Barrington Tops NSW Australia
08-05-2010, 07:59 PM
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Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Newcastle, New South Wales
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Barrington Tops NSW Australia
http://maps.google.com.au/maps?hl=en-GB&rlz=1T4DAAU_en-GBAU289AU290&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=barrington+tops+national+park&fb=1&gl=au&hq=ba rrington+tops+national+park&hnear=barrington+tops+ national+park&cid=0,0,17573958976806962693&ei=gIFb TIWQD8-HceDdxIIC&sa=X&oi=local_result&ct=image&resnum=1&v ed=0CB8QnwIwAA
Yesterday the missus, my daughter myself and my brother went for run up to Barrington Tops.
The tops are about 3 hours NNW of Newcastle NSW. The range is the remains of a ancient basalt cap with remnant Rainforest and sub-alpine forest present.
The main plateau is around 1500m ASL, or about 4900ft. There had been reports of snow up there on Monday, which isnt uncommon in winter but not noraml either. Getting the timing right can be a problem with work and weather as the big Antartic Sou-west fronts that bring air cold enough for snow are oftened followed by wetter warmer SE wind which bring rain.
And yes this happened on Tuesday but the air was sufficiently cold to add more snow but the Rangers, for the first time in about ten years left the gates open and manned them letting 4WDs through. They did say there was alot of rain on Wednesday but there was still upto a foot of snow in place. I would reckon there would have been almost 2 foots worth on Wednesday morning.
We had a good run up, about 3 hours, and the snow started to appear at the 1300 metre elevation. It just got deeper from there.
We stopped for lunch at Polblue Swamp which is a large bowl contaning a sphagnum swamp with a beautiful clear deep stream cutting through it. Avalon, my daughter loved it till her feet got cold. Then we bundled here up in a sleeping bag in the back of the JK.
After lunch and a snow ball fight we decided to have a look around on some of the trails and found a good little loop with a deep little creek crossing and very muddy red clay slope up out of it.
Both my brothers 76 series Landcruiser (4.5litre V8 Diesel) and my Diesel JK had to winch up the final step, about two foot higher. The JK made it further but I took a different line. The photos dont do the terrain justice, as usual. Couldnt go round either side as it would have meant a rollover or a loss of traction would have meant coming to a stop in the creek.
Any way here are some photos.
Yesterday the missus, my daughter myself and my brother went for run up to Barrington Tops.
The tops are about 3 hours NNW of Newcastle NSW. The range is the remains of a ancient basalt cap with remnant Rainforest and sub-alpine forest present.
The main plateau is around 1500m ASL, or about 4900ft. There had been reports of snow up there on Monday, which isnt uncommon in winter but not noraml either. Getting the timing right can be a problem with work and weather as the big Antartic Sou-west fronts that bring air cold enough for snow are oftened followed by wetter warmer SE wind which bring rain.
And yes this happened on Tuesday but the air was sufficiently cold to add more snow but the Rangers, for the first time in about ten years left the gates open and manned them letting 4WDs through. They did say there was alot of rain on Wednesday but there was still upto a foot of snow in place. I would reckon there would have been almost 2 foots worth on Wednesday morning.
We had a good run up, about 3 hours, and the snow started to appear at the 1300 metre elevation. It just got deeper from there.
We stopped for lunch at Polblue Swamp which is a large bowl contaning a sphagnum swamp with a beautiful clear deep stream cutting through it. Avalon, my daughter loved it till her feet got cold. Then we bundled here up in a sleeping bag in the back of the JK.
After lunch and a snow ball fight we decided to have a look around on some of the trails and found a good little loop with a deep little creek crossing and very muddy red clay slope up out of it.
Both my brothers 76 series Landcruiser (4.5litre V8 Diesel) and my Diesel JK had to winch up the final step, about two foot higher. The JK made it further but I took a different line. The photos dont do the terrain justice, as usual. Couldnt go round either side as it would have meant a rollover or a loss of traction would have meant coming to a stop in the creek.
Any way here are some photos.
