Well, Scott and I decided to save ourselves a very early rise and headed off to the Blue Mountains on Friday afternoon instead of Saturday morning. We stayed at the Clarendon Hotel in Katoomba which is like taking a step back in time. The décor and feel of the place, down to an open fire in the lounge with lots of board games and old books, was like being on the set of a 1950’s movie. The service was friendly, the location quiet and the accommodation basic but clean. There were plenty of eateries within walking distance and we braved the Brass Monkey weather and settled on Ruby’s restaurant, reasonably priced and quiet but most importantly, warmer than it was outside.

We departed the next morning after a hearty breakfast at a local café in plenty of time to meet the rest of our travel companions – we were going to be early ha ha. By the time we arrived at Little Hartley most people had been waiting 15 minutes because, deep in conversation we had completely missed the Lolly Bug shop, the signage, the bright yellow Lolly Bug Volkswagen parked near the road and of course, the 4WD’s that were already parked there! Scott also had a picture in his head as to where the shop was but this picture turned out to be Hartley!

Needless to say when we arrived at Hartley (on time of course!) no-one was there and not a lolly shop to be seen. We headed off and took another unplanned detour when we spotted a member of the club heading in the opposite direction we… decided… to… follow… them. Bad choice! We quickly realised this was definitely the wrong way and Mr Google Maps sorted us out as Mr Hema didn’t even have Little Hartley listed. As it turned out that club member we followed, could not make radio contact with and lost sight of, was not even on the trip!

Arriving late meant you now have to suffer the consequences of a written report by yours truly.

Eight vehicles, under the experienced leadership of Aunty Bev, finally headed off on our looked-forward-to adventure, although Scott and I had already started ours. The Prado dominated – we had three, driven by Bev Fort, Scott and Madeleine Sheldon and Sue and Cherrie; two Patrols in the capable hands of Lachlan Thomas and Matt and Carole Corp with daughter Lucy, Bob and Monica in their FJ Cruiser, Tony and Faye in their Challenger and Raymond King in his Hilux. It was a typical autumn day with bright sunshine filtering through the leaves and a definite chill in the air; we were all grateful for our winter woollies. The scenery was beautiful and the first part of the trip was a leisurely and easy drive.

We stopped at a pretty spot on part of the 6 Foot Track and worked up an appetite with a walk along the track to Bowtell’s Swing Bridge that is the crossing point for the Cox’s River for those on two legs. A welcome stretch for the legs and a good way to get the heart pumping. The suspension bridge was a challenge for those with vertigo but a nice adventure for the rest of us and a beautiful view down the river. Tony had the mischief in him and was sorely tempted to jump on the bridge and add a bit more excitement to Faye’s traverse across the swaying metal hammock. Common sense prevailed however and he brought himself under control but his facial expression told another story. Imp!  

A little more of a challenge over some rutted roads meant the drive after lunch helped keep us awake to enjoy the scenery and the driving. We stopped off at Hampton Pub for a welcome drink – of both the alcoholic and non-alcoholic variety – and a snack. There was a spacious enclosed verandah at the back of the pub with glass windows providing a panoramic view and  allowing warm sunshine to pour in – I could have curled up on a table like a cat in that sun! It was pretty cold outside.

The campsite, discovered by Aunty Bev and Uncle Tony during a reconnaissance mission, was on private property at Glenroy.  It was just the ticket. The setting was reasonably flat and grassy, alongside the tree-lined Cox’s river. A number of fireplaces were marked by stone circles and we soon nominated one to be the gathering zone. There was a short walk to his and hers FLUSHING toilets and HOT showers. We had all brought firewood and were set up in no time, enjoying happy hour by the camp fire. Of course dinner was followed by warming night caps of varied strengths and flavours, shared stories and a few laughs. Lachy was doing his best to get Faye tipsy so she could get fingered for the pissed and broke trophy thereby saving him the dubious pleasure of getting the award on behalf of his girlfriend who was led astray on a Club trip a couple of weeks ago. His plan worked for Faye, sure enough, ended up with the award at the May general meeting.  

A Very windy night (weather wise) caused tents and tarps to flap noisily, meaning some did not get enough beauty sleep but we were all toasty warm. And yes, I for one took my hottie – and Scott was there too.

We had a very leisurely morning in honour of mother’s day, recovery time for some, and Carole’s birthday. Gibralter Rocks was the destination of the day. A watery bog hole provided some adventure on the way and, once there, we enjoyed the spectacular view over morning tea before setting off once again. Aunty Bev led the way out through the State forest via a different route which necessitated a team effort to remove a fallen tree from across the track.

 The stop at Hampton pub was well-organised to coincide with lunch; which arrived two hours later! Yep that’s right – they were totally unprepared for the Mothers’ day crowd – orders were mixed up and delayed.  We were however, sitting inside appreciating the warmth of the sun and each other’s company. Luckily we weren’t into the alcohol or all of us would have had wobbly boots on by the time the food arrived!  Needless to say constructive feedback was given but don’t let this experience put you off a visit.

And then there was the drive home……..

Thanks to all participants it was a relaxing weekend with great scenery and good company. Thank you Aunty Bev for your leadership skills and Lochy for being a wonderful “Charlie” at the tool (sorry cool) end of the convoy!