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Well, with three weeks of holidays one just has to get out and enjoy themselves and with Fitzroy Falls and the surrounding forests around 30 minutes from home, it is the logical place for me to ride, explore and have fun. Whilst often I do venture further out with the fires in the area surrounding Wingello that area was ruled out, but I find Meryla fun every time I do it and this ride (as with those to follow) was no different.
Whilst I had posted the ride in another local forum in which I am a member many felt that the heat of the day (was tipped around 35+) was to much so they wimped out, not me as when I want to ride, I ride no matter what the weather.
But I wasnt about to let the heat detract from any fun as after all, when riding the heat is of lesser significance. The original plane had been to look a little further afield to my normal trails in Meryla Forest and instead explore the recently found trails on the outskirts and to the north of Redhills Road.
So, first things first and I headed up Macquarie Pass and made the way to Fitzroy Falls where it was onto the usual Fire trail that runs behind the lookouts and onwards towards Redhills Road. Kind of.
So, scooting along at around 70kmh I catch a movement to my right, swerve left and have a minor brush with a wallaby as we both wanted the same piece of road. I won though as he was far more maneuverable than me and as I shut the throttle he turned, skipped along beside me for a few metres and then retreated back into the scrub. Minor heart in mouth stuff admittedly but it is also one of the reasons I so enjoy this type of riding.
Those that know this area will know that there is a little rocky hill that has to me negotiated before heading out onto the more widely used public roads. But how many have ridden that track and seen some of the junctions or sidetracks but never thought much of it. Well it is these tracks that get my exploring nature up and allows me to relive those days wandering Muogomarra National Park when I stayed with my grandmother as a kid, so it was off down one that I had not been along for near 18 months.
I knew that this was a dead end but it is still a nice little track and this time I was determined to ride to the end and have a little walk around to see what was there and why the track existed.
This ended up with interesting results as I came across what looked to be the remains of an old hut or some other structure as well as a few small piles of similar rocks and even what looked to be a small hand build/dug lake or well.
The hut and piles of rocks.
This is the well/lake and is around 2 – 3 feet deep but only around 3 metres diameter.
Now, on the way in I had not taken any pictures of the track so decided to get a few on the way out as well as get some pictures of a little rubbish I found beside the track.
The rubbish that was all marked with Wingecarribee Shire Council (Police have been notified and advise that they will be sending Council to clean up).
All that done it was simply out and onto Redhills Road to the true destination I was after, that being the track I had found on my ride on New Years day.
Before I found it though I saw a little side track and decided to have a little look at what else was around and whether this track led to anything worth putting in the memory bank. It didnt as I got the feeling it may have been private property, but it did have a few interesting finds.
Back to the road and a little later (little being few hundred metres) I see another side track so naturally I had to have a look. This looked good actually, well it started that way but soon I found myself riding a fenceline in grass around 18 inches tall with no discernible track. So, placed into memory bank for a later exploration it was turnaround time, but the DR didnt want to and instead spat the dummy and had a lay down (no pictures lest the bike kill me, the tantrum was severe).
Giving the bike time to calm down we then had a quick chat and agreed that yes it was hot and yes the bike was being good to me and that I do need to consider its feelings when I took it places. In all this the bike had made it clear that it wanted to be given its head and hit the tracks so it was again back to the road and again a little further up I found what I had been looking for, that being the exist to the track from New Years.
So turning right it was through the very small amount of soft sand and onto the track proper with the full intention being to check all the off shoots and side tracks that I found.
But first it was time to revisit the recently found ground and once again I have to say that this is a sensational little piece of track that I will ride time and again.
As intended, every time I saw a sidetrack I had a look but all were blocked by fallen trees. Although it was readily possible to get around them, being alone I decided to come back with friends who can help out if I got stuck.
So it was a return to the main track and more fun until another junction, meant another sidetrack blocked by trees, which meant another return to the main track where it was time for a little rest and more pictures.
The track behind the bike was blocked by trees but will be revisited.
So all refreshed and fluids replenished it was back on the bike for more exploration and fun.
Soon enough I came across another sidetrack, one I had noticed on the day I first found the track and this time I took it. This is a nice little piece of track with more and more sidetracks but I decided to stay on what appeared to be the maintrack and was soon on a fenceline and descending a testy hill. Testy not only because there were a few loose rocks but because the track was covered by fallen leaves and branches which made grip on the trailwings, well let’s say interesting (knobbies would rocket down it). But I made the bottom of the hill anyway and was confronted by a rather nice property to the left and then what looked like a bomb zone in that it was just a cleared patch amongst some rather nice trees.
Following the track I soon found a gate which was not locked shut but appeared to be private property. With no clear cut tracks were I to go through the gate and having seen the earlier sidetracks I decided to retreat and revisit this area another time.
So, having come down the hill I now had to climb it again and whilst it was all done comfortably there were a few small moments as rocks moved under acceleration and the bike was thrown around, but all back up with no oopsies or drops.
So where to now?
That was easy, down another sidetrack which was in itself fun. Coming to another junction I decided to head left, then left again and found myself on some single track that became somewhat difficult to follow so has been placed in the memory bank for a revisit.
Retreating back to the earlier junction and feeling slightly knackered I decided to have a little break for fluids and a walk. This of course means that I got some pictures.
Choosing to continue on the track straight ahead (as opposed to that which I had came on) I soon found myself back on the original sidetrack so took the left and headed out from whence I had come.
Soon enough I was back at the junction from where I took the right in the first place so powered on ahead only to spot a little something on the track.
I guess someone had a moment here at sometime or they were to find out later that their clutch lever was missing. Oh well, as long as they were having fun.
A few shots of the track and surround bushland
Well, by now I had been in this area around 90 minutes, had heaps of fun and yet had only travelled 15 or so kms and was nearing the end of this track. So, it was simply down the only gnarly hill around and onto Redhills Road where I headed to Nowra Road to head into Meryla further for a bit of a look around.
So onto Meryla Road I started to find a rhythm but there were cars everywhere and not all on their side of the road so I decided to take the alternate and took a left at Gunrock Creek firetrail.
I do have to say that I really like Gunrock Creek FT and had immense fun over the erosion mounds but soon found myself getting tired and hungry so decided to call it a day and quickly settled onto the track and followed it all the way back to Redhills Road.
From there is was the usual, right turn, left turn, right turn onto Redhills FT for the return journey to Fitzroy Falls where a quick stop at the service station supplied me with an ice-cream. From there it was the simple little Wildes Meadow Road and of course who can resist Belmore Falls Road into Robertson and on home.
All up around 140 or so kms of sensational fun with more great little tracks, some of it pure single track that begs to be explored, which may happen very soon.
Garry
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