Dragged my wife and youngest out to Abernethy yesterday to look at an old abandoned coal mine. As you do on a Saturday.
The Aberdare South Colliery only ran from 1913 to 1927, and what's left is a ruined winder house and a chimney. Doesn't sound like much but it's actually pretty cool in person — the kind of thing you stumble across and think "how does nobody talk about this?"
Park opposite Abernethy House and the walking track starts right there. The road in had taken a beating from recent rain — badly rutted, muddy, the works. We were fine but I wouldn't want to do it in anything that isn't a 4WD.
The winder house is roofless and the floor has collapsed into a flooded basement. We didn't go inside — the grass was way too long and we had the little one with us, so snake risk wasn't worth it. Still worth a look from outside though. The brickwork is slowly being swallowed by the bush and it's a good photo.
The chimney is the real highlight. Still standing after over a hundred years, cracked but upright, sitting completely alone in the middle of the scrub. It's a weird sight. My youngest kept asking why there was a chimney with no house, which is actually a fair question.
From there the track takes you down to a dam — full of water after the rain — and loops back to the car. Easy circuit, maybe an hour all up. Muddy boots guaranteed.
Good little outing. Would go back with better weather to get some proper photos.
