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Well, I do have to admit that I am enjoying this 9 day fortnight business and getting every second Friday off as it means little traffic and time to get out and see what I can find around the place.
So it was Friday when I decided to take a little trip to the nearby Goonoo forest for a small look around and see what the place had to offer. That all said though the plan was always to spend around an hour to an hour an a half looking with no intention to see the whole forest but rather save that for another time or times, and so to what happened.
Headed out the highway and took the Old Mendooran Road turn off just out of town. While I did not take any pics or video, this is a fun little piece of road and crosses the Talbragar River at a small causeway (remember the river from Coolah Steve?). The road is wide open and a lot is fast, fifth gear and fast with a loose surface but very very true with the only hassle being the need to slow down for a goat at road side as I did not want to startle it and end up on I disagree.
Turning right onto Mendooran Road it was a few kms before making the turn into the forest at Barry Trail (the first entry point from my direction).
This trail was an interesting mix of hard packed clay, sand and a good mix of light small rocks, all mixed up in what was a few turns with longer straights but with obvious patches of what would be mud when wet, and even a few deeper mud holes in places. After a round a few kilometres beside a fenced property the track comes to a T intersection and so I headed right only to find three emus running along the property boundary so I decided that they outnumbered me and had a small rest break to let them get out of the way.
After a small rest and recuperation, and having watched the emus run off into the treed area on the property I figured it was time to get going again and headed on over the hill, only to scare another emu (may have been one of the three) who was again on the property. Trying not to startle it to much I backed right off but the thing was intent on trying to run through the fence and so again I stopped to let it get away.
This time however it panicked and with me stopped it started running into the fence so hard that I was able to hear the impact from some metres away. Eventually it realised that it could go no further and ran straight back along the fence towards where I was parked which was of no concern until it literally ran into the fence at top speed leaving a few feathers behind.
With the emu now in panic mode I dismounted and decided to stay put to seriously let it get away and so stayed put for a full 5 or so minutes looking around .
Once the emu was long gone it was back onto the bike and just a case of where does this track go, what about that one and eventually after another emu encounter I came upon a little junction and had to decide.
This was a good fun little track which had a nice flow and good surface (video below)
Having no idea where I was it was a game of where does this emerge and in this case it was onto a recently regraded filetrail that was in very good condition.
With a little bit of left turn, right turn, oops go back turn I ended up seeing a sign that said Barry Trail and figured that it would lead me back to where I started which proved to be almost accurate, rejoining near where I first encountered the emus. The track itself was quite tricky with sand, rocks, lots of vegetation and a really variable surface from hard packed to loose, but it was an absolute blast and near the end I spied another little point of interest that will be saved for next time.
A little video
With the time I wanted to spend in the forest for the day nearing the 90 minutes I decided to head out with the intent to take a deviation on the way home and follow it to see where it ended, and so it was left turn onto Jones Creek Road. This road is not marked as no thoroughfare and so I decided to see how far I could get before being stopped by a gate or property owner, and I was to be surprised.
The track was sensational, starting very newly laid with gravel being thick and loose meaning a slow but very dusty pace, coupled with the need to keep an eye open for cattle as I was crossing farm paddocks. Wanting a small drink I decided to stop, have a rest and take it all in.
Seeing me stopped one of the property owners who was working on his fences decided to check that I was ok and after a brief chat he assured me the road went through to Ballimore, but ‘there are around 7 gates and heaps of cows so be careful’. His advice was very useful and proved very correct but in the meantime it was stop, get off, open gate, push bike, close gate, get on, ride which really was a blast.
And no, that is not grass but cow crap.
This road did have it’s hazard (video)
Emerging at Ballimore it was head across the highway and head the back way into Wongarbon along some more wide open fast road, both tarred and dirt before deciding on a detour and alternate way home through another of the local forests.
So it was I found myself on another track spying an interesting little side track that was oh so damn tempting, and given I was in a mood it was off for a little explore …………….. the video can tell the story
And now an attempt at an artsy shot
And so eventually it was off home to straighten the bars …
All up was a sensational way to spend a few hours and has seriously wet the appetite for more of Goonoo as I reckon I saw around a very small portion as there is just so much to it, and with all the wildlife it was a great day
Until next time
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