NSW Events - 2012 Schedule

I was asked by a couple of people last night to get the schedule started for 2012 so that holidays can be booked etc. I notice that the Birdsville Races website now has the dates for next year's races so we can now start planning that more accurately.

THIS IS THE OFFICIAL SCHEDULE. It will be updated as everyone's feedback (and agreement) produces minor adjustments in the times, destinations etc. I've tried to spread things around the state providing something in each direction from Sydney.

January.......Coffee/Drinks........Kiama
February.....Camp....................Telegherry Forest Park
March..........Picnic Lunch...........Ellenborough Falls
April............Camp (Easter)......Wellington Cave Complex
May.............Coffee/Drinks........Lithgow, ZigZag Railway
June............Camp....................Macquarie Woods, Mt Panorama
July..............Waterfalls, lunch...Fitzroy Falls/Twin Falls/Belmore Falls
August........Camp.................... Coffs Harbour
September..Trip & Camp............Birdsville
October.......Picnic Lunch...........Polblue/Gloucester
November...Trip & Camp............National Muster Vic High Country
December...Xmas Drinks...........Richmond/Windsor?

I'll post exact dates for each event as I work them out, but thought some discussion could be started on the destinations. Some of the destinations require payment (eg Wellington Caves, ZigZag Railway etc). I'll gradually add info about each destination (what we're seeing and doing) so that you can decide if it's worth the trip.

You'll notice that I haven't listed any 4WD tracks - mostly because I don't know many! Feedback on this is required. I wouldn't mind adding a run through Yengo National Park, starting at the Wollombi Tavern and heading through, with lunch at Broke NSW - they have a tavern, just don't order the Chicken Schnitzel. Please feel free to suggest some more day trips. We should try to keep these day trips away from the big camping trips (Birdsville, Muster) because money could get tight!

I'll reserve the next two posts so that I can put in details about each destination.

Destination Details

Kiama - south of Sydney, costs a bit to use the motorways but there are ways to avoid it. If coming from Sydney or north of Sydney, don't use the Royal National Park road. Follow the Cumberland Highway around the toll roads and once south of Crossroads, follow signs to Wollongong.

Telegherry Forest Park - nestled in the Chichester State Forest north of Dungog. It's dense rainforest, there are NO showers, toilets are drop toilets but were reasonably maintained last time we looked. Plenty of flat ground to camp on, campfires are allowed except during total fire bans.

Ellenborough Falls - the highest falls in NSW, and the second highest in the southern hemisphere (apparently). Head to Taree and drive out through Elands. Quite a bit of potholed dirt road, but the falls are absolutely spectacular. You can walk down to the bottom to get your face wet in the spray.

Wellington Cave Complex - has powered sites and (brick) cabins. Cabins can sleep 8 people and have shower & toilet. Camp kitchen (free) is available. The rates are reasonable for camping AND for the caves - guided tours only (unlike one of the caves at Wombeyan). It's out near Dubbo, so it's a decent drive.

Lithgow should be easy for most of us to get to and the Zigzag railway ought to be good fun.

Macquarie Woods is 25km northwest of Bathurst and at this time of year it's bloody cold. Prepare for snow (2011), loads of ice (2010). Firewood is provided by the ranger, but the fire pits (semi trailer drum brake housings) aren't the greatest.

Fitzroy Falls, Twin Falls, Belmore Falls, Cannington Falls (and other minor falls) are an excellent attraction. At Fitzroy falls you might be fortunate enough to see a platypus in the stream near the falls too. Not far from Mittagong, Robertson has an awesome little cafe that sells incredibly good food and in winter has a nice warm log fire.

Coffs Harbour - no idea where the camping areas/4WD trails are yet.

Birdsville - there's a whole thread on this trip. This will probably be the biggest trip of the year for most of us. It's about 2,000km ONE WAY from Newcastle. Get your car serviced before we go!

Polblue is at the highest point in the Barrington Ranges, it's 400m taller than the highest point in the Blue Mountains. Its a nice drive - 2 hours west of Gloucester, which is 2 hours north of Newcastle.

National Muster will be in the Vic High Country, the actual location hasn't been decided.

Christmas Drinks - I thought Windsor/Richmond would be more central for everyone.

dont forget to supply dave with adjusted times
if where having dinner at 6pm tell him its at 2pm then he might be on time
he turned up for dinner last night
at 11pm

Haha, for Dave we'll even add a whole day to the Birdsville and Muster runs too.

I was thinking (while mowing the lawn) that it'd be nice if some 4WDing appeared a little more in the schedule. The Yengo run is mildly challenging (Craig and Brad have done the run, Dave has in the past but not with us). If that road is wet it'll be wickedly difficult - lots of sandstone, yellow clay and patches of soft sand that blend in so well together in places that in the rain, you'd only know what you were driving on once you were on it.

There are tracks through Chichester but some narrow down to impassable and you have to turn around and go back the way you came. Be nice to have a track that we could reach a destination on. Watagans might have something but a lot of that gets torn up by Sydneysiders, as do the tracks around Lithgow.

Problem is we don't want to pack buckets of stuff into a weekend - an 8 hour drive followed by 6 hours of heavy off-roading with recoveries, deep water crossings etc and an 8 hour return drive is not going to do any of us good Monday morning when we have to explain to the boss why our muscles feel like Aeroplane Jelly and our brain isn't much better.

