Stranded on the Turon River - Coles bridge - Sofala - Hill End

Natasha and I head up to the Turon river, we knew there was rain expected but it was for less than 5mm, further upstream received 90mm in a storm and we woke up Sunday morning to a swollen and impassable river, not before having a great weekend camping though.
Don't forget to hit the like and subscribe button as it really helps the channel out .

[@jeep2701]

Loved the video….that’s how you make a you tube video. Authentic and really enjoyable and no one selling us anything……well down and thanks.

[@shaddonaghue]

Thanks mate, really appreciate it 👍. Cheers shad 🍻

[@chrisscibisz9231]

The music you used suits the scenery beautifully. Great aerial shots! The river crossings had me feeling a bit tense. Very skilful driving. Thanks for a great episode.

[@shaddonaghue]

Thanks mate, really appreciate it. Picking the music is probably the hardest thing 😂🤠.

[@waynev5097]

Great video - I was on the edge of my seat.

[@shaddonaghue]

Haha , thanks mate glad you enjoyed it. Bit of a stressful day but we made it.

[@scottmoore9215]

Great river crossing shad well 👍

[@shaddonaghue]

Thanks mate 👍👍

[@BrettMcleod]

nice video, I was there in July 2020, Thur Fri nights were great, it started to drizzle lightly on Sunday throughout the day but the river remained normal, then i woke up at 2.30am with it pelting down, i packed up camp as quick as i could but the river was rising fast & by the time i got the old girl packed the cruiser was in the middle of the river, i was camped not far from Coles bridge & managed to get to where you head back up the hill towards the road, the track up had turned to slippery clay & i snapped a rear axle on the third attempt climbing the hill on the other track up just to the left of where you exited, i slid back down to the bottom & found the axle was broken but became stuck due to only having one drive wheel on the front that kept digging into the loose gravel i waited until daylight as it was pouring cats and dogs, by the time i got back on top of the hill Coles bridge was a meter under water and flowing really fast, never been so stressed out before, have since fitted front and rear lockers & still enjoy solo camping :) instagram.com/p/CDNbfvuB7iG/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

[@shaddonaghue]

Wow mate, what an epic time, i bet you were a bit stressed. That’s the problem with that river it can rise so fast, we got so little rain that weekend its just they copped a big storm further up near capertee. Glad you ended up getting out and have fitted lockers that will definitely make it easier next time and I reckon used correctly its makes it easier on your driveline. Thanks for watching 👍

[@barrymurphy3554]

Hi Guys First time viewer great video fantastic drone footage & music Looking forward to more adventures ( one of those goats looked good to eat ) Thanks so much it was like we were there. Great set up makes all the difference Thanks again stay safe Cheers

[@shaddonaghue]

Thank you so much for the kind words, not sure if the goats were feral or from a farm but yeah definitely looked alright 😂😂. Thanks for watching 👍👍😎

[@jutsuz6961]

Good vid mate 👍🏾

[@shaddonaghue]

Thanks mate 🤠🤠👍

[@Adventurepil0t]

Nice one, know the place very well and well worth a video or 10. Its definitely softened up last few years with all the floods, I've seen a few cars bogged even at a normal river height- none had deflated though. Gotta watch that rain catchment, Capertee, Portland, Sunny corner, any rain up that way will take about 12-24h to reach the Sofala area. Still, great excuse to stay a few more days!

[@shaddonaghue]

Thanks for watching, definitely a lot softer now and I can’t believe how many people don’t deflate 🤦‍♂️. It certainly rises quickly

[@janetwyatt8519]

It was good to revisit Sofala and the Turon River. I used to own 100 acres along the river back in the 1970's and 80's and was hoping to see my old property, but it was not to be. Maybe next time you go and film I might recognise my place. It's a magical place.

[@shaddonaghue]

Thanks for watching, yes i love it up there such a beautiful area 🤠.

[@Ridingwithmaximus]

man! could see those stones flicking up out of the water in that long section. good thing you kept your momentum, great drive

[@shaddonaghue]

Thanks mate, that was touch and go that bit , thought i was gone 🤠👍👍

[@kimmeath9411]

Top vid matey what an adventure

[@shaddonaghue]

Thanks so much 🤠👍👍

[@Fitzy6722]

that long one was awesome mate👍👍

[@shaddonaghue]

Thanks mate, didn’t feel real awesome at the time in that one , the bottom was a bit soft but we got there 🤠👍👍

[@madtlrmat]

Great work mate. Glad you both got out safely and mostly dry! The vids are getting better and better. Thanks for sharing.

