Ok, how about a different wine region with some known off-road local tours, We could do the trip if we get the consensus on Queen Liz's Birthday bash weekend 5th-8th June, what better way to celebrate than thrashing around the dunes in Birminghams finest

Please provide alternative options please.

I would like to recommend Jimmy Salsa's idea of maybe the Hunter and surrounds, and for those who would like to look at Sand Driving, Stockton Beach is not far away..

QUOTE JS

While I can certainly handle organising a very special tour of some lovely independent wineries you may not normally include on your Hunter Wine Tour (several are clients) I have only done very limited 4wd'ing around here. You could however easily put together a great Easter tour with some fantastic day trips combining the best of off-roading with some more relaxing activities.

Example tour:
Friday night: Arrive at accommodation, late supper and drinkies to help send everyone off to sleep.

Saturday: Day tour 1 - Watagan State Forest, take a picnic lunch and enjoy some fire trails, easy to moderate tracks, then descend to Wollombi Valley for a drop of the famous Doctor Jurds Jungle Juice at the historic Wollombi Tavern then back to Pokolbin for dinner

Sunday: Stockton Sand Dunes, Lunch at Birubi Tavern, Local Winery at Port Stephens then return to Vineyards for light supper with private wine tasting (aged wines and ports) and special cheese tasting from the Smelly Cheese Company (another client).

Monday: Check out in the morning, then on through Wollombi to Mt Yengo. Some great 4wd tracks through here. Stop at Devils Rock look-out for picnic lunch then more 4wd'ing over Mount Yengo.

Those heading back to Sydney and beyond we can head South while those Northerners can head back out onto the main road to the Freeway or back via the Hunter.

UNQUOTE

Accommodation Options:

http://www.huntervalley.com/

Cypress lakes is quite nice and stayed there a few times, $754 for 2 nights for 4 people in a 2 bedroom villa..

I can phone and see if we can get a deal if we can get numbers and confirmation well in advance..

Also we can ask JS to work his local talent and see if he can get anything cheaper/deal wise  Another Pommie Bar Steward down under

MY20 Defender 110 SE P400 Eiger/Ebony
MY10 3.0 RRS TDv6 Fuji/Ebony/Anigre

I'm definitely keen for this.. Although on the Monday I guess we would need to head straight back to melbourne due to 10 or so hour drive required.

Would like to do as much off roading as possible combined with the other stuff.

Last time I was in the Hunter Valley I was done for speeding - got a court summons 3 weeks after the court date! Summons was sent by slow mail, 16 years ago! 2005 Zambezi TDV6 - Gone but not forgotten
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VA, speeding is next to mass murder in terms of being up there in Police priorities, so nothing as changed

Somebody remind Angel we are thinking of doing Stockton Beach, he may be interested  Another Pommie Bar Steward down under

MY20 Defender 110 SE P400 Eiger/Ebony
MY10 3.0 RRS TDv6 Fuji/Ebony/Anigre

Lizzy's birthday sounds great. Will look into some accomm options and see what we can snaffle for the right price. Really need to get a firm ideas on numbers before I go too far down that path. There are some interesting group venue options around which would be ideal. 'Black Betty' Java Black RRS 07 TDV6

Last edited by Jimmy Salsa on Wed Mar 25 2009 10:57am. Edited 1 time in total

Looks like I'm gonna struggle for this, sorry!

If things change will let you know.

Jimmy Salsa wrote:

Lizzy's birthday sounds great. Will look into some accomm options and see what we can snaffle for the right price. Really need to get a firm ideas on numbers before I go too far down that path. There are some interesting group venue options around which would be ideal.

Jimmy Salsa wrote:

Lizzy's birthday sounds great. Will look into some accomm options and see what we can snaffle for the right price. Really need to get a firm ideas on numbers before I go too far down that path. There are some interesting group venue options around which would be ideal.

Hi Jimmy
I am tentative for the trip at this stage...
but i wont need accom as i'll stay at my sister who lives up that way. Toyota Corolla...((((
formerly: RRS TdV6 Rimini Red, Alapaca, Sat Nav, Prem Ice, Hybrid TV, Cooler, FPS, Tow pack, roof mounted lighthouse

Howdy all,

June long weekend is usually busy in the valley and with the dollar in the toilet and economy on the nose a lot of people are opting for local domestic holidays which means the Hunter will be busier than ever this year.

