27th Feb 2015 – 1st Mar 2015
Another great 4WDing weekend – thanks to our trip leaders Tony and Faye. This is only our 2nd organised trip with the club but was certainly enjoyable.
We enjoyed a weekend with a mixed bag of vehicles and company:
Tony Clark & Faye Goodman Challenger Alan Bull Patrol Jackie Cobbold Patrol Young George Cook Troopie Bev Fort Prado Mark & Liz Furniss Troopie Dave Brownlee 100 Series Cat & Steve Grant Patrol Neale & Roz Simpson Triton Michelle & Dave Edwards Prado Yvonne & Ken McDonald Prado
We met at Scone Maccas at 8.30am on the last day of summer and yes we were last to arrive scraping into the 8.30am deadline with about 2 minutes to spare so hence this report!! A few radio issues saw Jackie intermittently off air and during one of these intermittent moments she was unanimously declared the verbal reporter!
After filling the bellies and the fuel tanks we headed east in convoy, airing down at Moonan Flat. We continued toward Barrington Tops National Park detouring onto a narrow forest track to give the cars a quick mud bath. Morning Tea was enjoyed at Polblue Swamp – a great camping/picnic spot with excellent facilities. The rest of the morning was a combination of fire trails, national park and cattle stations. (I won’t attempt to detail all the trails we travelled along – I’m sure Tony can provide a route summary for those interested!) A few close encounters of the bovine variety had several of us wondering if the bullbars were going to be tested – literally. Dave and I thought we were going to be able to provide minced beef for the whole club for dinner!
Tony had us cruising through grassy paddocks in search of the elusive Water Gauge Camp but alas it was too muddy and crowded for all to attempt so back down the hill, past the cows and grassy paddocks, more fire trails and onwards to our camp for the night in Woko National Park.
What a gem of a camping spot – bellbirds singing, lush mown grassy lawn, babbling brook, clean eco toilets and NO rain! After setting up camp most of us enjoyed a refreshing dip in the headwaters of the Manning River followed by Happy Hour which saw us devour a veritable feast of chips, dips and Jackie’s homemade quince jelly not to mention a cold ale or three. Thanks to our resident pyromaniacs for a great campfire.
Sunday dawned cloudless and sunny but a heavy dew left most of packing away damp tents. After a 9am start we were off again exploring forest trails. Today saw some spectacular views as we climbed and bumped our way along ridges and down dales. We crisscrossed from forest to tar (yes that dirty word!) and back to dirt. We met a hermit in a remote bush camp with amazing views. We travelled along some very dusty roads, a bit of mud, did some track clearing (at least Tony and Faye did!), past more cattle and saw a majestic bird (eagle?) souring above us with the most amazing patterns on the underside of it wings.
The stakes were certainly raised for the tail end Charlie payment: single red frogs turned into multiple snakes and even a bottle of red wine!
After detouring up and through another cattle property via a flood detour we wandered into the Gloucester River Camping Area for lunch – another well maintained pretty camping/picnic spot. A few took the opportunity to cool off in the river after lunch whilst others tested their photography skills. After lunch several causeway water crossings gave the car bellies a bit of a spa treatment. We left the Gloucester area via a bit more tar and the Bucketts way before a final 4WD up the Terrible Billy Trail, ending with a water crossing that tested the navigation skills of all drivers as they tried to avoid the large boulders hiding beneath the water surface – thanks again Tony for the guidance. Heading back to Dungog via Monkerai had us airing up not too far from the lease. Most of us finished the weekend with a refreshing drink at the Royal Hotel in Dungog – thanks Dave Brownlee for the shout!!
Thank you to Tony and Faye for guiding us safely on another fun filled weekend with amazing scenery and beautiful locations not to mention great company. Thanks also to Ken and Yvonne for Tail End Charlie duties.
Just when we thought we had escaped the wrath of Hughie all weekend, the trip home saw the car totally water blasted by a ferocious storm minimalizing the need for hitting the carwash.
Michelle and David.