[@shaddonaghue]

Thanks mate, glad you enjoyed it 🤠👍

[@kainebarker4185]

Great drive Shad, handled the whole situation by waiting the extra night and being so patient with the crossings perfectly. Credit to you. Camp spot looked well worth the effort, what it’s all about 👍🏼

[@shaddonaghue]

Thanks mate , was a great weekend (long weekend) yeah best to take the extra day and if there wasn’t more storms coming i would have probably just waited another day.

[@mattbanks6024]

Great work mate. A lot of common sense on display throughout that whole video!! Well done!!

[@shaddonaghue]

Thanks mate, too much on the line there too risk it all

[@menekseuebel6530]

Nice spot you found

[@shaddonaghue]

Thank you , it was great

[@williamgamelisenaya793]

Good on ya mate. Thanks for taking us along for the ride. The scenery is just amazing & spectacular. Kudos Bless up. Watching from Sydney

[@shaddonaghue]

Thanks for watching mate, appreciate the support 🤠👍👍

[@nextleveladventuresau]

Nice one mate. Good adventure unbelievable how fast the river came up. Good spot to be stuck in though. Cheers Ryan

[@shaddonaghue]

Thanks mate, yeah came up quickly. Think of that next time your camping on the Turon because we didn’t get much rain where we were . Cheers shad

[@michaelnugara1]

Rippa vid mate. Goooo da 76

[@shaddonaghue]

Thanks mate , appreciate it 👍👍🤠

[@roderickbowes2482]

Fun trip - enjoyed the crossings -- stunning scenery and GOOD KOOKING too ! ! ! !

[@shaddonaghue]

Thank you , really appreciate it 👍👌

[@stefanlauster4877]

what a manouver with the camper. only a master tool maker could accomplish such a feat, thoroughly enjoyed this one mate !! please keep cranking out the good times !!

[@shaddonaghue]

Haha thanks mate, I’ll try and keep them coming. Cheers dude 🤠👍

[@flickinlures]

Great work again guys , good prep on all your crossings , just love the Turon

[@shaddonaghue]

Thanks for watching again mate, appreciate it . We love the Turon as well 🤠👌👌

[@explorethebush]

That was awesome Shad, nice and chill to begin with and great drone footage, followed by some action when the water came up. You guys did well to stay an extra day and timed your exit perfectly. Loved all the camera angles and editing too!

[@shaddonaghue]

Thanks for watching mate, yeah the timing of the exit was perfect as we drove back through lithgow and mountains there was more storms.

[@wayneflay7604]

That is the life mate we live in new Zealand and love watching your video thanks

[@shaddonaghue]

Thank you so much , really glad you enjoy them 🤠👍👍.

[@lone_camper_001]

Lucky the Ultimate is a boat. Sketchy at times but well done. And you made the right call to stay the extra night and take each crossing as they come.

[@shaddonaghue]

Thanks mate, definitely couldn’t off left Sunday arvo, you would be watching on the news not KZbin 😳, as it was someone went missing in the river that weekend. Yeah the ultimate goes pretty good in these situations, we want to update but we will miss how nimble this thing is

[@stevenschmerleib]

Great job mate Turon is beautiful apart from the grubs leaving there rubbish great video 😎

[@shaddonaghue]

Yeah i love the Turon, shame about the rubbish but we just keep picking it up now 👍👍. Thanks for watching 🤠

[@trentkrikken9873]

Great vid mate really enjoyed it 👍

[@shaddonaghue]

Thanks for watching mate 👍👍

[@deanm8871]

Great spot Shad, not a spot to be in anytime it rains though.

[@shaddonaghue]

Thanks mate, yeah its a great spot. And watch the weather 🤔🤠🤠

[@bradg350]

Epic Shad....

[@shaddonaghue]

Thanks mate

[@jamesh7395]

Some pretty gutsy driving there! Glad you made it out in one piece.

[@shaddonaghue]

Thanks for watching

[@terryoleary5424]

Nice one Shad , so many great spots along the Turon . Made me think 🤔, I’ll chuck in a bag of rice n some 2 minutes noodles for worst case situations . Thanks for the great Vlog mate .

