Kowmung, Yerranderie
Friday 2nd November – Sunday 4th November 2018
It’s not often we get more than one Trip Report, but thanks to The Beatsons for providing another…….
Friday 2nd November 2018
Our meeting point was at the Boyd River National park camp ground. It was a hot windy afternoon.Four vehicles set up that being Alex, Kylie and Shane, Megan and Neil, and Kristy and Ryan.
Fortunately we got to have dinner before the storm hit. We quickly gathered under Alex’s shelter to watch the display of lightning and thunder. During the downpour Laura and Diane arrived and managed to find us with the help of Neil ushering them in. Steve, Julie, William and Phillip and Linda turned up later again and camped the night in their car. Finally the rain eased but the wind howled all night. This turned out to be a blessing as everything was dry for the morning pack up.
Saturday 3rd November 2018
We rose early and had a relaxing morning we were able to chat, the children played, and we got to pack up at a comfortable pace. Two additional vehicles joined us at this point. Matt and Will and Chris and Bec. We had two minor hiccups. One, the Beatsons packed the car keys away in the camper and second, the Jones family packed a mobile phone in the tent. Once everything was sorted out Matt gathered the group and prayed before we set off.
With the sun shining we set off to our first point of interest Kanangra Walls. The travelling distance was only 7kms. We parked the cars and walked the easy, flat, ten minute track to the lookout. The view was vast, rugged, sheer and spectacular. We made the picnic hut at Kanangra Walls our morning tea stop.
We hit the tracks again making our way towards Dingo Dell. The terrain along the Morong Creek Fire Trail was pretty and serene as the sunbeams reflected off the tall gums illuminating the forest floor. From here we climbed some steep hills and some interesting descents. The trail also offered a few good water crossings which washed some dust and mud off the 4WD’s. Crossing the Kowmung River was a highlight and the children couldn’t resist swimming in the fresh, clear running water. At this shady place, on the other side of the river, we had lunch. It was also an opportunity to chat about the trip so far and share plans for the rest of the day. It was at this place that Kylie had two scares. First a huntsman spider crawled up her skirt onto her thigh. After that (at a bush toilet spot) she almost trod on a juvenile brown snake. It was definitely time to move on!
The drive from Del Rio to Yerranderie took about an hour and a half making it the longest stretch of driving for the day. We turned onto the old Oberon Stock route. The road was in good condition. However, it was very dusty, had some pot holes and in some sections, it was quite bumpy due to the small, sharp rocks. Nevertheless, it was a pleasant drive and offered some spectacular scenery of the mountains and valleys as we drove across the ridge. Making a brief toilet stop about 28kms before Yerranderie, Neil discovered that the persistent rattling sound on his Patrol was actually a broken muffler. After removing it the convoy continued to our camping destination.
We arrived at the old mining town just in time to set up and have dinner before the sun went down. It had been a big day, so a pleasant quiet evening allowed for some nice conversation and fellowship. Our attention was also captured by the stars shining before a blackened sky displaying God’s glorious handiwork. All campers enjoyed a restful night sleep.
Sunday 4th November 2018
The morning sun woke us as we casually started to pack up camp before the heat of the day. After a breakfast of cereal, bacon, eggs, pancakes and tea/coffee we attended the group church service led by Matt. We all gave thanks and praise to our great God who provided us with every good thing. Following this we took some time to explore the remains of the mine town. There was an old post office that is now tourist accommodation, a small museum with some rusted relics out on the weathered veranda and other rundown buildings that were once part of a thriving town. The historic town had lots of grass and greenery at the site which housed plenty of wildlife including wombats, kangaroos, wallabies, goannas, bell birds and bower birds. It made a great attraction to us all, especially the children. After our self-guided tour, we returned to our 4WD’s ready to depart. To make our journey back we took the same roads that we came in on.
Mt Werong was our lunch stop on the way back and it was there we met a friendly wallaby carrying a very curious joey. Alex, Steve, Julie and William said their goodbyes to the group to make their journey home. The rest of the group- Matt and Will, Phillip and Linda, Megan and Neil, Laura and Diane and the Beatsons continued on and then stopped near Oberon Correctional Centre to air up and pray to God acknowledging all his provisions over the weekend.
We would like to thank Rob Drummond for his efforts in organising the trip even though he and his family were unable to make it. And to Phillip for taking over leading the weekend and making it a success.
Report written by the Beatson family.