Belanglo State Forest, West of Wollongong and alongside the Hume Highway has a checkered history but has a lot to offer 4WDérs, campers and daytrippers.
There is a free campground featuring drop toilets but not much else in the way of facilities but camping is permitted all throughout the state forest. Most of the tracks are of the less difficult variety but it still offers a great day out. There are frequent track closures so check ahead!
The day started at the usual local meeting place for a convoy up the mountain and across to the donut van at the entrance to the forest where we waited for a couple of our more far-flung members and knocked back the kind of breakfast you don’t tell your personal trainer about.
With a solid complement of 12 vehicles, we headed into the Daly’s Clearing campground and started with a recovery gear inspection and some drills run by James outlining what everything is, what it is for and how to use it. A few mock setups and a thorough discussion around safety and staying out of the line of fire.
With a bit of a mis-start chasing tracks that had been closed since our last visit it wasn’t long before the trip leader had us in the action. After a good couple of hours we stopped at the Belanglo Forest Victims Memorial to pay our respects and then it was on to a lively lunch.
The afternoon saw new members finding their feet on some of the more challenging tracks and obstacles with the more experienced members spotting and guiding before the approaching dark called the days end.
