Thursday
We packed up and as we didn’t have to catch up with 4WD Action until midday we took the time to take the kids to the beach. Unfortunately blue bottles had pretty much shut the area down which made it hard, so we packed up the kids and went over to a park for them to run of their energy.
I caught up with finances, e-mails and the forums on the laptop whilst they had a play, and we eventually went over and caught up with Vlad and the fella’s and fuelled up ready to go.
The plan initially was to go and set up camp at Bournda N.P (Hobart Beach) but upon arrival we found that the camp areas are basically gravel squares, and you aren’t allowed to have campfires there. So onwards we continued heading through Tathra and stopping at Mimosa Rocks N.P (Gillards Beach) just south of Tanja.
Setting up camp we went through the photo shoot part for Steve (the task master!) and basically rested for the remainder of the day. I was quite shocked to be honest as I was expecting long days towing the trailer up some crazy tracks and setting up/packing up everyday. It was a pleasant surprise though as we had basically been on the move since before Christmas and it was quite nice to relax.
We had a chat about areas to go and I suggested we head into the Wadbilliga N.P and do a loop through the crossing, Tuross Falls and back to camp. With the plan sorted we had a nice quiet drink around the campfire and called it a night.
Friday
Dawn arrived and I slept through it 🙂 Apparently it was good…..
We got the kids ready and departed camp just after 0900h. I lead them up to Tanja and took the dirt road over the top of Dr George Mountain. We dropped into Bega and grabbed some supplies and a quick tour of the Bega cheese factory followed – with some cheese cake being devoured before us (literally!).
The bitumen run north on the Princes Hwy to Cobargo disappeared quickly enough and we turned onto Yowrie Rd until the turn-off to Peak Alone.
The climb up the main track was easy enough and we stopped to get some photos from the top at the fire tower (interestingly it wasn’t manned and doesn’t look like it has been for a while).
The fella’s asked for some low range work to get some photos so I led them to the powerline track that leads back onto the main track. The powerline track is easy enough but still requires decent placement of your wheels and lower tyre pressures to protect your tyres (mainly rocky terrain).
Retracing back onto Yowrie Rd we continued onto Wadbilliga Rd and stopped at the crossing to have a late lunch. The crossing was running quite quick and if it was any quicker I certainly would have reconsidered crossing it in the first place.
There ends the ‘easy’ part of the day 🙂 From here on in the trip became like a typical ‘my type’ of trip and I’m quite sure that those along for the day will always remember it (I’m not sure whether it will be remember fondly or not!).
We departed the crossing planning on a short run to Tuross Falls. Well not even 300m up the track we came across a decent size tree that had fell right across, so there was no chance of removing it or getting around it.
Now in Victoria you are encouraged to carry a chainsaw as Parks Victoria understand the advantage of 4WDers clearing the tracks when the come across these problems. For 2 very good reasons – 1 being that it clears it for management vehicles; and 2 being that a lot of these tracks are required by fire trucks under some of the worst conditions available. From a fire fighter perspective there is nothing worse than finding a track blocked and the time taken to clear it is time that could be well used elsewhere, or even worse can mean the difference between an escape route and being stuck in an area.
However with this area being NSW that means that chainsaws are barred from National Parks and that meant turning around. So that we did. Just after Lake Creek I found a track of to the left named Brassknocker Firetrail.
Not long onto the track I met a Prado and I asked him about the condition of the track. I was advised that the rivers were up but it was an easy enough run. So we continued on a few hundred metres and came to a crossing of the Yowrie River. Mmmm the Prado went through that with no snorkel……
Anyway we had a look, discussion and we agreed to go across. It was running quite quick but the depth was low enough to attempt. The were a few larger rocks that beckoned to hit a diff or two, so the fellas put some sticks/themselves in those areas so we could get across.
River crossing completed we continued along the trail. Not much further along we had to move a tree which had fallen across the track. Now either this tree had good timing or that Prado never went through this track at all….. Did I mention the fact that there wasn’t any wet tyre marks around the river either….
Anyway you can’t stop a dog pissing on a tyre I suppose…..
After the tree we basically followed the track up and down until we came across the junction of the Yowrie and Wadbillia rivers. At the junction there is a memorial there for W.G. ‘Super’ Sutherland, a pioneer stockman of the Yowrie area.
