Gooches Crater is hidden out on the Newnes Plateau to the south east of Lithgow and is one of the more stunning places to visit whilst exploring the area out on the plateau. The walk itself is quite easy and mildly undulates through spectacular pagoda country til you get to the crater, then, if you wish, you can descend down into the crater itself, or, walk / scramble around the rim of the crater for different, spectacular view points. This is in the National Park, so no dogs allowed.
A 4WD is best to get to the parking spot marked by the pin on the map below, the first image shows the only real driving route to get to the parking spot, all other roads appear to be dead ends as far as I have explored. A high clearance 2WD "may" get you close, but you may end up damaging it if you do try in a 2WD. Most "soft roaders" should be ok, there are some deep puddles after rain that can be fun and there are rocky sections to negotiate, so, you take your non-4WD here at your own risk. There are only about 4-5 parking spots at the end where the pin is, so, don't be surprised if there is nowhere to park at the end where the walking track starts.
Using the 1st map image as a reference, I usually turn at the Zig Zag railway and follow the old Bells Line of Road to where I have started the track marked. From this point, you are going into 4WD country, mild, but still. If you have OpenStreet Maps on your phone, use them to help get to the pin, follow the marked route, there are no short cuts, some of those tracks marked are nothing more than walking tracks, or no longer exist.
Once you have reached the parking area, grab some water, snacks, a hat and start your walk. It really is an easy walk and only about 700-800mtrs, mildly undulating over a rocky hill and then through hilly forest before finally coming to an open hill where the view of pagodas start to appear, from here, you can see the rim of the crater. Keep following the well-defined track and you will end up at a large pagoda with an overhang, the track goes left and this will take you down into the crater, and, onto the rim on the opposite side from where you are. If you continue right, the track will eventually fade away, but you can find plenty of places to view the crater from the western rim. A track also goes down into a side creek from near here that can lead into the crater as well.
Once you have admired the crater from above, time to head down into it if you wish, you have come this far, why not. Pick your route into the crater floor, if you have taken the easy way down from near where you first arrived with the overhang, you are probably at a good campsiye on the edge of the reed beds. A nice spot to camp, or even sit and have lunch. A track (depending on water levels) heads around the left side of the floor of the crater, after rain, this can be very wet underfoot, or, in high water, not exist at all. You can follow the track around to the opposite side of the crater, to the west, you can see an overhang here that overlooks the crater floor and reeds, just enough room to camp if you like roughing it.
At this end of the crater, if you follow a track up and left out of this end, you will eventually come to a massive camp cave in the next "valley" over to the east. Stay high on the track as it branches down into the creek below here, scramble up through a narrow section and you will then have an easy walk into the massive camp overhang. LOTS of room to camp here and is popular to do so. Look over to your right, you will see a large cave/overhang that you can walk around and up into for some spectacular images and a view back to the camp overhang.
When you are done taking in the serenity, head back the way you came and back to the crater, to your left when looking at the crater, and to the left of the small camp overhang, a creek enters here, there is a feint track through here and if you follow it and stay to the right you will eventually arrive back at your point that you branched off to go down into the crater from near the pagoda with the overhang.
When you are ready, start your walk back to the carpark, a mild uphill walk.
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