Yerranderie, NSW
3.7 km (1.5 hrs )
★★★☆☆

The former silver mining town of Yerranderie is a fascinating place to explore. The ghost town was once home to over 2,000 people and boasted a post office, church, tailor shop, general store, bank and a number of hotels. Some of the buildings have been preserved and feature interesting displays on the geology and history of this historic site. To get a real appreciation of this site, I undertook the walk that visits the key mines located close to the town - Silver Peak Mine, Colon Peak Mine and Wonga Mine. The scars of the mining activity still remain, some 60 years after the last of the mines closed due to falling prices for silver and the closure of the road to Sydney when Burragorang Valley was flooded to form Warragamba Dam.

Yerranderie is in quite a remote location, accessed via the Oberon-Colong stock route from the west. This narrow and winding dirt road is steep in sections and is recommended for 4WD vehicles. Camping is available in the Government Town (free) or at the Private Town (paid). There is a small entry fee to the Government Town for the upkeep of the site. If visiting, take care around the site as there are still many exposed shafts in the area.