Most memorable 4x4 moment

[Phoenix]

Ok, what has been your most memorable 4x4 moment, and your funniest 4x4 moment?

Come on then, cough those stories up style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif

[BlackAdder]

Well there I was, proud owner of a just delivered Tojo B73 Mid Wheel Base, in convoy with a few of the mates. Out of Wodonga in early spring and up into the ooloo! Mate (Jim) in front of me was driving his LWB Suzuki Sierra and things were going great.....until we got to Indi Creek (I think it is one of the early tributories to the Murray).

The first couple of vehicles went through then Jim started, he nearly got half way across when the cross flow of the creek along with the higher level of water and lighter vehicle took it's toll. I had just started to enter the creek when ... there goes Jim, floating sideways off to the left. Well back in those days I was young and impetuous (read stupid, I have grown up a bit since then, but still impetuous style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/ohmy.gif ) so I turned the Tojo left and headed off to save him, what was I thinking, the bonnet started to dissapear and the windscreen wipers came in handy :evil: I still don't know what I was trying to do or how I was going to do it, but I tried. I soon realised the stupidedness of my action and luckilly found 'R' quick enough to get back onto higher ground.

Jim floated about 50 meters down stream and then found some traction and got to the edge, we made our own road down the creek and pulled him out and everyone and their vehicles were fine. The rest of the weekend out was fantastic getting up into the High Country and seeing some of the high plains was amazing.

[VladTepes]

Most memorable ? Porobably the day I bought my Defender. style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif


But if you men while actually four wheel driving - it was when I was a kid.

We used to live in Saudi Arabia and the company had quite a few four wheel drives in the fleet (mostly Landcruisers and Isuzus).

This particular day we (Dad, Mum, me and my sister) were in a 'cruiser and heading out into the desert (there's nowhere else to head!)

Dad saw what he described, from a distance, as a 'flat bit' so he decided to drive on that. At speed. It turned out NOT to be flat but rather corrugated to all buggery and damn near shook our teeth out.

He opted to get back on the sand before Mum killed him.

A little later we were driving along an escarpment when we were faced with a steep downhill section. Into low range and down the hill.....


I don't know whether it was Mum or my sister that started screaming first, but whichever it was they set off the other one ! I vivdly recall them looking like they were trying to crawl UNDER the seats.


Next time we went four wheel driving it was just Dad and I. style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif

[TSR]

Have you seen my wife's 80 series upside-down?

Nuff said :oops:

Kevin :wink:

[KEV0044]

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[-Macca-]

Funniest:

Looking along a track that the unimogs had been using, and thinking "I'll have a go at that!". Well, I got about halfway along it (with the boot to the floor!) before there was too much friction on the diffs from the muddy ridge in the middle. Had a look, and I'd been dragging the diffs for at least 10m... style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif Snatched out backwards, grinning like an idiot, missus thumping me, everything covered in mud.. Then, watching my mate in his GQ Patrol do the same track right after me, and not even making it half as far! Go the V8!

Most Memorable:

Wonnangatta. I was 17, still on my L plates, it had been ****ing down all day, and my old man decided it was time for me to learn to drive his rangy in the mud... 8O First time I'd ever driven it, and I had a ball!

Macca

[Timmo]

Wonnangatta seems to be a common theme here. I have hiked in and out of there, but might have to try and get the car down there at some stage!

[one_iota]

Originally posted by Timmo
Wonnangatta seems to be a common theme here. I have hiked in and out of there, but might have to try and get the car down there at some stage!

Maybe a AULRO social gathering is in order

[bigbugga]

Originally posted by TSR
Have you seen my wife's 80 series upside-down?

Nuff said :oops:

Kevin :wink:

Seen it, looked again and saved the photo's too.

Good job that one :wink:

[crawfy]

Boy is this post bringing back memories!!!! style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif I grew up in Bairnsdale and Sale, and spent my teen years with my Dad in them there hills, we would take the fly rods and head up to the upper reaches of the Monarto, Licola and Wonnangatta regions. The Zeka track allway's made for a memorable trip, the track up to Mt Ben Crachuan ( Not sure on the spelling as it's been a while) is a doozy.
The most memorable was when I went with a mate who had a new MQ Patrol, we headed for Jamieson then down a very steep track to river ( I think it's called the Barclay river) As this was his first time 4wd it was definately a learning kirb, not a good idea to put foot on clutch to change gears whilst descending under engine compression!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hence a change of undies and major adjustment of brakes when we calmed down after a fag and a stiff drink.
I then joined the Army learnt a few new driving Technique's Could fill this page with a large number of stories but hay so could you all!!!!!!!! style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif
regards
Crawfy

[Emo]

In 1995 my wife and I bought a Jackaroo and decided to take 12 months off and travel around Australia. There was the Kangaroo war games going in up north and the whole area was swarming with various countries armed forces. We were up near the WA / NT border giving the Jack a bit of throttle when we rounded a corner and there in the middle of the road was a tank with the barrel pointed straight at us. Scarred the living daylights out of me. Hit the brakes hard, realised that I wasn't going to stop in time and knowing who would come off second best decided to go bush. Bounced through a paddock for a fair while whilst having trying to keep the Jack shiny side up. When I did make it back onto the bitumen I was faced with a number of Australian soldiers sitting on top of the tank laughing their heads off at me.