[@shaddonaghue]

Thanks mate, there are so many spots your right, still some I haven’t camped in yet. We were in the process of going through the pantry and sorted it out , its all done now 😂

[@terryoleary5424]

@@shaddonaghue I’ll be out that way in a few weeks time probably near Sofala somewhere. Then I’ve never done Vic High C , taking off to there Boxing Day

[@amosbanjocaretakers3598]

Well done that brings back memories of when I was based in Dubbo and with the Dubbo 4x4 club we often went through that area and camped along that river, just had to subscribe cheers guys 👍🍻🇦🇺

[@shaddonaghue]

Thanks so much, I appreciate it. 👍👍🤠

[@davidbulbert7765]

Well done mate

[@shaddonaghue]

Thanks mate

[@gregbishop610]

Nice work

[@shaddonaghue]

Thanks mate

[@brentmcd12]

great quality video !! supurb camera angles! very nice traditional style camping ! well done ! thanks for explaining the technicals more also . hope u guys had a good trip !

[@dprfail]

my thoughts exactly

[@shaddonaghue]

Thanks mate, it definitely was a good trip even though the exit was a bit stressful. Cheers shad 🍻

[@braydenclark5828]

Another good episode mate keep em coming

[@shaddonaghue]

Thanks for watching again mate , cheers for the support

[@Sawadventures67]

Great clip mate loved that Timelapse of the night with the stars was that with the GoPro, Annie wants a scone make clip great work getting out a few hair raising crossings a few lessons learnt cheers mate 🇦🇺👍

[@shaddonaghue]

Thanks mate, yeah the timelapse was just with the go pro, thought i would try that, just let it go until battery runs flat . I have a video on my channel for lemonade scones. We have been cheating lately and using a packet mix 🤦‍♂️🤫🤫

[@MudducksTouringAustralia]

Awesome mate, that’s adventure touring for sure. Cheers Steve

[@shaddonaghue]

Thanks mate, definitely some adventure in there . Cheers Shad 🍻

[@mattnewman8454]

Love Turon, my favourite place to camp. Was there year and a half ago after a week of heavy rain. Place was deserted, closed due to aerial shooting of feral animals (sign said fines apply so we decided to go somewhere else). Couldn't leave through the diggings as water was too high at the crossings. I have a video of my mate's patrol starting to get swept downriver backwards, he only managed to reverse out in time. Only other way out was up the dry weather track which is only supposed to be used for entry in.

[@shaddonaghue]

Thanks matt, yeah really love it on the Turon river , but is easily flooded sometimes. That track used to be always 2 way until the last couple of years

[@mattnewman8454]

There is still the wet weather track as well, both in and out, but we couldn't get to it because of the fast flowing river. Most of our trips there were during low river times so it probably caught us off guard this time.

[@HappyGoTravel]

What an epic spot ✌️ awesome driving to get out of there

[@shaddonaghue]

Thanks for watching mate 👍🤠

[@searching4adventure]

Nice work Shad.

[@shaddonaghue]

Thank you

[@eds4wdcamping]

Great video shad now all you do is go home and check the difs for water. them water crossing some of those look pretty sketchy but you didn't well I see the next one.

[@shaddonaghue]

Yeah mate, was a bit sketchy, I’ll have to see if i can get Owen to do it 😂😂

[@unproadventures4142]

Such a good one mate Def up there with the best ones yet 👍

[@shaddonaghue]

Cheers mate, appreciate all your support 👍👍

[@GayandCarol]

Looks like you are doing it tough on the river. Until you had to leave. Great driving.

[@shaddonaghue]

Yeah tough times , scones and roast lamb 😂😂, was a good extended weekend

[@gettindirty4x4adventure]

Looks so peaceful out there by the river. That area is on the list to do one day. Killin me watching this too. Hope to get away next weekend and do the Caves to caves area between Mittagong and Lithgow. Been a while but bring it on👌

[@shaddonaghue]

Thanks for watching, I haven’t done the caves to caves for a while now, been meaning too but I’ll get there one day again. Enjoy your weekend out there should be good 👍

[@steveelliott7893]

Loved the video and the place. Lucky you got out though. Would still love to go and check it out sometime

[@shaddonaghue]

Thanks for watching mate, appreciate it 👍👍

[@williamthompson3647]

I recently found your channel and really like your trips. Thanks for sharing. Soon to retire and will be buying another 4X4 and Ultimate Camper trailer (been planning this for a few years now). I'd like to chat about the 76 series for towing, my wife wants a Prado.

