August 2016 (Issue 428)
Subaru 4WD Club of Victoria Inc. Reg. No. A – 0006149J / FWDV Member PO BOX 2456 Mount Waverley VIC 3149
www.subaru4wdvic.com.au
Volks-Baru Subaru and Volkswagen Specialist Parts and Service Centre
We will smooth out your motoring costs with extremely competitive prices, offering trade discounts to all Subaru 4WD Club of Victoria members on all parts and repairs.
John Bailey 1362 Heatherton Rd Dandenong North 3175 Phone: (03) 9793 5655
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C ON T E N T S Intro 4 Committee 5 From The President 6 Upcoming 8 Next Meeting – August 30th - AGM 8 Trips and Social Events 8 Long Term Future Planning 11 Upcoming AGM 12 Trip and Recovery Gear 13 Trip Reports 14 Simpson Desert Trip July-August 2016 14 Trip Summary 20 Buy and Sell 30 Member Items for Sale 30 Club Resources 32 Minutes 36 Editor Notes 40
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INTRO The Subaru 4WD Club of Victoria Inc. was originally formed almost 40 years ago by an enthusiastic group of Subaru owners. Today the club has expanded to include all Subaru 4WD and AWD vehicles, as well as all other makes of AWD, light 4WD and crossover/soft-roader type vehicles. The club aims to participate in the exploration of the Australian countryside without damage to the environment, vehicle or individual. Visitors are most welcome to attend the club’s General Meetings and contact committee members regarding participation in club activities. The club relies on membership fees to offset its running costs, including insurance. Membership fees are payable each year, due on 31 May. Fees for the 2015/16 year were agreed at the general meeting in April 2015 and are as follows:
Member rates: Single: $120 (Seniors card - $110) Joint/family: $140 - (Seniors card - $125). One off joining fee of $10 ($20 for Joint/Family) also applies All annual fees include FWDV affiliation and trip insurance: $48
Non-member trip fee: A trip fee of $15 per adult non-member applies (for insurance purposes)
Please contact the membership officer for further enquiries. Email: mship@subaru4wdvic.com.au
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COMMITTEE Stephen Whittaker (President)
president@subaru4wdvic.com.au
Dale Rebgetz (Vice President)
vice-president@subaru4wdvic.com.au
Peter Bellis (Secretary)
secretary@subaru4wdvic.com.au
Bob Marshall (Treasurer)
treasurer@subaru4wdvic.com.au
Duncan McCrae (OM: General Committee) Dan Conlon (OM: Editor)
editor@subaru4wdvic.com. au
Jean Bellis (OM: Social Coordinator)
events@subaru4wdvic.com.au
Jamie Scott (OM: Trips Coordinator)
events@subaru4wdvic.com.au
Meredith Dale (OM: Venue Coordinator)
venue@subaru4wdvic.com.au
Mike Dale (OM: Website/ Magazine Content)
venue@subaru4wdvic.com.au
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F R OM T HE P RE SI DE N T President’s Report: August Magazine What a year! The Subaru 4WD Club’s 40th Year!! I’ve spent quite some time over the past few months reflecting on the club and where it is at now. We’re a lucky club that has a very positive culture, a proactive, steadfast committee as well as members who don’t hesitate to assist in helping where they can. For that, a sincere thank you to everyone. The club has continued to explore throughout the 2015/2016 membership year. The quality of the trips and exploration we have had this year has been incredible; a completion of the Victorian/South Australian Border Track, the Simpson Desert (again), the Victorian High Country and many more! There’s also been a good mix of events we’ve been able to enjoy too – meal and movie nights and photography days. We have a good balance and I’d like to see that continue. We have successfully delivered something for everyone in the past 12 months. And, in the meantime, showed that Subarus continue to be incredibly capable vehicles! This year saw us launch our first in-house four wheel drive training weekend, thanks to Jessica as lead facilitator. Thanks to Jess, we were able to provide Four Wheel Drive Victoria-equivalent training to our members – particularly new members – at a purpose-built training facility earlier this year in Tallarook. The training was run really professionally and fostered confidence in members to take on new four wheel driving challenges, tackle obstacles and understand what to do when things don’t go right. Looking forward to seeing our club training continue with many more weekends of training in the future. Over the past month, the Simpson Desert trekkers have returned! I’ve heard very good things about this trip. The weather remained fine and dry for them (at least most of the way – particularly for the important parts). In chats with a few of those who were on the trip, apparently the landscape looked very different to the way it looked for us 3 years ago. With the amount of rain that central Australia has received recently, the wildflowers