Yerranderie Private Town

Yerranderie Private Town is a preserved silver-mining settlement surrounded by bushland. Its former post office, tailor shop, general store, bank and cottages hold displays of genuine relics collected by miners. Come if you like history and can make the remote 4WD drive part of the trip; this is a destination, not a quick turnoff.

The public drive comes from the Oberon side on the unsealed Oberon–Colong Historic Stock Route, and NSW Parks specifies 4WD access. There is no public route from Sydney's west through Oakdale and the Burragorang water catchment, so set Oberon as your route-planning point before following an in-car GPS. The road is remote, phone reception is absent, and the nearest fuel and shops are in Oberon. Bring food and supplies with you.

The interest is in seeing the settlement as a group: the post office, tailor shop, general store, bank and residential cottages were restored as accurately as possible, and the displays use genuine mining relics. Give yourself time to look inside the buildings and notice how many parts of everyday town life were once here. For a photo, stand back on the lane and include the larger two-storey building with the smaller cottages; the cluster tells the story better than a close shot of one façade.

Silver was discovered at The Peaks, now Yerranderie, in 1871. Mining at Colon Peaks began in 1897, and about 100 men were working the field by late 1899. Around 50 mine names accumulated over the field's working life, with some changing as ownership changed. Nearby Silver Peak has a bridge across a large shaft, where you can look straight down into the mine.

The Yerranderie Peak walk is 2 km return with 290 m of climbing, finishing with a panoramic view across the surrounding wilderness. It is a good add-on if you want a proper uphill outing after exploring the buildings; the town itself is the heritage stop.

The Private Town campground has 10 unpowered sites with toilets, showers, drinking water and barbecues. Rooms are also listed in historic town buildings. Water is limited, so bring your own supply as well, and don't plan on picking up fuel or groceries here.