Extract from the Heritage Branch website –
In 1829 William Duggan Tarlington undertook an ambitious expedition to find new grazing land south of his property at Oranmeir on the Shoalhaven River. In company with three Aborigines he pushed on to the head waters of the Shoalhaven, crossed the range near Mount Euranbene and following first Woila Creek and then the Tuross River to Wandella Creek and into the valley where Cobargo nestles today. This trail traversed by Tarlington was also used to transport cattle to Krawarree and on to the tablelands from the coast. Charles Byrne was a pastoralist at Cadgee before gold was discovered at Nerrigundah or Gulph Creek in 1861. Byrne selected and later purchased large areas of land along the Tuross River and Belowra Valley. He and his family were farmers and graziers on a grand scale, so a network of dray and droving and pack tracks was developed. These trails include the track from Belowra to Nerrigundah, Cadgee or Wattlegrove. This track follows Belowra Creek (marked as Belimbla Creek on the forestry maps) to where Big Belimbla Creek runs into Belowra (Belimbla) Creek. It then goes across country to where Millers Creek runs into Little Belimbla Creek. The track can then be followed up Little Belimbla Creek and onto the Belowra Road at the Kurrajong cutting, or followed to Cadgee Mountain Trig. These trails were often used by the Sutherland family who were stockmen for Charles Byrne in Belowra. (The last of the Sutherland stockmen, Super Sutherland, has a plaque erected in his honour at the junction of Wadbilliga and Yowrie Rivers.) The BrIces from Belimbla also used this route to supply the Gulph diggings near Nerrigundah, with cattle for beef. S W Bate later acquired much of the Byrne holdings. Bate also owned several properties at Tilba. Bate drove stock from “Wattlegrove” on to the Tuross River, up to the Cadgee trig point and onto Belowra and from “Wattlegrove” to Reedy Creek to Punkalla (near Narooma) and onto Tilba Tilba.
Straight after the memorial we needed to cross the Wadbilliga River. This crossing was a little bit more difficult than the previous crossing we did, however all vehicles got across with no major issues. Continuing on we started to find a lot of trees down across the track that we were able to move, but it all cost time – and light was fast disappearing.
It was up here that I missed the track junction and instead of turning onto the Yowrie Firetrail we ended up climbing over the hill and ended up on the Green Hill Firetrail. Oops….
Green Hills Firetrail is right on the banks of the Tuross River and there was no way in hell we where getting across the river that day. Plus there was the added complication that it appeared to be private property which had us concerned. There were no signs stating it, but it was good to see a N.P sign again as I don’t like doing the wrong thing (even with it being innocent).
Being that it was the ‘way of the day’ Green Hills Firetrail ended up being blocked by another large tree down across the track. By now it was pretty much dark so we all had a chat and decided to go back to the Y junction we had passed and turned onto Jillicambra Firetrail.
Night runs are normally a lot of fun and to be honest even though the day was turning to shit it was kinda a lot of fun still. The track had a couple of good hills which we had to climb and descend and I really missed my roof mounted spotlights. For anyone who thinks they are only for appearance factor (e.g. wank factor) I’d kindly suggest that you go out and try a good night run – you’ll understand why we run them!
Anyway there was a lot of small branches and trees across the track in numerous areas but we were determined to finish this track one way or the other – which I can safely say we did. I believe the time was now around 2200h from memory.
Funniest thing is there is a sign at that end of the track stating ‘no through road, private property’. Hell that’s a lot of help seeing that at the END of a track…..
Anyway we came out on Wadbilliga Rd and my head hadn’t caught up yet what had happened. We started heading west on the road when the missus saw the sign at Conways Gap. She mentioned that she had seen that before and went diving for the book.
Around about then I came across a downed tree across the road and my mind finally came to the party. We had managed to do a big ‘U’ throughout the off-road part of the day and had ended approximately 2km’s from where we had stopped for lunch at Wadbilliga Crossing – you wouldn’t believe it 🙂
So we turned around and headed the other direction. Around about now I started to get concerned as I knew that we’d have to cross the Tuross river to get out of our current predicament. Seeing the way the rivers had been running all day I wasn’t holding my breath about that prospective I tell you!
Thankfully small mercies happen sometimes and we got real lucky that day. The crossing was quite easy and didn’t present a problem thankfully. And guess what we found on the gate as we left the N.P – yep a road closed sign stating that there was trees down! Yep again a lot of help that is at the END of a track….
Anyway it was pretty much midnight by this time and we still had a hell of a lot of km’s to cover before getting back to camp. So we headed across to Nimmitabel again giving the spotlights a good work out. The fella’s pumped up their tyres whilst I continued on.