and greenery was apparently spectacular! Not to mention that some of the rivers along the more major roads were full. It would have been something to be able to do a comparison between a very dry central Australia to a recently (relatively) wet one. Another successful Simpson Desert crossing for the Subaru 4WD Club of Victoria. Well done to Dale for excellent organisation and trip leading! Also this month, Paul ran a successful day snow trip up around the Mansfield area – and it actually snowed! Well done, Paul. Looking forward to hearing more about the trip in a trip report soon. Working with this current committee over the past two years has been absolutely fantastic. They are a supportive, professional group who do everything they can to ensure a positive future for the club. I’d like to say a sincere thank you to the
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Committee from the past 12 months. In no particular order, thanks to Dale, Peter, Jean, Bob, Martin, Dan, Jamie, Mike, Meredith and Duncan. Your efforts are sincerely appreciated. I thoroughly enjoyed being a part of a committee with you all. I have decided not to re-stand as the President of the Subaru 4WD Club. I will also not be nominating for any committee positions – at least for the 2016-17 year. I have thought long and hard about this and have decided that it’s best for me to stand down and offer the opportunity to lead the club to someone else. When I took on the role of President two years ago, I had a number of goals/objectives that I wanted to achieve. They included: Growing the club – both in number of memberships as well as followers on Facebook and hits on the website, Improving club image/branding via various promotional methods (videos, Facebook, webpage, rack card, other), Streamlining club general meetings, Introducing a 5/10 Year Trip Planner – encouraging members to stay with the club long-term, and Improving the club culture ensuring it welcomes visitors and new members in a positive way. I feel like we, as a committee and as a club, have achieved all of these – and they continue to improve: Club membership is strong and the highest it’s been in years with 47 current memberships – approximately 86 members, The club website continues to grow and the club Facebook page regularly has new content and grows weekly. When I took over management of the club Facebook page 4 years ago, it had 27 ‘likes’/followers. It now has over 440 ‘likes’/followers, Club general meetings run swiftly and smoothly and attendance has grown significantly with visitors to meetings either signing up on the night or at least returning for a second meeting before doing so, The club’s 5/10 Year Trip Planner has not only ensured a full calendar of events for the current year but that we have trips we aspire to plan and run in years to come. It has also encouraged new trip leaders to step up to take on leadership of successful trips, The culture of our club not only welcomes new visitors but it also supports and trains new members to show enthusiasm and interest in assisting with management of the club. I have been on the committee nearly the entire time since I returned to the club 4.5 years ago. Two years as Venue Coordinator and two years as President. It has been an absolute pleasure to work with fine, dedicated people on the committee each year. I will continue to run trips for the club and look forward to everyone’s company at many future Subaru 4WD Club events. I’m looking forward to your company at the August Annual General Meeting where you can catch up on the latest club news, vote for a new committee, hear trip reports
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and mingle with other members. In the meantime, enjoy the August magazine and I’ll see you at the meeting and/or out on the tracks – wherever we may be heading! Stephen Whittaker President
UPCOMING Next Meeting – August 30th - AGM Date: Tuesday 30th August Venue: South Camberwell Tennis Club,332 Burke Road, Glen Iris We will have a general meeting followed by the AGM afterwards. Special super pizzas and some home cakes with soft drinks or the normal tea or coffee will also be available. Venue Coordinator Meredith Dale
Trips and Social Events We have a variety of trips coming up! With that we’d also like to remind you that if you want to get your name down on the list for a trip but maybe can’t make it to the meeting you are always welcome to contact the trip leader directly. As always, if you know a great location that you would love to lead a trip to (or even if you just want to suggest it) let us know, we’re always on the lookout for the next adventure!! Put up the suggestion and someone else might run it Put up the suggestion and ask for someone else who might want to co-lead it with you. You might want it run it yourself and if it is your first time we will provide you with a trip mentor.
