Trip Report – Millionth Acre Hampton SF Recce
4th March 2023
Phillip wanted to do a recce to Hampton SF for a while and I needed Dianne to sign some papers for our friend Joy, so what better than do a four wheel drive trip and meet half way.
We left Cherrybrook at 7.10am with good intentions to meet Dianne and Eric at Millionth Acre Recreation Area by 9:30. It had been raining overnight but looked like it was clearing up. We still travelled through some fog and rain. On the Victoria Pass, we spotted a goat on our left. This was not expected.
Unfortunately, the Lolly Bug was closed but promised to open soon. Not soon enough.?. Phillip turned left into Coxs River Road. He wanted to take a more scenic route than Jenolan Caves Road. Coxs River Road turns into Ganbenang Rd after you cross over the Coxs River. {side note –We only noticed this while writing the report. Phillip should have turned right into Lowther Siding Road but kept going and going}. We eventually turned right onto Marsden Swamp Road and left back onto Jenolan Caves Road. We received a call from Dianne saying they had arrived at the meeting spot and it was cold and wet. We said we were running late as Phillip had decided to take the scenic route. We even had to stop at the traffic lights on Jenolan Caves Road.
We met Dianne and Eric at the corner of Jenolan Caves Road and Duckmaloi Road at 10.00am. Only half an hour late. Looks like it is morning tea time and left at 11.00am. The road at Millionth Acre Recreation Area was closed and we travelled down Duckmaloi Road looking for another entrance. We turned right onto Airstrip Road and came across two red back wallabies. Turning left onto Bindo Boundary Road. Another wallaby and plenty of butterflies. Took the right track up the hill. We come into a cleared area where there were a couple of towers. These were not mobile towers but looked like fire observation towers. We stopped and had a look and then continued on the road turning right and it was a dead end. Turned around and turned right onto the other track. No wonder they say unnamed road. This track was going down the hill side and was rutted. We stopped and Eric and Phillip did some track building, very rocky and uneven. They build the track up using rocks found beside the track. Phillip asked Eris to guide us down, proceeding down the track okay. A Datsun Bluebird and a Valiant (parts thereof) were spotted in the bushland. Stopped to check out the next part of the track which was rutted all the way down. They decided to turn around, as the area was unknown and proceed back to the fire tower where it was the perfect spot to stop for lunch. It was after all about 1.00pm. Finished lunch at 2.00pm and turned right onto Old Bindo Road now on Bindo Boundary Road and came across three trail bikes. Turn left off Bindo Boundary Road then right into Evans Road. These tracks were easy going. Before turning left, a vehicle got in front of us with four dogs. Eric noticed the dogs still had their collars on and said they were used for pig hunting. Phillip stopped down the track for a feed blackberry off course. He collected two drinking cups full to take home and you can only guess what he ate. We then turned left into another no name road but it looks like we are on the boundary line of the forest. Still on the no name track. Where it leads nobody knows. Phillip followed the boundary track with pine trees to the left and gum trees to the right. There were a few tracks on the left but we didn’t explore them. Stopped to take a photo of the creek down in the valley, not that you could really see the creek. Passed a few cows on our right. They were just standing there, staring at us, what a life. Turning right onto Evans Road and more pine tree country. Turning left, otherwise we would have ended up at Duckmaloi Road. Stopped to take a photo of the fern trees.
We came to an intersection and the track to the right had a huge pine tree across it. We stopped and investigated the fallen pine tree on the track. The area was being used by mountain bike riders and maybe trail bikes. There was even bridge made out of the same material as Phillip’s recovery ramps.
So, we decided to turn left and at the cross road we went straight ahead. Then to a track on the right. After a few more turns we were back on Evans Road going towards Duckmaloi Road and leaving Hampton State Forest at 3:50pm. We drove past where we entered the forest in the morning and proceeded slowly along Duckmaloi Road to Millionth Acre Recreation Area. Time to air up our tyres and have some afternoon tea. Phillip and Eric spoke to a motor home owner and his family while we had a girl’s chat. Hampton Hotel was our next stop, for dinner with the Lineys and end a great day’s outing. There was a little more rain and we got stopped at traffic lights again; road work?. We all heading home at 7.45pm after a great dinner at the Hampton Hotel.
See you on the tracks.
Linda and Phillip
Look out for the date of the TRAX Trip!