makin'tracks

Vehicles on tour Exploration 13th – 17th April, 2015

Trip Leader Participants Chris & Marie Taylor – LC 200 Series Sue & Ken Duffy – LC 200 Series Jason, Laura, Sebastian, Daniel Ball & John Ison – Nissan Patrol John, Teresa, Grace, & John Rosire Jr – Prado GXL

Monday – Chris at the camp site. We then turned around and followed the track back to Swamp to enjoy the boardwalk then packing up the Our meeting point was just on the edge of the township of Scone in campsite before moving on. the Upper Hunter Valley. After introductions and a short briefing we set off towards the Barrington Ranges. The initial drive was through After lunch we all piled back into our respective vehicles for the rich farmlands with spectacular views of our destination. After move to the campground following Chris down the passing through Moonan Flats we hit the dirt road and commenced Barrington Trail and along Paddy’s Ridge Track to Manning River. our climb up into the ranges. Along the way we stopped in the state forest to forage for firewood, where I got to display my considerable skills with an axe. My father We stopped at the top for a photograph at the Dingo Gate which always told me I was lighting with an axe (ie you never know where had been left wide open. Back in our vehicles we arrived at our it will strike, and it never strikes twice in the same place). With a little campsite for the night at Polblue campground after about an hour brute force and persistence we liberated some lumber and continued drive. Everyone selected their sites and set up their rigs, 2 off-road on our way. At one point the track turned into a reasonably steep caravans, 1 camper trailer and 1 tent. This was to be the first TLCC but recently graded clay slipway which the vans navigated with no trip for the Rosier family and the first trip I had organised as a Trip issues at all. Leader. On arriving at Manning Creek we selected our sites and started the The National Parks have done a good job with this campground. It setup process to find the State Forest facilities didn’t compare to is very big with lots of trees, good clean pit toilets and a shed with those we had at Polblue, so bad I was wondering if the camp site was gas BBQs. Some of us decided to stretch our legs and went for an even meant to be open. It was a nice enough camp site but definitely interesting walk around the Polbue Swap Track which took about showing the impact of a lot of use and not so much maintenance. an hour. Once we were set up, we drove off and had a lesson in navigation After dinner we sat around the fire and got to know each other from Chris along the Dilgry Circle and Thunderbolts Track heading to sharing our experiences and enjoying the peace and quiet, eventually Thunderbolts Lookout. We even had a chance water crossing and heading to bed for a very cold night. a nice slippery mud section with my kids screaming “Again, Again!”

Tuesday – Jason Thunderbolts Lookout was reached via a nice short walk through several types of bushland to an absolutely breathtaking view of the It was an early start for me after what is possibly the coldest night . This location also provided an opportunity for people to of camping my family has ever experienced. Up with the birds the make the odd phone call and catch up with the real world before view of the mist hugging the Polblue Swamp was a pretty sight, returning to find Chris had a nice puncture in the sidewall of one or would have been if I could feel my fingers, toes, feet or nose. A tyre. Chris quickly pumped the tyre up again, then we drove back to couple of hot cups of coffee later I was joined by the rest of the family camp for dinner, a fire, and lots of pleasant conversion. and some of the other campers started to rise from their beds to appreciate the crisp morning. After warming up a few of us went to Wednesday – Sue enjoy the Polblue Swamp Walk before airing down and climbing into We were once again blessed with a perfect sunny and warm day. the cars for a drive to Mount Barrington. Chris and Marie did an excellent job choosing the right week – Around 10am we all boarded our vehicles for a little drive up the bearing in mind that the following week was the worst storm for 10 Polblue Trail and then Barrington Trail to Mount Barrington. This was years for the Newcastle to Wollongong areas! a nice drive along a good road where we experienced some of the The night camped at Manning River was much milder than the native wallabies and some not so native brumbies. On finding the first. There was a leisurely pack up. Ken helped Chris change his gate locked to Mount Barrington, we drove on to Junction Pools wheel which had somehow suffered a gash in the sidewall. We were campground and enjoyed some of the sites and facilities available 40 TLCC NEWS AUGUST 2015 makin'tracks