I need to get some fairly strong ideas of numbers together reasonably soon if we want to get some good digs for the trip.

Have been testing out a few local tracks including watagans and Yengo national park and think we could easily do a trip through both if we start early enough.

Thinking we do a short trek through watagans via a couple of side trails then down to Wollombi and out through Yengo NP to Howes Valley and back across to Paynes Crossing via the Old Convict Trail.

How rough do you guys like to do it off-road?

I'll take my truck almost anywhere but I know that some prefer not to scratch their ride. 'Black Betty' Java Black RRS 07 TDV6

hi
like i said above i wont need accomodation.

I am keen to do some mild off roading...but i am in the dont want scratch the sides of the car group.
Also I have had a bad dose of sand, i left parts of the RRS behind in stockton, so will skip that section of the trip Toyota Corolla...((((
formerly: RRS TdV6 Rimini Red, Alapaca, Sat Nav, Prem Ice, Hybrid TV, Cooler, FPS, Tow pack, roof mounted lighthouse

Jimmy i think there will be the four of us for the trip, 2 of us needing accommodation, that being 640 and his good wif, moi and better half.

Like you we are not to fussed as long as it is not damaging, wondering whether Stockton would be a hoot, but not wedded to it as i have been on there a few times.

Cheers

Jim Another Pommie Bar Steward down under

MY20 Defender 110 SE P400 Eiger/Ebony
MY10 3.0 RRS TDv6 Fuji/Ebony/Anigre

A couple of more q's about the prefs for accomms so I can narrow this right down.

There are obviously some easy options like Cypress Lakes or Crown Plaza which have restaurants facilities on site, or you can go with a self contained cottage with multiple rooms and shared living etc.

Anyone prefer one over the other? 'Black Betty' Java Black RRS 07 TDV6

Jimmy Salsa wrote:

A couple of more q's about the prefs for accomms so I can narrow this right down.

There are obviously some easy options like Cypress Lakes or Crown Plaza which have restaurants facilities on site, or you can go with a self contained cottage with multiple rooms and shared living etc.

Anyone prefer one over the other?

Not to say i would not stay at Cypress, have done a few times  Another Pommie Bar Steward down under

MY20 Defender 110 SE P400 Eiger/Ebony
MY10 3.0 RRS TDv6 Fuji/Ebony/Anigre

just trying to finalise accomm options but need to first determine what/where people want to go as well as try to accommodate those who need to head south on the Monday PM.

Is everyone keen to do Stockton, or have you all done this a few times already and would prefer some alternative bush based adventuring?

Here are the trip options I am trying to consider:

1) Watagans Day - fairly easy trails with a couple of shallow creek crossings and a few rocky goat tracks. Return back to Wollombi with possible o/night there.

From Wollombi head south to Laguna then...

2) Burragurra/Mt Yengo - down the Boree track to significant Aboriginal site (S33 06.923 E151 02.203) with great views out to Yengo, morning tea there, then off to Finchley aboriginal site then around to Big Yengo, back onto the Putty road at Howes Valley. If we want to head back to Wollombi via alternate route down the Old Settlers Trail I need to get permission from private land owner but am already working on this through NPWS.



3) Hunter/Wollemi tour - Haven't done this before myself but will make an effort to do it prior to long weekend to ensure access OK. This is a variation on the Hunter Trek listed in 4WD treks around Sydney which goes from Howes Valley on the Putty Road up to Raspberry Junction for lunch (S32 41.927 E150 41.385) and then heads north along Martinsdale Road up to Denman where we could spend the night. A couple of good creek crossings here but again through private property. I've spoken briefly with the owner's wife but haven't been able to catch the owner as yet but I think from initial discussion we'll get the OK to use their property.

Let me know if you've already done some of these and would prefer something new and whether you'd prefer to make it only two days and keep the Monday for wines/cheese and chocolates 'Black Betty' Java Black RRS 07 TDV6