Degas Tour at the National Gallery Victoria Time for a bit of culture! 8|Page
Come and do a tour of the Degas Exhibition on at the National Galley of Victoria. When: Saturday 3rd September Starting time: 10.00am for a free tour if we get a group of 10 or more. Cost: Adult $28 / Concession $24.50 / Child $10 / Family (2 adults, 3 children) $65 Trip Standard: Social Trip Leaders: Lee Wegner |events@subaru4wdvic.com.au
40th Anniversary Celebrations When: Saturday 24th to Sunday 25th September 2016 RSVP: By now all members should have received an emailed invitation. Please RSVP by August 25th to events@subaru4wdvic.com.au Trip Leader: Dave Wilson | dw@subaru4wdvic.com.au | ph: 0429 942 724 Location: Echuca. Camping will be on a Private property about 18kms east of Echuca or you can arrange your own accommodation in Echuca. Cost: $50.00 per person. Saturday 3pm – Bus will pick everyone up from the camp site 3.30 – meeting time for Paddle steamer. Ride will include drinks and hors d’oeuvres 6.30 pm Dinner at Radcliffe’s 9.30pm Optional Lantern Tour of the Historic Port area. Additional cost $15 11pm Bus back to the campsite. Sunday Big cooked breakfast at the campsite. Food provided.
Maldon Navigation Run TRIP HAS REACHED ITS CONVOY LIMIT When: Saturday 15th October (optional Sunday 16 October) Trip Leaders: Martin Foot and Dorothy Greiveson | mship@subaru4wdvic.com.au
Trip Standard: Social
and Easy ● (2WD vehicles with reasonable clearance
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will be ok but there will be some dirt back roads) Navigation Run will be in and around Maldon, Australia’s First Notable town, situated in the Goldfields region of central Victoria near Castlemaine. This is a repeat of a previous run several years ago. However, the route will be updated to take in new sites and challenges. The trip can be done as a day trip (Maldon is just under 2 hours from Melbourne). For those wishing to stay over, limited accommodation is available at Martin and Dot’s miner’s cottage (please ask, first in best dressed) or there is accommodation in town if you prefer. There are a variety of local attractions including mine tours, wineries, the Tourist Railway, collectable shops, and the Mt Tarrengower Hill climb for classic cars is also on the Sunday.
Melbourne Laneways Walk THIS TRIP IS FULL BUT BEV WILL RUN ANOTHER ONE IF PEOPLE ARE INTERESTED SO STILL PUT YOUR NAME ON THE LIST. When: Saturday 22nd October Trip leaders: Bev Davison & Jean Bellis | events@subaru4wdvic.com.au
Standard: Social Trip Limit: 10 people (but if there is enough interest Bev will run another walk at a later date). We will meet in Fed Square at 1pm and do about a 2 hour walk and finish with Coffee and cake somewhere. Those who wish may like to meet up for a quick lunch before we start. Bev is happy to tailor the walk to the interests of the people in the group i.e. checking out laneway graffiti art, chocolate shops etc.
Robe TRIP HAS REACHED ITS CONVOY LIMIT When: 29th Oct to 1st November Where: Robe, SA
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Trip Rating: Medium ■ to difficult
♦
Convoy Limit: 12 vehicles Trip Leaders: Lee Wegner & Duncan McCrae | events@subaru4wdvic.com.au Vehicles will need to modify (i.e.: lifted) Standing Camp with drop toilets Cost $14 per campsite. Requirements: Sandflag, tyre pressure gauge, air compressor, sand recovery gear.
Marysville When: Saturday 12th November 2016 with the option of camping overnight and doing a walk to Stephenson’s Falls the next day. Trip leader: Mike Dale | venue@subaru4wdvic.com.au Trip Standard: TBA More Details to come.