At the Dingo Gate

Manning River

camped slightly up the hill and those who were ready went for a stroll Thursday – Teresa down to the Manning River and admired the pretty running water, Day 4 was the day that our leader, Chris, had organized a tour to and the gorgeous fern growth on the banks. the Maid Gold mine. After a short drive back through We headed off for today’s drive to the village of Barrington and the Copeland (approx. 10 mins), we were greeted by our tour guides campground there. There was excitement as we came to road Karen and Peta. They acknowledged the traditional owners, the works and had to wait for the lollipop man controlling the traffic...and Woromi and the Biripi Aborigninal people and gave us a brief history wait...and wait...but all drivers were patient. of the development of this area which had been gazetted as a ‘State Conservation Area’ because of its biological, botanical, cultural and Then we had to move just 15 metres up the road so Sue Duffy could historical features. get the tail of their caravan to the side of the road. More excitement as a convoy of empty dump trucks left the road works and finally During a short walk to the Education Centre, we were warned to yahoo! We got to drive through the recently dumped soft and sandy beware of the “stinger tree” a tall slender tree with large heart shaped soil! There was lots of activity with graders, rollers, workmen all doing leaves that really hurt if you ever touch them – even if the leaf looks stuff as we drove past. dead! We also passed some stunning “red gold” cedar trees. The centre had a visual display of the history of gold mining in the area, We got to the village of Barrington, paid our camp fees and went as well as scientific information of where gold comes from (outer to the campground and set up. An ‘at leisure’ afternoon followed. space). Gold mining started in the 1870s with about 2000 people Some of us had a little dip in the river which was very pleasant. John living in Copeland. and Teresa had minimal facilities for their first camping trip with their kids and excused themselves for a quick trip to Gloucester for a hot We then walked around some of the old buildings and relics that shower and dinner at the local club before returning to join us at the had been used in this mine. We saw the mine entrance, an old camp. compressor, and a gold crusher (stamper battery). Another mine entrance had been closed off with a specially fitted gate so that The campground was actually the village cricket ground with no some rare bats could continue to nest there. The mine had suffered night lights, no trees and no camp fires, so that night we could see difficulties with water supply, finally closing in 1980. The small stream the wondrous glory of the everlasting stars. trickling through now has good water quality as evidenced by the

Our group

TLCC NEWS AUGUST 2015 41 makin'tracks

Mountain Maide Mine

Marie makes scones

Children looking for bats

Ken and Sue at breakfast presence of red algae. We were also lucky enough to see the (large) tadpole of the endangered “stuttering frog” and a lyre bird. On the return walk some of the children tried some bush tucker in the form of Lomandra, which tastes like green peas! At this point the Ball family headed off to return to Sydney. After lunch we drove though some very scenic countryside dodged some cows and went to the Woko National Park campground, a really pretty place with lots of flat grassed space and the Manning River running through it. After setting up camp, we took a walk along Brush Turkey Track, an easy 30 min climb through sub-tropical rainforest and a small area of dry rainforest. (For the more energetic there is a 4km, level 5 walk along the Cliff Face Trail). During our stay there were sightings of a wallaby and two varieties of wren. Teresa perparing to pack up Returning to the campsite we had a cooking lesson from Marie on how to make scones in a Shuttle Chef thermos cooker. Some of Gloucester. After morning tea we then took a leisurely drive down the the group then went for a dip in the river. After dinner we gathered Bucketts Way before hitting the madness of the Pacific Highway just for a farewell drink served with fresh scones and of course toasted before Raymond Terrace. marshmallows! This was my first trip as a trip leader and I was not too sure what to Friday – Chris expect. However, I was pleasantly surprised getting to know a group of strangers with a common interest of having a 4WD holiday with After a pleasant night sleep, our last day was greeted with sunshine lots of variety. I finally got to do a trip that had been on my bucket list as we tucked into our breakfast. Soon we all began to pack up for for more than 20 years – Barrington Tops, Thunderbolt’s this & that, the drive back to Sydney. The Rosier family led the charge making Bucketts Way, Gloucester, the headwaters of the might Manning their way out of the campground about 9:30am soon to be followed River all through 3 National Parks and a State Forest. Thanks by Marie & Chris then Sue & Ken. It was going to be a busy weekend everyone for making it a very relaxing and enjoyable experience. at Woko as passed 7 vehicles loaded with camping gear heading into the park as we made our way along Thunderbolts Way towards 42 TLCC NEWS AUGUST 2015