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rob_macca67 · 24-07-2015, 10:13 PM

On the way back we past one of the local station owners who stopped for a chat. We quizzed him about some of the local roads and he advised us not to go down Summer Mtn Rd as there was a deep bog hole that had caught a few cars in the past.
The decision was made to head back out to Sunday Ck road and head towards Charlie Moreland and look for some more tracks to explore on the LHS. About half way along we turned left onto the other end of Summer Mtn Rd, then onto McAuleys Trk. The tracks were getting a bit steep in parts and it seemed to be heading in the direction I had wanted to get to for a few years � an old abandon Stockman�s Hut. As time was getting on we starting keeping an eye out for a camping spot just in case we didn�t come out where I was hoping� After a few more steep descents we did eventually come out at the old Hut. By this time it was getting late, so we found a suitable spot to make camp for the night�. After setting up camp and getting the fire up and running for cooking, we sat down for a cold beer and enjoy the peace & solitude�..We thought we were in the middle of nowhere, far from anyone�. but bugger me, in the distance we could hear a vehicle coming and the saw the headlights�. couldn�t believe it!!! The vehicle stopped a little way down the track and we had hoped they hadn�t seen us. They eventually turned around and headed back where they came from. 15mins later they came back, this time 2 cars. They took the turn off up the hill that we had come down earlier and headed off the top, but within another 30mins or so they came back down the hill and then disappeared into the night where they had originally came from. Not long after we ended up climbing into our swags while listening to the on and off again rain falling�

[The old Hut]

[Our Camp]

rob_macca67 · 24-07-2015, 10:15 PM

Woke up around 7am and packed up and we headed off down where we saw the vehicles went to find out how they got out the closed track. Once we reached the creek, we saw how they got around the road closed section � they made a new track around the closed gate. We headed back up past the Hut and followed the track to see where it would lead us�. We crossed the creek a couple of times before coming to our first obstacle � a washed out causeway. Some major track building was required and as we weren�t sure what laid ahead, we reverse and went back the way we came and used the new bypass track that the fellas made the night before as this bought us out closer to Charlie Morelands than having to back track as few hours more. As we got closer to Charlie Morelands the tracks were getting wetter and muddier as well. We past the turnoff to Black Hut Rd and continued onwards checking out a few side tracks along the way � one track containing a big mud hole.

[End of the Track]

[Mud-Hole]

Stopped for Lunch at Charlie Morelands and couldn�t believe the changes that had taken place there � a complete overhaul of the place. A sign of how popular the place must be�. After lunch we headed out towards Kenilworth and km up the road we turned left onto Campbell�s Rd Trk. This track started ok, but soon became more a motorbike track, with me having to stop a few times to get out and trim back the lantana. We eventually reached the top and turning right onto Woodrow Rd, but it soon became evident that we had no chance of getting to where we had wanted to with the track becoming VERY wet & slippery Clay track, with my attempts to get up this hill resulting in me almost sliding off the track. It was about this point that a couple of young fellas in a Nissan ute pull up behind us. We chatted for a bit and we both decided to retrace our steps back where we had come from as it was the safest way. Reaching the bottom, we headed into Kenilworth to refuel and have some Lunch.

[Tracks getting too slippery to continue - time to back track]

After Lunch we headed north of Kenilworth, turning left into Cambroon Lane and into the SF. It wasn�t long b4 we were heading upwards along some steep tracks, passing a Comms Tower until we reached the summit. From this point we head west, stopping every now and then and checking the tracks off to the right and left. Most of the tracks would require a fairly heavy modified 4WD to get up them. We continued along the track until we came to what had stopped the person who had told me about the track � a steep hill-climb with some rocky step-ups. As you do, I gave it a little go, but w/o lockers I wasn�t going to make it + I didn�t want to push too hard as we still had a day or more of exploring still to go. We backed down and turned around and made out way back the same way, stopping at this side track on the LHS. We got out and walked down the track a few hundred metres ensuring it was doable. Walked back to the cars and I was the 1st one down � all was going find straddling some deep washouts, etc., until we past the point where we had walked. Around the following corner the track seriously deteriorated and we came to a sudden stop. Again, unknown as to what lay ahead and if we could get out the other end, it was decided that somehow, we had to turn around and head back up.
Jeff was a bit behind me and was able to turn around fairly easily, but for me, it wasn�t going to be that easy. There was no way I could reverse back up over the deep washouts w/o falling in�.. So out came the shovels and chainsaws for some serious track rebuilding�� About an hour or two later we were both back up the top and finding an easier route northwards.
With time & light starting to run out we decided to try and reach a camping spot we had come across the last time we were exploring up this way � A nice little spot on the edge of the back-waters of Borumba Dam. We pushed a little hard to get there and we eventually made it to set up camp as the sun was going down � it made for some great photos. We settled in for another peaceful relaxing night around the campfire, but this time w/o any intruders.

[One STEEP Hillclimb with some ledges to get over]

rob_macca67 · 24-07-2015, 10:16 PM

[Some Track Building req'd to enable us to Reverse out]

In the morning we packed up and made our way up the mountain to the lookout, hoping to get a phone signal as Jeff had to make some calls back home� Once the calls were made, we headed back down a different way again, eventually hitting the bitumen not far from the Dam wall. We headed out past Borumba Deer Park, taking the 1st left onto Mitchell Creek Road. The Forestry were obviously getting this road ready for some future tree harvesting as the road was being graded, etc. We eventually crossed paths with the Road Gang and continued along the track, reaching the top of Imbil Mtn and another Comms Tower. From here the was a faint track leading off to the north to where we wanted to head, so we headed off down it, but it started to rain and with not wanting to get stuck we again turned around and headed back out to the blacktop and went the long way around and came out west of Kandanga where we stopped for a late smoko. I checked the maps/GPS again and notice a nearby track that looked interesting, so off we went again. The track turned out to be a great track, but unfortunately again we had to turn around as time was running out as Jeff had to be back home by 3pm. We hit the blacktop again and eventually reached Amamoor and had lunch at where the Gympie Muster is held.

From there we headed off homewards bound � The end of another great exploring trip

[Not sure if this is what they call "Dead Man's Drop" track]

rob_macca67 · 24-07-2015, 10:17 PM

[End of the Road]

Trip Distance for the Day: 494kms
Time (Driving Time): 12hrs 40mins

LAP004 · 25-07-2015, 02:30 PM

looks like a great trip... good on ya for just going and doing it.
seems to be a lot of great tracks out that way

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[SEQLD]: Bellthorpe SF / Peach trees / Kenilworth SF / Imbil SF / Amamoor SF

[SEQLD]: Bellthorpe SF / Peach trees / Kenilworth SF / Imbil SF / Amamoor SF

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