Club Christmas Breakup. Our Annual Chirstmas BBQ and Awards Day will be held on Sunday 27th November. The venue is still to be decided so if you have any suggestions email events@subaru4wdvic.com.au
Long Term Future Planning 2017
Central Australia – Touring Trip Kangaroo Island - March Kosciusko to Melbourne 20-28th May – Stephen Whittaker Blue Mountains – 25th Oct to 7th Nov - Stephen Whittaker
2018
Tasmania – Hobart and the SE for 2 weeks in March – Jessica Walsh Fraser Island
2019
Canning Stock Route 5-week trip Simpson Desert – re-enactment of club’s crossing from Macumba Station to Purni Bore in the ‘70s
Social Events We are starting to plan some social events as well. 11 | P a g e
A social trip with a hot spud lunch at a bush location. Bike Ride to Warburton Navigation run in the Riddles Creek area
Trip and Social Contacts • •
Trip Coordinator: Jamie Scott Social Coordinator : Jean Bellis
•
events@subaru4wdvic.com.au
U P C O M I N G AGM Notice is hereby given to members that the Annual General Meeting of the Subaru 4WD Club of Victoria Inc will be held on Tuesday, 30th August 2016 at South Camberwell Tennis Club rooms, 322 Burke Road, Glen Iris commencing after the finish of the August 2016 general meeting. Order of business will include: Confirmation of the minutes of the 2015 annual general meeting. Presentation of the 2016 annual report. Presentation of 2016 annual financial statement. General business. Presentation of awards. Election of officers of the club and ordinary members of the committee. Nominations for committee positions should be submitted to the club secretary by no later than 7 days prior to the Annual General Meeting. However, on the day, nominations for committee positions will be accepted from the floor of the meeting. Special Resolutions If a member wishes to bring an item of business to the Annual General Meeting that requires a special resolution, 21 days’ written notice of the special resolution must be given to all club members. Peter Bellis Secretary
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TRIP AND RECOVERY GEAR The aim of all Subaru 4WD Club of Victoria Inc. trips is to have an enjoyable experience in the bush, increasing 4WD’ing skills and experience, whilst maintaining the highest regard for the safety of individuals, the vehicle and the environment. As a driver you have ultimate responsibility for the safety of your passengers and vehicle. It is the responsibility of any participating driver to contact individual trip leaders for clarification of individual trip requirements and standards. Financial members are encouraged to participate in as many trips as possible to increase confidence and experience. Visitors are welcome subject to the payment of the appropriate levy to cover insurance, but after two visits, should consider membership. Non-financial members are not covered by insurance and may not participate until payment is received. Individual drivers with concerns or queries regarding their vehicle and the trip standard should contact relevant trip leaders. The Subaru 4WD Club of Victoria Inc. recommends that each vehicle carry the following items or equipment on every trip: 1.
Personal details form as
8.
specified by FWDV, copy to Trip Leader 2.
Emergency Supplies
(minimum 3.2t)
clothing)
Rated snatch strap Recovery Points, Front & Rear; plus optional bridle
10. Sufficient Fuel, Oil and Water for the trip and delays 11. A Tyre Pressure Gauge;
strap, according to vehicle
Compressor (according to the
design;
trip)
UHF (477Mhz) Channel 16 CB
12. An Axe, Bow or Chain saw;
Radio. Ideally in car but hand
13. A Sturdy Shovel (collapsible
held are ok provided sufficient battery(s) to last the trip.
7.
9.
(matches, food, water and
4.
6.
equivalent
Two rated D- Shackles
3.
5.
Jack and wheel Brace, or
shovels are no good) 14. Spare Parts (appropriate to the nature of the trip)
Fire Extinguisher, accessible
15. A Tool Kit
to the driver
16. Personal First Aid Kit
Spare Tyre (full size)
17. The Vehicle Manual
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Any vehicle not carrying at least the first five (5) items of equipment should contact the individual Trip Leader before leaving. Any Club member unsure about any of the items of equipment listed above are advised to contact the Trip and Social Coordinator or the Trip Leader concerned. All Trip Leaders carry a complete First Aid Kit in case of emergency. All non-emergency medical needs are expected to be meet by individuals own medical supplies.
TRIP REPORTS Simpson Desert Trip July-August 2016 By Sir Michael Dale Part 1 Pre-trip shenanigans The trip got off to an inauspicious start. A couple of weeks before the trip, Dale had some problems with his car randomly stopping which could not be tracked down. As it turned out this was not an issue on the trip. On the Thursday just before the start, we got a message from Jamie saying he had done a rear wheel bearing. He had left early and had made it as far as Berri (in S.A.) before having to back track to Renmark to get a replacement bearing. Due to OH&S issues Jamie was not allowed the use of the mechanic’s workshop, but the guy knew a guy and so he ended up using some person’s home workshop, as he required a trolley-jack. Jamie gave him $50 for his troubles, even though he wasn’t asking for any money.
