We are pushing on from Mudgee through the Munghorn Gap Nature Reserve, well worth a stop for a photo, through Wollah and into the Bylong Valley. It is a very scenic trip, with lots of variations in the country side, there has been a few steep climbs but nothing too serious.
Our destination today is the amazing Bylong Creek 4×4 Park. We’ll make camp here tonight and have a bit of a play around the property and explore the surrounding towns tomorrow. Bylong Creek 4×4 Park is 800 acres of heaven. Owned and operated by Bruce and Suzie, you won’t meet two more friendly, eager to help park owners than these guys. They are there to make sure you are safe and enjoy your time. The Park has a bit of everything; located in a Valley of aged cliff towers and either side of the valley a creek runs through the middle of the property. The drive into camp is a well-maintained dirt road with a few creek crossings, a few tight sections where we weave our way between massive boulders of granite. The park is a haven for campers, bike riders, 4WDers, caravaners and anyone wanting to get out onto an excellent property and have some fun. We are making our way to the bottom camp, one of the several campsites; honestly, you could camp pretty much anywhere you want, but there are toilets and firewood close-by to several of the camps. Today the park has received about 30mm of rain. Many of the tracks are thick clay, and the addition of the water makes for a slippery surface. We are towing these offload vans and their setup with fantastic suspension, giving us lots of ground clearance. Actually, in some instances, we have more ground clearance in the vans than in the cars.
As we come around the corner, were met with quite a steep hill of smooth clay. Our day is about to get interesting. We know we are traveling with recovery gear, winches, maxi tracks, snatch straps and our secret weapon; Bruce on hand with a Unimog if we get stuck. We are up for challenging ourselves and the vans. This is how you learn, get out there and have a go. Sal from G&S Chassis is first up in his 200 series land cruiser. With exhaust and chip work, he is packing north of 850nm of torque, add to that all-terrain tires and lockers all round; if Sal can’t get up the hill, no-one is getting up the hill. Off he goes, with power to burn. We quickly realise that in slippery clay it doesn’t matter how much power you have, traction is king. We have have been running highway pressure in the tires, so Sal decides to get out and drop the pressure to suit conditions. Once he does that, he makes it to the top! The other vehicles have standard road tires and a bit less power, so we were glad to get some assistance from Bruce to help us up.
We have now arrived at camp; we set up the caravans; this is happening quite quickly now, I have been impressed with the Lotus Caravan and Galaxy Caravan. We have given these vans a real workout today, through some challenging terrain. We have had the clearance we needed; the vans haven’t been bounced around all over the place. They have been rock solid. And when you finally arrive at your destination there you have all the creature comforts you could want. The barbie is lit, the steaks and sausages are cooking, now what about a fire? It looks like it might rain again tonight, could make for an exciting day tomorrow.
Want to know more about the caravans we have taken on this trip? Check out their websites:
G&S Chassis
