Thread: Easter Trip Reports

Well, I gave my girlfriend a bit of an introduction to camping/4wdriving over Easter. We left mid morning Friday and headed up to the start of the Buckland Valley, overnighting at the campsite near the start of it.

The next day was a long one with about 120km of dirt roads and mainly 4wd tracks. We headed up the valley then over to King river, along the Cobbler Lake track (including 'the staircase') up to Lake Cobbler and then over to Craig's Hut to finish before heading back home.

It was a lovely trip and the Disco loved it. Pity I don't feel the same love for some of the less considerate types that I came across during the trip, especially the twit who was towing a trailer on the narrowest piece of track of the trip with the 4 other vehicles behind him that he neglected to mention.

We had a RRC trip to Nymboyda NSW on a club memebers property (no caming fees 8) ).

Left early friday morning to beat the traffic, but we went the back way through Beaudesert and Kyogle so traffic was okay, not overly busy and able to maintain the speed limit. No idiots were encounterd for a change.

Arrived at the Property at around 9:30AM to about 8-10 vehicles that had arrived the day before, said G'day, get the gear up (my parents had a camper trailer, much easier than tents) and after sitting around for a couple of hours it was time to break in some new tracks. I had been on this trip last year and did the same (the owner was more than happy for us to do so). The property was drier than the year previous so the 'challenge' of the hills was absent this time around.

Spent most iof the day doing this and having a few beers in-between.

Saturday, the same thing. We did have an optional trip on but I wasn't overly keen to spend 8 hours driving around and it wasn't even in low range, so Another member and i pushed through some new tracks one through a gully and through some mud where both of us got bogged down to the axles. Not to worry, another friendly Disco driver gave us a helping hand, hooked up the strap and a gentle pull did the trick.
We did find a hill that was rtesting and neither conqured although i was close. After 2 attempts, front and rear maxi's in 2nd gear low and flat out. The Rangie twisted, spun and did it's thing but the soil wasn't vert stable and with wheels spinnming it died just as it reached thetop. This is why I like autos better off-road, the auto would of kicked back to first with some throttle. Not to worry, this will be addresed soon. Saturday night was Pub night with some great tucker (as well as value for money) and well worth it.

Sunday, same sort of thing. Now what can we conquer today. Not too much, did re-trace some of the tracks wqe did the day before and that was really it. One of the club members did set up abn off-road course for the less expperienced (and not so hardcore like me ) and dad took his 98 Rangie around the course with no incendent. Even I'm not trying hard enough, I didn't dent or break anyhting [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue.gif[/img]

Monday, packed up and got going at 9AM. It wasn't a hardcore, action-packed weekend (unlike most of my trips I do or participate on), but enjoyable to say the least. Done it 2 year in a row now, and I'll be back next year (got to tame that bloody hill, will have my ZF auto in by then [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif[/img] )

Hope you all had a good easter.

Trav

Did a trip over to Tassie. Started off from Devenport headed west along the top of the island stopping here and there for a sticky beak. Hit the west coast and headed south throught the Pieman conservation area, taking side trips here and there to the beach for a look. Did some beach driving around Arthur river and Couta rocks. Very nice. [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif[/img]

Took Climies track out of Granville Harbour for a good half day of rough track four wheelin. Lots of rocks!! Good track this one.

Headed inland from Trial harbour through Zeehan and then back to the coast to Strahn. Went for a drive along Ocean beach (North form Strahn) and camped at the edge of the Badger river. Saw 11 beached whales here, all dead unfortunately. Quite a stench let me tell ya!

On to Hobart stopping here and there again for a look. Got ****ed in Hobart for the night and then went down to Port Arthur for the day.

Back up the east coast camping and fishing here and there and then stopped in at Cradle for a look but couldn't see anything as usual. To overcast.

Back to Devenport and on the boat home.

Sorry my trip report is so breif but I don't get a very long lunch and it's hard to type and eat at the same time.

Cheers

Mick

Went to Hill End on the easter w/end, went in via Box Ridge Rd, left Sydney at 10.00pm thursday night and arrived there at just after 1.15am at Johnsons hole campsite on the Bridal Track then setup and went to bed ready for the rest of the next few days.
A great 3 days of finding tracks, river crossings, beer around the campfire, swimming in the river and just lazing about, all in all excellent.

Oh and to those bunch of Land Rover owners that ignored me when trying to tell them of other vehicle behind me and did not acknowledge other vehicles following them when passing on the Bridal track [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue.gif[/img] [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue.gif[/img] [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue.gif[/img] [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue.gif[/img] [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue.gif[/img] [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue.gif[/img] [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue.gif[/img] [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue.gif[/img] [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue.gif[/img] [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue.gif[/img] as well as others too, when will people ever learn common courtesy.

Baz.

i went up to sheepyard flats with the wife and kids [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif[/img]
and a couple of her freinds

had a good time doing nothing except drinking and making big fires [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif[/img]

also caught up with Bytemrk and his wife trish and 2 kiddies

and was talking to another guy with a gold rangie now known as RR84

weather was great kids had a ball and just love getting away from the rat race [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif[/img] [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif[/img] [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif[/img]

I spent the entire weekend in the carport, still working on one of my restoration projects, a Series 2 Command/recon car, it is coming along slowly, trying to rectify all the faults with the wiring loom at the moment, we will get there, swmbo was making cups of tea/coffee and passing the odd tool/holding the odd spanner on difficult bolts etc cheers Dennis

Took off on Friday morning heading into the Deua valley with some friends in tow who had never been there.

Arrived just after lunch and managed to get one of our favourite spots. Kids then informed me that one of the front tyres was hissing, figured it could wait.
Spent a relaxing afternoon with a couple? of beers around the campfire.

Saturday morning saw me changing the tyre, then pull out the trusty beadbreaker, whip the tyre off and fit a new tube puncture was caused by a small steel spike just through the case. Late morning saw us giving a guided tour around the area up to the caves etc as well as all the hidden spots and tracks before back for a nice hot shower and then sit back in the campfire smoke with a few more beers.

As the people we were with had to be back home on Sunday we packed up camp and headed home via Bendethra mountain, Merricumbene track,

Alpine,
and the minuma range track
out to snowball via middle mountain. (this was the real reason I was keen to fix the spare).

At around 11pm we pulled into the home driveway. After the weather around Sydney earlier in the week it turned out great over the weekend.

Bushie

I took the family to Sheep yard for Easter.

Hiline kindly saved me somewhere to park the disco and the trailer... As only around 60% of Melbourne where camped there. 8O 8O

... well may I exaggerate just a little.. ops:

Great weekend... good weather... good location.... good Company....


Took the Disco for a loop around Sheepyard > Tunnelbend > Upper Jameison Hut >lowersaddle road through to Mt Sunday> Wrens Flat > Mitchells Flat> Fry's Hut > Sheepyard. About 130Km loop.

It was a good days drive... Low Saddle road put some fair bush stripes down the disco [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad.gif[/img] .... I guess that's what happens when the track is 6" narrower than the car...

Found a bit of mud... only real Challenge was near where the Heyfield road comes off Low Saddle road.

The Climb after the Mitchells homestead site certainly kept the missus and kids kind of quiet 8O ...Traction control got a fair workout. too.. but these cars are amazing...... standard tyres and suspension - right gear and off you go!....

Had a bloody ball.

... any suggestions on the best polish to hide the bush stripes on a nice black car :?: ops: