Destinations > Blue Mountains

It was during the morning that we came to the first major obstacle, a steep rocky descent that looked sedate enough, until the final ten metres were taken into account. A single rock slab, rain-slicked and tilted to a precarious angle, lay between us and our goal for the day. It was time to test the skills we had learnt throughout the previous day. One by one, the vehicles in the group picked their way gently down the slope. In the interest of allowing others to learn, I let my partner Renée do the driving over this difficult section. With John giving gentle, unhurried advice over the radio, the drivers were encouraged to select low-range first gear, and step down the slope. Excellent tips on choosing the right driving line were sent to the cabins via the radio, and everyone made it down to the bottom easily and without misadventure. For the first-timers in the group, it was quite obviously a real rush to experience this side of 4WDing. With everyone's confidence up, we followed the narrow trail through the bush towards our destination that afternoon.

There was one more quick detour onto the bitumen, then we were off into the bush again, following the tracks through some of the most amazing scenery New South Wales has to offer. The group stopped for photos again, the massive sandstone structures providing a dramatic backdrop. An hour or so from that stop, we came to the last big obstacle for the weekend, a large rocky incline that looked pretty tough from the bottom of the hill. We had weathered all manner of obstacles to get here, so it seemed just a little challenge for everyone involved. John muscled his way up in the Patrol, showing the best possible line, followed by the Overlander Discovery. The passage of the first two cars led to some necessary track maintenance, and piles of loose bush rock were carried into place and set firmly in the track by the willing hands of many volunteers. After the track was repaired to some extent, the rest of the group followed, again guided by John on the radio. Hans and Linda, total novices in their Pajero, were amongst the last to make it up the hill, but the smile on Hans' face (and the palpable look of relief on Linda's) when he made it to the top was one of the highlights of the trip. An instant convert to the 4WDing lifestyle was made that day, and I'm sure that Hans and Linda are now using their vehicle for it's intended purpose with confidence, and gaining a great deal of joy.

read on below advertisement



We then took off along a stretch of track which took us past a disused airstrip, where we ran into a group of Discovery owners out on a training drive. The training drive is offered as part of a new vehicle buyer's scheme by one of Sydney's Land Rover dealerships, and the participants in that group looked as if they were having as much fun as our group. Once past the group, we followed a track known as Powerlines, which predictably follows the powerlines that have been set through the park. We took a turn off, the track got a little rougher and then John's voice crackled over the radio. We were to engage low-range first, and crawl along the last 100 rocky metres of the drive to the Lost City. This amazing rock formation defies description, short of naming every possible geological feature within view. The entire ridge-top is an astonishing collection of weathered spires, jutting up into the sky and towering over the verdant valley below. The low cloud cover and mist that had rolled in as we arrived added to the atmosphere of the place, awing many into silence as the took in the view.

From the Lost City, we wound our way back to the powerlines, and followed the track towards the Zig Zag Railway station near Lithgow, our final stopping point for the weekend. A final, cheerful goodbye was said to everyone, with John offering a timely reminder that as we had been concentrating very hard during the day, we should take great care on the drive home to Sydney. Another Opposite Lock / Overlander Weekend Away had drawn to a close, but not without everyone agreeing that this was far from the last trip of it's kind that we would do together.

next page »

 

« go back