Queens Birthday 2011

We're doing it again!

Destination: Macquarie Woods in Central NSW.

Turnoff is halfway between Bathurst and Orange. Take the turnoff indicated by the above link then at the fork shown in this streetview, turn right.

We should be arriving some time late on Friday night.

It was quite cold (-5C) last year when we did it and it may be even colder this year. If you're coming along, flannelette sheets and really warm clothes are highly recommended!

Dogs welcome. Firewood is provided.

Is the queen getting an invite?

I don't mind if she comes along, she can bring Linnet with her too.

And for anyone who doesn't know what Macquarie Woods as;
Vittoria State Forest | NSW Department of Primary Industries

Doing a web search gives plenty of listings for it on various forums.
A series of slides here YouTube - AUSSIE FREE CAMPING MACQUARIE WOODS JULY 2009

Is there any particular place/part to camp?
How reliable is the firewood?

I spoke with Dale (the State Forests ranger responsible for the area) last year and he said he's always putting firewood up there. I might give the man another call and see how things stand for this year. I've got his mobile number, but I think I'll give the man a bit of a break and will call him in the morning!

my inlaws were free loading there last week, not a bad spot. some new work going on to improve things. from orange its 28km slow down at the overtaking lane and turn left.

Bump?
Nearly time to start loading up.

Yeah we're prepping for it now. We have a trip to the Southern Highlands this weekend, we've changed the sheets over in the van to flannos (which is about all we really need to do) so now it's just a matter of filling the water tanks on the Friday morning before I go to work and then hooking up and doing the trip.

I reckon this year is going to be horrendously cold. It was -5C last year, but things feel so much colder this year - I think I'll take a small tarp to put over the cabin of my Navara too, because it took half an hour for the ice to melt off the windscreen last year.

err, thanks for that tip on the ice Tony(I think).

We have been waiting for all the bits for the CT bed to arrive. the underbed vent stuff just lobbed in earlier, so given a few hours of sunshine(chase fleas out of the mattress) we will be putting it together, complete with flannelette sheets this weekend. That only leaves me to complete a gear draw for the CT. I don't think we will get the solar mounted in time.

It is just down the road for you Terry, should be a nice test run for you.

We're still good to go. Had a possible glitch come up but that's smoothed out now. I wonder how everyone around there will like it when I'm running my generator. We didn't last time, we just ran off battery and wore extra clothing, but if it's going to be super-chilled this time, we might run a ceramic heater for a little while.

Yep, just up the Hume Highway and turn west at the M4/Great Western across the Blue Mountains, then the Mitchell out from Bathurst. Under 250kms. We will probably take an easy day up on Thursday and back on the Tuesday(less traffic).

All the bits have arrived for the bed and today we checked for wet spots(some good rainy days), but all dry. So no dramas there. It will be interesting to see how the quilts go for heat retention if it is really cold.

Note to self to find elevation map of area. Also pack the charcoal tin

Our glitch was someone falling off the back deck and body slamming a 3" pipe. Meant that the solar farm didn't get finished for on top of the CT, so we will just be camping with just the batteries, but I don't expect any problems there.

I'm not sure that we will look into any heating. If the boss says yes, then we might pick up a LPG heater since we don't have a sealed unit like a van. Just something to take the chill off the air before bed and first thing in the morning for her. In the past, we'd just boil up the billy on the bbq ring for a bed time/morning cuppa and achieve the same result.


That will be a trade off, camping somewhere to catch the morning sun, Vs being in a wind exposed position.

A weather forecast for Bathurst if anyone is wondering;
http://www.weathercity.com/au/nsw/bathurst/,and
one for Orange further west;
http://www.weathercity.com/au/nsw/orange/

The elevation at this spot in the park is 936m above sea level:



and the peak elevation in the park looks to be about 950m. It drops to about 929m just a fraction north of where that shot was taken - about 200m to the right of this shot:



If power becomes an issue, just bring a charger and an extension lead with you, we'll have our generator with us.

Was that a good campsite?

I've been playing around at six.lands(?).nsw.gov.au and think I've found the spot where you were parked in that shot.

According to them it was (approx)
Latitude :-33.409840Longitude :149.316867

basically the centre of this image
Link;here.


<No idea if this will work>

We were camped precisely at -33.4088, 149.31 or in the centre of here. We chose to camp there because it was a little isolated from others, there were people camped over the other side of the loop of the road just to the southeast.

On the west side of the base of that loop is a toilet, which might have explained their choice to camp near-but-not-too-close. The area immediately south of where we were sloped upwards marginally and would require angling the caravan to get it level if you didn't use those Fiamma levellers.

The ground on the east side of the loop is not too bad and if it's not occupied this year, that's where we'll be going.

Okay, I'll know where to go for first look.
Now I'm waiting to see how many other people might be coming.
If we are going to get a few peeps, I have a 12'x24' self standing tarp that can be erected as a rain cover if needed.

Well bad news. We will not be going. The wind chill factor around home has hit me both days, so there is no way we will handle it ~800 metres higher up.

I was even thinking of chucking in the snow skis and grinding the rust off the edges.

Bummer as i was really looking forward to actually using the CT

Weather forecasts are saying snow will fall down to about 800m, so this place could easily be blanketed in it. That's not good.

I wonder if it might be smarter to do this one up at Telegherry instead - it's about 300-odd metres above sea level in a fairly sheltered valley. Oh, I have pics of that ... let me find one.



It's a lovely place when it's quiet - and it ought to be pretty empty this weekend.

Another alternative is Broke - on the main road is McNamara Park, you can walk to the wineries, eat in the pub (the food isn't too bad) and basically camp and check stuff out without being too far from home. Best way to come in from Sydney is via Windsor (Putty Rd) and turn off near Bulga onto Milbrodale Road. Now where's a pic of that place ...



We're still kitting up for Macquarie Woods anyway, but if nobody else is going we might leave the snow behind and stay at either of these places.

Telegherry sounds good to us(not winery people), but we had better make it Coachwood or Frying Pan(trail bikes) Camping area instead.

According to here; http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/forests/locations/chichester-telegherry Telegherry and Currawong(4WD) are closed in May till 1st September(winter access restrictions). Phew, glad I spotted that.

Unfortunately the boss has since made a commitment to be back for Monday night(grrr), but I want to take the "new" CT for a run before July, so we will at least make it a few nights. We will head up on Friday morning. It was just too cold to get through all the stuff I needed to do today with the wind ripping past.

Any idea on the availability of firewood, or is it strictly bring your own? I will probably bring what I can squeeze in anyway, but a lot of stuff is back to front atm as it previously went into the covered box trailer but now has to go into the tub.




do