I had known for a long time that one of these little gullies (which head off towards Sydney, from the northern edge of the Robertson district) was the actual head of the Nepean, but apparently this is it.
The light was suitable, in the late afternoon for photographing the local valley, which I had ascertained from some other friends, was indeed the head of the Nepean River. Emma confirmed it for me.
Looking westward, and uphill, you can see the boundary of this catchment. Just over this hilltop, in the westerly direction, one comes to Robertson proper, and the headwaters of Caalang Creek, the start of the Wingecarribee River system- which runs to the Wollondilly River and hence to Warragamba Dam. So, over the hill lies a different catchment.
Click on these images to enlarge them (to make reading the labels easier).
You can see where there is a very small farm dam, which I have marked (above) and the line of a soak which leads down to the first properly formed creek line - the true start of the Nepean River valley.
This lovely scene shows the real start of the Nepean River - as a recognisable creek.
And to put it all into the picture, this image shows the start of the Kangaloon forested area which is the start of the Sydney Catchment "Special Area". In the far distance is the Kangaloon Aquifer area, and the main part of the "Catchment".
Once the Nepean River crosses "Tourist Road" (about 3 kilometres below this point) it enters the true "Catchment" it becomes a classic river on a sandstone rock base (having started up here in the basalt "red soil" country). Once within the sandstone area, it quickly starts to form a series of canyons and gorges.The Nepean River merges with the Hawkesbury River, at the base of the Blue Mountains. The Hawkesbury-Nepean River system defines the "Sydney Basin". This giant river then enters the ocean at Broken Bay, north of Lion Island, just north of Palm Beach (north from Sydney).
The Hawkesbury is the major river which one crosses on the way north to Newcastle. Gosford is located on the northen side of the River, as it enters "Broken Bay".
Very few people, (especially few Sydneysiders) realise that the mighty Hakesbury-Nepean River system starts right here, on the edge of Robertson. Silly them!
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