Blue Mountains Trip - Sat April 8, 8am

Smokey · Post by **Smokey** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 1:21 pm

Hey all,

Ok, this it it. Final plans are: Meeting in the Macdonalds carpark at Penrith Panthers, Penrith NSW. Its the second Penrith (Mulgoa rd) exit off the M4 West bound. 8am. I'll be there w my while L series wagon before 8 for some brekkie. Will be a most if not all day event. Hope to see u there. PM me if your coming along.

Smokey

I'm near Penrith NSW, at the foot of the Blue mountains. There are a few good tracks up that way we can streach our wheels on.

I have just bough and got my wagon going and am keen to try it out. I've never done any offroading, except in my sigma....

so don't want to go fording rivers and climbing mountains, but would love to get a few cars togther and meet some faces!

Looking at early April or so, nothing set yet (have since penciled in April 8, 8am Penrith panthers, Maccas car park, look for the lifted SUBARU's). If you want to come along, Read & post below...

Cheers.

Smokey.

smoov · Post by **smoov** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 6:43 pm

got a spare seat colin??

c'mon all... lets meet up for a bit of a wheelin'

who's in sydney (or close enough) and want to meet up?

Sideways Subaru · Post by **Sideways Subaru** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 8:26 pm

Count me in

Big Al

MUDRAT · Post by **MUDRAT** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 9:01 pm

I'm keen . . . not till after May though.

Smokey · Post by **Smokey** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 9:45 pm

Yeah Alex, your always welcome. Show me how to drive soobi style!

Good job xela. So thats two cars. Everone is welcome. Were novices so far, so don't be shy. Won't be getting any air or scoobi diving. Just a good day out and a beer or two.

Smokey.

fredsub · Post by **fredsub** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 10:16 pm

hmm.righto not for a few weeks yet here tho.....dallying with what to do with new cooper rubbers....current 14" have ok road rubber, ideally another set of 14" wheels.....

subalex · Post by **subalex** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 9:36 pm

Sounds like a good idea to me. I'm in Kellyville (1/2 way between Windsor and Castle Hill) so the trip to Penrith is no biggie. Like others, I need some time to plan a day out... at the moment it's more the organisation of 5 kids rather than cars... not enough seats for everybody anymore.

Where from Penrith are you thinking of heading? Blue Mountains? Lithgow? (Heaps of tracks out that way) Some tracks near Katoomba close to the three sisters?

Alex - seems like I'm not the only Alex here so 'Subalex' will do.

MUDRAT · Post by **MUDRAT** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 9:52 pm

Hey there's this little dam I've been swimming at up north Katoomba there, an awesome spot with a pretty nice 'wheel down to it. Can't remember the name though.

My Suby did it when it had 14" tires and a 4" lift.

Sideways Subaru · Post by **Sideways Subaru** » Fri Mar 17, 2006 11:13 am

I've found that the tracks around lithgow have a wide variety of difficulty. We could start at the Zig Zag and head up through Newnes State forest to Blackfellows hand rock, and then up to Ben Bullen via Baal bone gap. there are 2 spots where clearance could be a little problem but i've seen a stock as forester do them so we would be fine. then if anyone wanted to we could head up to Capertee and do the sunny corner treck-something with a bit more adventure

only thing is there'll be heaps of ppl in the newns state forest including those crazy moto riders 8O . Anyway thats my ideas.

Big Al

Smokey · Post by **Smokey** » Fri Mar 17, 2006 11:37 am

Hey guys this is sounding great. I was thinking of heading up the mountains. The only track I've done was the Murphys Glen one, its like 12 Km and I did it in a stock FWD liberty, bottomed out several times and lack of low range was a huge problem.... though I'd never get back out to be honest

Xela - sound like you got a good idea there. We could all meet up in katoomba early, and head out from there.

Time frame is complety open, soomer than later, perhaps in 3-4 weeks. How about we pencil in Sat of April 8???? What do you all think. Gives us a few days to get ready and plan the trip etc.

We should first set out how harcore the cars that are going can handle.... I'm a L series 3" lift DR....novice driver though, but I'm willing to go anywhere with you lot, thats how I learn - get in there and do it!

Smokey.

Smokey · Post by **Smokey** » Fri Mar 17, 2006 7:30 pm

Xela - You know the area fairly well. We'll hand this one over to you to decide where we go. I'll let you take it from here....

Smokey.

Sideways Subaru · Post by **Sideways Subaru** » Sat Mar 18, 2006 8:59 am

Ok then this is the plan. We meet at Maccas in Penrith (near Panthers & Krispy Kreams) at around 7am. From there we'll head up to woodford together and have a play around in Murphys Glen for an hour or so. At roughly 9am we'll head up through Katoomba to Lithgow. since Mudrat won't be with us and i've got no idea where the waterhole he was talkin about is, we'll have to give it a miss this time. Anyway we'll head up to Ben Bullen and hit the dirt on the track to Ball Bone Gap. i reckon this would be a good place to stop for lunch, and then we'll continue down toards the zig zag. From there i'll probably drive home via bells line of road as i think its quicker to my house (and is a hell of a lot funner) and everyone else can head back to penrith if they want. So thats the plan anyway-if any1s got any other ideas let me know.

ps. a UHF is a must on this trip-a handheld would probably be fine. if noone has access to one then let me kno and i might be able to get one of a mate. thanx

Big Al

subalex · Post by **subalex** » Sat Mar 18, 2006 10:48 am

The more distance in one day the less likely I can do the trip at this point. Baby management issue there but I'll see what I can do. Still, sounds like a plan so I'll get back to you.

