In December 2023, I visited Wondabyne Railway Station on New South Wales’ Main North Railway Line. This route links the two largest cities in New South Wales–Sydney and Newcastle–and you can read more about it in my previous blog post.
While I have travelled past Wondabyne Station on the train at least 100 times,1 this was the first time I alighted.
Located 65 kilometres from Sydney, this picturesque station is perched on the shores of Mullet Creek, which flows into the nearby Hawkesbury River. The station opened on 1 May 1889, coinciding with the completion of the iconic Hawkesbury River Railway Bridge—a landmark which completed the rail link between Brisbane and Adelaide.2 This bridge is a key feature of the region’s rail history, and if you’re curious, I’ve written more about it in my post on the Central Coast and Newcastle Line.
A Railway Station Like No Other
The primary purpose of our visit to Wondabyne Railway Station was, of course, to see the station itself. As my interest in railway journeys has naturally developed to include an interest in train stations, I started paying attention to some of the world’s more unique stations. Wondabyne is notable as the only railway station in Australia that cannot be accessed via road!
In addition to its remoteness, the station is also noteworthy for having an exceptionally short platform, which is less than a single train carriage long. Indeed, the platform is so short that passengers can alight only from the rear door of the rear carriage.
Wondabyne Station serves only a handful of locals. Indeed, Wondabyne is home to just 3 residents! This is a remarkably small number for a locality that is served by an hourly train!3 The station is primarily used by trail goers on the Great North Walk (a 250 kilometre walking track that links Sydney and Newcastle), as well as home owners who live on the other side of Mullet Creek and travel to Wondabyne by boat. Of the tens of thousands of passengers who travel through Wondabyne Station each day, hardly anybody alights. For those who do wish to alight, it is essential to notify the train conductor in advance, as the train will only stop at Wondabyne on request. However, it’s not as straightforward as simply requesting any train to stop at Wondabyne—only local services, not express trains, will make the stop. When boarding at Wondabyne, passengers must wave at an approaching train to signal the conductor to halt.
A Journey through History and Nature
The station is adjacent to Wondabyne Quarry which is one of the oldest quarries in the country and still produces small quantities of sandstone blocks.4 The quarry provided the stone for the pillars of the original Hawkesbury River Railway Bridge.5 It also provided the stone for Australia’s largest cathedral, St Mary’s in Sydney, which I’ve previously written about. Apparently there is no formal crossing over the railway line and the quarry is not permitted to disrupt rail operations. As such, stone can only leave the quarry a few times per year during scheduled trackwork closures.6
As travelling over two hours from my parent’s house just to take pictures of a small railway station might have been a hard sell to my travel companion, I made the idea more appealing to a non-train enthusiast by finding a hike we could do after alighting at Wondabyne. It turned out to be quite the adventure, taking over seven hours!
The trail began through a small opening in the bush adjacent to Wondabyne Station, with a steep climb that lasted for approximately 20 minutes. From there, the path levelled out into a wider, flatter trail with little shade.
Along the way, we encountered several noteworthy sights, including the impressive Kariong Brook Falls with its 10-metre waterfall. The views from the summit of Mt Wondabyne were also impressive. At a height of 251 metres, Mt Wondabyne is the highest point in Brisbane Water National Park. We enjoyed sweeping views of Mullet Creek and the surrounding wilderness.
The best discovery of the hike, however, came when we stumbled upon the Woy Woy Waterfall Pool—an unexpected oasis in the dense bushland. This hidden pool, nestled among rocks and surrounded by thick vegetation, proved to be a perfect spot for a refreshing dip. However, the journey to reach the pool was challenging, with a steep descent over rocky terrain. Unfortunately, after a refreshing swim, we had to continue our hike for another hour or so to reach the road where we’d be picked up. That’s when things took a turn for the worse and the mosquitoes attacked. I’m not exaggerating when I say that I ended up with over 100 mosquito bites on each arm. It was a truly traumatic experience that overshadowed the joy of discovering the waterfall pool. If you plan on hiking in this area, I recommend bringing plenty of insect repellent.
Living on the Central Coast of New South Wales, I passed Wondabyne Station every time I travelled to Sydney by train, including during my time as an undergraduate student when I regularly had to commute to Sydney for work. ↩︎
NSWrail.net, Wondabyne Station (online, 2025). ↩︎
Taitset, Wondabyne//The Request Stop In A National Park! (Youtube, 10 July 2024). ↩︎
Ibid. ↩︎
Ibid. ↩︎
Ibid. ↩︎