Wauchope - (DRIFTA, Gloucester) - Barrington - Bellbrook (11-16 April 2012)

[LiveFreeAndRoam Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close LiveFreeAndRoam]

My "near new" 150 needs a set of drawers. After meeting Mark Beech from DRIFTA at the Brisbane 4x4 Show, I decided on a roadtrip to have the drawers installed at DRIFTA HQ... any excuse for a roadtrip . [As an aside, Mark is offering $100 off DRIFTA drawers to PradoPoint members].

The rough travel plan:

• 11th - Goldy > Wauchope > Broken Bago State Forest > Swans Crossing campground
• 12th - Swans Crossing > Gloucester Holiday Park
• 13th - DRIFTA drawers installed (see you at 10am Mark ) > Barrington Tops (Either State Forest Campground or Gloucester Tops Riverside Caravan Park)
• 14th - Barrington Tops > Polblue Camping Area
• 15th - Barrington Tops > Bellbrook > Black Bird Flat

I'd love to hear any tips on tracks that are a must see/do experience. I saw a vid of Pat Callinan exploring the Broken Bago Forest, and it really grabbed my attention!

Naturally, if you are in the area and would like a PP outing, then please let me know.

LFaR.

[adamr7 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close adamr7]

If you want an awesome camping spot, Pole Blue at Barrington Tops is unbeatable. Plenty of tracks in the nearby vicinity. I also had Drifta fit a set of drawers. Couldnt be happier. Mark and Luke do a great job, and are only too happy to accomodate any changes or modifications you want done. There is a Tourist info(National Parks) office in Gloucester that is an awesome source of info, its in one of the side streets that runs off the main street.

[matt150 Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close matt150]

Bugger it Matt.

I shall be picking up my camper trailer in QLD when you are going to be here.. Sorry we couldn't catch up !

[glen_ep Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close glen_ep]

I know the Barrington Tops area quite well. There's many more great camp sites than what's listed on that SF link, I guess they'd be on the National Parks website (link below). Most sites have toilets and are easy to access. There's only two sites I know of which truely require 4x4 (PM me if interested in those).
- http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/na....aspx?id=n0002

For sight seeing, highlights are Polblue swamp, Junction Pools and the view from the Dingo Gate (far western side). Don't bother with Gummi Falls; the tracks are closed and the falls are tiny anyway.

The majority of tracks on the Barrington Tops are easy, but for a little bit of fun, explore around this pine forest:
- http://www.4x4earth.com.au/tracks.ht...oad&map=street

Or, if you have experience and want to drive the most thrilling track in the region, then there's only one loop worth driving; Bull Ridge Rd and Bungaree Trail. You'll need 3 hours for it, and make sure your winch is in good order because there's no easy way out (bottom of valley is private property). It is a loop, but not maintained, so don't go down anything unless you're certain you can get back up it! There's heavy erosion towards the bottom of the valley, making big holes which can be invisible to the driver when climbing (I fell in one and bottomed out on the chassis - which saved me from rolling).
- http://www.4x4earth.com.au/tracks.ht...ail&map=street

[LiveFreeAndRoam Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close LiveFreeAndRoam]

Guys, that's brilliant! Thanks for your tips.

Adam, did you have any mods done to your DRIFTA drawers? I'm getting the D2DWT, trims, sidewings, floor, fittings, dropslide, and straps. I'll be interested to know if there are more customisations to consider. I just found Polblue camping area on the Barrington Tops Hema map - I'll also plan to stay there. Thanks for that!

Matt... that's a shame. I would have loved to have caught up.

Glen, that sounds *very* exciting. I've downloaded the track logs and have plotted routes; all ready to upload into the Garmin. When I get there, I'll peek over the edge before deciding to take them on. I'm always up for a challenge, though I won't have my bash plates until after I return from this trip. So I may just have to take it a little easier this time around. Though the prospect of putting my winch into service has got me a little thrilled .

LFaR.
PS: Of course, if anyone wants to join in the fun, let me know; there's more fun with more numbers.