Alex - as far as "kind" of vehicle - 3"lifted L-series with 14's and Dunlop Adventurers so I'm happy in Landcruiser stuff - what about the others that want to come along? There are some unmodified cars wanting to come along? (Not that the trip sounds too much like a lifted car is necessary)

Subalex

fredsub · Post by **fredsub** » Sat Mar 18, 2006 11:13 am

being a bit further afield from south, those names mean nothing to me....got any more specific directions? tho probably have more trouble getting thru the Sydney part - hate Sydney traffic

maybe via Campbelltown or Menai?
7am

duno about that tho....
would it be a Sat or Sunday?

PeeJay · Post by **PeeJay** » Sat Mar 18, 2006 7:55 pm

Hume Hwy
Left @ Camden Valley way turnoff
Right @ Cowpasture Rd
Left @ Elizabeth Drive
Right @ Mamre Rd
drive for a bit...
Right @ M4 (Loops to left, Follow Penrith signs)
Right @ Mulgoa Rd exit
Left after 1st roundabout.

Or you could take the M7 between Hume & M4 but at that hour of the morning there is no point. (Would cost $6.50ish, etag needed)

subalex · Post by **subalex** » Sat Mar 18, 2006 9:24 pm

fred-sub... Where are you from? You've mentioned interest in going through Menai before. You're down past Campbelltown are you?

Somewhere more between Lithgow and Menai could be a better start since the drive Northward is quite a trip for some from the South. Further drives nearby Murphy's Glen could be a good intro? The Oaks Fire trail possible?

Smokey · Post by **Smokey** » Sun Mar 19, 2006 7:51 am

Trip planned for 7am start on Sat the 8th April 06.

Subalex - The oaks fire trail is a GREAT track, but as with so many other firetrails in the Blue Mountains its locked. It won't stop walkers or motor or push bikes, but I think it would stop all of us. There is a great track from somewhere is Woodford down to Warragamba dam, its a up hill, then down hill, creek crossing, up hill, down hill creek crossing.....and so forth untill you get down into the flats, but from memory its locked too.... I know an aquantance who's in the fire brigade and whos an avid 4WDer so will ask them for ideas. If I come up with anything I'll make a new post. Also you mentioned time 7am being early, we could meet you further up the mountain, as were planing to stop at Murphy's glen and, so that would give you some more time to get here. You also mentioned not being able (possibly) to do the whole trip, you could come up early and after murphy's glen check out some other fire trails in the area to see whats available. The national park at Glenbrook (10 min form penrith) has heaps of dirt trails, hardly 4WD worthy but still dirt... Just an idea.

Xela - I don't have a CB or handheld yet... I'll try to get that rectified but may not happen in time.

From memory Xela, your wagon is smick but not lifted right? So if you can do the trip so should other non lifted vehicles...

I'm really looking forward to this guys! If my cars wasn't at my mother inlaws I'd be out there right now looking into those last min things.... Went out last night, needed two cars to cart all the baby stuff, left one car and the babies at mother inlaws!!!

Smokey.

PeeJay · Post by **PeeJay** » Sun Mar 19, 2006 9:22 am

I wish I could come

I wouldn't bother with murphey's glenn, any old 2wd would easily make it in there, it's just a dirt road. Same with anything in Glenbrook NP, plus you have to pay to get in there!

Sideways Subaru · Post by **Sideways Subaru** » Sun Mar 19, 2006 10:07 am

Yeah my wagon's just got 14" wheels and it's done lithgow-just a couple of spots where i scraped the towbar so if you've got 4wd tires on 14" rims you should be fine. we can always do a bit of road-building

I've got no idea about any tracks around katoomba & warragamba-i only know the ones around lithgow-so some1 else would need to show the way.

Big Al

subalex · Post by **subalex** » Sun Mar 19, 2006 7:25 pm

I'm of much the same feeling as you xela in that I've been through many Lithgow tracks (Zig Zag to Hill End then on to Orange is a really rewarding drive) but many of them are an all day affair. Then there's the Watagans and Jenolan. They're pretty well all day or even camp over affairs so for a first get-together we shouldn't over commit ourselves?? Who knows, I could be a real snob

and you wouldn't want to spend any more than a 3 hour trip with me on the CB.

How many of you out there have standard cars?

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Blue Mountains Trip - Sat April 8, 8am

Blue Mountains Trip - Sat April 8, 8am

sounding great

Western sydney - Blue mountains trip