13.10.12 Numinbah Valley Adventure Trails

13.10.12

Started out at 0745, which is a smidge earlier than we normally do.  Probably because we were so excited to be going to a campsite just a little over an hour from home and knowing that the day onsite would be longer than normal.  Always a good feeling!  Glenn had actually suggested we head down there Friday night, so perhaps in the future we might do that … bloody work always getting in the way J  Days are getting longer and soon sunset will be around 1900, so we might as well start doing this.  About time Glenn got eager to go camping!

This weekend our trip is straight down the highway at 110kph, then a right hand turn through suburbia and into the countryside.  We’ll follow the Hinze Dam’s zig-zagging western coastline down to the Nerang River and then through the valley to Numinbah … a quaint little country town.  At this stage we will be about 5k’s from our destination. 

We arrive onsite at 0902 and head straight for the campground.  Glenn wants a particular site so we head straight to it.  The plan is to drop off the camper, Glenn and the dogs, and return to the homestead to pay the fees.  At 0916, we’ve picked our site and inspected it for best positioning.  Then it’s a matter of unhitching and starting the setup.  Awning goes up and I head for the reception to pay our fees around 0945.  Now I know that seems like a while to setup, but we couldn’t figure out which view would be best and ending up driving the truck and camper straight in for a creek view.  Glenn always gets mixed up with which side opens up … Passenger Side!!!  Never mind.

Once I’m back at camp, Glenn has put up the table, gotten out the chairs, set up the kitchen … amongst other things and it takes just a few more minutes to get ourselves fully settled.

We are down to the creek and checking it out by 1000.  Of course all dogs are straight in the water, one swimming and the rest just dipping their paws.  I get my feet wet and its freezing!  How Telashi is comfortable in that temperature water I do not know!  We wander up and down the bit of creek we are camping on until we get thirsty and head back to camp.

And that’s pretty much how our day continues … creek … camp … relax … creek … camp … relax … lunch … creek … camp …relax … are you getting the picture yet?  J  We noted some neighbours moving in rather late for campers, and setting up a tent.  We noticed some more coming in after them and setting up tents, but before long they have all driven off again.  Must be off to visit Springbrook National Park or a quick trot into Murwillumbah.  We headed over to the main campground and to the big swimming area at it’s far end.  Then we wandered back up the track and I wanted to go the the crossing, so we went there next. 

Found a beautiful section of the creek that most might miss if they didn’t wander around.  By then it was 1430, so we had to think about dinner.  Lamb chops with as many vegies as we can fit in.  Need to defrost them though.  Out with some bones for the pups as well to give them something to do whilst drying off.  Around 1530, we set up the OzPig.  Glenn commented that they day was simply dragging along.  Fantastic!  What could be better than that?  Guess that’s the secret to not getting there, setting up and then eating lunch.  Throwing the ball for Telashi, getting her wet when she got hot, back for more ball throwing.  I even attempted to have a dip once the temperature reached 30°C, but it was way too cold for me in the end, but I did get wet!  How that dog just jumps in no matter the weather is a complete mystery.

A group of horse riders go through and that makes for our daily excitement.  I count about 10 riders in all and we watch them till they are out of site.  I’ve kept the handheld on Ch14 the entire time we’ve been here as this is the channel that the homestead keeps track of.  We can hear the ride guides chatter away about gates and the likes whilst taking paying riders around.  It’s good to hear that they are happy about what they do even if they groan about opening gates on occasion. 

I notice that all day we’ve heard motorbikes and cars going up and down the road.  It’s quite a popular day drive by the sounds of it.  Mostly bikes though.  I reckon one day we’ll get to the other end of the road for some camping as well.  This road takes you through to Murwillumbah which is only another 40 or 50k’s.  That area is central in an old volcano … you can see what I mean if you head to the CTA.org meet and find the photos I took from it’s edge in the Border Ranges National Park.  Such a breathtaking view from there ...

About 1600, we light the OzPig and then remain in camp for much of the afternoon with more ball throwing and more creek swimming for a certain dog.  Jack camped out under the table and snored for awhile.  Kiah kept her eye on everything going on around us … birds, leaves dropping, branches falling … she’s definitely on alert no matter what … her nickname being “The Terminator”.