[glen_ep Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close glen_ep]

Ohh there's one more scenic destination; "The Rock";
http://maps.google.com.au/?ll=-31.88...04128&t=h&z=19

(watch out for a small sign by the road, you'll know the rock when you see it)

[LiveFreeAndRoam Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close LiveFreeAndRoam]

Ahh yes, I remember the rock from GTG2010. very humbling .

LFaR.

[Yota Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Yota]

Bugga! I'm over due for another Baringtons trip, but will be in Melbourn that weekend.

[glen_ep Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close glen_ep]

Another must see area is Oxley Wild Rivers NP. It's a huge area though, so you'd need a couple more days.

[LiveFreeAndRoam Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close LiveFreeAndRoam]

I was wondering if you'd be available Yota. Hopefully another time.

Glen, I'm going to just have to keep coming back to this region. I'm sure a lifetime of travel would never cover everything there, but I wouldn't mind dying trying

LFaR.

[adamr7 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close adamr7]

I got the 2 drawers side buy side with an integrated table on the RHS. We had a cutlery drawer made for one of the drawers, and the side wings, although Ive been taking them off so I can stuff soft stuff down the sides. Also get an aluminium angle put on the front leading edge to stop any damage.

[kav Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close kav]

if you are in the wauchope area you must do the drive to the wilson river picnic area , its stunning . if you do , make sure you do the walk to the falls . i missed it . it features in the latest pat cullinan magazine .

[LiveFreeAndRoam Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close LiveFreeAndRoam]

Despite having to cut a couple of days off the initial plan, I've had a blast exploring Barrington Tops. The new drawers are truly impressive. I especially like that they use HDPE for sliders, rather than rollers which consume a lot of valuable space, imho.

What a way to arrive at Gloucester, just as the sun is setting.



The morning was a chilly 8C and conditions were damp.



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[LiveFreeAndRoam Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close LiveFreeAndRoam]

[Moderators: Seems there's a problem with the way image tags are counted. It reckons I have 6 images when I only had 3 or 4. So for now two at a time - Edit: This was because it also counts smilies as image tags - Thanks Snaga].

We stopped to investigate a noise when the wheel was on full lock. Turned out that when ARB installed the bar they missed one of the mud-guard fasteners, leaving a loose end of the mud-guard to scrape on the tyre. That will be a quick fix, I thought. Unfortunately, after poking a hole through the guard (ready to zip tie it in place), I found my car had sprung a leak! Damn, it turns out the windscreen washer bottle extends a long way down the guard. So now I created another little project. I felt like a ...



Fortunately, the rain was keeping my windscreen moist and so didn't need any wiper fluid, (small mercy).

After some truly enjoyable, muddy, rutty, slippery, scenic driving we arrived at Gummi Falls (via Tugalow Trail). We met a NPWS worker who could not believe we'd driven in via Tugalow - he thought it was impassable. (Nothing is impassable for the Prado, I thought ). As we were about to head on our way, he sheepishly admitted he had bogged his 10 tonne tipper truck and the track was blocked! I couldn't resist to take a few pics and a chuckle at his expense .

This does indicate just how slippery it was. His truck could not take the corner in slippery conditions and it left him heading toward the edge and into the bush. He had about 10 tonne of rocks in the back... there was no easy way to move him.



So we headed back out the same sloppy and slippery way we came. I must say, I was amazed at just how well the Mickey T's hung on. Whilst we slid around a bit, the ATZ 4-rib were amazing at keeping us moving in the forward direction.

... cont'd ...

[LiveFreeAndRoam Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close LiveFreeAndRoam]

I would loved to have taken more pics, but it was muddy, cold and wet. We were not in a hurry to exit the nice cozy Prado . We arrived on the Western edge taking in the breathtaking views over Upper Hunter Valley.



At the 2009 GTG, I remembered Yota being nostalgic about some pub down in the valley at Moonan Flat. Not one to forget such a sentimental description of any pub, we headed on down to sample it for ourselves. Firstly, the drive down to Moonan Flat is spectacular. The pot of gold at the end of this rainbow came in the form of Moonan Flat's Victoria Hotel...



Ahhhhh.



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