Wollombi lies in the folds of the hills between the Hunter Valley and the Hawkesbury, a small village that seems to have been overlooked by the twenty-first century. It sits where the Wollombi Brook meets Congewai Creek, with sandstone buildings, a historic pub and a church, all at the crossroads of the old convict road. The Wollombi Tavern, dating from the nineteenth century, is the centre of village life, and a good place to eat and drink, with a verandah where riders and locals sit side by side.
The Great North Road runs through the area, and the history of the village is bound up with it. Convicts built the road in the 1820s and 1830s to link Sydney to the Hunter, working in chains with hand tools, and the quality of the surviving stonework still impresses. Wollombi was once a thriving staging post, with coaches changing horses and travellers staying overnight. The Aboriginal name is thought to mean meeting of the waters, and the Wonnarua people lived in the district for thousands of years before settlement.
The road to the village is a rider's treat. The Wollombi Road winds through bush, dry creek beds and farmland, with steady curves, a few crests and quiet traffic during the week. At weekends, the roads fill with motorcyclists, cyclists and wine tourists on their way to Pokolbin, and you should be wary of cars cutting corners. The surface is mostly good, though the verges are soft and there is gravel where side roads join. Wildlife is a hazard, particularly at dawn and dusk, when kangaroos and wallabies come out to feed.
The countryside is a mix of eucalyptus forest, grazing and vineyards, and in spring there are wildflowers. In summer, it is hot and dry, with a risk of bushfires, and in winter, nights can be cold. The best seasons are autumn and spring.
Food in the village includes the tavern, plus a few cafes and bakeries that cater to travellers. Opening times can be limited on weekdays, so it is worth planning your lunch. Cessnock, about twenty-three kilometres away, is the nearest large town, and has stations, supermarkets and the services you need. From there, the vineyards of the Hunter are only a short run away.