We heat water for showers, discussing different options for doing so.  We haven’t got the AquaCube out for a few trips, so have decided that this is its last one till next winter and then we shower. 

Our neighbours return and we can hear one of them riding around on a tiny little motorbike.  He’s going hell for leather up hill and down dale.  It sounds like a loud angry wasp on most occasions, but every so often he comes a bit closer.  I’m glad we aren’t in the main campground.

Darkness slowly falls as we cook our dinner.  It’s going to be cool, but not overly cold as predicted.  It could be that we have good tree cover too.

All other camps are eerily quiet, which is unusual.  Guess that means we are the noisiest of them all for a change.  We spend the next few hours drinking, chatting and I think it’s after 2000 by the time we hit the hay. 

I can hear the sound of the creek as I fall asleep, but the sound of road traffic is a bit louder I think, but thankfully it’s not all that often.

15.5AH

14.10.12

Next day dawns noisily.  Birds of all shapes, sizes, colours and call have descended on our campsite and are doing their best to get us out of bed.  It eventually works and we are up and having a lazy breakfast of cereal and coffee.  Dogs fed, we sit around and discuss what to do today.  I’d like to go and see the house I can see from my camp chair, from the same paddock.  I don’t want to go in, just see what its paddock is like and follow the creek up a bit.  See where the horses might come from on their rides.  The horse riders don’t come our way today however, but we can hear them on the handheld on another trail somewhere.

One lot of campers pack up and are gone by 1030.

That bloke has been riding his tiny little motorbike all morning.  I’m hoping he runs out of fuel soon.  He must be well over 6’ tall and the bike is barely 2’ high.  It’s funny to watch him with his legs dangling way out the back and it must be rather awkward for him too.

We gather the dogs and head over the creek.  By this stage the bike has run out of fuel (thankfully) and it seems that group are all seated at the creek crossing.  They’ve been building cairns everywhere.  We cross over and make our way up the vehicular track till it runs out and veers away from the creek.  I can see the old house very well.  It’s a beautiful old style one with huge Moreton Bay Figs growing out front.  Seems there are sheds and possibly a chook run, but we’ll never find out as we don’t wish to go too close. 

Keeping to the creek we follow a cow or horse trail till we find a washed out bridge crossing.  Although the footings are still there, the bridge no longer is.  We cross over and head into yet another paddock.  We spy a caravan all set up and we can hear wood being chopped.  We aren’t sure if we are still on the property, so we take a photo and turn back.

Crossing the creek again, we notice what appears to be some abseiling equipment and associated log work.  I wonder if this has been a bigger campground in the past as it seems weird to find such a thing so close to the creek.  It’s not a flying fox or part thereof that we can tell.  We head back towards the creek opposite our camp.  I snap a photo of camp from the banks edge and then we find a place to cross.  In doing so, we stumble across a flying fox going from this side of the creek up to the house in the camping ground paddock.  With the height of the debris in the trees all around, I’m sure they’d need it at some stage … but the old house appeared empty.  Our camp would be well and truly under water in that case.  I imagine that the entire camp ground would be too.

We find an old cow track and head over to camp for another bout of sitting and relaxing.  By the time we arrive, the other tent campers have also left.  We make plans to head back to the creek crossing with the cairns as it’s an ideal place for Telashi to have another swim and for me to take a million photos.

In the meantime, we have lunch and start the slow pack up.  We plan to leave around 1430 or so and decide to pack the camper and sit by the creek until it’s time.  It’s peaceful there and the serenity is boundless.

Between the camper chores getting done and the constant ball throwing we are packed by 1345.  Glenn hooks things up whilst I keep the dogs out of harms way.  He spins it all around and we are off to sit by the creek for a bit.

Telashi swims, I photograph, Kiah sniffs around, Jack wanders looking for somewhere comfortable, Glenn sits, then wanders, then disappears all together.  Before long our 30 minutes of contemplation are over and we must head back to load up the dogs and head home. 

On our way out the gate I radio in to the office that we are the last campers to leave and I’m sadly shutting the gate behind us.

 

On the trip home we got overtaken by some oldish cars that were very shiny.  Good to see them in perfect working order and getting an airing.

 

16.2AH

Trip Kilometres:  179

Trip Duration: 48 hours