Mt Cleveland 4WD Trip

Today I was baching it as Jacinta had to work (HAHA Sucker), we where invited to come along to the William Adams Social club 4wd day which I couldn’t say no to as they where going to some areas that I haven’t been to yet we started at Yolla and finished of at Mt Cleveland and it was a fantastically organised trip that covered some great areas.

We started nice and early particularly after and Arvo shift in Yolla and once we where on the road it took all but 5 min before we had to lock the hubs inand within about a minute after this we where into to it slipping and sliding and bashing through the mud

The Video Shows it all but there where a couple of things I didn’t fully get.

The 80 in a bog hole

Nav Having a go

Now Even though I’m a V8 Man there is still something about the sound of a turbo 6 spooling up it sounds great and this kept us all entertained for quite a few minutes and as the saying goes if you can still move you aren’t bogged so give it more right foot Haha. The Video has this whole episode in it I just wish I didn’t have the waterproof cover on so I could get the sound better.Unfortunatly no such luck for the 80 as it diffed out. This would have to be the most immaculate example of an 80 series that I have seen it was spotless it looked like it had just rolled off the showroom floor until this so we got the winch going and got him out.   From here we headed for the Hellyer Gorge for a pit stop and a quick bite to eat

The Road was finally open but I think everyone was a little surprised at just how much damage was actually done during the floods earlier in the year.

 

From here we went into Wombat flats to have a look at an old mine site. The Track in was a little overgrown but it was a good little track there where a few undulated rocky areas that made it interesting

 

This led to an abandon mine and it was fascinating to have a look around as there was still all the old sheds and machinery there even a caravan and we had our very own personal guide, Dirk, who as a kid helped his father build the place

Dirk Showing and explaining to us how the sifter worked SifterRock Separator which I think separated the bigger rocks out Generator Room Bringing Power to the site Living Quarters from inside Living Quarters From Outside it even had and old Hot water set up through the combustion stove / Fire PlaceOld Caravan that even had a period cordial bottle in there with what looked to be cordial in it.The old mining site that was just scraped of the top in search for TinWhat may have been the old toilet

After we looked around here and took in the area it was around lunch time so we headed into Magnet for a BBQ and a look around. Last time I was here I turned left as you come into Magnet instead of right where the actual mine was.  It’s a good little spot in here protected from the wind and the sun finally decided to come out for a BBQ Cooking up a FeastMine Processing site which was transferred from here to Waratah and then from Waratah to Guildford and from Guildford to Burnie by train. For those that are interested if you search Magnet township on youtube there is a silent video taken of the town in full swing back in the 1940’s I think it was.

Two of the young blokes of the group are real thrill seekers and explore all the old mines around Tassie, there stories are unreal and nearly make the hairs on the neck stand up they explore all the abandon mines and the Magnet ones where no different, even if they are full of water they will wade into them up to there chins if necessary  in mud and water and have a look.  This was great for the rest of us as we now got a guided tour of the Magnet Mine Site

Off on a tour

This is believed to be the main magazine ( Shrek Cave for the Kids) were they kept all the explosives for the mine, there is a left and a right side so I’m guessing one side for explosives and one side for det’s. From here they took us further down the old tramway to what is believed to be the main mineThe young fellas were telling us that they waded and walked 1.2km into this mine and said there is a waterfall in there and they didn’t go much further but they didn’t reach the end. They then showed us another shaft in the area and those with Gumboots on ventured in and had a look Not entirely sure how this got here but at the entrance to the mine there is what’s left of an old car.What I think was an old furnace Old Boiler that looks like at some stage has had some pretty brutal pressure in it.

 

After we finished exploring we finished the day with a drive up to Mt Cleveland to enjoy some views but the weather hasn’t been to kind to us in Tassie over the last 6 months so they where a bit clouded as such

Savage River Tailing Dam in the Background

Looking Toward Mt Bishoff ( Waratah).

This was a great trip and I really enjoyed it and would like to thank the William Adams Social Club for letting me join them for the day it was much appreciated

Cheers