Ballyhoo at Bellthorpe National Park

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, Ballyhoo is a lot of noise and activity, often with no real purpose: I can’t see what all this ballyhoo is about.

Our Australia Day adventures saw us head to the rugged Bellthorpe National Park featuring open eucalypt forest, rainforest and cascades along Stony Creek. Our lunch stop was at the remnants of Brandon’s Sawmill on West Bellthorpe Road. The track offered some challenging muddy four-wheel-driving experiences through picturesque scenery in the middle of the park. 

This trip gave us the opportunity to test our skills and build confidence on a track with sections that where slippery mud and deep holes. In the first 15 minutes we came across a lone 4WD stranded in the first mud hole of the day and had a club tyre puncture on track to rectify. 

Once on our way members got to experience the easier dry track interspersed with slippery mud and bog holes which offered a challenge to those of us that were less experienced in those track conditions. Practice and experience builds confidence and I ended today feeling a bit more confident in my and my vehicle’s ability. 

After stopping for lunch at Brandon’s Sawmill we were on our way home with rain threatening to make the track even more interesting. Overall the trip provided a nice social outing and practical experience in varied conditions.