MAKIN' TRACKS EXPLORING THE SOUTH COAST HINTERLAND OVER CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR We had no plan other than to explore some of the tracks and fire trails marked on the South East Forestry Maps staying well and truly clear of Water crossing at Quart Pot Rd the coast and the “madding crowds”. We’d done a few of them before so weren’t going in totally blind, but we’d heard of a couple that were supposed to be pretty interesting in the dry, and downright nasty in the wet. After meeting Ken and Diana at the Rainbow Pie Shop at Milton (about half an hour later than planned due to horrific holiday traffic) we set off to do the Pigeon House Mountain trip we’d done a few times previously only in reverse. Our preferred camping spot, Blue Gum Flat, was already occupied by a bunch of people with chainsaws and motorbikes so we continued, eventually pulling up at a nice little bush camp on the Bimberamala River. It’s a tiny little camp site with no facilities whatsoever, The following morning we backtracked a little way down Araluen Road probably good enough for four cars provided that you know each other before finding the Dry Creek Fire Trail. Pity we hadn’t checked it out last reasonably well! The skies were pretty leaden and after we went to bed, night as the designated area would have made a much better camp the rain began to fall. Although nice and dry inside our tents, outside site. From the moment we crossed Dry Creek, the track headed off into was a different story, it rained almost continuously all night finally the heavens, and we seemed to climb and climb well into the high 900 clearing just a little before dawn. By the time we had finished packing metres and seemingly straight up! Right at the top we found a fallen up, three of the five of us had found ourselves to be carrying ticks, and Trig Point which are, I suppose, pretty much obsolete in these days Ken had also managed to pick up a leech. of satellite mapping. The carving on the four by four length of timber holding the double circle of the Trig point was of the British Ministry of Defence, so who knows just how long it’s been there. Once again, Dry Creek Fire Trail is no place for a camper trailer. The Merricumbene Fire Trail was next and after an hour or so we came upon a single motorbike rider who stopped to tell us that about a kilometre ahead there were two four wheel drives that were unable to climb a very steep and muddy hill. The first thing we did when we caught up with them was to ask what tyre pressures they were running. They didn’t really know, as they had no tyre gauge. It turned out that they were on about 30 lbs, so we dropped that down to about 22 lbs and the Bundera had another go. Although a little underpowered the little Bundy (after dropping two passengers and making them walk up the hill) finally made it to the top. They’d already had a dozen or so Diana and Bill checking out the attempts and had done nothing for the track at all. The old Navara ute story about the old bakery was next but it also had other issues. The exhaust had broken off at the manifold. The gasses coming from the engine were building up under the bonnet, and with half of the air pipes missing, the gasses were being We had some serious concerns about our ability to climb back up out taken back into the engine, causing it to lose power, and overheat! To of the bowl we were in, and visions of our first Pigeon House trip in the remedy the overheating, as well as the gas build up, they later removed mud kept springing to mind. Ken, with the winch and the twin lockers the bonnet lid! The Navara had another go at the hill and made it to went first, but we were pleasantly surprised to find the track in very within spitting distance of the top, but just didn’t have enough umph good condition, traction being of no concern. That was a relief, and we to get there. They reversed again for another attempt but once again pulled into Nelligen for a quick comfort stop. only managed to get to the same spot. We asked if the lads had snatch Leaving Nelligen via Runnyford Road we hit the dirt again and started to straps which they did, and after teaching them how to join two straps climb. Quart Pot Road was the next intersection followed by No Name Fire Trail. We’d been warned that No Name was a track that shouldn’t be attempted after significant rain, but decided to have a look at it and were fully prepared to turn around should the need arise. As it turned out the only tracks that were of some minor concern were the main tracks off which the fire trail runs. Although we wouldn’t claim the No Name to have been all that fearsome, it was certainly interesting, heaps of fun, and very steep! The Yellow Flower Fire Trail was just as interesting and steep as No Name and we had bags of fun. We certainly wouldn’t recommend that anyone should attempt these tracks while towing a camper trailer! We drove a little way along Araluen Road where we camped next to the Deua River – which sadly was little more than a few pools. It wasn’t much of a place to camp, but served its purpose, though why anyone would choose to bring two families here and set up for a week is anyone’s guess – but someone obviously thought it a great idea. Each Merircumbene Fire Trail to their own I guess! TLCC NEWS FEBRUARY 2010 31 MAKIN' TRACKS safely (they were going to use shackles), the Bundy managed to snatch We wended our way through the Dampier State Forest taking fire trails the Navara to the top. that would ultimately take us to the Belowra Valley. There were one or two trails, Gulph Creek Road to name one, which looked fine on the By now the track looked a little sloppy so in an effort to maintain as map, but it soon became pretty obvious that no-one had used the track much of the track for me as possible, Ken flipped the switches on both for a long time - and sure enough, after having driven around quite lockers and sailed up the hill without drama. I took the mighty Patrol a few fallen trees we finally came to a huge tree that had completely up and over, also without wheelspin and we were on our way. We blocked the track. We had no chain saw with us so had to backtrack passed the boys a little way along the track - the driver of the Navara to Comerang Road before tackling the Belowra East Fire Trail. We’d told us that his truck was steering badly and he thought it was due to been this way at this time last year; the track goes through a really the lack of air in the tyres. We went around them and made our way well developed private property and comes out on the main dirt road to Bendethra where we arrived for our overnight stop at about 1.30. through the valley. Since we’d been last however, the property owner Four hours later we heard the lads coming into the camp site and called has padlocked the last gate, and once again, we had no option but to them on the radio. They had just arrived and were worn out after a long, backtrack. No doubt he’d had enough of the noisy trail bikes using the long day. They were coming in on 3 wheel drive after having discovered fire trails and scaring his herds – couldn’t have been because there had that the steering problem was a little more serious, and required the been too many four wheel drives through could it? drive to the near side front wheel to be disconnected. By now, fuel was becoming an issue as neither of us had had the Our camp site at Bendethra was also home to three Lace Monitors who opportunity to refuel since Milton. Ken and Diana were due to head for wandered in and around our camp throughout our tenancy. We spent home at Narooma in any case, so we pulled up at the side of the road a relaxed afternoon by the river with a few soothing ales, happy in the and had lunch before saying our goodbyes. We decided that although knowledge that there was little chance the goannas would bother us our fuel warning light was showing, we had enough fuel to find a camp up in our rooftop tents. for the night and make it into Cobargo in the morning. The young blokes left early in the morning and we listened in on the The start of Wandella Fire Trail runs off the Belowra Road and there radio as they worked their way back out to the highway. It was going to are some fantastic little camping spots, right on the Tuross River. We be a long slow trip for them to get back to Hornsby, involving a lot of crossed the river (the crossing for which is well hidden until your front snatch strap work to get back up the mountain.