Strathbogie Ranges Camping, James Reserve VIC & extra reviews (3 Sept 2024) #freecampingaustralia

[Music] here we go James Reserve toilets so got one Camp spot there the Creek's just running along there another s there another s there with the rock chair another flat sight there with a hole for the barbecue and a Carell for the kids so here I am in the Str bagy Rangers at James Reserve Campground every site looks like it's got its own picnic table and fire pit toilets are in good condition although make sure you bring your own paper just in case the road's pretty close it's only just beyond the toilet head the road that goes past although won't be busy I came in from the North End via Lemar East and I went across from boho South windy road gravel road um Logging Road and some corrugations in some spots which if you're going a little bit quick and you come around a corner uh the road was a little bit soft in patches so I felt I was going a bit too fast a couple of times I had to back off the wind storms have been through for the past week or more but looks like all the roads have been cleared of any logs uh that have fallen there's only a few Twigs here and there so I was in a two wheeel Drive Ute uh I wasn't to on the trailer this week I found it no problems at all so yeah pretty good road really only saw one car the whole time I think one or two the road in to the campground uh is on a school bus route so keep that in mind so this most southern site here is pretty close to the road and it's closest to the sound of the water as well so that would be the most noisest spot I would suggest so this is the Northern end of the campground wouldn't get much sun through the day I reckon though you can hear the birds can't hear the creek the Creek's flowing but you can't hear it and I guess it's probably the most quietest spot in the campground those trees look pretty safe I reckon I'm my Camp just there yeah so I got the basic camp set up so pretty happy with that just so you know there's no phone reception up here at all I'd bring your own wood too if you got any good morning Wednesday morning uh I just wanted to show you it's about 8:30 now I wanted to show you where the sun was this time of the morning 7:30 8:00 you're probably still in shade but it's up to you where you want to be at that time of the morning how soon you want the sun on your tent and does it really matter magp have been out this morning couple of siblings having a play which was cute to watch playing with sticks and rough housing each other so let's go on this walk this morning it's only about an hour so we'll just Mander along and see what's around [Applause] [Music] so it's just a little bit of a ramble it's all s posted so we go up that way but there's little spots to have a look on the way I don't think it gets dramatically higher than that just by the looks of it but you never know [Music] last night I woke up was about 1:00 in the morning and I thought I could hear grass being chewed so I had a bit of a peak through the door and sure enough it was some kangaroos just munching some grass near my tent [Music] [Applause] it's just like carpet really [Music] nice at the top of that rock there's a purpley bush how beautiful steps in the Viewpoint look that big line through the rock there's a place uh Central Victoria called Englewood and not far there's a a mountain which name has escaped me now and there's some caves there where a bush Ranger hit out for a walloo this gets a bit narrow on your feet bit tricky that's beautiful oh yeah so I'll probably went the hard way so there was just two ways to The Rock I see so I could have gone that way this is it [Music] Viewpoint yes a good little walk I saw some wombat holes so they're definitely around yeah so worth your time to go up and have a look at that it's quite nice nice walk around the forest and feeling the Moss and stuff feeling a bit of a connection there with nature it's all good for the soul eh so I'm making my way along uh Mooney Creek track to get to this Carter's Lookout so far two wheel drive you is okay so far although I might be pushing my L soon might have SP to soon cuz this track looks like it's getting worse and thinner all right for a four-wheel drive most likely it's hard to tell what's around the corner I've only gone 2 km and I got another six to go that's a fair way on this sort of row so I might be pushing my luck you got to hope that you can do a U-turn if you can't proceed any further sort of looks all right doesn't it the Model T Ford could have done this easy this is what I was talking about don't give yourself a spot to turn around so then you sort of have to go forward and I haven't got a lot of clearance in this car either one more turn around here which is a shame because I probably could have probably could you just don't know you just don't know you might be able to make it you won't be able to make it but um can't push you Lu can you oh I have to work out another way to get to where I want to go if I can so I've come up back to the Lima East Road I'm going to see if I can get to this Sandy Creek Falls using this more Main [Music] Road I've just come across this Rocky n camp and it says Rocky Ned Fall's track there's a gate here so they obviously close it at some times hopefully it's not too far I'll check it out this is interesting might Park here so here we are right there I came from over here James Reserve I was going to try that and that didn't work so I've come along here and up here so there's a Falls walking Track it's a 2 km 1 Hour Return short steep hills formed tracks some obstacles that might be worth actually going to toilets were clean shelter there if you're caught in the rain picnic tables so you can definitely Camp here there SES marked off with logs campfire places there not too many but probably fit a few bigger rigs if you're comfortable