BARRINGTON TOPS NP - POLBLUE SWAMP TRACK AND POLBLUE FALLS MTBs - 16 JANUARY 2017

I left home this morning for a few days away. Four and a half hours later, I was at Polblue Camping Area at the Barrington Tops National Park.

I set up camp, which didn't take long as I have a campervan. After breakfast, I had my first ride.

The Polblue Swamp Track starts at the camping area. It was an easy 3.09 km ride along a track that was a bit sluggish as it was mainly grass based. There were some wild flowers growing along the side of the track along the way. The track circumnavigates a swamp area with a number of small bridges spanning the small creeks that fed the swamp.

I had lunch then a short sleep.

(As I was writing this, a blue winged kookaburra landed on the lower branch of a small tree just outside the van. looking in that sideways look that kookaburras do when looking for food.)

Well, I woke from my nap and felt refreshed enough to try a longer ride.

I followed the main dirt road in an easterly direction then turned left onto a smaller and rougher road. This had a some good and fast downhill runs along the way. The scenery was a bit monotonous with dried grasses and medium sized eucalypts.

Eventually, I turned left onto the Butcher Swamp Trail. This track was so much fun. It was a long, rough and fairly steep downhill run. It just kept going and going.

I reached a crossroad and turned right up a large steep hill looking for Polblue Falls. At the top of the hill, I felt that I had gone too far and should have reached the picnic area that leads to the falls. I had a great downhill ride back to the crossroads. I continued along and up the road a short distance and arrived at the Polblue Falls Picnic Area. My map was inaccurate! Annoying! A narrow track off the picnic area lead to a viewing platform of the falls which actually cascaded over the rocks. I backtracked a bit and took a very narrow track that lead to the falls themselves. I had a wander around the falls and the surrounding rocks. It was very pretty and the sound of the gurgling water was revitalizing.

I continued along the road then turned left onto the Polblue Creek Ridge Track. It started off good with a short fun and rough downhill but then turned into a very long and steep uphill climb walking the bike that went on and on. This track would be heaps of fun going in the opposite direction. Eventually, I reached the main dirt road and cycled back to the camp area.

It was a hard 17.52 km ride with great downhills and punishing uphills

Back at camp, I had an shower outside at the back of the van, then dinner and a relax.

In retrospect, I was surprised with the amount of wild life I had seen in the whole day. Basically, a kookaburra, a couple of skinks and one kangaroo.