Mini Trip Report - Mount Mee

Well i was off to www.ncbr.com.au for the weekend and again I spent too much time in the Mt Mee hills instead of relaxing with the family in the park.



i do like the park and the next time i go back it will be just for a quite family trip and not with the boys and girls who love the dirt :-)





Mt Mee was dry and very, very dusty. Some of the trails had been graded so it was a very tame adventure but it's nice just to get the car dirty sometimes.






It's funny, nine times out of ten nobody notices my GV (even with all the extras) but once it is dirty I start getting looks from all the Nissan and Toyota drivers. And Yes, I must admit I like it dirty too. It may only be small but I know how to use it! OK.... this is getting weird and I think I'm heading off track.





For a local trail Mt Mee is good for a day trip and I would highly recomend a picnic at the park area at the entrance to the park. It's called The Gantry and is a really nice area. It is also the best spot for a toilet and rest stop before you hit the hills (this is particularly relevant for those like me who have a few kids in the back seat).

Oh, and yes its been a day or two and i have not cleaned the fridge!! And here I was thinking I'd learnt my lesson!




Thanks again to all those who read this blog. If there is anything in particularl that you want me to write about then let us know.Any inspiration is welcome!

Tim

Trip Report - Janowen Hills 4WD Park - Part 1

Friday afternoon we left the city for the drive to the Janowen Hills 4WD Park in the beautiful Goomburra Valley. It's a good, relaxed drive about 2 hours west of Brisbane and, except for getting a little held up in heavy traffic on the Ipswich Motorway road works, we made pretty good time arriving just on dusk. Jo and I were experiencing a bit of dejavue heading through Aratula. We had stopped there almost ten years ago on our first camping trip together at Gordons Country. We didn't realise that where we were heading was only a km or so away from that camp site. We made good time over Cunninghams Gap and the GV handled the tow of the fully loaded camper and cabin really well (insert the sigh of relief here!).

Having had only one other attempt at putting up the trailer I was a bit nervous about trying to set up in the dark - but the trailer was quick and easy to put up and we just decided to leave the awning off till the next day. It really was a painless task to set it up even while running around wrangling three kids in the dark (including a two-year old!). Jo has decided that three different coloured glow-sticks pinned around each child may be a good idea next time, so that a quick glance can confirm that one hasn't wandered off in the dark!

We were in the lower camping ground at Janowen and our party were the only ones there. Having strategically chosen the weekend after Tough Tracks and before the Janowen Family weekend to ensure we missed the crowds. The camp site is a flat paddock style area which backs on to a fresh water creek that is easy access and great for a quick dip - but not too close for us to be forever worrying about the kids.

The facilities are relatively new and not yet finished but still quite well appointed with two token operated hot showers ($1 per 3min) in each bathroom. The new amenity shed has been set up with a shop on one end, a bar area and some benches with enough space to set up a few tables (or chairs for a video night perhaps?). The owners are relaxed and welcoming and allowed our group to turn up on the Friday afternoon - set up camp and then pay at the store the next day. There is also a second campsite higher up the hill but we didn't get a chance to check it out this trip.

I have to admit it was an early night that night - everyone was exhausted and it would be a big day tomorrow.

Driving in to the lower campsite.

Next day was our chance to hit the dirt. Janowen has a good range of well marked tracks which would be suitable for a variety of vehicles. Well marked mud maps are available at the store. In our group that day we had ourselves in our GV, a 2001 Pajero, a Toyota Troop Carrier (Troopie) and a 2005 Rav 4. With a car full of kids and a group of vehicles with a variety of abilities, it was a good opportunity just to cruise along the beginner tracks and enjoy the drive.

*to be continued*

A man's camper is his castle

Over the Christmas break the 'olds' finally gave into to the travelling bug  and directed some hard-earned dollars into buying a camper-trailer. This was  really exciting for us as the intention is that it would be a family investment that we could borrow. 

Now don't get me wrong, I don't mind setting up the tent and all the usual gear but the thought of having everyhing pre-packed in the trailer ready to hit the road when the mood hits? Well THAT is appealing. So after a few weeks of preparation and building up the camping stock (thanks to mum for making all those lists!) we figured it was time to pile the kids into the car and head out for a mini-break with a couple of friends. We headed out to Janowen Hills 4WD Park and will finish up the trip report shortly.

The camper trailer set up - it's colour coordinated to the car by conincidence OK!

The camper trailer really has been a revelation to us. Running a smaller car we have been expert gear stackers and you'd be amazed at what can fit into a little Suzuki and we should know, having had a coil Sierra, a 2.0L Vitara (Escudo) and now the GV. Even having the two of us and three kids we have been able to manage getting most things into the roof pod or basket and the boot but as the kids were getting older it seemed space was becoming more of a premium. Now there is just so much room!

Now you don't need a camper set up like this to Get out there and enjoy our great outdoors in fact, until now we basically had all of us set up in your standard six person dome tent. In future posts we hope to provide some easy tips and tricks for new players heading into the outdoors so that it is fun, affordable and accessible for as many people as possible.