Mullion Creek Farm Stay
14th to 17th April 2006

Bryce Messner (owner of “Eulah” Mullion Creek)

I decided this year as we were moving to Mullion Creek (24km north of Orange), it would be difficult to get away for our usual 22 day trip to somewhere special, so home stay it was.

With lots going on in a new home and only moving up in January it would be hard to get too far into the bush with contractors coming at various times to do work around the farm. This was to be my first stay home at Easter ever since I’ve had a licence to drive in 40 years I hate to have to admit to.

The weekend actually kicked of for us with our first arrival, Andrew Cort complete with noisy Yamaha on Wednesday 12th.

This was timely, for a few things needed doing like finishing of lawn mowing of the campsite & setting up the camp fire place etc.

Next Garth & Kas arrived on Thursday morning & staked out their spot taking prime position (well he thought so anyway). The rest of the happy campers arriving Friday to Saturday, and leaving at various times up to the following Friday as arranged.

Free time was catered for to set up camp & look over the house & farm until Saturday our first venture out to play in the bush.

Saturday we took off to Orange in a convoy of four (as some went as passengers). First stop was at Jax Tyres for a deflating Disco tyre, some quick shopping and then the drive to the peak of Mount Canobalas. On the southern side of the mount we then stopped at a nice sheltered camp/picnic spot for a quick lunch.

Lunch finished we ascended down some low range tracks through plantation pine. A few tracks very over grown with low Biddie Bush, which I delighted in getting Garths new Disco all scratched up as pay back for a time long since past.
The area was fairly dry on this occasion unlike our last trip that was very damp, but still it was still green & the mud now turned to ruts.

We hit the tar at Four-Mile Creek picnic area, then a short distance later I decided to right along a track I had not previously been down. The track turned into hard wood forest and descended at an alarming rate, at ever increasing degrees of incline.

The track disappeared at the back of a huge stand of blackberry bush leading to nowhere, a dead end & some sort of water gauge station. In a precarious position & nowhere to go but back I tried first the direct route astern. This turned out to be not so correct as the front wheels slid dangerously sideways threatening to roll me over & into the gully. Hugh & Reece jumped out to give me direction on manoeuvring the Rangie pout of our predicament. With careful forward movement & precise wheel alignment the front Maxi-drive pushed me up the hill and out of trouble.

Catching our breath at another intersection we headed for home, finding a steep incline strewn with boulders & deep ruts. I managed an easy climb up not spinning a wheel.

Garth followed, but a few large rocks I dislodged on my way up baulked Garth to a stop until they where moved and a couple of tries got over the top.

Jamie’s ascent a little too fast but successful in a shower of rocks & dust, he wasn’t going to fail, Ian made it look easy in the V8.

When we arrived back at camp Bob & Dave had arrived and set up their tidy little off road camper, sure makes camping easy (did I say that, must be getting old).

A great night was had by all around the campfire and it was sure cold away from the flames.

Sunday we headed into Clergate State Forest, where we hoped to play in some mud. Not long into the forest on the same section but different trench, I managed to get horribly bogged again like last year. Tried reversing but only made 10 feet before needing a rear snatch from Chad in his Rangie, then around & out the easy way.

A wee bit further down David L succumbed to another boggy trench needing a snatch also .

We had to side step a number of fallen pines across the track, but no chain saw on board meant tricky detours.

The horrible black bog that claimed three vehicles last year was horribly dry with cavernous ruts to negotiate very slowly.

A little further down a very deep rut crossed our path some two feet deep & 12 inches wide. I started to manoeuvre around, as we had to get past to continue up the hill to our next obstacle. David L tried a different approach to me and fell in the rut damaging his steering arm which Clive straightened at our lunch stop an hour later.

Our next obstacle, a particular nasty boulder strewn series of steps, seemed much worse than last year. Fortunately the Rangie took then in its stride with only the slightest wheel spin near the crest.

Garth took the easier side route, and the rest in various ways made it to the top. Jamie again in spectacular fashion & an almost roll also made it up.

No one on this occasion was tempted to try “The Widow Maker” but took the easier side route.
After lunch & David’s repaired steering arm successfully done we went in search of some more mud. Although hard to find this time, as all the holes were dry, I did manage to find one spectacular log wet trench that I can't believe I was goaded by an 11-year-old into attempting yet again. I got horribly bogged last year in this trench & this trip was no different.

David Lee tried to snatch me with his 90 V8, but just a bit too light & again it was up to Chad’s Rangie to do the job on the third attempt but I was deeply encased in grey goo to the door sills.

From here an easy drive out of the forest and back to camp. Unfortunately Bob & Dave had to leave to return to Sydney to see Bob’s daughter Tiffany ride at the Easter Show on here horse, by the way she achieved Royal Reserve Champion for her effort & she was the youngest in her class, well done.

Again another fantastic warm campfire melted the cold night air to see everyone snug in bed.

Monday and the rest of the campers were moving out & homeward bound after a late breakfast with the exception of Hugh & Reece who were staying until after Darralynn’s birthday on Wednesday. Reece’s mum Fran arriving Friday to collect him as Dean was on Herve’s Pub-Crawl Trip out west.

This weekend being so successful, I will run a trip again in the future using the farm as a base camp to explore more of the Orange Area forests.

Next Easter we have planned a 28 day trip to Perth via Cape Arid N.P., Albury, Bunbury, Kalgoorlie & Googs Track see you there.