[@shaddonaghue]

Thanks for watching mate, sounds like good times ahead 👍🤠. You can drop me an email on [e-mail] and we can work something out , I’m away for a few day now though 👍. Cheers shad

[@aaronluck9336]

i know that track well i often do the Coles bridge to Wallaby rocks and as a mad keen prospector i know the spot where you are camped,, there's some really good gold on that bend i hope you had a gold pan with you,, if you walked up the hill behind camp there is a lot of old mine workings from the old timers,,, theres plenty of gold along that patchy grassy spot right where you had your fire pit set up

[@shaddonaghue]

Awesome mate, I didn’t have a gold pan on me , i did see the old diggings up behind us though, they are through the whole Turon area. I might have to throw a pan in and see how i go 👍👍🤠

[@Out2Adventure]

Loved this video Shad!! 😀☺️ Glad you guys got out safe.

[@shaddonaghue]

Thanks guys, can’t wait to see the videos from your trip , hope you had a great time .

[@leonwayne7657]

Nicely done Shad, loved the way you edited this one... hard to spot the random boulders in the river there when it's up like that. 👍

[@shaddonaghue]

Thanks mate, yeah definitely was a different situation when the water was high. Few hidden objects 😂😂. We managed though. Thanks for watching. Ps, I’m in Facebook jail as well 🤦‍♂️, so no messenger either

[@chrisburr4245]

Loved this one. Awesome crossings.

[@shaddonaghue]

Thanks mate, really glad you enjoyed it 👌👌

[@CMReid]

What a adventure ! Great vid mate 👍🏼

[@shaddonaghue]

Thanks for watching mate 👍👍

[@FlatBrokeAdventures]

Very nice video Shad, some of those return crossings looked sketchy. Lesson learned take extra food and water for justin

[@shaddonaghue]

Thanks for watching, yeah we have sorted the pantry and have some extra in there now

[@FlatBrokeAdventures]

@@shaddonaghue Yeah I bet. I will too now

[@KK-gj9ds]

Hi Shad, I love your trips away with Tash. I just got into 4wding and camping, just wondering do you have to do those river crossings to get where you camp or are there ways around it? Cheers

[@shaddonaghue]

No other way , have to cross those crossings. Maybe just try wallaby rocks campground, or some others in sofala first

[@OffroadTouringLife]

Mate I bet that heart rate was up more than once! The weekend sure looked like it had it all!!

[@shaddonaghue]

Thanks mate, definitely a bit of a adrenaline coming out of there , thanks for watching

[@kevinfield6614]

is that a car or a boat skipper......................................helps if ya would leave a shirt on......love ya work stranger....

[@shaddonaghue]

Yeah I should of left my shirt on 😂😂😂

[@jaygus7297]

👍👍

[@shaddonaghue]

😁🍻

[@OnCountryWithMick]

Those crossings on the way out looked sketchy as all hell mate. Don't know if I would of tried them to be honest. Those Scones looked damn nice too. Funny I always associate them as rich peoples food, probably because the first time I tried them was at a rich persons house but they are so damn simple and can be made anywhere.

[@shaddonaghue]

Thanks for watching mate, definitely some sketchy water crossings but i was able to walk them all just , so l knew i would be ok. Yeah the scones are just so easy and tasty 😋. Cheers 🍻

[@TheBigGaloot]

How good would a bit of goat hind quarter been for the weekend!!

[@shaddonaghue]

Yeah i was thinking 🤔 🤠😂😂

[@kimbooby4256]

OMG You're from Sydney, aren't you! We've done this in a VX Commodore and basic trailer

[@shaddonaghue]

Are we talking about the same track ?

[@bobwhatshisname2161]

Great video. Shame about the idiots leaving their rubbish behind. If people do shoit like that they may close all the tracks so no one gets to go 4wding.

[@shaddonaghue]

Yeah thanks mate, always seems to be rubbish, wait till the next video and see how much we picked up, pretty disgusting but we just gotta keep doing what we can I suppose. Thanks for watching

[@aussiegypsy6273]

You don't need to get rain on the Turon to have a flash flood there. Get 5 or 6 inches up the top & the river rapidly rises.

[@shaddonaghue]

Yes definitely, thats what happened to us 👍👍. Thanks for watching.

[@demolitioner962]

Hey, where is the crossing where you have to drive through the river for a while? I couldn't find it last time I was there

[@shaddonaghue]

Its just upstream from coles bridge but if the river is normal level it’s probably not that long of a crossing. Thanks for watching

[@duncandemontfort5156]

Great video. - what time of year we’re you there?

[@shaddonaghue]

Just a few weeks ago , maybe 3 weeks now i think

[@john1boggity56]

I was out there in our Rodeo (and swags) last weekend (Oct long weekend 2022) - someone has fenced off the access to that section of river. I didn't think you could do that - rivers should have public access. Can anyone comment?

[@shaddonaghue]

Should still be open, my mate was only there a few months ago.

