The middle of the Putty Road is a long spell of nothing, in the best sense. There is hardly a building to be seen for long stretches, and the sky is filled with the shapes of eucalypts.
This is the part of the road riders come for. The Putty is a ribbon of bends that follows the contours of the ridge, long, smooth sweepers interspersed with tight corners and short climbs, and the surface is mostly good. The forest and light are constantly changing, so you move from bright sun to deep shade in a few seconds, and the contrast can hide patches of damp, gravel and leaf litter. Wallabies, kangaroos and the occasional wombat are a danger at dawn and dusk, and trucks use the road, sometimes taking bends wide. Police and speed cameras have a presence, and heavy fines apply, so keep to the limits.
The history is thin but real. The Putty Road follows an old route from the Hawkesbury to the Hunter Valley, used by stock drovers and later by timber getters, and it was only formally improved in the twentieth century. The Wonnarua and Darkinjung people knew these ridges long before, and the wilderness beyond the road holds rock art and cultural sites. Bushfires have swept the area many times, including the great fires of the summer of 2019 and 2020, and the regrowth along the road is a lesson in how quickly this bush recovers.
Services are almost entirely absent. There are a few small stops along the length of the road, but hours and supplies are unreliable, and mobile coverage is patchy. The sensible approach is to begin with a full tank from Windsor or Singleton, carry water and a little food, and keep a basic repair kit. Fuel range matters, because a headwind and spirited riding use more than you expect.
The air is cool and fragrant, particularly after rain, and the silence when you stop the engine is complete apart from birdsong. Winter mornings can be cold and misty, summer afternoons hot and thundery, so adjust your layers.