Then it was Peter's turn. He had alternator problems (due to a corroded terminal) and had to fit his spare near Bendigo. He then arranged for a new alternator to be picked up from a store in Mildura. Of course they were going to be closed by the time he arrived. So with some complication, they agreed to leave it outside the back of the store for him to pick up. The trip up for Peter had an interesting and amusing finish, as we will see. The meeting point was Port Augusta. Jamie arrived on the Friday. Mike, Meredith, Kadin and Richard arrived on Saturday afternoon. Peter told Jamie he would be arriving very late on Saturday, after he had dealt with the alternator. He arrived in Port Augusta at about 4:00a.m. on Sunday morning and set up his swag. He awoke around 7:00a.m., packed up and was all ready to go. He found Jamie and asked, "What time are we leaving?" Jamie's response was, "Tomorrow!" The look on Peter's face was priceless. Peter, believing we were leaving on Sunday, had driven throughout the night, averaging around 70kph (from Mildura to Port Augusta), dodging kangaroos. One came close to jumping clean over his bonnet. Never the less, Peter put the day to good use by redistributing the weight in his car so it was more even. Dale and Janelle arrived Sunday afternoon and we had roast lamb for dinner. It was the perfect way to start the trip.
Monday 18th of July: we were up early to pack up. Starting out along the Stuart Hwy we drove for about 160km and turning off at Pimba and then into Woomera. We had coffee and a look around the outdoor exhibits. We also visited the cemetery to pay our respects to Len and Anne Beadell. At Roxby Downs we topped up with fuel and headed into Andamooka for lunch. Kadin did some noodling (prospecting for opal) and found a few colourful pieces, although realistically probably not worth anything. After lunch there was a trip out to Lake Torrens and to one of the waterways that flows into the lake. There was a bit of water in the creek and salt crystals were forming on the rocks. We backtracked to Andamooka to pick up the track to Farina. This track started out through some opal mines and then turned to gibber country. The gibbers gave way to some low sand hills with occasional clay pans. They had a bit of water in them, but the track through them was dry and easy to traverse.
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Towards the end of the day Jamie asked, "How long till camp, because something has happened to the car that I'm not happy about?" It turned out that Suboo had done a rear CV joint. The three leading cars were right in the middle of a gibber plain and the prospect of camping there was not a pleasant thought. We returned to find Jamie and Peter parked on a clay pan with a particularly sandy surface that included a small lagoon of water. A most idyllic spot (mosquitoes excluded).
A much better campsite than a Gibber Plain It turned out that in the CV joint, the ball bearing cage had disintegrated. Jamie set about rebuilding it with assistance from Peter and Dale. There were a few complications reassembling the drive shaft unit back on the car. They tried various combinations of old and new balls, old and new housings. It turned out Jamie had left a clip in the CV housing on the differential which prevented the unit inserting properly. Perhaps Jamie should have had one less beer before starting the repair (note: he only had one before starting!) During the night Mike’s and Meredith's lilo went down and they spent the night on the ground. They were thanking their lucky stars it was a sandy plain and not on the gibbers.
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Tuesday 19th of July: an early pack up and across the gibbers again. The track and scenery varied significantly, sand, rock and a few dry, but deep creek crossings. We climbed up a ridge with fantastic views of Lake Arthur and then followed the lake edge to get back onto the main track. We dropped in at the Mulgaria homestead to thank them for allowing us to cross their property. No one was home, but we left a thank you note and bottle of wine.
Lake Arthur from the lookout About 45km from Farina, Jamie had issues again with his rear drive shaft. Dale returned to assist, while Mike, Meredith, Richard and Kadin went on into Farina for lunch. There were pies and sausage rolls, some pastries and various sorts of bread. Meanwhile, Jamie and co. had disconnected Suboo's rear drive shafts and made their way into Farina. Also having lunch at the bakery. Then we made our way to the campsite and pitched our tents. A welcome shower was had by most, and the usual suspects worked on Suboo. Mike and Meredith fixed their lilo - or so they thought. It went down again during the night. This time however they decided to use their pump to inflate it, waking up a few people in the process.
