Bhundoo nestled between Pigeon House and The Castle is located 3½ hours drive from Sydney and 3 hours from Canberra, being 40 kms and approx. 1 hrs drive west of Milton Ulladulla on the South Coast.
Turn west at the lights on cnr Princes H’way & Croobyar Road Milton, following the Pigeon House Mountain signs continue along the tar road for 15.5kms.
Turn right onto the Clyde Ridge Road (gravel), follow for 8.5 kms then turn right onto Yadboro Road.
Travel for another 16 kms to the Clyde River at Yadboro, turn right just before river at the Bhundoo Signs. (Refer to Map)
Alternate route:
Wheelbarrow Road – Burrill
Monkey Mountain – Termeil
Western Distributor – Clyde Mountain
Bhundoo is Aboriginal for the Clyde River, which is 110 kms in length with an intensive catchment area. Rising in the rugged coastal mountain ranges, the river system flows south through these spectacular mountain regions, through three National Parks and no less than ten State Forests in the Clyde Valley, widening into a broad, navigable estuary and finally reaching the Pacific Ocean at Batemans Bay after a journey of around 125 kms.
But this is no Mississippi, Nile or even River Murray. Indeed, during extremely dry periods, the Clyde is, in its upper reaches, reduced to merely a trickle.
So, why is it so special?
Its sources are almost entirely contained in protected, uninhabited lands (primarily National Parks);
It is one of the last major rivers in Eastern Australia that remains undammed;
Only 5% of its catchment has been cleared (an extraordinarily low amount by Australian standards);
There are no polluting industries in its catchment, nor any sewage outflows.From the headlands near Sassafras the river drops steeply from sedgeland meadows to boulder strewn rapids in the spectacular Clyde Gorge. As a result, the Clyde has the cleanest, least polluted waters of any major river in Eastern Australia.
The quality of this river is becoming widely recognised, with favourable support being received for the local application for listing on the National Estate of “The Waters of the Clyde” – such a listing recognising the need for this important natural asset to be protected for future generations.
The quality of its water however, is only one part of the story of the Clyde. When locals talk about the Clyde, they are often referring to the upper catchment area of the river, shaped as it is by tectonic plate movement in the earth’s crust to create the spectacular mountain and cliff terrain within which the Clyde rises. In its efforts to reach the sea, the river has sculptured a land of special qualities. The names of some of the features in the Upper Clyde are enough to convey the wonder and mystery of the place.
There are the landmarks of Pigeon House and The Castle standing as sentinels over Monolith Valley while the names of Shrouded Gods Mountain, Byangee Walls and the Ettrema Wilderness create their own special images.
This is the Clyde for the “true blue” ecotourist. Access to these wonders is by foot (after your vehicle reaches the end of the access roads) and may involve some steep and arduous
treks, depending on which of the many trails that you take. But the rewards are rewards that only a trekker, bushwalker or lover of Australian nature in the raw, can appreciate : the feeling of achievement and of solitude, as well as the chance to experience landscapes of nature’s splendour, almost untainted by human imprint.
There is over 1km of river frontage and spectacular views of the Castle and Byangee Walls. Surrounded by Budawang wilderness area in the Budawang National Park. An area known for its bushwalking and hiking trails and bass fishing, along with canoeing and swimming.
Bursting out of its mountainous source, the Clyde then meanders through the State Forests in the Clyde Valley, picking up volume from its many tributaries. In its middle stage, you can find picturesque reach’s and pools where the forest meets the river; there are numerous swimming holes frequented by locals on hot summer days and by the platypus and the native bass throughout the year.
Grazing properties in this region are working towards a harmonious balance between their activities and their effect on the river and many people, conservationists and farmers, are actively engaged in preserving the unique values of the river system.
The river finally reaches Shallow Crossing, a ford across the river, near where the Clyde enters its estuarine and tidal state.
Cleanest, Least Polluted Water Source On The East Coast