Old Farts on the Prowl
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Yeah...I know what ya mean, heyhey ! They got guns on board, so they think they have rights not to share the road! :angryfir:
I know not all like that though!
I know not all like that though!
Back again and what a top weekend. We were expecting rain, but it turned out fantastic. Will provide a report with some photos later. Couldn't believe how many people were out this weekend and especially on a Friday, when it's not a long weekend.
Cheers
Ray
Cheers
Ray
We left Melbourne at 05:30 on Friday morning and headed up to Licola, where we stopped for a short break before heading off to the Macalister.
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Once we hit the main road to Licola after Glenmaggie, we were a bit concerned about the
river depth looking at how high the river was all the way to Licola. The only thing to do
was take the tracjk to the first river crossing and see how things panned out. As it was,
the river by that stage was no where near what we thought and the first crossing was easy.
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Ofter the first crossing, we came across Fatso on the track, looking to have a drink. It
was blind as a bat and not until there were a few of us around did it start to take notice.
A gentle nudge and it headed for the bush and we could get on out way.
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All of the crossing were easy peasy, as the water level was pretty low and it was only at
the fifth crossing that we stopped to take stock of the conditions. THe fifth crossing has
always been the most awkward because of a big boulder right in the middle of the crossing, but because of the heavy flows last year and this year, a number of smaller rocks have been washed away. The crossing was uneventful.
Crossing the fourth:
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Crossing the fifth:
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Once we hit the main road to Licola after Glenmaggie, we were a bit concerned about the
river depth looking at how high the river was all the way to Licola. The only thing to do
was take the tracjk to the first river crossing and see how things panned out. As it was,
the river by that stage was no where near what we thought and the first crossing was easy.
Ofter the first crossing, we came across Fatso on the track, looking to have a drink. It
was blind as a bat and not until there were a few of us around did it start to take notice.
A gentle nudge and it headed for the bush and we could get on out way.
All of the crossing were easy peasy, as the water level was pretty low and it was only at
the fifth crossing that we stopped to take stock of the conditions. THe fifth crossing has
always been the most awkward because of a big boulder right in the middle of the crossing, but because of the heavy flows last year and this year, a number of smaller rocks have been washed away. The crossing was uneventful.
Crossing the fourth:
Crossing the fifth:
We stopped for a photo opportunity at the sixth crossing, which is one of the more
picturesque spots on the track, as well as having a pretty good campsite.
One of the locals wondering what's going on:
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Just before the crossing:
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Going across:
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We took a lunch break at the base of the Butcher Country Track which has this neat water fall across a large rock face:
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We then went up Butcher Country Track, which was supposed to be fairly gnarly once again, but proved to be quite easy. We had a short break and photo opportunity at the lookout and then headed to the Caledonia.
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The Caledonia Link Track was a bit better than the Butcher Country Track, but again,
nothing overly challenging. The campsite that night was pretty good and had it been hot,
this little river spot would have been great to cool off:
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The next day, we headed back up the Caledonia Link Track, down Butcher Country and then on to the Grimme Track. We stopped for another group shot at the top of the ridge line before we hit Grimme:
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picturesque spots on the track, as well as having a pretty good campsite.
One of the locals wondering what's going on:
Just before the crossing:
Going across:
We took a lunch break at the base of the Butcher Country Track which has this neat water fall across a large rock face:
We then went up Butcher Country Track, which was supposed to be fairly gnarly once again, but proved to be quite easy. We had a short break and photo opportunity at the lookout and then headed to the Caledonia.
The Caledonia Link Track was a bit better than the Butcher Country Track, but again,
nothing overly challenging. The campsite that night was pretty good and had it been hot,
this little river spot would have been great to cool off:
The next day, we headed back up the Caledonia Link Track, down Butcher Country and then on to the Grimme Track. We stopped for another group shot at the top of the ridge line before we hit Grimme:
Grimme Track proved to be completely uneventful except for a rocky creek crossing at the bottom, before we ascended from the valley. Grimme Track used to be an absolute horror in the wet, which seemed to be the conditions every time we've gone there, but it's been made somewhat less dangerous with some track fixes. Given time, it's going to be pretty bad again, as it's mainly clay and the ruts are slowly developing once again.
