Finchley Track - Aboriginal Art & Great North Walk

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Yengo National Park

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Finchley Track - Aboriginal Art & Great North Walk

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Difficulty: Easy
Length: 25.2 miles / 40.6 km

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Overview: Finchley Track is home to both a European Trig Point from which you can view the amazing surrounding countryside and also harbours a number of indigenous sites including the famous Aboriginal Rock Art (32° 58′ 49″S, 151° 0′ 49″E). To get there from Wollombi head south and turn off the Great North Road near Laguna into Yango Creek Rd and then into Upper Yango Creek Rd. Follow National Park signs which lead along Finchley Track to Finchley Trig Point, about 14 km. Around 800 metres past the trig point is the art site itself. This is a large rock art site containing a good example of Aboriginal rock art from this region. It is also readily accessible and well signed. There is a short cultural walk with explanatory signs and a campsite about 200m beyond the engravings. This trail is close to the famous Australian "Great North Walk" being about 23 km west of Flat Rock. It is also not far off the Great North Road built by British convicts very early in Australia's European history.

Full details about the Great North Walk can be found at http://www.thegreatnorthwalk.com
We also recommend accessing e-trails and guides at Great North Walk books - http://tiny.cc/Buy2GNWbooks

Find out more about Aboriginal Rock Art at http://www.thegreatnorthwalk.com/rockart or watch a movie http://vimeo.com/10912042

Tips: Keep a lookout for fauna found in the area including koalas, masked owls, gang gang cockatoos, turquoise parrots, white-throated tree creeper, red browed tree creeper, superb fairy wren, spotted pardalote, brown quail, wedge-tailed eagles, goannas, geckos and brown antechinus.

To reach this circular trail, turn off the Great North Road onto Yango Creek Rd near Laguna and then after 3 km choose left onto Boree Road, which becomes Boree Track or right onto Finchley Track. If you go via Boree Track, after 8 km the track forks (Boree Track left and Yango Track right) at a clearing. The right fork then runs 11 kilometres to the Finchley Cultural Walk and then the Finchley Trig point. Alternatively if you choose Finchley Track you reach the Trig Point and Art Site within about 12 km.

Download EZ Guide to Great North Walk and downloadable e-trails http://tiny.cc/EZguideGNW

Points of Interest

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Wollombi

The name "Wollombi" is derived from the Aboriginal meaning "meeting place" or "meeting of the waters'", and prior to European settlement Wollombi held great significance for local Aboriginal tribes who used the area as a ceremonial meeting place. In particular, Mt Yengo (right) was a major focus of Aboriginal culture, being directly connected to the Dreamtime story of the creation of the earth.

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The Great North Road

The original line of the Great North Road was probably one of a web of Aboriginal tracks in this area. Historians claim that the Old Great North Road (also known as the "Convict Trail" because it was constructed by deportees who had committed additional crimes while serving their sentence in Australia's prison settlements) deviates around certain sacred Aboriginal sites, suggesting that the local Darkinjung people purposefully diverted the European trail-blazers to avoid these sites.

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Laguna Wine Bar & St Mark's Church

This is the village store, the petrol station, newsagent, gossip shop and most importantly the pub & bottle shop. Discover the locally brewed bottles of "Laguna Fire Water" and really enjoy your evening. Consecrated in November 1884 by Bishop Pearson, St Mark's Church in Laguna has been enriched by gifts contributed by local families. The shingles on the bell tower are original and came from the Wattagan mountains.

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Junction Boree & Finchely Tracks

At this point select the Finchely Track for the Trig Point and Aboriginal Art Site or the Boree Track for the ancient site of indigenous peoples.

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Finchely Trig Point

WOW! What a FANTASTIC panorama! Amazing views of the desperate struggle both indigenous people and early European settlers in Australia had to simply move around this daunting country.
Check your GPS here and read the interpretative signs describing road and trail building by original and settler Australians over many thousands of years.

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Mount Yengo

Mount Yengo is a sacred Aboriginal site - at least as important to indigenous people of New South Wales as is Uluru is to central country Aussies. In the Dreamtime stories Biamie - the creator being - came and went from the top of this scared mountain and that is why it has a flat top. Only highly respected elders are allowed to go up Mount Yengo -- which is more correctly pronounced "Yango" - a difference that explains some of the trail and road naming around here.

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Finchley Aboriginal Rock Art Site

The Hunter Valley is home to over 300 Aboriginal sites dating back over 13,000 years, and well-preserved Aboriginal engravings can be viewed in a number of locations in Yengo National Park. Carved into the local Hawkesbury sandstone these figures depict both sacred and day-to-day situations.

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Finchley Cultural Walk

Learn about the Aboriginal culture through signs along the Finchley Cultural Walk. The short walk between the camping area and engraving site provides insightful informaton on the Aboriginal heritage. Park your vehicle at the camping area and follow the track past four interpretive signs.

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Rock Art

There are over 40 engravings of a range of qualities in the amazing site. Take care when you walk around not to tread on existing art works.

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Finchely Campsite in Yengo National Park

Small campsite with basic facilities. Local Aboriginal communities have requested that people refrain from climbing to the top of Mount Yengo for cultural reasons.

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Landscape includes many mountains

Keep at watch for Mt Yengo -- the most sacred tall peak as you hike or drive this great trail

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Burragurra Aboriginal site

This is a site of considerable cultural significance. According to Aboriginal legend, the god Biamie stepped from here to Mount Yengo, and then up into the sky after finishing his creations. Today there is little to see except a small number of fireplaces. To reach this site, turn off the Great North Road onto Yango Creek Rd near Laguna and then bear left after 3 km onto Boree Road, which becomes Boree Track.

Pictures in this guide taken by: OzGNW

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