Bago State Forest

[LiveFreeAndRoam Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close LiveFreeAndRoam]

Hey guys, I'm in search of those with experience around Bago State Forest. I have a full day to explore the area.

I was going to head over Bago Bluff and then onto Swans Crossing before finding my way East. Also, is it practical to reach Ellenborough Falls via this route or am I pushing my limits for a day trip?

From my limited searching, I see two different access points to the bluff. One is off the Oxley Hwy around the Western border of Timbertown and the other is off Bago Rd. Does it make much difference, or is there a better way in?

Thoughts?

Cheers,
LFaR.

[kav Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close kav]

i reckon you should be able to do all that in a day depending where you start from . but ive never been into bago bluff or ellenborough falls . look forward to some pics

[LiveFreeAndRoam Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close LiveFreeAndRoam]

Thanks Kav.

I'll be leaving from Port Macquarie as early as practical. I am hoping to be at one of the entrances to the Bago SF around 8am.

It was only during my web browsing that I stumbled on Ellenborough Falls and others recommended it's worth a look. There are some false claims about it being the 2nd highest blah blah. In any case, it has a drop of ~160m and some walkways which may make it very interesting.

I'll certainly be posting some pics.

LFaR.

[Fozzy Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Fozzy]

Have you retired Matt, or does "working from home" have a different connotation to you? I'm extremely jealous that you're able to travel so extensively!

Cheers,

Dave

[Richoson Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Richoson]

Fozzy I am constantly watching Seek for any HP position advertising "working from home" !!
Yours at work 5 days a week. Richo.


Sent from Richos iPhone using Tapatalk

[LiveFreeAndRoam Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close LiveFreeAndRoam]

It's just a little trip down the road. I reckon we SEQ'ers should start spreading our wings and soar a little further for our jaunts. Someone has to do the reccee

Work from home and live outside it.

LFaR.

[LiveFreeAndRoam Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close LiveFreeAndRoam]

This was a day trip with plenty of variety.

Starting from Port Macquarie i headed toward Wauchope and entered the Broken Bago SF via Bago Rd. I turned the dial to 'explore' mode and soon found my first dead-end:



I was tempted to take on this bog hole with a right angle, but with no one to pull me out in reverse, I tucked my tail and U-Turned:



There were several more Low-Range U-eys, before I found a very nice low range climb that dissected several contour lines to take me to the Bago Bluff Lookout. The last 500m is by foot only, I'm afraid to say, but the views over Port are with it!



Wandering around at the top, I found this Trig Point:



... Cont'd ...

[LiveFreeAndRoam Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close LiveFreeAndRoam]

As I drove along the ridge line of the bluff my Garmin hung, and could not be reset. I was able to keep navigating with MotionX GPS, though I no longer had the route I planned to follow.

The driving along the bluff was easy going:



The few sidetracks I attempted were too overgrown. I soon set my sights on Swans Crossing. Apart from being a picturesque campground with facilities.



I discovered a real gem of a track hidden behind the campground. It was.not marked and I guessed would be another U-Turn. Instead, it cut across the pinch from Swans Crossing to Blackbutt Rd. it required low range, high clearance, and tyres that clean well. Too much fun for photos, apart from this souvenir pic:



... Cont'd ...

[LiveFreeAndRoam Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close LiveFreeAndRoam]

Leaving Bago State Forest and heading into Comboyne, I experienced some of the most scenic countryside I've had the pleasure of driving through:



Comboyne has managed to preserve the old town charm. The General Store was impressive with the mural:



And I love small town cafes, especially when I feel like I'm stepping back in time at places like The Udder Cow Cafe.



This cafe has the best burger on the planet!



... Cont'd ...

[LiveFreeAndRoam Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close LiveFreeAndRoam]

Getting used to travelling without my Garmin had me relying on road signs, and fortunately getting to the falls was very well signed.

They are spectacular. The boardwalk is just as impressive. The monstrous Tallowwoods reach sky high and no photograph will do them justice. The vantage points of the falls allow you to use them from the top, the side and the bottom. It's a strenuous walk up 1 million stairs from the bottom!









... Cont'd ...

[LiveFreeAndRoam Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close LiveFreeAndRoam]

Finally, my track log, as recorded with MotionX GPS. Click on the image to go to the site where the track log can be downloaded.



LFaR.

[Richoson Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Richoson]

Nice trip Matt, did you ake the photos on the iPhone?

Richo.

[kav Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close kav]

nice day trip matt . the scenery around comboyne is beautiful . the udder cafe is a cracker ,we only had the scones ,ill have to try that burger next time . when you look at the pics and think gee its green , its always green around this area . damn you now i want to get back there .

[LiveFreeAndRoam Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close LiveFreeAndRoam]

Hey Richo, yep all taken with the iPhone, mostly with ProHDR.

Kav, if there were a definition of green, then Comboyne is the embodiment of it. It's so green it almost glows!

LFaR.

[Brains Find all posts View Profile Close Brains]

I too need one of your work from home jobs, seems to have many rewards. Hope the guards protected everything.