Bendethra - 22nd - 26th January

Bendethra has a high river alert so we will not be camping in the valley.

Alternative Plan

Overnight at Berlang - this is 30mins on the Cooma Rd from Briadwood. Time for a early morning walk to the Big Hole if you feel like it
Head into the valley via snowball and continue out again via dry creek. Overnight at Dry creek
Travel to the coast and spend some time driving along the coast towards Wadbilliga NP. A few options for overnight include Mystery Bay, Mimosa Rocks or Wadbillia NP
Explore Wadbillga Rd in the Wadbillga NP ending at Tuross Falls. Overnight as required.

Please let me know ASAP if you keen to join us for the amended trip

Heidi 0438989793

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Join us for a 'extra' long Australia Day Weekend at Bendethra Valley

We will be leaving for Dry Creek on the Friday afternoon/evening after work where we will stop overnight

Saturday morning we will head in to the valley via Merricumbene Ft, lunch will be on the trail

Sunday - option to relax, explore local caves or day trip

Monday - option to relax, explore local caves or day trip

Tuesday - head home via Dampier FT with a stop at the famous Braidwood Bakery

If you wish to tow an off-road trailer you will need to make your own way into and out of the valley from Moruya via Little Sugarloaf Road

Please note the we always take a 20l gerry of fuel on this trip as the last place we fuel up is Friday night at Goulbourn
You must carry all rubbish out with you
There are long drop toilets in the valley - they may be a short walk/drive from where we camp
There is a small cost to camp at Dry Creek $6 per adult per night. $3.50 per child per night. please have correct money



1. Heidi, Brian and Izzy
2. Dru n Kerry
3. Dieselcon??
4.
5.
6.
7.
........

Heidi, please include me. Not sure yet who will be coming with me in my jeep.

Ps, have a 2 x 20l jerry cans holder on rear bumper. One for me and I'll carry a can for anyone who can't store their, on their jeep.

Cheers Rob

Great minds think alike. We're in.

Dru'n'Kerry

Could be a possibility.. Is this accessible in a stock WK2

should be OK Jose

Heidi, would you consider extending an invitation to the ACTJT club to join us?

Rob

Please count myself and Boof (Allabaster), along with my lovely girlfriend in for the trip in our JK unlimited.
Rob if your offer for a spare 20L is still open I would happily accept (although hoping to fill-up somewhere a bit closer than Goulburn).

Thanks
~Milky

Hi Milky, sure is if you want it. See you at tve camp site.

Cheers RobS

Pending dog sitting arrangements, Barb and I will be attending. Not sure if we will be in one or two Jeeps yet. Either way, we will meet you at Dry Creek on Friday night as that is easier for us.


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Dog sitter booked in :)


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awesome - dont panic if the list is not updated for a few days yet - we are away till middle of Jan

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Heidi

awesome - dont panic if the list is not updated for a few days yet - we are away till middle of Jan

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http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/12...321661299b.jpg


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thats a top pic ... we need a Like button .... bwahahahahahahaha

Hahaha, loving the enthusiasm!
Just checking if we're going to be camping at Dry Creek the whole time, and if anyone's been there before is there a reasonable amount of space for large tents?
Thanks in advance, trying to suss out if better to bring El Casa Del Grande tent or smaller Speedy Gonzalez Blackwolf tent.
Also planning to bring some gold panning gear and a NSW forests fossicking permit should the opportunity arise :)

Heidi has mapped out a plan where we are camped at Dry Creek doing day trips. Don't be put off the big tent as it won't need to be packed up till we leave.

Pretty sure the camp site has plenty of space.

Sweet, Thanks Dru :-)

Saw Bendethera in the news today, looks like some campers are stuck in there with all this rain. Hopefully they can get out of there OK!
(Via The Australian)
Emergency crews are trying to reach a group of at least 21 campers who have become trapped by floodwaters in southern NSW.
Bendethera Valley campground west of Moruya has been isolated by heavy rains and flooding with at least 16 adults and five children trapped at the site, an SES spokesman said.
“There has been no direct contact since Sunday ... they have been isolated since then,” he said.
The campsite is extremely isolated and without mobile phone reception, making it hard for crews to understand the conditions in the site but it’s likely they will be running low on food he said. Search crews couldn’t reach the campground on Tuesday and difficult weather was causing problems for the Westpac Rescue Helicopter to land in the area

We where planning to be camped at Dry creek just the Friday night and down in the valley for the other days.

