Meryla State Forest
25th March 2017
On Saturday 25th March TRAX 4WD Fellowship went to Meryla State Forest.
After meeting at Pheasants Nest Service Centre we set off.
Karate Kid led the way. Following were BT50 Paul and Mitsy Blue . Dusty 1 was Tail End Charlie.
Shane at quarry
A short way into the forest, just off the road, we came to a hilly quarry which was a good spot to do some 4WD challenges.
Mitsy Blue was keen to give it a go. The hill was very rocky, slippery and muddy. Coming back down the car slipped a little and at the bottom the car nearly got bogged as the wheels were deep in the thick mud. Dusty 1 also went up the hill and along the side track.
Further along we found a neat spot for morning tea. We took the opportunity to walk to the dam. It was a great sight to see the dam overflowing and the water gushing over the edge.
Bundanoon Creek dam wall
After that we continued along the wet track and through some large puddles. Karate Kid went ahead to check out the track but got stuck between two trees. With umbrellas the men, including Olivia, Joel and Isabel, got out of their cars and guided Karate Kid out of the tight spot. It was successful. Karate kid came out of the trees without a scratch!
Continuing along another track we came to a steep incline that looked very rough and rocky. In the rain the men got out of their cars and went to check out the track. The right hand side of the track looked drivable so we went up that way. Up the top was reasonably flat so we set up the car awnings and had lunch there. In the drizzling rain we cooked and ate our sausages!
Our aim was to drive through to Fitzroy Falls so after lunch we continued along the track. By now with all the rain the tracks were very muddy and sloshy and the puddles were becoming deeper and wider. This was making the trip slower as we needed to assess each puddle. We measured each puddle with a long stick. The stick was a great tool as we could test the depth of the puddle and then decide if it was safe enough to go through. We were able to go through lots of water pools doing this.
However as we went along the puddles got bigger and deeper so we decided that it would be best to head back. It was all going well and the cars all returned safely but unfortunately Karate Kid got bogged at the side track. Being the last car through he had to tackle the mushy mess that the other cars had made.
Misty Blue pulling Karate Kid out of the mud.
It was exciting doing the recovery. First we tried the winch. Then we gave the maxx tracks a go. And then finally Mitsy Blue came to the rescue and using a short sling, Karate Kid was tugged out of the slush backwards . While all this was happening Megan from Dusty 1 put on her water boots to test the depth of the water. Interestingly while the water looked very wide and deep, it was driveable so we could have all drove through it easily.
The late afternoon was closing in so it was time to finish the 4WD part of the trip as everyone had a long drive home. Due to the weather some alterations to the days plans had to be made. However the rain certainly added some challenges and excitement to our day on the tracks.
We didn’t end up getting to Fitzroy Falls this time but we are very thankful that the Lord gave us this opportunity to explore and enjoy His wonderful creation.
By Olivia, Joel and Isabel Beatson