Brisbane to Barrington Tops (6 - 8 July 2013)

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

I have my Prado booked in to get it's DRIFTA Drawer system fitted up by Beechy and his team at DRIFTA at Gloucester NSW on Monday July 8. Whilst I could have had the drawers freighted up to Brisbane and installed them myself, I thought I would take the drive down to pay the Barrington Tops National Park a quick visit at the same time.

The plan is as follows

• Saturday July 6 - Drive Brisbane to Gloucester via Pacific Hwy = 680km (yet to seek accomodation)
• Sunday July 7 - Day Trip Barrington Tops ( Medium challenges only required as I need to get home in one piece )
• Monday July 8 - AM - DRIFTA Drawers to be fitted up and then return to Brisbane via New England Hwy 670km

Would've loved to have taken longer and had a few days to take in the area but presently we are a 1 car family so I cant be away any longer than a couple of days. My brother is riding shotgun with me so his car will be available for SWMBO to drive in our absence...

So the plan is to make the most out of the Sunday and see the best of Barrington Tops!

Our Sunday tour will be very similar to that of Matt's Trip(LiveFreeAndRoam), and head off from Gloucester to Barrington Tops Forest Rd and do the following tracks that I pulled down from 4x4earth website.

The first track appears to be an easy drive and following the recent weather will be a good way to gauge the current conditions following this weeks weather. The track is called Tugalow-Trail and is classed on the website as Moderate


The second track is called Paddys Ridge Trail and Butchers Swamp Road and I think this is the same track that LFAR did on his trip. Again classed as a Moderate track with some very muddy sections




From here (if we get out in time), we'll head down to Moonan Flat and of course have a cold one at the Local before heading back to Gloucester on the BT Forest Rd to thaw out and hose ourselves and the Prado down before presenting it to DRIFTA for the fit out the next morning.

Looks like it's going to be a cracka and I'm now really looking forward to this little trip!


I invite anyone in the area to join me for the day to show me around. It'd be great to meet some of the Pradopoint members from this area. Also if any SEQ Crew members have a spare couple of days next weekend and want to join me for the road trip, you're more than welcome!

If anyone has any trip notes or other useful info on the Barrington Tops area, I'd appreciate the info, so please let me know or post it up here.

Current Attendees
craigm
Peterpilot

Of course, the usual trip disclaimer applies:
PLEASE READ THE DISCLAIMER BELOW; IF YOU CHOOSE NOT TO AGREE TO THE TERMS SET OUT THEREIN THEN PLEASE DO NOT ATTEND. THIS INCLUDES PRADOPOINT MEMBERS & THEIR FAMILIES & FRIENDS!
http://www.pradopoint.com/showthread...claimer-Notice

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

The Barrington Tops National Parks tracks are closed from 1st June to 30th September, but there are plenty of Barrington Tops State Forest tracks open.

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

OK thanks Peter. I'll also jump over to 4x4 Earth and see what I can find. Is there a State Forest website in NSW that I can access info?

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

There probably is a website, I just had a look at a map I had of the Barrington Tops area. It's been ages since I visited the area, that was in a Suzuki Vitara circa 1994.

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

have you got an ipad or iphone, cause if you have type in watergauge track barrington tops ( in google maps) use the hybrid map and it will show a track off the gummi track (watergauge track), follow that down and you will find a cracker of a spot, if you find it on google maps, drop a pin and get directions from gloucester, should take you about 1 1/4 hours from gloucester, its a good track no worries for even a std prado, if its wet it could be a bit interesting, might even be closed because of wet weather and snow, ring national parks office and ask. if ya want some more info pm me.
cheers samo

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

Thanks Samo, Looking it up now...

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

Just downloading the tileset for Barrington Tops on my iPhone's MotionX App which shows a fair lot of detail. I'll compare with the Google maps and set some waypoints for trip planning.

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

check ya emails

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

Thanks to Samo and Peterpilot for info on the Barrington Tops area, the national park tracks are closed from 1st of June through to 30th September and with the aid of a nicely detailed Map of the area provided by Peter, all tracks on the Southern side of Barrington Tops Forest Rd are well gated. It appears that the Northern side of this Rd is State Forest and the Sth is Nat Parks. I spoke to the Gloucester Visitor Info Centre who was very helpful and confirmed that those tracks are definitely gated.

So my Sunday tour will be very similar to that of Matt's Trip(LiveFreeAndRoam), and head off from Gloucester to Barrington Tops Forest Rd and do the following tracks that I pulled down from 4x4earth website.
The first track appears to be an easy drive and following the recent weather will be a good way to gauge the unfamiliar terrain as we will most likely be travelling alone (unless someone out there puts there hand up) The track is called Tugalow-Trail and is classed on the website as Moderate

The second track is called Paddys Ridge Trail and Butchers Swamp Roadand I think this is the same track that LFAR did on his trip. Again classed as a Moderate track with some very muddy sections (check out the pic attached below the trip info).

From here (if we get out), we'll head down to Moonan Flat and of course have a cold one at the Local before heading back to Gloucester on the BT Forest Rd to thaw out and hose ourselves and the Prado down before presenting it to DRIFTA for the fit out the next morning. Looks like it's going to be a cracka and I'm now really looking forward to this little trip!

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

Craig, I'll be up there Sunday 7th hopefully with the wife and the tin lids. If I manage to get my two way wired up by then, I'll PM ya the channel li will be on. We are just going up for a easy day with kids and a sausage sanga BBQ lunch.

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

Craig,

It looks like we'll be able to join you on this trip, I've got the weekend off. The plan is for us to arrive in Gloucester on Saturday evening, we might be able to meet up for dinner and pour over the map the night before.

Highlights of the area include:
Gummi Falls - Tugalow Trail
The Rock - Dilgry Circle
Any pub we can find

[stevep84 Find all posts View Profile Close stevep84]

The Roundabout Inn in Gloucester is good for a feed. I will have a chat to the Minister about coming for a drive on Sunday.

[mjrandom Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close mjrandom]

Sounds like a good trip. Steve you should go an demonstrate the superior performance of the Bluestorm Prado!

[stevep84 Find all posts View Profile Close stevep84]

I would love to be up there but it is not looking good, the Minister is heading off to Brisbane on Sunday arvo.

There may not be a lesson in Blue Storm superiority.

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

if you want a top feed you will have to follow the barrington tops forest road all the way over the tops to moonan flat, the pub there has a great feed and top country atmosphere, sorry craig i cant find the gps co ordinates for the watergauge but i will find some directions off google maps and get them to ya from gloucester. cheers samo