Outlaw
19th May 2013, 07:04 PM
Condamine River, Queen Mary Falls & Carneys Lookout.
It was a chilly start to the day but with a reasonable 8.45 meet time, not too bad. Everyone arrived who were attending and filled up on a quick maccas fix as per usual before getting underway.
In attendance we had Phil & Mostyn (pmrobin) in their D4, Adam & Justin in Garry's 90, Tim & Laurelle (TimJ) in the Game, Jason & Lesley & girls (Sparky71) in their D2, plus myself and Sapphy in the RRC.
Taking off we drove for around 30km before heading off to parts unknown, following roads found on google maps which thankfully didn't disappoint. Mostly single car dirt roads heading through the countryside around hills and along ridges, giving us some great views and different perspectives. Convoy ran nicely even if we were doing half the signposted speed limit. Those country folk would be nuts to do 100 along that road!
Finally popped out around Maroon Dam though didn't stop off there and kept going towards The Head which was still unfortunately closed. Bypassed around briefly entering that dark place on the other side of the border, through historic White Swamp and back into civilisation to enter Condamine River Rd. The entrance to the track was interesting with the whole area boggy mud. We quickly came upon another new 90 turning around due to a local on a tractor telling him porkies as usual and scaring them from going further. I did inform the 90 driver we'd just spent 3hrs getting there and would push on until we had no choice and that they could pull in behind us if interested, but didn't see them again so assume they left.
We tackled the 14 crossings uneventfully (other than Adam & Justin playing with low range ;)) and had a good drive up the track. Road was in good condition with a good amount of water through the crossings and signs they'd had a lot more water go through earlier. All in all a very pleasant drive.
We then headed up to Queen Mary Falls for lunch and a few went for the hike to the falls for a looksee while the series crowd cooked for what seemed like hours :D Then Adam & Justin headed home and the rest of us went further up the hill to Carrs Lookout to capture the beautiful views of the head valley with Mt Superbus, Mt Wilson and Mt Barney. Then back down through White Swamp again and onto home.
My trip meter clicked over 397km by the time I hit my driveway. How's that for a day trip :p
A big thank you to everyone for attending. I hope you all had a great trip and I bet Garry is impressed his 90 made it back in one piece, hopefully still with all its oil and even diesel in the tank :cool:
Oh!!! And for those on the trip as none of us knew when the call went out on the radio...
"White Swamp, the centre of a busy timber industry C1880 - C1918 and once a village containing two general stores, a postoffice, school, cemetery and timber mill, died with the demise of the Red Cedar and Hoop Pine timber industry. Except for a road of the same name, White Swamp had disappeared from all maps until it was reinstated as a "Rural Place" in the NSW Government Gazette 10 Feb 2006"
It was a chilly start to the day but with a reasonable 8.45 meet time, not too bad. Everyone arrived who were attending and filled up on a quick maccas fix as per usual before getting underway.
In attendance we had Phil & Mostyn (pmrobin) in their D4, Adam & Justin in Garry's 90, Tim & Laurelle (TimJ) in the Game, Jason & Lesley & girls (Sparky71) in their D2, plus myself and Sapphy in the RRC.
Taking off we drove for around 30km before heading off to parts unknown, following roads found on google maps which thankfully didn't disappoint. Mostly single car dirt roads heading through the countryside around hills and along ridges, giving us some great views and different perspectives. Convoy ran nicely even if we were doing half the signposted speed limit. Those country folk would be nuts to do 100 along that road!
Finally popped out around Maroon Dam though didn't stop off there and kept going towards The Head which was still unfortunately closed. Bypassed around briefly entering that dark place on the other side of the border, through historic White Swamp and back into civilisation to enter Condamine River Rd. The entrance to the track was interesting with the whole area boggy mud. We quickly came upon another new 90 turning around due to a local on a tractor telling him porkies as usual and scaring them from going further. I did inform the 90 driver we'd just spent 3hrs getting there and would push on until we had no choice and that they could pull in behind us if interested, but didn't see them again so assume they left.
We tackled the 14 crossings uneventfully (other than Adam & Justin playing with low range ;)) and had a good drive up the track. Road was in good condition with a good amount of water through the crossings and signs they'd had a lot more water go through earlier. All in all a very pleasant drive.
We then headed up to Queen Mary Falls for lunch and a few went for the hike to the falls for a looksee while the series crowd cooked for what seemed like hours :D Then Adam & Justin headed home and the rest of us went further up the hill to Carrs Lookout to capture the beautiful views of the head valley with Mt Superbus, Mt Wilson and Mt Barney. Then back down through White Swamp again and onto home.
My trip meter clicked over 397km by the time I hit my driveway. How's that for a day trip :p
A big thank you to everyone for attending. I hope you all had a great trip and I bet Garry is impressed his 90 made it back in one piece, hopefully still with all its oil and even diesel in the tank :cool:
Oh!!! And for those on the trip as none of us knew when the call went out on the radio...
"White Swamp, the centre of a busy timber industry C1880 - C1918 and once a village containing two general stores, a postoffice, school, cemetery and timber mill, died with the demise of the Red Cedar and Hoop Pine timber industry. Except for a road of the same name, White Swamp had disappeared from all maps until it was reinstated as a "Rural Place" in the NSW Government Gazette 10 Feb 2006"