 Buckenbowra State Forest is veiled by tall eucalypts and lies just to the west of the tourist hot spot of Batemans Bay. Its greatest appeal is that is easily accessed and only a couple of hours drive from either Sydney or Canberra.
Leaving Canberra early on the first Saturday of spring, we chatted back and forth over the UHFs, eager to hit the dirt trails and leave the hustle and bustle of the daily grind behind. After fuelling up in Batemans Bay on the Princes Highway, we headed south and made the left hand turn 7.4km down the road onto Runnyford Road (GPS S:35 42.499 E:150 10.481).
The Runnyford Road runs all the way to Neligen, a small yet charming hamlet on the Clyde River. In earlier days, it was the end of the line for all commerce and goods from the hinterland before they made their way to the town. From here, they were loaded onto ships for the ensuing sea journey to Sydney and more distant destinations. In the 1960s, the commercial centre drifted further East to Batemans Bay, when the barrier of the Clyde River was breeched with the construction of a bridge and later, the Kings Highway. The Runnyford Road is still very well trafficked, and as such, it is in a very good state of repair. No need to air down just yet.
At 7.1km further down the road, a wooden hand-painted sign points the way to Egans Road on the left. This is the only intersection that is not well signposted and can be easily missed. At this point the road narrows and vegetation hugs its sides, and 3.5km from the turn-off, the Buckenbowra River is crossed for the first of several river crossings. Here, a small bush campsite is the perfect distance from either Sydney or Canberra, located for those travellers that like to escape the office and start the weekend on a Friday afternoon.
Egans Road joins the Quart Pot Road as it winds its way through the beautiful hinterland of the south-east coast. This pocket of Australia is well hidden from the frenetic pace of the highway, just 20km behind us. The valley is as wide as it is long and cattle laze their days away in the green carpeted pastures. Quart Pot Road is well maintained with a solid gravel base, and it would be all too easy to scoot through here without stopping to appreciate the vistas.
Quart Pot Road is followed past the right-hand turn-offs to both Gollarribbee and Hans Road, until the turn-off to No Name Mountain Fire Trail is reached (GPS S:35 41.917 E 150 00.031). It is here that the real 4WDing – and the fun – begins! Now was the time to air down – we ran 26psi in the rear and 24psi in the front.
After crossing Quart Pot Creek, the track climbs slowly before steeply descending down to the Buckenbowra River. No Name Mountain Fire Trail is the 4WDing pinnacle of this tour, and its steep gradients and washouts demand your full attention. Before the final descent to the river and our campsite for the night, there are some fleeting views towards Clyde Mountain to the west.
After following No Name Fire Trail for 13.3km, we arrived at our beautiful bush campsite on the Buckenbowra River. There is not a huge amount of space here, but there is enough room for several small groups. We pitched our camp on a gentle bend in the river, an absolutely idyllic little spot. The river is crystal clear and there are several deep swimming holes and the campsites are well shaded.
There are no facilities but this does not distract from the site in the slightest. We spent the afternoon relaxing on the bank of the river with our fishing rods, while the kids played in the river. We were fortunate enough to have the place to ourselves, our only neighbours being the ample wildlife that stumbled across our camp.
During the night, a storm passed through the region, and despite the fact that we could hear the winds roaring through the valley, our campsite was well shielded. Quite amazingly, the winds simply passed overhead, but the rain didn’t. We awoke on Sunday morning to masses of clear sky, and equal masses of wet canvas. But, on the upside, giving the tents every chance to dry out over a lazy pot of coffee and pancakes was a relaxing way to begin the day.
Having struck camp and packed the vehicles, we continued along No Name Mountain Fire Trail. Just 200m from the campsite the trail crosses the river (GPS S:35 38.226 E: 149 59.358) – it actually goes along the riverbed for about 100m before veering off to the right and another 200m along the trailhead to the Corn Trail is found. The driving highlight of this tour, with its challenging climbs and descents, is the No Name Mountain Fire Trail. The route taken on this weekend trip has an enjoyable mixture of easy to moderate tracks and any 4WD with a stubby lever and good ground clearance is capable of completing it.
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