We will keep an eye on the weather though as having just spent a night in the car due to rising creek and river levels not to keen to do that again :eek-new:

Kerry and I drove through the Bedethra campsite over X-mas. Gorgeous place. It's an old homestead/farm now swallowed by NP. Plenty of creek crossings. We were harassed by a Know ngfisher during lunch on the river. Wonderful.

So Heidi, I missed that, but you are intending camping at Bendethra? I think that's great, though obviously need to watch the water.

Also they close Merricumbene sometimes in the wet.

yes Dry creek is just an overnighter

watching the weather and NP website carefully as the area is currently closed with campers stranded in the valley

After having being stranded overnight on Tuesday we are not keen to do that again!

Thanks for the clarification Heidi.

I can see NPWS still has an active alert for Bendethera Valley camp ground.
Given we will be heading down next weekend would it be worthwhile preparing an alternate plan if the alert persists e.g. camp at Dry Creek (hopefully it stays true to it's namesake :smile-new:) or similar without alerts and explore where creek/river levels permit?

Yes camp grounds are still closed am looking at some plan B options

Can't wait. Will let you know in the next few days if can definitely make it.

Cant imagine these southerly rains are helping. :hypnotysed:

It has been quite wet indeed over the past few days, any word on plan B options as I need to start prepping this week :-)

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Sorry guys I'm out. Wedding to attend Saturday.

Cheers RobS

Forecast: http://www.bom.gov.au/nsw/forecasts/...blelands.shtml

In essence nice sunny conditions to improve things from today BUT more weather starting Thursday. This change is across the State.

National Parks did not close Bendethra in the wet last weekend but did have warnings not to use Bendethra camp site and some track warnings. They do seem to close Merricumbene pretty quickly.

There is warning of track problems as well, though when Kerry and I wee travelling through (southern trails from Bendethra, not the usual entry points) the tracks were mostly well graded C grade in good condition. Steep though.

Thanks for letting us know Rob, I trust the wedding will be enjoyable :smile-new:
Given the weather/conditions and Rob's extra 20L jerry out of the equation my attendance is looking less likely, although will wait and see re plan B options.

We had to cancel the dog booking by end of last week or we would get charged a fee. Sorry guys, without knowing if Bendethera is going ahead and what plan B might be, we have to pull out sorry. Hopefully the next one.


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Looks like the valley is open again :) there is a warning for Sugar Loaf but that should not pose a problem for the jeeps

Excellent!

Looks like Boof (Allabaster) got selected in jury duty today and coz Monday isn't a public holiday we're out :-( have a kick ass trip guys!

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Bendethra is closed - we are still going away though if any one is keen to join us. I will change the meeting point/first night incase rivers are up around dry creek.

Alternative Plan

Overnight at Berlang - this is 30mins on the Cooma Rd from Briadwood. Time for a early morning walk to the Big Hole if you feel like it
Head into the valley via snowball and continue out again via dry creek. Overnight at Dry creek
Travel to the coast and spend some time driving along the coast towards Wadbilliga NP. A few options for overnight include Mystery Bay, Mimosa Rocks or Wadbillia NP
Explore Wadbillga Rd in the Wadbillga NP ending at Tuross Falls. Overnight as required.

Please let me know ASAP if you keen to join us for the amended trip

We are still up for it. See you tonight.

Berlang Camp Site: Cooma Rd on the Shoalhaven?

Yes Berlang Camp site (Big Hole) on the Cooma Road near Shoalhaven River

It should be about 30 mins from Braidwood - Cooma Rd is off Auraluan Rd and should be signposted with a directional sign to Cooma.

See you tonight.

Thanks Dru and Kerry for coming along on the weekend. Shame the river was high and we could not complete the loop road but we made the most of it :)

Special thanks for participating in the 'bear hunt' as we left camp on Sunday.

Complete pleasure Heidi and Brian. Quick update for the SJC-ers who couldn't make it.

