. Thank goodness! All good to go.
Along the walk were stone blocks with facts and stories about the convicts who worked along this road. Some of these blocks also had replicas of tools and items the convicts would use to build the Great North Road, or the conditions they would be subject to, like the heavy leg irons that would be worn daily. There were also metal cut-outs of convicts working, as well as an Aboriginal woman and child along the trail, giving life to the “Convict Trail Walk” instead of it just being a history lesson.
As we climbed Devines Hill ever so gradually, we were transported back in time, when roads were dirt and cars were horse-powered. Around the edge of the road were the original sandstone blocks from when the convicts built the Great North Road, and as we kept walking, we uncovered old drill marks and “graffiti” in the rock. The views from the road were amazing, looking out over the river and farmland. You have to wonder what views the convicts would have had while building The Great North Road, although I don’t think they would have been focused on their views.
We continued along our journey and met some very kind National Park Service workers who were doing the finishing touches along the trail. My dad couldn’t help himself but to stop and have a chat, just like any Aussie dad! Once we could finally pull Dad away from his conversation and let the National Parks men get back to work, we arrived at Hangman’s Rock, a site with a bit of speculation. A lot of people think that this used to be the site of execution for convicts, where they would be hanged from a tree above with their feet dropping into the hole of the rock. While this makes sense with the whole convict horrors, there’s no real proof of this. The most likely use of Hangman’s Rock was for storage, possibly gunpowder, but we’ll never truly know.
I know we went for the history and story of the convicts, but our surroundings were so beautiful, I couldn’t help but mention them! We went at the beginning of spring, so the trees were green, the wildflowers were blooming, and there were SO many butterflies and dragonflies. Every few steps we took, a dragonfly would zoom past my head before dancing in the air along the path ahead of us. And let me tell you, butterflies and bees are a breeze to take photos of compared to dragonflies!
This is what I love about Australian hikes and bushwalks; most of them will have a history and story behind them. Why just go walking when you can walk back in time? Why just go hiking when you can learn something about the country you live in? Step off the beaten track and see where life takes you!
All photos in this post were taken by me. For more information about The Convict Trail Walk and the Old Great North Road, visit https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/things-to-do/walking-tracks/old-great-north-road-world-heritage-walk
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