The Walcha News of May 19, 1933 described the state of the road between Gloucester and Nowendoc in its report on PJ Sweeney’s successful ascent of Hungry Hill by motor vehicle. It said: “To climb this hill had not even been contemplated previously, as it was thought impossible. Once or twice cars have negotiated the descent, but hitherto no attempt to ascend was thought worthwhile.
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“The road from Gloucester towards Hungry Hill is in fair condition during dry weather but in anything like wet weather it is closed to motor traffic owing to the many river crossings encountered. The road over Hungry Hill is deeply scoured and almost completely covered with boulders.”
The road was in much the same condition when, in 1958, a decision was made to construct an all-weather gravel road from Gloucester to Nowendoc, to be built in sections by the Gloucester Shire Council, Walcha Shire Council and Carson’s Northern Timber Company.
Carson’s road-building costs for the 20-mile section from the Barnard River crossing to the Walcha Council boundary were reimbursed by the Forestry Commission through rebates of timber royalties.
The road was still a work in progress when, on Easter Monday 1960, a reported 88 motorcars travelled the route despite having to negotiate several wet crossings and six miles of unformed road on the approach to Nowendoc.
It was also in 1960 that Walcha Council decided the future road to Nowendoc would go by way of the Flags, The existing Nowendoc Road, now Brackendale Road, could not readily be brought up to sufficient standard for that purpose.
The Walcha News of December 24, 1970, reported: “Walcha Shire Council will make the developmental road from Walcha to Gloucester its number one priority and the engineering staff has been instructed to proceed with the preparation of design and specifications for the work”.
Construction of the fully sealed portion of Thunderbolt’s Way in the Walcha and Gloucester shires was officially opened on May 19, 2000. The ribbon cutting ceremony was performed jointly by Mrs. Mona Carson and Barry Lyon, mayor of Gloucester. This was followed by the unveiling by Len Woods, mayor of Walcha, of a nearby memorial plaque to mark the completion of the project.
On September 3, 2000 Mrs. Carson was called upon to unveil the memorial cairn at Carson’s Lookout, the establishment of which was a joint project between the Walcha and Gloucester Rotary Clubs.
