 |
Mitsubishi 4WD Owners Club of Qld (Inc) |
|
|
|
Bartopia - Feb '08 |
 |
|
|
||
|
|
||
| |||||||||||
R&R Weekend - Bartopia 16 and 17 February 2008Participants
Bartopia is a private property comprising 320 acres, 23 km WSW (as the crow flies) of Rathdowney. It is not a 4WD Park, just a nice quiet spot well away from the Brisbane rat-race. Meeting at Beaudesert on Saturday morning, one hundred percent Mitsubishi and none of those other brands, we were soon underway. Leaving Rathdowney turn right to Maroon Dam on the Boonah Rathdowney Road, then left at Burnett Creek Road, left at Newman Road, right at Waterfall Creek Road which climbs steeply up the range to end at Bartopia. The climb is a 5km drive and a couple of thousand feet of elevation. I would rate it as easy, moderate if towing a camper trailer (nanavans need not apply). To make it really interesting of course, just add water. We arrived around 10 am, met our hosts Vern and Max, and proceeded to select and set up camp. Garry and Pam brought their tent but decided one of the bunkhouses was more their flavour, and so moved to Bartopia Heights. There are three of these bunkhouses, all well constructed, but none complete. Garry and Pam’s place didn’t have doors when we arrived, but I think Vern and Max attended to that during the day. So it was onto the main business of the weekend with the theme “R&R” – Reading and Relaxing, which we all tackled with gusto, so much so we were in danger of nodding off. Sheer bliss. At one point we thought “R&R” had turned to Raunchy and Rude when Jen ripped off her blouse because something other than Bill was biting her. Alas she re-robed and our excitement ended. The R&R theme was also part of our evening meal. The others cooked their Roast Rump, the Hughstons had Rice, Rocket and Rooster (aka chicken curry). Bill and Jen had organised a treasure hunt as part of the evening’s entertainment. The idea is that we each had to bring along items from a list that Bill had produced. Things like Rubik’s Cube, Razor, Road Map, Rabbit Trap, Risqué Joke, Rusty Nail, Rose, Reptile. There were some interesting items. Garry and Pam had a virtual list, their actual items sitting at home on their kitchen table. For a rose, Bill and Jen brought along a shower rose. The Hughston’s topped the night though with their reptile, a juvenile taipan that their dog Thabo had killed in their yard. We all retired at a respectable hour, none of us wearing wobbly boots. Rest and Relax is a very tiring business. Sunday morning we set out on foot to climb a hill that our host assured us had great views. I want to call it Chainsaw Lookout. A couple of hours work would bring the views into view. When we got back to the camp Vern told us we had not gone to the correct spot, but we decided to take his word for it. Around 11:30 we left Bartopia and headed to Maroon Dam where we had lunch. Then we drove to Boonah for a quick look before heading back to Brisbane. A very pleasant weekend. Thanks to Bill and Jen for finding Bartopia and doing the organising that makes club trips so worthwhile. Alan Hughston Back to Top
|
|
|
