Diggings & Hazelwood Gorge - June 2008
After picking up Chris and Kylie at Mirani, we ventured along the Mackay-Eungella road catching all of the sites for a Saturday morning including the dog with its own window hatch. Ian up front gave a great commentary as trip leader with Jumbo putting in his two bobs worth for shear gut and humour down at the rear end.
We hit the top of the range and felt the temperature change slightly. We ventured along the Diggings Rd with nothing but a few large puddles to slow us. As we rounded the corner of a very steep section of the track, a very brave Mazda 2 was coming in the opposite direction carrying a very disgruntled female passenger. All we could do was laugh.
Once we arrived at camp we all set off to set up camp, have a little lunch and then go onto explore some of the tracks around the area. We left the diggings (Ian taking 4 tries to make it up the bank on the opposite side of the creek). The first stop was going to be Hazelwood Gorge. We turned off the main road onto a little beaten track dodging tree stumps, cattle and ant hills. Once we all reached the creek crossing everyone piled out to rub their chins. Ian and Chris checked the creek and the washouts and decided that the black soil looked very sloppy but hell let’s give it a shot. John and Wendy in their ball breaking tilly gave it the first shot and in no time they were over waiting for the rest of us. We all followed and found that it wasn’t boggy at all. Once reaching the gorge it was so breathtakingly spectacular that we all stood there and admired the view.
On the return trip to camp we stopped for firewood and took the scenic trip around the Crediton Loop Road. Heading past the quarry we decided that we all wanted a little bit of adventure and went straight past the ‘Road Closed sign. As Jumbo said ‘which part of this road is meant to be closed’. The last stretch of that road was great fun testing out the skills of the drivers and the capabilities of their machines.
After returning to camp we all made a bevy before standing around the fireplace to watch Chris light the fire not with kindle and matches or even a firelighter but a small triggered butane oxy bottle. Everyone else decided that they needed to add one of those to their list of stores the next time they go camping.
Everyone rugged up (except for Jumbo who forgot all of his clothes), had dinner (Roast Lamb cooked in the camp oven), put the kids to bed then mooched on over to spend the rest of the night next to the nice HOT fire. Wendy dished out desert of cake filled oranges cooked on the fire which went well with a hot cuppa. The mercury was dropping fast and by 9pm it was already at 6 degrees.
Upon waking at 6.30am to 3 degrees, Jumbo in shirt and shorts, the Goodwin family all piling out of the one bed for warmth (great idea to steal the daughters thick WARM feather doona), Caz bloody cold in the back of the patrol but everyone else had a nice toasty sleep. On went the fire again followed by a great brekky. Everyone packed up and left when they were ready. It was a great weekend with great scenery, great people and great entertainment.
By Kylie Goodwin
