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April 2019
02 April 2019
This morning we connected our rig back together and pulled out of my sisters driveway heading for the open road. Having had a fairly emotional time it while we were there it was a bit of wrench leaving this morning, but it is time to move on, in more than one sense.
After getting some new rubber on the house wheels it was time to hit the highway and after a plain jane trip we stopped at the small free camp at Maffra, settling into the old caravan park and enjoying the sun.
04 April 2019
Twenty past one in the morning is a strange time to leave a camp, but one of the backpacker vans near us did exactly that, waking us in the process. Later in the morning we got up, packed up and headed off on the days travel.
Along the highway and into Bairnsdale where we stopped to top up with cheap fuel and then it was off into the hills as we took the highway around Lakes Entrance. Passing through Bruthen we continued towards Orbost where we left the madness of the highway and turned Northwards along the C512 towards Bonang.
The road was very hilly and rather narrow, dirt on some spots and littered with signs warning of logging trucks. Stopping for a look at a camp spot at Goongerah we dropped down into a small valley where we found a camping area with enough room for four or five rigs, a small bridge over a river and another couple of camping spots. Time for lunch and some photo's and then a decision on staying or not.
The river near the small bush camp at Goongerah.
We decided to keep going and had more fun with the winding road, some dirt road and our first log truck, followed by the three others behind him that he mentioned on the radio. Breaking out of the forest at Bonang we found ourselves in sheep and goat country, the tree's replaced by open paddocks and plains.
Crossing the Victorian, New South Wales Border at the Delegate River we noticed a couple of tracks down the side of the rickety old bridge and decided to investigate. Finding a grassy turnaround area complete with a bin, firewood and a flat spot to park we declared the days drive over and settled in, spending a very dark night alongside the gurgling, burbling river.
The Delegate River.
Rain overnight looked like it had washed away the dust from yesterdays short section of dirt but of course when it dried it had only done half a job.
Not long after leaving we came to the small town of Delegate as it awoke for the day. We stopped for a quick look at the renovated timber slab settlers hut before taking a short drive around town and heading on our way towards Bombala, Nimitabel, and then the open grassy plains to Cooma.
With a different route North from Cooma in mind we turned off before town, got some fuel at the truck stop and hit the back road to Braidwood, passing Numerella and onto Countegany where we turned off to see if we could find the Tuross River Cascades and Falls.
The start of the track was pretty good and we though that the 13 kilometres would be a breeze, but of course it wasn't. The track narrowed and got rougher requiring 4x4 to be engaged and even the hill descent control to be used. We just hoped there was somewhere to turn around at the end.
The further we went the narrower and steeper the track got and at one stage the Hema Navigator recorded a 34.5% climb. Eventually arriving at the carpark we decided not to go onto the camping area and just parked up to take the short 30 minute walk to the cascades while trying to decide of we would take the 2 hour return trek to the falls themselves.
We could hear running water from the carpark and in less than 30 minutes, we were down at the bottom of the stairs and at the lower cascade and water slide. The smooth rock here making for a great water slide into a deep pool on a hot day, and there was even a rope to use to haul yourself back out again. We stopped long enough to take some shots and then after a lung busting climb back to the carpark, decided not to go to the falls.
The lower part of the cascade.
A closer view.
The drive out was just as interesting as the drive in, with low range 4x4 required at one stage to get us up the hill. Back on the main road we climbed and climbed on what became a dirt road through some of the Wadbilla National Park. The road was fairly good but the tree's and views around each turn were quite spectacular, and stopping for photo's should have been on the cards, but those cards didn't get played this time.
More up hill, down dale on the dirt before we came out into the open once more as we passed through the open country where the Shoalhaven River starts and makes its way to the coast near Nowra.
Arriving in Braidwood after an unplanned 300km's we took up residence in the carpark of the Braidwood Golf Club. The club offers a free camp to self contained rigs in the hope the occupants will come in and spend some money. We got chinese takeaway from the club which was very nice.
Today's track can be found here.
05 April 2019
Our camp at Braidwood was a quiet but very wet one, constant drizzle meant the solar panels got a wash and the gutters got a clean out. We packed up and headed into town, returning to pick up our wheel ramp that we had left behind after being called up on the radio by a couple in a motorhome parked in front of us.
Leaving town after Joanne handed in someone's bank card that she had found on her morning walk at the bank and then we were amongst the traffic along the Kings Highway until we turned off heading North towards Goulburn, passing the locality of Boro and the towns of Tarago and Lake Bathurst. Passing Lake Bathurst itself was a non event as it was dry and resembled just a green patch surrounded by pine trees. Coming into Goulburn we stopped for fuel and then taking back streets made our way out to the weir for morning tea.
