Kroombit Tops on the Pig

M

mickd

Guest
For sometime now I have been wanting to visit the wreckage of an American fighter plane Beautiful Betsy in KroombitTopsNational Park, approx 450 klm north of home. I had made a couple of prevous attempts to locate and visit the site, both of which had been unsuccessful. This time however it would be different, I had the swag packed just in case and was determined… no matter how long it took…

The general trip plan would be something along the lines of . Cooroy – Woolooga – Biggenden – Mt Perry –Monto Cania Gorge - Ubobo – Kroombits – Miriamvale with a short burst back down the Bruce to home.


So it would be, just before before dawn on Saturday I headed out of Cooroy on my little adventure

465983706_JuN9m-L.jpg

Weather looked good, although there were signs of some earlier rain here and there

465988764_DJSGC-L.jpg

Saw a few land marks here and there on route to Biggenden
465989806_367eg-L.jpg


465995205_bFeGC-L.jpg


An hour or so into the trip and things were going well (or so I thought) still
doing my usual squirming around getting comfy as is normal for about the first 300 or so klm of a trip. Funnily enough Old Silver was doing a bit of squirming in the rear end herself so we pulled up for a quick check over ……
466007658_vSXJh-L.jpg



Hey spike, do you know anything about this .........??

466002586_ekZdF-L.jpg


mmmmm real character building stuff this is


A quick plug in the tyre and all was good, but I was now out of gas bombs and although I still had the little hand pump in the kit, but didn’t fancy attacking another tubeless flat with that and I knew there was some pretty average roads ahead. What to do ?
I decided to do a quick back track to Gympie to stock up on spares, grabbed a few more gas canisters and a spare tube from the bike shop, just in case. All in all things were going well, 4 hrs since leaving home and I had traveled approx 40 klm as the crow flys, the plan was looking fragile, but at least I had the swag. Off we went again.
Checked out some more history along the way

466009321_QWzZr-L.jpg


466013942_5DNdh-L.jpg



And pretty soon rolled into the historic town of Mt Perry

466027740_krDMW-L.jpg


Famous for Copper mining, the discovery of rich copper deposits early 1860s by Henry Dingle, lead to the development of mining town Mt Perry, as news of the discovery spread fast, and many prospectors took up blocks. By 1871 the town had three hotels, three butchers, one blacksmith, one shoemaker, one saddler, two storekeepers, three or four dairymen, one cordial maker, and a school soon to be opened. Many mines and mining companies were set up and smelters built, bringing forth a tide of miners who had heard about the promise of constant employment.
The size of a mining town is invariably measured by the number of ‘pubs’ it could boast. By this measure MountPerry stands high, for it could boast at least twenty-five hotels in its first years. Many of these would have been no more than a bark humpy with a keg set up on a rough counter. Naturally these did not last, and by 1876 the town had settled down to six regular hostelries.

466042839_ei4TC-L.jpg


Anyway enough of the waffle, I have other places to see.

466030820_rY8Mq-L.jpg



From Mt Perry, a quick Detour off the beaten track to visit the Boolbonda Tunnel and it was about this point I noticed a few ominous clouds building to the north
466030014_uBUST-L.jpg



The tunnel was constructed in 1883/1884 as part of a railway from Bundaberg to MountPerry. This section of the line closed in 1960. The significance of the 192 metre tunnel is that it remains as the longest unsupported tunnel in the southern hemisphere.
Continuing North for Monto and the road opens up …. Old Silver was loving this section
466052808_K8oGA-L.jpg



Plenty of water in the BurnetRiver

466023148_FYGzQ-L.jpg


And Not long after the sky opened up and there was plenty of water everywhere else as well..
466057931_ukBz3-L.jpg



Never mind, we forged ahead but decided to bypass Cania Gorge and head straight to Ubobo and the Kroombits, I knew if it got too wet up that way I would not get in and yet another attempt would be foiled..It absolutely poured down from Monto through to Ubobo and the rain combined with poor road conditions made for some pretty slow but interesting traveling. But all in all, things were not looking too promising

466061873_9ABU4-L.jpg


Still raining
466057952_ipRKX-L.jpg



Bugger, although we were only 1 wd I knew that meant we were out as well.

What to do ?
 
M

mickd

Guest
A quick check to the north/ north west and the weather didn’t look too bad, and although it was still raining I reckon I had ridden through the worst. Perhaps an approach from the north might be feasible . With that I headed for Calliope and Tabeland Rd for an attack from the North.
As luck would have it the area north had missed the rain so things were on the improve.



466049286_nq2Gw-L.jpg


I was not too sure where I was going from this point and there were no signs to assist so it was pretty much ride on ans see where it ended up

466190991_qmUrn-L.jpg


466190994_FT8SH-L.jpg


All the same it didn’t matter too much as the riding heading into Kroombit NP is excellent , recommended destination for those considering the ride.