[one_iota]

A few years ago when we all were younger and less wise my Brother and I set out on a trip to the Deua via Mongarlowe. He in his Suzi Sierra and me in the Disco.

Crossing the Mongalowe River (more of a creek really) involved negotiating a forestry bridge consisting of a split log on the passenger side and two split logs on the driver’s.

Leading I didn’t give it much thought and crossed, stopped and got out. Bro was standing beside his Suzi on the other side exclaiming that “this was his only car and there was no way he was going across there”.

In spite of some mild protestation and a bit of sibling rivalry he elected to by pass the bridge and take the watery route. The bank in was steep and about the length of the Suzi and the creek bad was flat and fortunately shallow. Don’t get me wrong the Sierra is a nimble and capable vehicle but in spite of its entry angle capabilities the nose stuck in the creek bed.

So Muggins had to cross the bridge again and pull him out then cross the bridge again guiding him across.

Hey! That was also my only car and I did it thrice.

[lewy110]

I would have to say driving most of the tracks in the avon wilderness area the weekend before they were all closed off never to be used again.

I was going to say rolling my best mates isuzu county but I won't go there.

I would also have to include crossing the shoalhaven river at oallen ford (I think thats how its spelled) and finding the biggest hole. The bow wave was washing off the bottom of the windscreen. I just made it out the other side. Even though there is a perfectly good bridge right next to it.

[KEV0044]

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[Bushie]

Kev,

Have some info (Nowra) but having trouble posting it


Bushie

[one_iota]

Evening Bushie,

When you get the technology to be servant rather than master could you stick it in the "Traps and Tricks" section?

[lewy110]

no worries kev

I usually do a loop that runs from albatross and then out the braidwood rd to yerriyong rd and out to yalwal to the yarramunmun fire trail and then down a few other tracks that aren't on the topo maps but have some nice climbs and descents before getting back on to monkey gum fire trail.

Next time you are down PM me and I will be glad to show you around some of the better tracks that I know of.

A few topo maps of the area are,

Nowra 9028-3-s 1:25000
Yalwal 8928-11-s 1:25000
Sassafras 8927-1-n 1:25000

[KEV0044]

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[lewy110]

That sounds like a good idea

[KEV0044]

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[Bushie]

Kev,

Next 2 weekends are out for me

Look here

http://forums.overlander.com.au/viewtopic....light=sassafras (http://forums.overlander.com.au/viewtopic.php't=11474&highlight=sassafras)


Bushie

[one_iota]

Bushie,

Good Link!

Brought back memories of that Overlander site...long time not lurked.

Has Wilsey returned to the fold or is he at the other place?

[Phoenix]

Nah, wilsey is still Over there, and just been made a moderator :roll: style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif

[KEV0044]

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[barney]

i remembered to refresh this time.

a long long time ago, some of my "possie" took me for a trip up to barrington tops. the weather had been inclement during the previous week, so the rd clay up there was going to be somewhat greasy. we weren't disappointed.
there was 5 cars, if i remember correctly, 2 hiluxes, a four-skinner, a troopy and something else, possibly another hilux. the geographically-challenged clown in the four-skinner was leading the trip.
after several hours of forest trails we started heading down a pretty sedate slope that went for a few km. some of that descent was pretty well ice skating due to the mud on the track.
we found where the downhill stopped and the uphill started at about 4pm. the trip up was going to be a lot shorter than the trip down, only about 200meters.
the troopy was first to have a go. as he had a locker in the rear and fairly new muddies, we thought he'd be the best bet to get up. well, he didn't. he made about 20m. i was behind him in my hilux with the same mud tyres but i only had a limited slip diff. so i gave it a run with him still up there and fell short of his mark by about 5m. at this stage it was time to have a think and hatch A PLAN. so we lashed the 2 vehicles to trees and did a bit of geometry.
out came ALL the recovery gear from every truck. first task was to get the troopy to the top. so, being short on winches etc, we attached a builders wheel (dirty big pulley about 300mm diameter that takes rope up to 40mm diameter) to a tree uphill from the troopy, ran a bit of nylon ferry rope through it from the troopy to my ute. i then reversed down the hill, pulling him up it, until we ran out of rope.
we then moved the pulley up the hill, as far as the rope would reach from the troopy, attached the appropriate amount of straps to it and i again drove up as far as i could go and pulled him up again.
we repeated this process about 6 or 7 times until he was at the top. well, until he had traction anyway.
each car in turn took a run at the hill and was pulled up from there by the troopy, BUT, we only had 20m of towing room at the top, so after each "tug" we had to back the troopy down the hill the length of 1 strap, hook on to the next one and pull again.
5 hours later, we got to the top. it was now about 9.30. our leader was lost. so, we set up camp in the middle of the track, made dinner and hit the sack.
the next morning, as we tried to get our bearings, we found the we were about 5km from where our trip leader thought we were.
but it was really a lot of fun anyway.

[Bushie]

Still dont seem to be able to post a longer reply but at least the speed has improved (slightly).


Bushie

[Pedro_The_Swift]

Good one Barney,,

Its amazing what a good "sit and think" will accomplish,,

BUT!

the judges have only given you a 4 because of a total lack of LR content

:wink: style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif