Easter at Boorowa

This Easter we replied to Howard's kind invitation to the Australia4WD.com forum members, to join Margret and himself on their beautiful farm at Boorowa for the long weekend.  We had met Howard and Margret before on movie nights and day trips, and had heard a lot about the farm around the campfire.  It was time to see it for ourselves.

Well it didn't disappoint.  Just over an hour and a half from our front door we turned off the blacktop and through the farm gate.  We followed Howard's mud map and meandered past the various buildings and sheds typical of Australian farms, before we headed east and then the landscape changed dramatically.

The land simply fell away and opened up a magnificent vista of the Boorowa River, with our campsite barely perceptible in the valley below:

The Valley Opened Up Before Us

Normally this time of year, most of the countryside is looking pretty desperate, however the uncommonly mild and wet summer had the grass coming up to bonnet height.  This long grass is very effective at concealing large granite rocks for those willing to venture off the track.  It was quickly apparent that there was an opportunity to seriously test a 4WD to its limits here, or simply relax and allow the beer and wine to chill whilst wetting a line.

We were with a bunch from Australia4WD forum... what do you think happened!

Do Terracans Float?

It has been a long time coming, but it was with unbridled joy that we headed out of town last Friday with the camper in tow, destination Shoalhaven River.  We were aiming for a camp we had spotted on our last adventure to the coast, and we now had it on good authority that there was an all weather access road from the west that would get us there.

With all the rain recently, we had heard that Oallen Ford had been up to 1.6 metres underwater.  Our camp was a little further upstream, and we weren't sure what to expect.  It was evident however that some large amounts of water had been over the road in places... and a few kilometres short of our destination we came across our first crossing.  It turned out that this was the easy one!

Thankfully a wade across confirmed there was a concrete base, and even more importantly the approaches were still in place.  The boy's were excited and I had to make a second trip with The Little Fisherman on my shoulders to take photos of our splash.

The two boys provided plenty of advice...

Before we sailed through... Mr Six and a Half taking the photo

We then ambled along into our camp... and what a camp we found.

Melbourne 4x4 Show

I had the pleasure of attending the worlds biggest toy store last weekend as part of the Melbourne 4x4 and Fishing Show.

What a collection of stuff - and how easy it would be to blow a couple of hundred grand in no time... Of course I had been sent without my credit card to avoid too many impulse buys :)

Over 35 000 people attended the show over the three days of the show. Thankfully Friday was a little quiet, so I was able to sneak away and check out some of the great gear on show.

I stopped in on the guys from Aussie Swag Campers to check out their new model. They now have a neat diesel heater in their 2011 model, and I think the changes they have made to the kitchen over the years has been fantastic. I enquired about putting a new kitchen box on our 2005 Aussie Swag, but with the changes up front adding too much tow ball weight, the whole axle has been moved forward about six inches. Hmm, too big a job for this punter.

4WD Storage - How we fit it all in...

One of the challenges facing any family going camping is how to fit everything in, and more importantly, how to keep everything organised during the trip. Our first camping trip in our humble Subaru nearly ended in disaster. Everything we needed seemed to be at the bottom of the pile of gear in the back, and required a major exercise in repacking every time we wanted to access it.

Needless to say a new system was required - and fast if I was ever to convince the family that camping could be fun!

Along came the Terracan, and I started thinking about how we could make life easier for us when we went camping. I had a few rudimentary ideas running around my head, when we bought an alloy sump guard. With the sump guard came a wooden box that the former owner had made for his newly traded Terracan.


The simple box structure is made out of 12mm ply


The top had cleats to allow use of the original cargo net

It looked like a great template from which to base our draw system. We thought we would start using it with the aim of working out what we wanted from a draw system. Funnily enough, we have worked out a system to fit the box!

We found some plastic tubs at Bunnings / Magnet Mart that fit perfectly in the box. They stack inside each other if required, or on top of each other if full of stuff. You can also purchase lids it you want. Originally there was a fridge slide on the right hand side, but we found we could fit a tub neatly in the space, with enough room for our esky to sit on top. On the left hand side we can stack up to three standard tubs, with enough room for a folding 1200 x 600mm table to sit flush next to them.

This is our most common configuration - the bottom box on the left contains heavy tools and spares

We can fit the tubs in various configurations:



We can even put two tubs on the top shelf - which is handy when camping. Usually we can keep the top relatively open, but when tent based camping, the top shelf contains most of our bedding, and it also will easily fit our camp chairs and bench.

There is enough room on the sides to shove all manner of items - we tend to put the kids sports gear on the right hand side (totem tennis, cricket bat and ball and picnic rugs). On the left we can fit in a first aid kit, axe, shovel and various ropes and odd bits. With careful packing, sleeping mats can also fit shoved down the side.

An added bonus of this style of draws is that we can do the majority of packing inside the house (or shed) and simply slide the draws in when required. This is fantastic as it means that we can get most of our packing done early (or leave all our gear packed) but don't have to leave it in the car. You can see on the right one of the taller tubs we use sometimes - it is compatible with the smaller tubs.

It is great being able to pack everything inside and just take the full box to the car once!

One other thing that has made our lives a lot easier is a seat-back organiser for the Little Helpers. There is plenty of room in this offering from Supercheap Auto for colouring in pens, colouring book, a few matchbox cars and a water bottle. It has worn surprisingly well considering the purchase price but I think will need to be replaced soon with something a little more hard wearing. It means the boys have their own little space that they look after and allows plenty of activities to keep them amused on the road. No we don't have a DVD player, and we hope to keep it that way.

Supercheap Auto Seatback Organiser

We have been trying a few different options with where we keep everything. On our last trip we stored the camper's awnings in the car, and used the space under the bed in the camper for clothing (in baskets we borrowed from one of the boy's wardrobes). It worked really well and made life a lot easier once we had set up, as we weren't tripping over a bag of clothes in the camper. Once we had the awning set up, we had plenty more space in the car, which was welcome.

Of course it is all a work in progress, and subject to constant change and modification (but that is half the fun), we have found that sometimes a really simple and cheap solution is really effective, and actually suits our purposes more than a more expensive inbuilt unit might.

Green Patch - June 2011

The lead up
What is it about mechanical appliances? Just as I am about to board a flight for sunny Cairns, our Subaru develops an alarming noise when depressing the clutch… No worries me thinks – I am away for the week, so we can put the Suby in for a new clutch, leaving Terry to be the primary family hauler whilst I am away. Whilst I am away our oven dies, requiring complete replacement (thankfully without requiring a cabinet maker’s services), and then after a particularly cold night and day in the frosty Southern Highlands, Terry decides not to start.

I received a panic call from my wife, Jo, telling me Terry won’t start because the battery is stuffed, and asking if she should buy a new battery for the Terracan. It seems a fair request – battery is original and the weather was particularly bitter that day (I think she said it got to a maximum of four degrees on our verandah). A little more discussion and it turns out that Terry actually started and ran for a moment before stalling…. Hmmm…. I start thinking that perhaps the battery is fine, and it was the repeated attempts to start the car that flattened it.

I am in no position to help. Cairns is so far away and about 25 degrees warmer… I can feel Jo's frustration as she is stranded with two little helpers suffering a very bad dose of Cabin Fever. I try to make noises of how tough I am working, but I fear I have no sympathy at all coming back down the phone line.

I suggest that charging the battery overnight would be a good start (another bitter frost) and see what happens in the morning. The next morning Terry started and stalled again.

NRMA man comes and Terry starts and runs beautifully after pumping the fuel hand pump. It would appear our Terracan had an air pocket or similar in the fuel line. No obvious explanation. Yes, the fuel is winter blend. No, there are no fuel leaks. Yes, the battery is fine.

I figure that everyone was just more than a little jealous of my time in far north Queensland. I try to remind them that I suffer sea sickness and am not looking forward to the next few hours, as I climb up the gangway of the “Reef Magic”… My sentiments fall on deaf ears as I discover that the chill from the southern highlands can indeed be transmitted to Cairns via a phone line!

I don't know how she does it
I came home to a miracle. After a challenging week with the two little helpers pushing every button, vehicle breakdowns and appliance failures, my wife has managed to organise a group of friends to come away camping for the long weekend, pack Terry and Matilda and . Within a couple of hours of touching down, we are back on the road as a happy (if slightly exhausted) family heading east to paradise.

Our destination was Green Patch, in the Booderee National Park, Jervis Bay, about 2 and a half hours east of home. We were catching up with some good friends whom we have camped with before. The kids were primed for a weekend adventure, however I think the rest of us were looking forward to (hoping for???) a relaxing weekend. Dean and Mandy brought their three girls to try out their new caravan for its maiden voyage - a slight step up from our last Bendethera Valley adventure, and Nic and Dave persisted with their tent that had shared adventures with us in the Kosciuszko National Park and Ravine.

We arrived just before dark and quickly set up camp. The weather held off just long enough to enjoy a delicious curry dinner that had been prepared earlier. Not for the first time we appreciated the Thermal Cooker Pot. A shower or two or rain saw us set a record for the set up of the awning (beaten only when it hailed on us when setting up last December), and we retired early to enjoy the sounds of rain falling heavily on the canvas.

Green Patch
The south easterly weather pattern dominated our long weekend down the coast, but it didn't stop the fun. Thankfully the rain was heaviest at night, all but disappeared during the day and occasionally, very occasionally the sun came out to brighten the day. Fresh from the tableland winter, the little helpers thought it was paradise and we couldn't keep them out of the water. When they finally turned blue and admitted they were cold, we simply gave them nice warm showers and put them in dry clothes.


The water was chilly, even if too tempting to resist


The famous white sand was perfect for sandcastles

The Little Fisherman was determined to add to his catch of a single flounder on our last expedition. At school he had recently presented a short speech about how much he loved fishing and one day he hoped to catch a fish big enough to eat. Unfortunately it was not to be.. but that's not the point is it?


It is all about having fun


Especially when your fishing friend Dave is on hand to untangle the lines!

Of course the Little Helper had lost all interest in fishing by this point in time, much preferring to dig more sandcastles and swim some more. And who could argue with him. The water, whilst chilly was crystal clear and the beach sheltered with barely a ripple save for the tiny waves breaking on the beach. Green Patch is one of the few truly north facing beaches on the east coast, and when the sun did appear for its brief moments, it was really very pleasant.


When the fish aren't biting there is plenty of sand to play with


Or water to swim in

The main aim of any such weekend is to take some time out of normal routine and relax. And in such a beautiful piece of paradise it is easy to do so. Of course you have to be careful that:


the kookaburra's don't steal a sausage from the electric BBQ...


or the rosellas and parrots don't eat all your bread...


or you trip over the kangaroos!

Of course we all appreciated the down time and break from our seemingly hectic schedules. We loved the fact that we could sit and relax. The kids conducted numerous laps of the camping area on their bikes. Time trials were a great challenge that never seemed to lose their appeal. They also frequently raided the comfort of Dean and Mandy's new caravan to enjoy drawing and colouring in (or was it DVD's?) in the comfort of the settee.


If you look carefully you might see some of the campers flat out enjoying the serenity

The facilities of the camp included hot showers, electric BBQ and washing up facilities. Each campsite is clearly marked, and separated by landscaped boundaries. For a long weekend, the area was surprisingly empty with only a handful of us braving the weather and enjoying the campground. The Rangers were friendly and helpful, however when booking our sites, the office seemed a little disorganised and our sites were moved a couple of times before we finally arrived.

In all we had a great long weekend camping in a winter paradise. More photos of our adventure can be found at our Gallery, and more information on Jervis Bay generally can be found at Jervis Bay Tourism.

Thank you to Dean and Mandy for tolerating our little helpers who made themselves at home in your new caravan, and to Nic and Dave who helped keep the little ones amused by day, and the bigger ones amused, fed and watered by night. A huge thank you to my wife, Jo, who pulled it all together after a challenging week home alone with two boisterous lads.

Kosciuszko National Park December 2010

Yet again following the directions of Craig Lewis and Cathy Savage we ended up packing for a weekend touring the northern Kosciuszko National Park. The weather looked unpredictable - and was, but we had an absolute ball checking out such a magnificient part of the Australian high country.

With good friends Nic and Dave coming along in their Prado, we caught up on Thursday night to make our final preparations for a timely departure on Friday. The rough plan was to head over the Brindabella Mountains and enter the park from the north via Broken Cart Trail.

We enjoyed lunch at Micalong Creek before backtracking slightly to enter the park. We slowly meandered our way south, driving on reasonable tracks that were occasionally rocky and sometimes muddy.

With the soundtrack from The Man From Snowy River playing, there is nothing better than coming over a rise and seeing a wide open plain with brumbies peacefully grazing.


Our first brumbies looking fit and healthy

We continued our trip south through Long Plain, and marvelled at human's ability to construct huge high tension power lines directly through the length of the plain. Whilst practically one can understand the considerations of the engineers who chose the plain as the most economic route for the lines, it seems a little at odd with our huge price we are willing to pay for visual amenity these days in other areas. Of course we consoled ourselves in the fact the lines are transporting electricity generated from the incredible Snowy Hydro-Electic Scheme.

With the day getting long and the little ones getting tired we decided to head for a campsite with a stream big enough to cast a line. After a moment of indecision, Yarrangobilly Village Campground was chosen as the destination. The village has long since gone, with the exception of the old post office, but the camping area was picturesque, if split by the Snowy Mountains Highway.


Yarrangobilly Village Campground

The little ones were happy. With their attempts to catch dinner in the fast flowing Yarrangobilly River not yeilding dinner, sausages were a deemed a suitable substitute, and we settled into a pleasant evening around the campfire.

Dawn was shattered by Tipper and Dog combinations providing road base all the way from Goulburn for the National Parks, even before the little helper alarm clocks decided it was time to be off - so we decided to move on. After breakfast we packed in record time, but that was due to the driving rain more than the traffic, and decided to regroup at Yarrangobilly Caves.

Not knowing what to expect we were very pleasantly surprised by the Yarrangobilly Caves. The Rangers were most helpful and we thoroughly enjoyed our explore of Glory Cave. The little helpers loved their first caving experience (albiet with lights, paths and rails), and we are looking forward to coming back and visiting some of the other caves in the area soon. It was also out of the weather, which was a big plus at that time, although it wasn't exactly dry inside the caves either!


The boys outside the entrance to Glory Cave

We then pushed on to Blue Waterholes for lunch. With a bit more time on our hands we visited Long Plain Hut and Coonibil Hut on the way. The hardships endured by the early graziers is apparent in these huts, and it was great to see them being respected by most visitors. We also visited Coolamine Homestead, a more permanent settlement. I could have spent hours inside the buildings, but the little helpers had more fun stalking the resident kangaroos.


Coolamine Homestead

Blue Waterholes is a part of a similar limestone formation that formed Yarrangobilly Caves, however in this case there are numerous springs and the creek passes into the impressive Clarke's Gorge. Normally the creek is dry upstream of the springs, however it was flowing nicely during our visit. We enjoyed a short explore around here before the thunder signalled an impending downpour and we beat a hasty retreat to the carpark, so we didn't get any better photos of the gorge or springs.


Down by the river, with a nervous eye on the black clouds forming

We set up camp just up the hill from the carpark at Magpie Flat camp ground, sheltered behind a ridge line. NPWS had provided a good amount of firewood at each fireplace, and with a bit of coaxing we soon had a warm fire going... even if it did hail on us! Roast lamb in the Cobb Cooker was delicious and we soon made our ways to bed, with beanies and thermals on!

We awoke at the crack of dawn on Sunday, not to the sound of trucks, but to a chorus of Kookaburras. Outside the tents a kangaroo and her joey were enjoying the mown grass around our campfire. It was an idyllic morning, and after a good pot of coffee and hot breakfast we were ready for anything.

We headed out of the park via Talbingo, and as we dropped into the village, so did the Incredible Hulk, an Erickson Sky Crane.


The Incredible Hulk - slightly smaller than the famous Elvis

The aircraft was on a ferry flight from Melbourne to Sydney when the weather closed in and they landed at Talbingo. The crew kindly showed us (and half the village) over the aircraft and even let our boys sit in the cockpit. The helicopter was a highlight for the little helpers who have drawn the helicopter and built amazingly accurate lego models since getting home.



The boys in the cockpit look out the bubble windows

And then onto Tumut for lunch, and Gundagai for the compulsory stop with the Dog on the Tuckerbox before heading for home.


Dog on the Tuckerbox
(A full history on the poem and history of Bullocky Bill's Dog on the Tuckerbox can be found here.

Special thanks to Nic and Dave for the company, wine and photos. More snaps can be found at my gallery on Australia4wd forum here.

Deua National Park - January 2010

Deua National Park

A really special place for us is the Bendethera Valley in Deua National Park, south of Braidwood. This was our first 4WD camping trip in our new (2nd Hand) Terracan, and we didn’t know what to expect of the trip in, or the valley itself.

We set off for a weekend camping armed with a great guide book, which we followed closely. We were blown away by the steep tracks, awesome views and then the descent into Bendethera Valley. The exit via Merricumbene Fire Trail was even more exciting with some extremely steep sections that felt more like a roller-coaster ride!

This valley just has to be seen to be believed with beautiful large grassy areas grazed by Wombats and Wallabies. No matter how many people seem to find their way into the valley, there seems to be enough space to find your own piece of paradise.

Our two little boys loved exploring the area, watching wombats and splashing in the Deua River, as did we!



Our trip into the Bendethera Valley started our family's love of bush camping. We have since explored some other great areas of the South Coast and Southern Highlands. We have found that there are plenty of remote areas to explore so close to home and how it doesn't require heaps of expensive equipment to get out there and appreciate it.

Deua River


Source: Burke and Wills 150th Anniversary Competition

Wee Jasper and the Real Roothy

A long weekend with no work was a welcome change, and one we determined to make the most of. It was thus with much anticipation that the camper was hooked up and we set off with grandparents in tow to Wee Jasper for a weekend of camping with a bunch of friends.

The little helpers were most excited to be heading off to camp with a bunch of their mates, and we were looking forward to a relaxing weekend in good company.

We were not to know that one of the highlights of the weekend was to happen as we pulled into Yass. The little helper who can spot a Bob Cat at 500 yards started to get most excited at the site of a green 40 series familiar to all who subscribe to 4WD Action magazine. It was non other than John Rooth, Milo and Jack, pulled over for a break on the side of the road. We were fortunate to say G'day to the "Real Roothy" and meet the man and machine that had entertained us on several rainy afternoons.



It was then onto Wee Jasper for a couple of nights at Billy Grace Reserve. Wee Jasper is located about 50km south west of Yass, on the banks of the Goodradigbee River. It is a beautiful campsite, complete with children's playground and bike track, hot showers and flush toilets.

We found our group and set up camp and enjoyed our time thoroughly enjoying the warm campfire and great company. Unfortunately on Saturday night, at the Wee Jasper Woolshed across the way, a 21st party also enjoyed themselves thoroughly with loud music blaring all night (well there was a 10 minute intermission at 5.25am).

As hordes of bleary eyed campers trooped to the markets on Sunday morning, salvation was in sight in the form of a mobile coffee stand! The queue quickly formed until there was a loud hiss and the machine broke. DISASTER. If there was ever a time to have a licence to print money it was by selling coffee to the hundreds of campers who had not had any sleep the night before... Thankfully a couple of hours later (or so it seemed) the machine was restored to normal and coffee started to be distributed again.

The rest of the weekend was great, with the kids enjoying exploring the playground and bike tracks. We tried fishing for the first time (with lures tied to the fishing line and no hooks at all, to avoid both injury and the likelihood of actually catching a fish). We came home with a collection of dinosaur eggs (they look a lot like rocks to me) and a pair of exhausted but happy boys.

Wee Jasper is a great spot, and despite the crowds for the long weekend, we had a great time. We are already looking forward to heading back - although perhaps will avoid the peak periods (or parties at the Woolshed) next time.

Our Weekend in Pictures

The Terry looks great with our new toy...


Our first go at setting up - at least the little fellow seems impressed :)


The Clyde River at Yadboro Flat - not sure how much longer the bridge will last...


Ah - the serenity :)


Heading south - towards Nelligen


Mogood Mountain lookout - spectacular 360 degree views


Coming up the Clyde Mountain...


Source and the full run down on the story can be found here.