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The low rocky escarpment (where the war memorial is) provided fantastic views of a fiery sunset with rain clouds threatening in the background. The clouds provided some rain later on in the night. Dale had a restless night thinking about the possibility of road closures.
A Fiery Farina Sunset
Wednesday 20th of July: after a quick look around Farina railway station we drove into Maree to fill up and get a real coffee. Mike and Meredith brought a new lilo - alas only a double. Then onto the Oodnadatta Track.
We stopped at Alberrie Creek to look at the art work of Plane Henge. A little further on Suboo popped out the rear drive shaft again. Dale stopped to assist, while Mike, Meredith, Peter, Richard and Kadin went on to see some sites – Lake Eyre South and Wabma Kadarbu Mound Springs.
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Dale, Janelle and Jamie continued on to Coward Springs once they had made Suboo drivable. The others mosied on in after their sightseeing. Lunch and a much needed break was had by all. Peter had a dip in the warm spring. The convoy then headed into William Creek. Jamie and Dale made themselves at home in the local workshop. Facilities were limited, a punch and a flat head screw driver serviced as a chuck key. Mike, Meredith and Richard booked scenic flights over Lake Eyre for the Where’s that safety harness?
following day. We headed out to Lake Eyre to camp. Alas, 23km from William Creek, Suboo's rear suspension gave way. It was track side camping that night and some drowning of sorrows.
Thursday 21st of July: unloaded as much as we could from Suboo and Jamie started the slow drive back into William Creek, with Peter driving behind as moral support.
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TRIP SUMMARY Trip
Date Tuesday
Next Meeting
30th
- AGM
August – 8pm
Degas Tour at the National Gallery Victoria
Leader(s)
N/A
Social
See you same place same time
Saturday 3rd
Standard
Social Lee Wegner
September
Saturday 40th
24th to
Anniversary
Sunday
Celebrations
25
Dave Wilson
th
September Maldon
Saturday
Navigation
15th
Run
October (optional
TRIP HAS REACHED ITS CONVOY LIMIT
Sunday 16
Martin Foot and
Social
Dorothy Greiveson
and Easy ●
October)
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Melbourne Laneways Walk THIS TRIP IS FULL BUT BEV WILL RUN ANOTHER ONE IF PEOPLE ARE INTERESTED
Saturday 22nd October
Bev Davison &
Social
Jean Bellis
Saturday 29th Robe, SA
October to
Lee Wegner &
Medium ■
Tuesday
Duncan McCrae
to difficult ♦
1
st
November
: Saturday Marysville
12th
Mike Dale
TBA
November
The venue is Club
Sunday
Christmas
27th
Breakup
November
still to be decided so if
Social
you have any suggestions let us know!
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The unloaded items were distributed between the remaining vehicles. Mike, Meredith, Richard and Kadin headed back into William Creek for their flight, passing Jamie on the way. There was a bit of a delay at the airport as the pilot had to change aeroplanes. The previous day, when booking the flight, Kadin was unsure whether he would be up to it, but in the end he decided he would go. So the passenger count went from three to four and we didn't fit in the originally selected aircraft. The delay worked in Jamie's favour, as just as we were about to board, he limped in with Suboo. Jamie joined us as the fifth passenger and the six of us, including the pilot, took off. The scenic flight over Lake Eyre was amazing. The lake was at about 30% capacity. The terrain and landscape changed dramatically and one got some inkling of just how vast the lake and the supply channels are.
Lake Eyre from the sky After the flight we all booked into the William Creek camp ground and had some lunch. Mike and Richard went for drive out to Halligan Bay and ABC Bay. Others did some washing and Jamie made arrangements to send Suboo home. Later that afternoon a tray truck arrived from Coober Pedy and Suboo was loaded on and we waved her goodbye. Jamie was going to continue the trip with Peter. What didn't go
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with Suboo was distributed between the remaining vehicles with Jamie keeping a close eye on his lollies and beer.
Friday 22nd of July: leaving William Creek we headed north along the Oodnadatta track. The first site to see along the way was Peake Overland Telegraph Repeater Station. There was quite a bit to see and some good walks. We needed a bit more time to see everything, but what we did get to see was fantastic. The day was around the mid 20's with a gentle breeze. The surrounding hills were green after recent rains. It gave a false impression of how harsh it must have been living here, particularly in the summer months.