466191976_j4hTB-L.jpg

The loop up around Caloipe from Ubobo was about 120 klm and had been a good run but now as I entered Kroombit Tops there was increasing evidence of the earlier heavy rain.


466194164_C5PvZ-L.jpg


But it didnt matter cause at least I had decent tyres for the occasion
icon10.gif

Continuing along, the occasional puddle here and there to navigate, nothing too much trouble but
466199365_oSypR-L.jpg


Nothing like a decent road sign to instill a bit of confidence in what might lay ahead. So I has a look at old silver and I am thinking she is a lot of things, but conventional is not one of them.
We should be right to continue .

466206646_oKTnM-L.jpg


Oh dear !!! After a while usually when you have had some luck, conquered a few challenges in the track you gets to thinking ..... I really hope I dont have to come back this way.....



466196716_m6dea-L.jpg


Note to self. Must come back here in dry weather, magic riding up here !

466195771_RB7aT-L.jpg


466198112_nPUCu-L.jpg

After what seemed like an eternity and numerous creek crossing mud holes etc etc I came to this sign . I think its referring to you Silver !!
A quick reference to it quickly told me I had passed the turn off to the plane about 10klm back...... Well so much for not going back the way I came. Didnt hang around here too long as silver took offence to the signage for some reason
eek7.gif


So back we went to find a plane

466195756_h7Tqa-L.jpg


Found a nice lookout on the way too

466195015_end8W-L.jpg


And not long after , found this

466200169_wGQUQ-L.jpg


Finally, must be getting close now.
Another note to self. Put bike in gear when you get off to open the gate, too damn heavy to pick up after rolling off the side stand ... apparently
user_online.gif
 
M

mickd

Guest
Seeing as we are closing in on the site, here is a bit of history on Beautiful Betsy and what she looked like in her heyday.
466202289_CzVni-XL.jpg


466202889_Fai36-L.jpg


466204738_sYTJA-L.jpg


And here is what she looks like now. The rest of her is scattered across the rugged hillside here where she came to rest.

466204817_pXxDU-L.jpg


Surprisingly the wreckage appears to remain untouched from the vandals and souvenir hunters, perhaps location helps to preserve .
466202023_xXryg-L.jpg


After paying respects silver and I were on our way again, storm clouds were building and the day was getting ever closer to night.

There are two options for the return trip back to the main through road, where the lookout is, back the way I came in or continue on to complete a loop of about 40 klm. I noticed a sign "the wall" which continued on past the bomber sight so I decided the loop option would do and I could see what the wall was on the way.

466205483_LL2JQ-L.jpg


Found a nice track on the way. Does my bottom look fat on this single trail ?

The loop road was quite good, well it would have been if I was on a 250
icon10.gif
. And although the picture does not show it I soon realised I was somewhere where I probably should not have been on a GSA, But I was and we (well I was) were having fun. Deal with the problem of being stuck in the middle of nowhere if and when I had to I guess.
In the back of my mind I remembered I had my swag... I was beginning to think I might need it. There were a few particularly gnarly rocky hills which the 4wds had chewed up rutted up and generally stuffed up and on more than one occasion I held my breath , pointed for the gaps in the rocks and ruts and hoped for the best. Luck was on my side today fortunately. Oh how I wish I bought a 950 sometimes, but then it wouldnt be a challenge or half the fun would it?

466205949_Go2T4-L.jpg


The Wall. Again the photo does not do it justice, but it was probably worth the struggle to get here just for a look.

Once out on the main trail I high tailed it to the southern end of The Kroombits which hopefully would bring me out at Ubobo, where I had decided against entering earlier in the day. The weather was looking increasingly like heavy rain was about to commence so I thought I should retreat from there while I could.

466207302_TDNsQ-L.jpg

There was plenty more of this on the way out, managed to skirt around this one.
466195638_rSeNM-L.jpg


466207255_F6ih3-L.jpg


Once back down off the range the going got a little easier and it wasnt long before I was back in Ubobo, just as the rain commenced again.

By now it was around 6pm and with the rain setting back in I didnt fancy a camp out. The mission had been all but accomplished and I was pretty happy with that. All that was left now was the return trip home. So with that I shot down to Littlemore, cut across Blsckmans gap Rd to the Bruce just south of Miriamvale and headed for home, arrival time 9.32 pm.

Total Distance 1189 klm, it had been a good day.

Silver returned 19 klm per litre which was quite economical I thought considering some of the conditions.

And I gave the new Dri Rider Rallyx pro 2 jacket its first real test and I am pretty happy with it so far,Comfy, kept the water out what more does one need? time will tell I guess.

466041528_YRvgw-L.jpg


CYA next time
 

nev

Super Térrarist
Another superb writeup Mick. Great pics. So many interesting places of historical significance that the most people never know about nor see. Amazing that a site like that could go undiscovered for 50 years. Thanks for sharing.
 
Top Bottom