Nice work Tony.

This is the thread to talk about this stuff in.

Here's a Google Map of the route from Moss Vale to Fitzroy Falls.

In fact, here's a map of the entire day trip from Moss Vale to the cafe.

A - Moss Vale
B - Fitzroy Falls (includes Twin Falls)
C - Belmore Falls
D - Carrington Falls
E - Chats Cafe

Point out the trails so we can add them in and I'll tack that up into the schedule, I'm sure everyone would love to do some 4WDing on this trip!

Turn off NOWRA RD on to YARRAWA RD then MERYLA RD, GUNROCK CREEK FIRE TRACK, REDHILLS RD, RED HILL FIRE TRACK, NOWRA RD.
That would be the basic route or the easiest, you would be lucky to need H4 on that track but if you do a couple of small detours like the LINK FIRE TRIAL, or SANDY CREEK TRAIL, and PATONS FIRE TRAIL you will get some L4 sections then double back to the original route. There are allot of trails i have found that dont show up on the latest topo maps so for those that are keen i can show them those trails no probs.
REDHILLS FIRE TRAIL actually goes straight over the creek that flows over one of the TWIN FALLS, from there you could walk around and check out those and FITZROY FALLS along with STARKEYS LOOKOUT.
From FITZROY FALLS to ROBERTSON pie shop you can stop off at BELMORE FALLS, which i think are the best. You can even take a swim above the falls. Last summer we used our snatch strap and rigged up a swing out. Speaking of which back on MERYLA FIRE TRAIL the local scouts have set up an awesome flying fox across the river and two huge swing outs. Great swimming hole.

I can give you the GPS co ordinates of the main track if needed a little closer to the trip.

Old.Tony said:

B - Fitzroy Falls (includes Twin Falls)
C - Belmore Falls

Click to expand...

When you are doing B -> c or vice versa, you do not have to go into Robertson. you can take Belmore Falls Road to the actual Falls.

We actually did all this in March when we went to go camping in Meryla state forest. Saga went, could not find the camp sites(there are none really), were not going to go back to Fitzroy Falls to National Parks to camp at Bundanoon(Morton NP), so went onto Wingello and free camped at the Forest HQ.

For a day trip, we first went to Berima(quilters mutter mutter), then Robertson, then Belmore Falls and lastly Fitzroy Falls and back to Wingello. Another day. we tried a loop through Meryla, but still couldn't find the camp sites(actually passed them & "you are joking" when we chased down(6 calls) a forest ranger who could tell us).

For anyone who is interested, there is also another more remote(4WD & no loo) camp site in Wingello if you want to avoid the grey nomads, back packers, RV.s , etc.

Oh, bit of foot work at the Falls to get to the view spots. FF(NP entry fee at the river) is basically flat, but the lookout has mesh , and BF(no fees) works the knees if you are dodgy in that department.

So, the Three Falls is probably one that could be expanded to a weekend for those inclined, or wanting to justify the distance.

Old.Tony said:

Kiama - south of Sydney, costs a bit to use the motorways but there are ways to avoid it. If coming from Sydney or north of Sydney, don't use the Royal National Park road. Follow the Cumberland Highway around the toll roads and once south of Crossroads, follow signs to Wollongong.

Click to expand...

If you pass through Sydney irregularly and want to use any of the toll ways with out the hassle and once off fees, look at the RTA toll device.

Needs $100 up front, which includes the device($60?) and rest as credit. When it gets down to $20, they hit your credit card for $80. Also includes quarterly statements mailed out and NO monthly fees(which I understand others charge). Easy to swap to a different car(borrowed car for a month) and then the new Nav, for which they sent out a new mount for free.

We irregularly do Campbelltown to Gosford in 1hour 30mins to 1 hour 45mins. Best we have done via the rat runs(old main roads) is 2hours about thirty years ago. Bliss Vs Stress.

We have one, inspired by the GPS that took us around the short section of tollway in Melbourne and through Toorak along a tram route in a busy shopping centre with the bloody caravan behind us. I don't expect everyone to have one though, so when I plan the route or even lead the northern guys down that way it'll be via Cumberland Highway.

sounds pretty good. ill definetely have to come on one of the trips especially the ones around southern highlands because they are so close to home

Well, guys, the day is drawing near for the Kiama run. Is anyone interested?

21 January was the date this was to happen.

If nobody is interested that's fine, we'll hook up the caravan and spend the weekend somewhere away from computers and lawn mowers.

The goal @ Kiama - cofee, cake, lunch and photos at the blowhole and lighthouse. We did one in 2009 ... let me dig up that photo ... but it'll be nice to get a bunch of Navaras in front of it.

I'll be going down to bendalonf Saturday morning.

I wont make the Kiama run Tony, i have an engagement party that Saturday to attend. I am still interested in the Teleghery and Maquarie Woods events if work permits.

If all goes to plan i should be able to make it.

Yeah I should be able too make it, my weekend off just have too check with the missus, dont think we got any thing on.

ile have to pass
finish n/shift that morning
and ive got a heap of work still to do on nav
enjoy the drive guys

Will try to make it - more details please.