Old Telegraph Station and Homestead The next stop was Algebuckina Railway Bridge. Here we had lunch and a walk up to the bridge and down to the river. Then it was back on the Oodnadatta Track and into the town it is named after. We filled up with petrol and an ice cream or two. Janelle considered the canoe hire option. Then on towards Mt. Dare. We turned off onto the Hamilton-Oodnadatta road and found a nice camping spot just past Mount Sarah HS. It was next to a creek and had more sand and less gibbers. There however were a few mossie's and later on it became ‘Itch Fest’ 2016.
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Canoe Hire. Saturday 23rd of July: early again to pack up. It was as usual a glorious sun rise, although a little colder than the last few days. On the way we passed many Sturt's Dessert Peas and stopped for photos. We made Hamilton Station in good time and looked through the campground. It was simple, but nice. Set in a sheltered depression with a pair of toilets, a shelter with tables and chairs, and a fire pit surrounded by half a dozen large logs for seating.
Sturt’s Dessert Pea
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From Hamilton we continued North towards Eringa. We had a brief stop at the Stevenson River for a stretch and some photos. There was some water in the river which brought a smile to everyone's face. Morning tea was had at Eringa water hole. It was pretty much full with evidence that it was recently over flowing. There was lots of bird life. A galah perched on a branch and watched us have a cuppa. Some green and yellow budgerigars flittered amongst the trees.
Bird Life Everywhere We continued north towards Charlotte Waters. Some of the gibber plain was covered in water. It was a very unusual scene. Yellow wild flowers could be seen all the way to the horizon. There was a quick stop in at the Abminga siding ruins. On the road again and the gibber plains were as green as a grassy knoll. The road had just been graded and the contrast between the plains and the road was stark. It was very smooth and it was a bit of a rally drive through the wide curves. We reached the border of N.T. and the landscape changed from gibber to mulga scrub. The road
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became red and sandy on a clay base. It was in great condition and good progress was made. We rolled into Finke and headed for the race track. There was definitely no air to be had off the jumps that day. Then along a short stretch of the old Ghan railway line (minus track and sleepers), down to the Finke River for lunch. Afterwards drove down the river and out to the Lambert Centre. It was dusk when we finally got into Mt. Dare. That night it was the pub for dinner with some good conversation around the dinner table.
Sunday 24th of July: rest day and a sleep in. Mike cleaned the dust out of their car and changed the air filters (engine and cabin). Janelle caught up on some sleep. We all topped up with petrol - $200+ for Peter who had to fill all his jerries. Showers and a good wash was had. A bit of clothes washing and relaxing. Kadin, Jamie and Mike had a few holes of golf. The fairways were hard packed red clay and the greens had tyre tracks through them. After golf it was drinkies at the pub. Meredith brought some Club Dare merchandise.
Monday 25th of July: today’s destination was Purnie Bore. We headed off down the track and found many flooded sections which had to be traversed via side tracks. Then we came to the gibbers and they were on steroids. It was rough. After a while the track became better and slightly quicker progress was made. However, soon there were large stretches of corrugations which were painful. The first stop was Opossum Waterhole and true to its name it was full of water. On a low branch over the water was a bird nest with two baby chicks in it. They kept popping their heads up. Not sure what birds they were, but probably a bird of prey. Morning tea was at Dalhousie ruins. A good look around the old homestead was a nice way to stretch the legs. We pulled into Dalhousie Springs around noon. Apart from some high cloud in the distance, it was a brilliant blue sky. The air temperature was 16 degrees with a slight breath of wind. It was the perfect day for a swim in the warm spring. Everyone grabbed a noodle and lounged around in the water. After a good soak, we had a very relaxing lunch.
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Dalhousie Springs – it probably doesn’t get better than this! The night’s camp site was at Purni bore. Getting there was a little tedious, with long sections of corrugated road that were like medium size speed humps. We did however make camp with plenty of light left to set up and cook. The photographers in the group were out taking happy snaps and having a good time. We managed 162 Km of travel that day.
