B4WDC was here
Basket Swamp National Park

May 2007

Saturday the 9th of June we all met up at 8am at a servo along Beaudesert Road. Unfortunately it is so long ago that we can’t reminder the name…but as they say: better late than never!!! On the trip were: The Power family, Ian & Rhonda, Susan & Brian, Vince & Brett, Stella & Dave, and the Danes with friends. From here we drove in convoy towards Queen Mary Falls. We stopped at the lookout, but as it was close to freezing we quickly got back into the 4wds, turned on the heat and continued towards Queen Mary Falls.As it had been raining the track we were on was very muddy resulting in 4wds and campertrailers sliding across it. Everybody made it through the mud without scratches, but especially the campers were covered in mud. When we arrived to Queen Mary’s Falls at 12:30pm it was still raining and cold as well. Even though the lunchboxes were packed and ready, nobody felt like sitting outside on a wet bench in the rain eating their lunch, so we ‘hijacked’ the Queen Mary Falls café, and got our lunch from there. Being from Scandinavia the little café reminded us about one of those little huts you find on the skiing slopes, where everybody seems to be around lunch time.

The little café was more than full! The only thing we lacked from feeling really at home was the Jägerte (steamed tea with rum and schnapps that makes you feel like a world champion on the slopesJ).  We arrived at the Cypress Pine Camp area in Boonoo Boonoo National Park at around 2pm and everyone set up camp in 8 degrees…but luckily the rain stopped just as we drove into the NP. Ohhh what a feeling. A few of us went for a short walk to the falls, and when we came back it was time for happy hour. We can guarantee that Ronda’s hot chicken wings are even better in 8 degreesJ We managed to get a fire going, but that was some nasty smoke coming from the wet firewood. The fire was pretty small, and definitely not warm enough considering the 7 degrees, so I went to bed early. Sunday morning we headed out after breakfast and de-freezing process. We went to the lookout overlooking  Prentice Mtn, after that to the Boonoo Boonoo Falls and waterhole. At that point the day was slowly warming up, and we had a beautiful sunny Sunday! We then drove on to Basket Swamp and the cascade falls.

We spent quite some time there walking around the falls to see them from different angles. We stopped for lunch at the corner of Boorook Station entrance. Heidi spent a while after lunch picking cobblers pegs off Rhiannon’s track pants.  On the drive along Gillcurry Road we saw a dead ‘wild’dog hanging from a tree to deter other wild dogs, and the Danes were shocked…we don’t hope you do anything like that to ‘wild immigrants’? Closer to the campsite we stopped to gather (dry) fire wood and found a large very cranky millipede. We then followed the Boonoo Boonoo Rd /River Rd. Over the radio we discussed as to wether or not we were on Harrigan’s Lane and further discussions on how to pronounce ‘Bookookara’ Creek… After a short toilet stop at Bald Rock national park we went on to Thunderbolt’s Hideout. Some very brave explorers climbed to the top of the giant boulders others were content to look around and enter the hideout area/cave. That night we had a GREAT BIG fire (compared to the previous night’s fire), so despite the 0 degrees, it was nice beside the fire – especially with some good port to keep warm on.

Monday most of us got up at 7am and had breakfast in 0 degrees. In addition there was frost on our tent and frozen billy water. As usual the Danes (and Donna) were late, but I think by now everybody were getting used to it. We drove to Bald Rock, and discussed whether to ‘attack’ the rock from the steep side going up, or take the steep side going down. We voted, and ended taking the steep side going up. Standing at the foot of the rock, we saw that we had made a vice decision – The rock was very steep!!! We slowly made our way to the top, stopping several times to rest, drink some water, enjoy the view, and take off yet another layer of close, as we were getting warm from the inside.While most of us were struggling to get up, the kids were running up, and I am sure they secretly had ingested 2kg of sugar…The first part was the steepest, and once up, we followed the painted lines that lead us to the highest point on the rock. We found a spot in the sun without to much wind, and had chocolate, water and other goodies.The views from here were amazing as well as the rock itself. We took another way down that was not so steep, and everyone made it safely to the car park.

A few facts about Bald Rock:

• 260 metres above surrounding bushland
• Largest exposed granite rock in Southern Hemisphere 
• Ecological process from about 220 million years ago.

We returned to the camp, and started packing everything down again. As per normal everyone was waiting for the Danes, and I guess it didn’t help that I spend 15 minutes securing our waste to the roof basket, only to find out that was a waste drop off within the camp ground…However: at 1pm we left the Cypress Pines camping area. We stopped in Tenterfield for petrol and a toilet break. We then drove through  Drake and onto sugarbag Rd. Continued through Emu Creek Station and Paddy’s flat road. Then through Pretty Gully where the temperature dropped 10 degrees. We crossed Clarence River (where Rhonda suddenly felt inspired to arrange the Christmas in July there) trying to wash away all the mud from our 4wds.We then went through Tooloom National Park and completed the border crossing at 5.30 pm.

Jonas Jensen