Out of town again and we were passing through some very nice countryside as we made our way past the hills topped with a very long wind farm to Crookwell which was as busy as the road we got there on. Heading North we made our way through Binda and Tuena. From here on the road to and through Abercrombie was very hilly and wound itself up and down dale around the hills, hairpin bends barely wide enough for us let along a truck like the cattle and removals trucks that were coming the other way meant we were down to 25km/h and the brakes and gears sure got a work out.
Not far from Abercrombie we pulled into the small hamlet of Trunkey Creek where we took up residence at the showgrounds come cricket oval. As soon as we arrived someone came over to tell us that there was going to be about 35 motorbikes camping there as well as about seven caravans. The Hills Chapter of the Ulysses MC Club was in town and that would also explain the number of motorbikes that passed us along our way.
We parked up near the buildings and grabbed a power point before anyone else got in then walked back to the pub to pay our $10 for camping. Showers and toilets are also available, though the hot water service in the showers is on the blink at the moment. Good job we have our own.
No photo's today which is a pity because the drive was such a pretty one, but a lack of places to stop meant we didn't.
Today's track can be found here.
09 April 2019
Well the 30 other motorbikes didn't turn up to make the expected 35 and the night went past peacefully in Trunkey Creek. We left the next morning and made our way to friends Vince and Jannelle in Orange where the tree's are just thinking about starting the yearly colour display. Parking up in their driveway for the night we enjoyed catching up with them again before heading off the next morning.
We didn't get far after Orange and ended up stopping in the small town of Stuart Town, which has a donation camping spot on what was the cricket oval. Town is very small, the store has closed, the Post Office is in the original pub and the other pub is, a pub. The camping spot has toilets and showers for use and is a good overnighter, but not much else.
Leaving Stuart Town we made our way to Wellington and then across to Gulgong, passing and taking over the whole road as we passed between the cars in the narrow main street before making our way to Bylong where we had decided to make our camp for the day.
Bylong is another small town on the edge of extinction with only a store opposite the recreation complex that is now used for camping. It's the same situation as Stuart Town but a $10 a night fee, and there are toilets and a unisex shower in the disabled toilet. The nearby sandstone escarpment and old Church and graveyard really the only attractions, though the RAAF did put on an afternoon and evening show with low level flying in their FA18 Hornets.
See the map of our travels today here Unfortunately the track is red like the road on the map, but you should be able to see it.
After what was a very peaceful night with seven other campers, we decided to do something we don't generally do, and that was to go backwards. Joanne decided she wanted to explore Gulgong so we made our way back to town passing the local coal mines at Ulan on the way before parking up for a camp in the showgrounds for the princely sum of $16, power, water, toilets and showers all included.
Today's track can be seen here
10 April 2019
Arriving at the Gulgong showgrounds yesterday we were pleasantly surprised to spot a 5er we recognised, which belongs to Colin and Jennifer whom we first met 12 months ago at the Neil Mitchell Weir. So of course a catch up was in order and it was nice to see them both again.
So after a peaceful night we packed up this morning and after bidding Jennifer farewell and good health, we hit the road. Stopping for fuel in the small town of Merriwa we then got off the rat race highway and headed up into the hills, literally. The green hills that is and judging by the amount of dark volcanic mud on parts of the road the rain that had come through here recently was helping the place green up nicely.
Up hill, down dale through some very pretty countryside, similar to that of the Darling Downs in Qld we could see the livestock were in enjoying the grass and fattening up. We climbed up and over the Liverpool Range, slowed only by six kilometres of roadwork's as they widened the road and took out some nasty corners.
Coming out of the range at Willow Tree we stopped for lunch at the freedom camp before heading back onto a highway for a few kilometres before turning off and heading towards Nundle, but we never got there. Somehow we took a road that bypassed the town and before we knew it we were at Bowling Alley Point on the Chaffey Reservoir Dam where we camped a couple of years ago.
Pulling in we immediately noticed how low the dam was, what a difference! We looked at a few spots along the water but eventually settled on a nice spot up near the toilets and showers where we had a view of both sides of the dam and a covered table to use as well.
The view in 2017.
The same spot but today, even the tree's have gone, though their stumps, despite being ground down, can still be found
Our camp spot in 2017
Our old campsite today.
Today's track can be seen here
11 April 2019
So after a very peaceful night we awoke to a nice clear day. Giving the solar panels a clean and a few other odd jobs done was the order of the day. Some campers left and others came to take their place and at the moment it is pretty quiet, but come the weekend and the school holidays this place will be madness.