I had the young fella asleep in the car and if I’d have started the air compressor it would’ve woke him. Knowing my tyres and vehicles like I do, I knew I could get down Brown Mountain and back to Bega on the 25psi if I took it easy.
For those not aware when your tyre pressures are low it affects how your vehicle handles – in particular cornering and braking. If you corner too hard (quickly) then you run the risk of rolling the tyre off of the rim, and braking it will tend to take longer to pull it up. The other big issue it causes is overheating of the tyre itself. If a tyre overheats then it can ‘blow out’ which can be very dangerous. It’s one of the big reasons why you can’t do high speeds with low tyre pressures, and why I never went over 80km/h that night.
The advantage that I found that night on low pressures was at Brown Mountain. The lower pressures basically give you more resistance to rolling, which means that the vehicle doesn’t want to ‘take off’ as much downhill – in effect stopping you from being on the brakes as much.
However I certainly do not recommend anyone from running around with lower tyre pressures than a manufacturer recommends. I’m simply stating the above problems with it.
I forgot to mention that whilst coming down Brown Mountain we came across some backpackers who we thought were broken down. They were stopped in the downhill lane smack bang in the middle of the lane. They were sitting there watching a DVD as their brakes had overheated coming down the hill. So the solution was to stop and watch a DVD…..
Anyway we eventually made it to Bega, re-grouped and continued on to camp. Arrival time was approximately 0200h – nearly 17 hours since we had left – and all with four kids in the Landy.
Yep we are mad!!!
Saturday
Well it was already Saturday when we got back to camp! However we did have a sleep and it was decided to have a quiet day. We potted around for the first part of the morning whilst a couple of fellas went for a cup-o-latta and cheese cake!
We were very kindly shouted lunch at the pub at Bermagui and from there we went and had a swim in the salt pool right next to the sea – very enjoyable.
Coming back to camp we organised some dinner, played some games with the kids and generally relaxed.
Overall a very enjoyable day indeed!
Sunday
We packed up and hit the road just after 0900h. We hadn’t even cleared the track out of the camping area and I had a flat tyre on the front left (should’ve taken the hint then!).
We got over to Bega in quick time, fuelled up and headed into the eastern part of the South East Forests N.P. It’s location is very close to Pambula so it’s ideal for a day trip from that location.
Turning onto Hakea Lane Fire Trail I tried to reverse back up for the guys to get some photos. The front end of the Landy gave a bit of a bang and the transmission seemed to be further over to the passenger side. Being where I was there wasn’t a hell of a lot I could do.
I tried to turn around at the creek but the trailer kept sinking down so I had no choice but to continue on up the hill in first low. She didn’t sound too good at all. The only advantage so to speak is that the transmission resumed it’s normal position.
I let the fella’s go ahead of us part way up the hill and we continued on climbing up the now Hakea Rd. Turning on to the Wolumla Peak Forest Rd the old girl overheated in a big way. I was scratching my head as it’s weird for her.
Anyway I let it cool down, topped up the coolant and continued on. It started to heat up again. So I stopped and had a good look. About then my head started clicking and I starting noticing things that I should’ve looked for the first time.
The fan was hitting the shroud on the passenger side. However the whole engine position didn’t look right – it seemed to be on the passenger side too much. Diving under the old girl and it was pretty obvious. Both engine mounts were stuffed, with the one of the passenger side absolutely destroyed.
With nothing much that I could do about it there (or even in that part of the state) I got the misssus to feed the kids lunch, and with Vlad’s help (thanks mate) I managed to tie off the drivers side mount to the chassis with fencing wire. I also cut the radiator shroud out and tied the turbo pipe so it was away from the fan blade.
From there we continued up to the lookout, because be stuffed if I’d gone through all of that to miss out on the view. We got up to the top again with the help of the fella’s from the mag and I again thank them for their patience. There is nothing worse than vehicle troubles when you are trying to work!
However I must admit that the views from the top of Wolumla Peak were pretty special. You could clearly see the coastline as well as the full N.P – basically a 360 degree view.
We modified the route from what we were going to do, and instead went straight back down the hill on the Wolumla Peak Fire Trail until we stopped at the Pambula River. All I can say is the soak in the swimming hole was absolutely outstanding. I felt a million bucks after that soak.
The kids had a photo with the fella’s and we bade goodbye to them and all of a sudden we were back to being by ourselves – this time with a couple of broken engine mounts!!!
