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Well, I've been a bit slack in getting this thread up and running, but as everybody understands, it's a bit hectic at this time of year. Back on Boxing Day last year, me and a couple of mates from work headed up to the Bendleby Ranges for a couple of nights. I had been up before (back in March last year) but due to delays, the Prado had not yet been delivered :cry: So this was my first hit out up there with the Prado. Accompanying the Prado were mates in a Suzuki Vitara and a D40 Navara. Both had been lifted a few inches and sporting better rubber, with mine being the only one on standard suspension.
Bendleby Ranges is about 3hrs north of Adelaide in the Southern Flinders Ranges, just 40 odd km's out of Orroroo. It's private property and you need to book ahead. They have a website that you can visit for further info etc (http://www.bendlebyranges.com) and Bridgestone did a promotional video up there on their D694's as covered by MickL here (viewtopic.php?f=27&t=4839). The people that run the place, Warren and Jane, are brilliant and nicer people you will not meet.
Anyway, we got up to Bendleby in the later afternoon. As we rolled in we thought that all of our Christmas' had come at once because the rain clouds started to build up.
So we headed up the the top of the nearest peak to catch some of the rain and watch the sunset before us. Once up top, it was time to set up for a while and have a few cleansing ales to wash down the dust and enjoy the serenity and the sights.
Unfortunately, all the clouds could muster up was a few drops here and there so we headed back to the accomodation. Given that the WAG's were along for this trip, we hired out the little cottage called Gum Dale. For the price and what it offered, it really was hard to pass up and suited our needs down to a tea.
Come the morning, we were up and ready to go and hit the tracks. We concentrated on the Hungary Ranges, which is all in the same property, and had a solid 7 or 8 hours behind the wheel. We pretty much covered all of the tracks that were on offer here.
Here's the Suzi and the Nav tackling the Ridgetop;
The LightForces are definietly working :shock:
And the Prado;
Up on the top of the Ridgetop loop is hundreds and hundreds of my favourite plant, the black boy;
Once we had worked our way around to the far side of the Hungary Ranges, we though we had best stop off for lunch in a nice shady spot;
Once we were all fed and watered, it was time to hit Billy Goat Ridge. This is classified as the hardest track of the property, with it having some very steep sections and some rock steps and boulders about. All of the vehicles got up without a great deal of hassle, however, there's no chance I'd tackle it on the Grandtreks. There's some sharp rocks around that you have to be very wary of.
You can just see the Suzi in the top left corner;
And the Nav snaking his way up;
On your way around there's plenty of sights to see, and even some that you really don't expect; :shock:
Once we finished this part of the property, we moved on to the Front Track and the Quartz Gorge.
Unfortunately I don't have any more photos at hand of these tracks, but once we collate all of our photos, I'll post some up.
The Quartz Gorge would be a belter of atrack to have a go at in the winter months after a heap of rain, as it pretty well covers a creek bed for about 800m in one stretch and crosses the same creek a dozen or so times :twisted: :twisted:
After we had tackled all of the tracks we could manage in one day, we headed back up to the top of the peak for another brilliant sunset and a few quiet ones.
The next morning, it was time to head home, but one more photo oppurtunity had to be taken;
This was a brilliant place to visit. Unfortunately I don't have too many photos of the Prado, but I will be getting my hands on some, so stay tuned. I will definitely want to head back up there at some stage during the winter months (after a delluge preferably) to see the contrast in the layout from dry to hopefully sopping wet.
Cheers,
AJ
Bendleby Ranges is about 3hrs north of Adelaide in the Southern Flinders Ranges, just 40 odd km's out of Orroroo. It's private property and you need to book ahead. They have a website that you can visit for further info etc (http://www.bendlebyranges.com) and Bridgestone did a promotional video up there on their D694's as covered by MickL here (viewtopic.php?f=27&t=4839). The people that run the place, Warren and Jane, are brilliant and nicer people you will not meet.
Anyway, we got up to Bendleby in the later afternoon. As we rolled in we thought that all of our Christmas' had come at once because the rain clouds started to build up.
So we headed up the the top of the nearest peak to catch some of the rain and watch the sunset before us. Once up top, it was time to set up for a while and have a few cleansing ales to wash down the dust and enjoy the serenity and the sights.
Unfortunately, all the clouds could muster up was a few drops here and there so we headed back to the accomodation. Given that the WAG's were along for this trip, we hired out the little cottage called Gum Dale. For the price and what it offered, it really was hard to pass up and suited our needs down to a tea.
Come the morning, we were up and ready to go and hit the tracks. We concentrated on the Hungary Ranges, which is all in the same property, and had a solid 7 or 8 hours behind the wheel. We pretty much covered all of the tracks that were on offer here.
Here's the Suzi and the Nav tackling the Ridgetop;
The LightForces are definietly working :shock:
And the Prado;
Up on the top of the Ridgetop loop is hundreds and hundreds of my favourite plant, the black boy;
Once we had worked our way around to the far side of the Hungary Ranges, we though we had best stop off for lunch in a nice shady spot;
Once we were all fed and watered, it was time to hit Billy Goat Ridge. This is classified as the hardest track of the property, with it having some very steep sections and some rock steps and boulders about. All of the vehicles got up without a great deal of hassle, however, there's no chance I'd tackle it on the Grandtreks. There's some sharp rocks around that you have to be very wary of.
You can just see the Suzi in the top left corner;
And the Nav snaking his way up;
On your way around there's plenty of sights to see, and even some that you really don't expect; :shock:
Once we finished this part of the property, we moved on to the Front Track and the Quartz Gorge.
Unfortunately I don't have any more photos at hand of these tracks, but once we collate all of our photos, I'll post some up.
The Quartz Gorge would be a belter of atrack to have a go at in the winter months after a heap of rain, as it pretty well covers a creek bed for about 800m in one stretch and crosses the same creek a dozen or so times :twisted: :twisted:
After we had tackled all of the tracks we could manage in one day, we headed back up to the top of the peak for another brilliant sunset and a few quiet ones.
The next morning, it was time to head home, but one more photo oppurtunity had to be taken;
This was a brilliant place to visit. Unfortunately I don't have too many photos of the Prado, but I will be getting my hands on some, so stay tuned. I will definitely want to head back up there at some stage during the winter months (after a delluge preferably) to see the contrast in the layout from dry to hopefully sopping wet.
Cheers,
AJ
Snaga
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