Looking South from 400ft.
A walk around the large hill that is next to our camp gave an excuse for some exercise and to scout out a potential photo's as the clouds moved in to give some character to any shots. Of course the water level being so low made for a different trip around than the last time we were here.
Nothing around the base of the hill so there was no other option but to go up, and of course there were some shots to be had but not too many good ones of the water.
The stringy bark on this tree caught my eye near the top of the hill.
Once at the top I remembered the view of the island on the other side so made my way up and over to the spot where I took a foggy morning shot two years ago.
The island in the fog back in 2017
The island now.
The cloud is still rolling through so there just may be a nice sunset shot from the top of the hill looking down to the island, but we will see.
13 April 2019
With the weekend and the school holidays upon us it was evident that the dam was going to be popular. More campers came in yesterday, some setting up camp down on the waters edge, and with the cleaner telling of a thousand people here at holidays times, today was definitely the day to leave.
Waking early to the sight of fog across part of the dam meant only one thing, a quick trip to the top of the hill, now named heartbreak hill. Of course the most direct route to the top was the steepest and it didn't help that I am not very fit. So for a brief second I did consider using 3wd to get there but decided that that would be cheating and so slogged it to the top.
Arriving at the top puffing stronger and louder than any steam train and with legs that felt like the trunk of the tree I photographed recently I was rewarded for my effort.
The sun wasn't quite up yet and the fog had begun to move with the slight breeze.
The Fog crept ever closer to the island as the sun still hadn't made it over the hill.
And as the sun began to light up the fog and provided the best shot of the morning.
So after capturing what I was after, and realising that my ears were rather cold, it was time to head back to camp and to pack up. But walking back across the top of the hill there was just one last shot to capture as the fog crept over the top as the sun finally got over the hill.
Sun rays through the wispy fog as it rolls across the top of the hill.
So back at camp it was time for breakfast sitting in the sun and watching the last of the fog disappear before it was time for a shower and to pack up.
Using the dump point to empty the toilet and the grey tank before heading off was a bonus and before long we had made it to Tamworth which we passed through with barely any notice.
Heading along the Fossickers Way we stopped in Manilla at the new freedom camp, both for a look and to top up our water, leaving a donation afterwards. After crossing the long, steel framed single lane bridge with the freedom camp below it, the drive then was up hill and down dale through some very nice countryside. Pulling into Baraba we stopped for a look at the silo art that was under construction as two people sat in the cherry picker adding to what is going to be a very nice mural of water divining, then it was a brief look at town before heading onto Bingara, and a spot on the Gwydir River.
Arriving in town the place was buzzing and so was the camp along the river. There were vehicles everywhere but we still managed to snag a waterfront spot. It was a case of grab what you saw first otherwise lose it.
Camping in what really is the riverbed.
Today's track can be found here.
17 April 2019
Bingara turned out to be another great visit and sitting alongside the small part of the riverbed that was actually water was very nice. Ducks and waterfowl doing their thing everywhere, horses walking in the water and eating the algae and of course the fairy wrens that would dance around under our feet like little mice on skinny little legs.
Leaving camp along with a few others we made our way to Yetman, a small town with a nice little camping area that, for $10 a night gives you power, water, toilets and shower and a free washing machine.
We arrived to find the camp pretty full, and thanks to someone having left that morning, we managed to get a spot right near the ablution block and even had a clothes line at the back of us, which Joanne made good use of.
Our Bingara to Yetman Track can be found here
Leaving the next morning we made a simple track to Texas where we crossed into Queensland, checked out the free camp along the almost dry river, took a drive around town and then headed to Millmerran where we set up camp in the freedom camp at the end of town.
The best of the trees in the road island gave a chance to play around with some depth of field settings on the camera.
Our Yetman to Millmerran track can be found here
19 April 2019
We left Millmerran yesterday and after a look at staying at Cecil Plains decided to move onto Bowenville Reserve until Saturday. Our track can be found here.
Arriving at Bowenville we found there were around 40 odd campers in and by the time we woke this morning the number had doubled! We will be here until tomorrow when we move into the caravan park in Dalby ready to start work on the Braemar Power station shutdown next week, so there will probably be no more updates on here until after those ten days or so.
The sunset last night was beautiful.
30 April 2019
The end of the month came as we wound up our work here at the Braemar Power Station and we settled back into our own routine.
Mark Twain once said "...years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do that by the things you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." - and so we will.
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