Paddler Ed
Well-Known Member
So it's been getting a bit cool here in the New England North West of NSW; we are on the mailing list for a nice place up on the edge of the Lamington National Park in QLD, so when some specials came up we grabbed them and got a couple of nights up there.
Monday morning was spent loading up the 4Runner, with Delz finishing work at 1.30pm (started at 4.30am!) meant we got off nice and promptly, heading up the New England Highway to just outside Tenterfield/Stanthorpe to stay at one of the QLD National Park's campsites.
Tuesday we headed off out the back of the National park and round to Stanthorpe, before a run to the Condamine River road (14 creek crossings!)
and onto Beaudesert, where we found the beginning of Duck Creek Road, an alternative route upto the top of the hill (as opposed to the bitumen route)
As you climbed Duck Creek road it changed into much more of the rainforest trail that is typical of the area at the plateau:
We were up there until Thursday, chilling out, eating well and doing a bit of walking in the area surrounding the accommodation.
Bit posh; we had a proper roof and stuff instead of the swags!
Pademelon; a small marsupial that is found in the rainforest area
Some more pademelons:
Water over a waterfall... something we're not used to on the Tablelands of the NENW...
Some of the view points were a fair way up...
But put you right up above the canopy:
Some of the viewpoints were metal rather than in the trees:
Or alternatively you could walk back through the trees...
Our accommodation was over on the RHS of this picture:
We headed off on some of the walks around the plateau; in one day we did about 15km of the walks (and ate a lot of cake)
On the morning of the last day, we did a little tour with a guy who'd been there for over 30 years, so he was able to point out all the bits that we'd never see ourselves... such as the home of spiders:
Headed back on Thursday to Woodenbong, home of the Yowie (we think we met him in the pub that night... laughed so much with the locals that our faces and sides hurt by the end of the night!)
Why I can't build the drawers so the esky is lifted up off the floor:
(although Delz' Christmas in July secret santa present has come in very useful...)
Back to normal accomodation now:
and then down to Grafton to pick up the Old Glen Innes road back to the NE Highway.
Next to the Nymboida river:
For the first time in 2 years, I've missed having my kayak and canoe as we went along this bit of road; all I wanted to do was paddle the river, especially reading about the canoe trail (150km-ish with G2/3(4) rapids on it)
Convict Tunnel on the Old Glen Innes Road:
Not as photo laden as Ben's trip reports, but hope you enjoyed it!
Monday morning was spent loading up the 4Runner, with Delz finishing work at 1.30pm (started at 4.30am!) meant we got off nice and promptly, heading up the New England Highway to just outside Tenterfield/Stanthorpe to stay at one of the QLD National Park's campsites.
Tuesday we headed off out the back of the National park and round to Stanthorpe, before a run to the Condamine River road (14 creek crossings!)
and onto Beaudesert, where we found the beginning of Duck Creek Road, an alternative route upto the top of the hill (as opposed to the bitumen route)
As you climbed Duck Creek road it changed into much more of the rainforest trail that is typical of the area at the plateau:
We were up there until Thursday, chilling out, eating well and doing a bit of walking in the area surrounding the accommodation.
Bit posh; we had a proper roof and stuff instead of the swags!
Some more pademelons:
Water over a waterfall... something we're not used to on the Tablelands of the NENW...
Some of the view points were a fair way up...
But put you right up above the canopy:
Some of the viewpoints were metal rather than in the trees:
Or alternatively you could walk back through the trees...
Our accommodation was over on the RHS of this picture:
We headed off on some of the walks around the plateau; in one day we did about 15km of the walks (and ate a lot of cake)
On the morning of the last day, we did a little tour with a guy who'd been there for over 30 years, so he was able to point out all the bits that we'd never see ourselves... such as the home of spiders:
Headed back on Thursday to Woodenbong, home of the Yowie (we think we met him in the pub that night... laughed so much with the locals that our faces and sides hurt by the end of the night!)
Why I can't build the drawers so the esky is lifted up off the floor:
(although Delz' Christmas in July secret santa present has come in very useful...)
Back to normal accomodation now:
and then down to Grafton to pick up the Old Glen Innes road back to the NE Highway.
Next to the Nymboida river:
For the first time in 2 years, I've missed having my kayak and canoe as we went along this bit of road; all I wanted to do was paddle the river, especially reading about the canoe trail (150km-ish with G2/3(4) rapids on it)
Convict Tunnel on the Old Glen Innes Road:
Not as photo laden as Ben's trip reports, but hope you enjoyed it!