driving along gravel log truck roads that is there you go so I'm going to do this little walking trail um if Sandy Creek Falls is Flowing then this one's probably flowing so if I don't get to Sandy Creek Falls at least I've tried this one haven't I Rocky Ned Falls walk here we [Applause] go more moss covered Boulders with pretty purple flowers on them I think the track actually goes to the other side I can see some markers in the track but this is beautiful how beautiful is this I'm glad I took that to it's always the way isn't it you take this turn to have a look and you find something beautiful I'm going to take a moment and do my usual [Music] know [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] that's bloody awesome I love it makes you feel so good if you follow the track on the other side then uh you come down to another little Viewpoint and you can access the creek from the other side you can obviously walk along there and uh take take various photos that's where I was up there some of these places in the stra Boger Hills people love to get away on their dirt bikes and you know do make their own track sometimes so if you're unfortunate to come camping when there's all that noise if you're not into that then it could be a bit annoying I'm not into it so on the other side of the falls I didn't realize but there's a track looks like it goes back to Camp so I might as well try to do a loop and see how it goes hopefully it's not too much out of the way have a look at this wombat hole he's a big bugger wonder how far in he is sleeping and there's plenty of evidence that he's around that's for sure these are s are we at the camp already no can't be can we oh now I get it Camp two does that mean I have to go all the same way back why isn't there a shortcut through here but yeah this is what you got here you got a fire pit no toilets and it's not real level anyway let's go back I thought it was going to be a shortcut but now just made it longer that's all so let's go back there's another good one I've never seen so many one back holes on a hik before I love these rocks it's amazing look at this wood smashed down and just rot it away or maybe it rotted first and then smashed down look how that's carved underneath there cab bars I'm going to have a bite to eat 2.7 km and I was Doling and I went on some tracks and backwards and forwards so I wasn't pushing it so you can do it in an easy an hour it wasn't that hard so I'm back on the Lemma East Road but I think here it's called the Lemma East track and uh still heading south as you can see there's lots of little branches and that on the ground down haven't seen another vehicle all day okay barag Road I want that I sort of know where I am but um not good enough to take a track to the sites I want to see oh well see what happens [Music] something just doesn't sound right you got to trust your instincts I don't know if there's a branch caught somewhere or something's worked its way [Music] loose don't know something sounds like it's rattling might be just a gravel I don't know he back on bitchman if we ever get bitchman it might be all right right I'm at Lake nudi at the moment the main boat ramp there's boat [Applause] ramp picnic area there's actually not really any camps around here not really there is some school camps and apparently one of them you can ring up and get permission to stay there then there's another one at an inlet I think it's called the Sandy Creek Inlet and that hasn't got very good review at all that's pretty much it around here there is Sandy what's it called Samaria well Campground I'll have a look at that it's about 20 minutes away I'll have a look at that on the way back to my Camp anyway people probably fish here that's why they bring the boat so good luck to I'm not going to and have a go welcome to man Samaria State Park to samario Wells Campground all right Campground samario well Campground we're here right after being taken on a wild bloody ride by Google Maps I made it to Samaria well Campground as you can see there's not a lot here there's uh fire pits and a couple of picnic tables there is a little creek here but this is nice there's no amenities of course bring your own everything and take make your own everything looks pretty flat it's pretty good here are making all this noise and L and behold I've got a little friend that's come out he's out in the middle of the day you don't usually see them out this time of the day that's amazing wasn't expecting to see that see you just don't know do you come over here no toilets nothing just fire pitting benches Little Creek and you get a wombat out in the middle of the day worth it so buddy I've come across this Mount Samaria road heading off to my left that's a way that you come off the Midland highway so I'm going to go turn left here and get back of the highway that way instead of going uh straight [Music] ahead so I think we want to go to to you and track along Williams Road like I got plenty F to be be exploring anyway oh man this is a slow roide why did I come this [Music] way you go fast you don't want to take out your [Music] sump cross fingers the worst that's behind us [Music] so I had a bit more of a closer look under the Bonnet I found something had look at a little crossbar down there I'm not sure what that is sitting on that little crossbar a 10 mil socket that certainly would have been rattling around on there I reckon my mechanic might have lost it so I'm just going to have a little bit of breakfast and uh pack up and head off home so thanks for joining me and uh I'll catch you next [Music] time I never really know what's going on look at me sometimes like all you want to do is run hear me out hear me out it's all the things you never show there are the things I want you know secret sty in your house is but if you don't want to tell me now I guess know