[@glennmitten3554]

I was camped on the turon 30 years ago and watched it go from that pleasant stream ,to throwing 20 fot logs end to end 24 hours later, me and the fam had to bail out ,it was terrifying. We never got rained on ,all the water come from upstream.be careful there and allways have an escape

[@shaddonaghue]

Yeah i love the Turon but it is known for this very reason and definitely need to be careful of it and respect it. I can imagine that would have been terrifying. We will be packing extra food from now on 👍👍

[@michaelmaitland4745]

Hello mate I am often at Hill End and cross the Coles bridge most times. Just wanting to confirm which track you took to begin your trip. Was it just up the hill a little towards Hill End and off to your right ? From there you are heading towards Sofala ? Enjoyed the video thanks 👍

[@shaddonaghue]

Yeah that’s the one, just be careful in there some of those river crossings are really soft , the rocks haven’t settled back down

[@michaelmaitland3309]

@@shaddonaghue thanks mate I stopped at the beginning of the track yesterday morning You did well getting the Ultimate down there but you do have the right car for it 👍👍

[@shaddonaghue]

@@michaelmaitland3309 yeah it’s getting a bit rough there, how did the river look, back to normal again ?

[@johnpitt2742]

looked like there was a roast for tomorrow on the hill behind you

[@shaddonaghue]

Yeah i know 😂😂🤠, not sure if they were wild or someones farm

[@MlCKTITS]

76 is now a boat

[@shaddonaghue]

Yeah pretty much , 😂😂😂, need some ski’s

[@joel4wd]

why didn't you just go the other way out there only normal small crossing

[@shaddonaghue]

Still a few the other way and some i would be driving against the current, still all just as deep, i just chose to go back that way because it was fresh in my mind. Cheers 🍻

[@TechStories79]

My biggest fear is these hillbillies leaving their rubbish everywhere will shut down these beautiful spots! I think if we all fill a bag or two we can slow it down but if it keeps up we will all be camping in caravan parks and the hillbillies will continue to camp, illegally.

[@shaddonaghue]

Thanks for watching mate , we feel the same and are always picking up rubbish i just think we all need to do it , in my next video we pick up 2 bags full , it was disgusting but had to be done .

[@christurner68]

Great adventure Shad. Did you get any water in the LC or trailer?

[@shaddonaghue]

Thanks for watching mate, got a little in the driver’s side but not sure if that’s from me hopping in and out soaking wet, also the trailer got a little in to the compartments on the back exterior ones and we also got a bit in one of the inside cupboards under the lounge but that’s where the water hose comes in so i think the silastic might need looking at there, as the trailer is now 10 years old.

[@christurner68]

@@shaddonaghue was going to say it was a good leak test for the trailer, better the water than dust. Nothing a bit of sita flex can’t fix.👍

[@shaddonaghue]

@@christurner68 yeah exactly, wasn’t like the water poured in either, was just a bit damp. Sika to the rescue 🤠

[@mikerobo2112]

Fastest rising river in south hemisphere, 2nd fastest flowing river in world. Check weather reports or do not camp near river.

[@shaddonaghue]

Thanks mate 👍👍

[@chrisoh6627]

IF IT'S FLOODED FORGET IT 🤯😡

[@shaddonaghue]

Yeah mate, good advice 🤠👍👍

[@kevinfield6614]

ya be a professional,,,anyone would think ya know ya way around a toolbox...lol...good work cleaning up after them grubs.....you seem to know what to do with glass should you come across it,,,maybe recycle/down a cullet chute...only a thought....

[@shaddonaghue]

Seems to be a common problem when we go and camp at the moment, always picking up after others, good to hear from you mate 🤠👍👍

[@kevinfield6614]

@@shaddonaghue just happened upon this,,,good onya.. always knew you were up for the challenge....being yourself always wins....ya punters could do worse by not watching your/family's adventures.....stay safe stranger...and yes i hit like and subscribe,,,even this old mate could learn a thing or two from the likes of you....as for the grubs,,well you know what id do......................lol

[@kevinfield6614]

hey one last yarn before i ruin your show..... get yaself up the kimberleys after things slow down a little (covid madness )...no diff lockers/winches required...i love me shovel....its wat makes the adventure,,,, love the trailer,,,any thoughts..............

[@shaddonaghue]

@@kevinfield6614 yeah the plan was kimberley this year but going to be next year now

[@johnpitt2742]

i could get fat on them

[@killmozzies]

You're eating better than me. lol

[@shaddonaghue]

Yep, we don’t starve 😂😂