Predictably the river levels were up with all the recent rain. We attempted to avoid Bendethra camp site - not sure it was formally closed but certainly National Parks had a formal alert out and recommended avoiding it due to potential for flooding. So the plan was to hit the north part of Mongamula FT "Loop" and camp at the Dry Creek Camp site in stead. Completing the loop via Merricumbene. I think that Merricumbene and Minuma are the more challenging of the trails, but still C grade, just steep!

Our entry point was from the Cooma Rd (out of Braidwood) via Snowball - further from the west than Kerry and I have done before and involves crossing the Shoalhaven at the start. Walking the river was entertaining and cold. At the time thought is was not too deep but cold! plenty more rivers to follow.

The trails in Deua national Park are mostly C Grade and well maintained. There are trailer restrictions on some trails but on the whole you can get to camping areas with trailers if you plan your way in. Deua is sort of on the coast side of Canberra/Snowy Mountains. There is plenty of climbing and descent to the rivers. Unlike ou rusual haunts on the tablelands around Rydal/Lithgow, Deua is on the coast die of the great Dividing Range. Things are greener. Rain forest-y bits run up the valleys to the ridge trails and the views are simply fantastic. Highest point was slightly over 1,000m compared to Rydal area where Mt Bindo is 1,300m. But you are constantly climbing so it feels higher.

The trails are fabulous and easy going, but you quickly get very remote and there are no short route "outs" to top up fuel. It would be a remote area to be running on empty.

Our route in was Krawaree Trail - Middle Mountain Rd - Minuma Range FT - Mongamula FT. In particular Minuma runs along a ridge with views from both sides of the Jeep through trees. It really is sensational country. Previously we have upset Lyre Birds and echidna on this trail. We took a small detour from Minuma on the Deua Trig trail back down to the Shoalhaven crossing through alpine heath (if you've been to Mt Airlie you will know the sort of ecology, complete change from the forests). The Shoalhaven was flowing and evidence of much deeper floods. But it was a great spot for lunch.

Onward via Mongamula FT into a private land "island" in the park with three quick river crossings (Duea River) in succession. This time the water was up. And running fast. Brian and I spent some time getting wet working out a plan of attack. Check with Kerry and Heidi as to comfort levels - seemed to be an air of resignation from our better halves. "Do we need to cross?" absolutely, long way round to back up our trails. So plan implemented and off we go. And water over the bonnet (I have no snorkel and don't like the sound of the word "hydrauliced engine"). But there you are Both through. Yee-hah! nothing holding us back. Until the next Deua crossing 100 yards down the track.

Jeepers. Nipple deep and flowing fast. Every possible solution was walked before "Do we need to do this?" Hell no! Practice makes perfect and return through the first crossing was fine. (Thank goodness!)

Of course the route back is lengthy, you do have do some miles on the tracks in Deua to get anywhere. At around 4:00pm brian calls in, "OK at about this time we need a revised plan to set up camp". Bendethra. That's it the one we had been trying to avoid. :-)

Long trip back to the start then on to (Mount) Dampier FT and the long descent into Bendethra. Bendethra is an old farm/homestead with remains etc that has left the area as grassy paddocks with the Deua River winding it's way through. Picturesque and wonderful camping. This time the River crossing was completely uneventful. :-)


Usual Camp Site, fire, dinner and beer (thanks Brian!). Sleepy morning waiting for rain to clear. Kerry and I had a failed shock, so combined with the wet conditions decided to head home as Brian and Heidi returned to friends/family for on-going day trips. BUT first no-one was allowed to leave until Izzie took us on a bear hunt. Don't worry, I'm sure everyone in SJC will get their chance and I don't want to spoil the surprise. Suffice to "we're not scared!"

Route out was Bendthra FT and Little Sugarloaf FT. Little Supgarloaf is the usual entry with trailers but had a national parks alert due to trail damage. This damage turned out to be heavy erosion in the trail verge/drainage. There has obviously been on-going heavy rain but the trail was fine.

So we got to be home earlier than expected and all I have to do is sort out the shock!

Thanks Heidi and Brian for a fabulous Australia Day weekend.