06.08.11 Murphys Creek Escape

Finally got in our 30th night in Rover 6 days late.  Better late than never I say!  One month out of our year camping has to be a good thing.  Watching a show on the box last week stated that people who go camping are more relaxed, richer, and less stressed than those that don't.  Sweet!  :)

We head west along the Warrego Highway to Helidon and then take a couple of rights, a left and another right and we are there. 

It takes 1.5 hours to make the trip out to Murphy's Creek at the base of the Toowoomba Range.  Another small village made famous January 10th by copping the Inland Tsunami straight of the range.  I can only imagine what that would be like ... a wee bit freaky and some (that's the polite version).

Our destination this weekend is Murphy's Creek Escape.

We pass a (what appears to be newly built) horse corral, which is extremely solid.  It has a large fallen tree conveniently placed by a fire pit so you can stay with your horses.   They can be watered onsite, but I didn't notice anywhere you could wash them down.  This is right by the entrance to the grounds.

Backing onto White Mountain State Forest, there is ample opportunity to take a long ride on your steed or in your 4x4.

As instructed we head for reception to book ourselves in.  I've been told by a fellow camper that the remote section would suit us perfectly (Thanks Robyn), so that's where we would like to head.  I haven't made a booking so we are hoping there is a spot for us.  We been asked to park our rig and check out the creek, as our host is on her way back from town and hasn't yet arrived.  I manage to snap off a few photo's.

 Gee ... how did they know?  LOL!

Lisa (our host) finally arrives and we eagerly get the formalities out of the way, so that we can set up and start to enjoy our surroundings.  We need a key for the "remote camping" area gate, as many folk are dodging the State Forest gate and using the corner of this property to access it.  For us it just means some privacy, as other campers won't be able to make it up there without the necessary key.  I'm sure they don't mind handing them out for paying guests to access the SF, but I'll bet the locked gate deters quite a few. 

I notice there are a few photos of the Before and After of that January Event, so I make a mental note to ask if I may snap off a few shots of them as we return the key and depart.  I'll show those last.

We get back in the car with our map, key and directions in hand and head for the remote camping area to choose a site.  We've been told a group of lads are staying there as well and Lisa recommends 2 sites at the opposite end of the ridge to them.  One of these was recommended to me by a fellow camper as well, so it can't be all bad!  We unlock the gate and prepare to head up the hill ...

The Lads coming back down.

Just gotta close the gate and get back in ... 

You just can't see how steep this really is.  Glenn puts it 4x4.

I would recommend you ensuring you are in 4wd before tackling this hill with or without a camper, and removing anything from the dashboard ... or the hill will do it for you :)

Once at the top we note where the boys are ... we can hear the soft purr of a generator ... and head in the opposite direction.  Our next camping site is on the edge of the ridge and a bit of a view has been cleared.  This site is rather large.  Too big for us.

We drive a little further to find our site.

We drive in and then realise we are too long to turn around, so Glenn backs it up to the bush as far as he can, we unhitch, spin the CT around, re-hitch and position as required.  Worked out rather nicely in the end.  We set up and we've even got an awning decoration of the tallest Fassifern in the area! 

Once settled, we have some lunch and head back down the road that passes by us and ends up near to the reception area.  Our plan is to visit "The Beach" and wander the creek, check out the facilities and back to camp.  This takes us a few hours.  The Beach is a quite impressive expanse of sand.  However the water is icy cold (the noticeboard stated freezing and it was right), so we leave swimming for another time.  After a cool drink, I suggested we head into the State Forest to search out a lookout I'd been told of. Lisa had mentioned a map, but didn't have any copies, so I put on my NavWoman cap and got us there easily.  Having never been there before, finding it was a bit of luck really. 

And the view from the top ...

 People have been walking down there along the creek ...

We head back to camp to cook dinner.  T-Bone and vegies.  The Lads get a bit louder as the night wears on, but never enough to really bother us, so we can sleep easily.  We've been hearing trains going up and down the track all day and we hear them into the night.

The next day dawns perfectly sunny.  As we eat our breakfast, we can hear nothing but birds and the occassional laughter from the Lads, but we don't hear another train at all ... they all must have Sunday's off.  It really is relaxing and peaceful.

As we slowly start our pack up rituals ... it once again strikes me that pack up always takes longer than the set up.  Why is that?  We decide that once we return the key, we'll have lunch in the BBQ area before we go.  We have to head back down that steep entry ... either that or head down the extreme 4x4 track the other way ... and I do give Glenn the choice. 

Once down, we have to negotiate a super sharp bend to exit.  Handing in the key, I get to chatting with Lisa about The Event and how they were effected and Glenn does the same outside with Peter.  We compare stories on the way home and are surprised at what they both tell us.  I can't believe how the high the water got and the devistation it left behind.  So here are the before and afters ...

Before (from above ... note the roadway going down).  There are 2 deep swimming holes near to the bottom left and top right ... both are now shallow pools.  The water at the height of the flood was lapping at the house ... needless to say the managers spend a night or more camped in the remote area.

 After (looking up the creek from where they would have been camping).  The water dropped 7 metres and  remained at the height of the dot on the bank below the caravan for awhile (just to the left of centre).

After (in front of house ... you can see the roadway down in front of those logs).  Where this photo was taken I would well and truely have been under water and swept away ...

You really do have to be thankful that the managers thought it too wet to put campers on the creek long before The Event, due to the amount of rainfall Queensland had from September through to that fateful day.

Trip Kilometres: 272k
Trip Duration:  48 hours