The creek at the bottom of Grimme Track had really been washed out by the rains and it was the rockiest crossing of the weekend. It wasn't overly bad, but just a bit narrow and
boulder strewn:
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At the top of Grimme Track, the views were impressive as ever:
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We then turned north and headed for the Knobs Track, which proved to be a nice little
drive, though nothing challenging. For anyone that likes photography and rain forests, this area would keep you occupied for several days.
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Our final campsite was on the Jamieson North River, before we headed for Sheepyard Flat, Mansfield and home. This was the coldest night of the trip and it was still only about 2C about 8:00 in the morning.
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Our cruises may not always have the most difficult of driving (because so much has been
graded), but that's made up by the fun we have along the way and at night at our camps. How many others can say that they've been doing boy's weekends for the last 10-13 years and look forward to doing the same again?
Cheers
Ray
The creek at the bottom of Grimme Track had really been washed out by the rains and it was the rockiest crossing of the weekend. It wasn't overly bad, but just a bit narrow and
boulder strewn:
At the top of Grimme Track, the views were impressive as ever:
We then turned north and headed for the Knobs Track, which proved to be a nice little
drive, though nothing challenging. For anyone that likes photography and rain forests, this area would keep you occupied for several days.
Our final campsite was on the Jamieson North River, before we headed for Sheepyard Flat, Mansfield and home. This was the coldest night of the trip and it was still only about 2C about 8:00 in the morning.
Our cruises may not always have the most difficult of driving (because so much has been
graded), but that's made up by the fun we have along the way and at night at our camps. How many others can say that they've been doing boy's weekends for the last 10-13 years and look forward to doing the same again?
Cheers
Ray
Sigh... pretty much anything remotely like that in WA gets the Track closed by bollards or a gate and a bitumen carpark next to the General Store. You get to see as far as you can walk from the car park between 8 and 5.
Very very nice pic's Ray and beautiful Country
Very very nice pic's Ray and beautiful Country
Joined
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11,701 Posts
funny **** that Monument track is a Double Black Diamond... on way up today with few cars, saw 2 campertrailers comin down, one was about the length of a tandem car trailer, and the other the blokes wife was glowing white
Good to see Lovicks Hut rebuilt...
We saw about 2 groups all weekend. was ****in magic
Good to see Lovicks Hut rebuilt...
We saw about 2 groups all weekend. was ****in magic
Joined
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11,701 Posts
do you have a fire extinguisher in it yet?
We'll consider it; however, one must meet some exceptional criteria regarding character, experience and abilities. Do you drink?
Cheers
Ray
Joined
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731 Posts
The Jeep goes great but you have to lift it otherwise you drag the fuel tank over every bump in the terrain. The 285 Bighorns make a big difference too.
Unlike some who thought it funny to throw rocks at the photographer. I suppose that's being young-at-heart.
Do you know any other tunes, that one has been on repeat for the last 100 years....
Good pics Ray.
And yeah, have been doing dirt bike and 4wd riding boys weekends for about a dozen years from Licola through to Dargo. We typically travel via Caladonia and Butcher Country, down Zeka, up Hearns and Cynthia range etc. The route we take is about 180k's from Licola to Dargo, with cars meeting bikes for refuelling at Wonongatta.
Magic country.
Thanks, we've done your trek as well, in both directons. Can't beat that country.
Cheers
Ray
Looks good, I'm planning a trip for a few newbies Up to wonnagatta for a over night stay, Think start at licola, to howwits and down zeka, then I think maybe wombat, but after that I have no idea, I don't want to take them hernes spur, from memory it might be a bit over the top.
I would like to end up at dargo.
I think the missus is going to come with my boys, so I don't want to scare her to much, it will be the first time she has really been since her dad flooded his 45 series when she was 7.
So whats a good route to take, considering I will takes some newbies and the handbrake.
I would like to end up at dargo.
I think the missus is going to come with my boys, so I don't want to scare her to much, it will be the first time she has really been since her dad flooded his 45 series when she was 7.
So whats a good route to take, considering I will takes some newbies and the handbrake.
We did the Wonnagatta trip recently; Haunted Stream, Blue Rag, Wonangatta. Can't quite remember exactly which way we went into Wonangatta, but there was nothing really challenging along the way. Zeka Spur was probably the roughest of the tracks out of Wonangatta. Our resident Cruise Savant could tell you every inch of what we did, all the way back to the first cruise.
Cheers
Ray
Cheers
Ray
hern spur is fun!
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