Don’t you hate it when Holidays end

[GarryMember]

Well the holidays were drawing to a close so on the last day myself and a couple of mates Lewy (Greg – blue DR650 with Safari) and Ozy (Mark — yellow DR650 with safari tank) decided to retrace some of the steps and new tracks I had found the other day. This is the little story that goes with the ride.

Awakening far earlier than has become the norm of late I found a miserable overcast and cold looking day waiting outside. So a quick shower, get the gear ready and after playing a game of driveway shuffle it was out and onto Fitzroy Falls to meet Ozy (Mark) and Greg who were already there and waiting.

After a brief chat it was out and onto the usual road not knowing what lay ahead given the recent rains but all was in a different condition to last Tuesday as it had been graded in the intervening days. Now usually grading is not a big issue but for some reason this grading was not that which I had encountered in other locations and instead was done quite loose and left many open holes or exposed rock. Nothing dangerous mind at this stage, just a little different.

So we crossed the causeway and powered on along but made a deviation off the main track to check out the remains of the hut that I had found the other day. Following the little used track we arrived and headed to the hut but one of the DRs decided to have a lay down. The lessen being to get some damn knobbies and learn to ride.

Above pics courtesy of Lewy

After a bit of a look around it was a return the same way and back to the main track for the little descent and then out to Redhills Road.

Now the initial intention had been to show the guys the tracks that I had found recently but due to a slight navigational misunderstanding the lead rider decided to head left and onto Gunrock Creek FT. Not a problem though as we were going here later anyway so why not just get it out of the way earlier than planned.

After a short while we decided to take a slightly different way through and headed off to a sidetrack which had also been graded, which incidentally added about 3 metres to the tracks width. By now we were starting to believe Gregs assumption that the tracks had been graded in the event that the Bungonia area fire made its way to these parts.

Ok, so along this track are the usual 4WD ruts, a bit of mad and heaps of fun, all found, tried and conquered for us to emerge the other side and rejoin the main track. Only we didnt.

Instead we choose to go straight ahead which looks to be a driveway but instead is the end of Link FT which skirts a private property. This is a good little track with variable surface and a few tight turns around the property boundary and before long you hit Meryla Road, the main road into the forest.

Taking a right the idea was to head to the opposite end of Gunrock Creek FT where we took the turn and played on the whoopdees before taking the left to Gunrock Falls. On arrival Greg seeing the challenge of the creek crossing and the little climb decided to have a look to see whether he could make it which he did easily. From there he just went for a little look to see what lay ahead which was, as we expected a slight gnarlier hill which we returned to from the opposite direction later for a better look, and to show Mark

Lewy’s parking effort on the steeper hill. Pic courtesy of Lewy.

Above two pics courtesy of Ozy

On returning Greg decided that he wanted to get a few shots of the bikes on the falls so they were duly moved and setup for a pic or two.

And the view the other direction.

It was here that we had our second spill of the day, only this one required no bike and was recovered from before any pictures could be captured. No names and no pics could mean it didnt happen.

So we had gotten the bikes down to the falls, we now had to get them back which is a lot easier said than done as there are a couple of steps in the track which offered little grip. Greg had no problems, Mark had a few but got through unscathed and your truly also made it through with no real problems. Chalk that up to the DR.

Now, there are a few small tracks out of here and the guys wanted to have a little go on one so while I videoed, they played.

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=eqvY86c20Dw

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=0-qvx4n51v0

This is where I learnt another lesson. That being to not rest your goggle on the face mask lest they be fogged up. They were and it was now time to leave so suffice it to say that visibility for me was ordinary but I got to the end while the other guys led and I am sure laughed at me. :laugh:

Turning left we resumed our ride on Gunrock Creek FT and followed it all the way to the end where it rejoined Redhills Road where we headed left to check out the little hill found by Greg earlier. Taking the opposite end of Gunrock Falls FT we found it had also been graded and again the surface was not the best but still, fun was had by all right up until the little hill.

Dismounting we had a walk, a talk and a “could go this way, or that” type of session but nobody decided to give it a go today and it has been packed away for another day, but we all now know what the hill looks like. So, not going down the hill meant a retreat and it was back the direction we had just come, during which Mark decided to take the mud route just for show.

At the end of the FT where it joins Redhills road we then headed straight across and into the newly discovered tracks which rather sadly had also been graded but in this case I reckon it was the worst we experienced. The problem here being that the surface was left soft, loose and in places quite deep as well as being littered with sticks and the occasional rock. Didnt cause us any problems and just added to the fun but still given the condition on Tuesday it was (for me) disappointing.

Letting Greg and Mark lead given they were on knobbies we took a few sidetracks, had a look at a few properties, nearly ran over a rabbit (to go with the two wallabies at different times earlier) and generally meandered our way around. Eventually we got to some of the tracks that I had stopped at the other day, but today I had company so it was off to have that little look and as expected we came upon the fallen trees that I had found from the opposite direction on Tuesday.

Got to say, these are fun tracks and there is nothing dangerous about them but do be ready to get hit by a few branches as well as having a few induced and some non-induced slides. Eventually we found the main track and headed left.

Again, we had fun as the track winds through trees, grass and other undergrowth before another junction is reached which I as the leader took. Unfortunately I though the guys had seen me but not seeing a headlight behind I stopped, turned around and went back to find the guys had missed the turn but stopped quickly thereafter.

So, on seeing me they made a small retreat and we headed along this new track, skirted a few trees, bashed a few branches, found some grass, found some undergrowth, consulted the GPS which said track ahead so continued. Ok, so as we got further along the track kind of disappeared although there was a very slight single wheeltrack that we kind of followed until, yes, you guessed it, a fence. With nowhere left to go it was back the same way, but not before getting a little video of the area and the guys riding through it.

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=OkULcl5Nlow

And Ozy decided to try and get a pic of me trying to look cool getting over the log. I failed to look cool and the old digital camera lag meant he missed but did get the pic below.

So after heaps more fun we made our way back to the main track and kept going through some more tight stuff until we came upon the old cars found the other day, so we stopped for another look. Finding some interesting old bottles but not having any real inclination to take them we just continued and headed out to the main road and thence took a left back towards Fitzroy Falls.

From here it is relatively straight forward as we hit the FT only to come upon a courteous 4WD which stopped to let us past, although Greg does think he may have surprised him a little.

Continuing on we stopped at the causeway for Mark to have a bit of a look as he hadn’t been here before and thence just headed o8ut, Greg down Kangaroo Valley while Mark and myself headed to Robertson via Belmore Falls then separate ways home.

All up it was a good morning’s ride although my mighty DR certainly had something to attract the wildlife today.

Garry

[Author]

Posts