Tuesday 26th of July: awoke to sub-zero temperatures (approximately -2oC). The sky was clear with a vibrant orange sun rise. A four-fifths moon was high in the sky and steam was rising from the bore. Everyone knew they were alive that morning. We were a little slower getting going, but eventually sand flags were raised, CB radios set to channel 10 and we were off across the Simpson Desert. A quick stop for photos at the official park entrance. Then we had an unexpected surprise when a young dingo emerged onto the track. It was very timid as it skirted around the cars, but stayed long enough for everyone to get plenty of photos.
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An inquisitive dingo We traversed the French Line for a while and then turned onto Rig Road. The soft sand dunes became hard packed corrugations. The Rig Road is made from clay to allow the trucks to traverse, but I suspect in this case the corrugations were due to the change in direction (now travelling south – the dunes run north-south) we were running along the trough between dunes. Before too long however the track turned eastward again and morning tea was had at the junction. Travelling east again and the dunes resumed and the track was significantly better. The sides of the dunes were wall after wall of wild flowers. Mostly yellow daisies interspersed with white and purple. The wattles were in full bloom. Dale found a particularly interesting bush on top of a dune. It had an interesting flower that resembled a miniature banana or chilli. The dunes got higher and further apart. Some corrugations started to appear along the flats. The climb up the dunes (west face) was good, with generally a nice smooth sandy approach. The drop over the other side however (east face), was significantly worse with large wheel ruts to negotiate. Some had had all the sand blown away and was just hard packed clay. Lunch was at the next track junction. There was time to explore the area and take photos.
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Green Birdflower (Crotalaria Cunninghamii) We then headed south, still on the Rig Road. We hit the corrugations almost immediately, although they were mild compared to what they had been. The drive was very scenic, running parallel to the dunes with wild flowers on both sides. The track started to wind through the sand hills at different angles making the drive interesting and unusual. One section even traversed along the side of a sand hill until it reached the top. As we continued south, it became dryer with less wild flowers, but varying shades of green bushes and more exposed red sand. It made for a very diverse landscape. We turned east again and the up and down dunes resumed. We heard another convey coming the opposite way. We turned off to camp and they passed us shortly afterwards. Camp for the night was made on a small clay pan between dunes. Mike and Kadin played four holes of golf using a small barren clay section as the green. The green was lighting quick, but surprising pretty good to putt on. Later after dinner
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a pair of dingo's came to visit. They stayed for quite some time coming to within ten metres of us. The distance travelled that day was 130km.
Next month, I will conclude the Simpson Desert trip report. Trip Participants Dale & Janelle (Forester) Mike & Meredith (Forester) Kadin & Richard (Forester) Jamie (Brumby) Peter (L series)
B U Y AN D S E LL
Member Items for Sale Item: Forester Aluminium Bash Plates Details: made from 6.0mm construction grade aluminium Cost: $300 for club members, $330 for non-members. Fitting can be arranged. Contact: David Wilson, dw@subaru4wdvic.com.au
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Item: Set of 4 alloy rims from Outback 1997 model Cost: $120.00 ONO Contact: David Wilson, dw@subaru4wdvic.com.au, 0429 942 724 Item: Roof console to hold CB and lights and switches for Outback Cost: $100.00 Contact: David Wilson, dw@subaru4wdvic.com.au, 0429 942 724 Item: Vic blue and white standard number plates in as new condition 1XV4US Cost: $400.00 ONO Contact: Jenny, 0417369405 Item: number plate SUBARU Can be re-issued in any custom design via the Vic Roads website (see link below) if a different colour or style is preferred: https://www.vplates.com.au/index.php?page=customise-plate Cost: negotiable, but realistic offers between $3,500 to $6,000 Contact: Richard, 0414 737 333 Item: STi Intercooler. Details: Excellent condition, apart from slight dent on side (pictured). Came as spare parts when I purchased my 2007 Forester. Will fit most Turbo Subies. Cost: $250 Contact: dgreenall79@gmail.com
Item: STi Exhaust system Details: STi Exhaust system. Everything you need to give your Suby the perrrr it deserves! Very clean, no dents, minor scuffs, Stainless steel. Everything from the Manifold back to the chrome STi stamped tip!! Cost: Make me an offer!!! Contact: dgreenall79@gmail.com
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Want to sell something Subaru/off-road related? Contact editor@subaru4wdvic.com.au
The club makes this space available free of charge to members wishing to buy or sell items. Please note that the Motor Car Trader Regulations 1998-22(4) require that vehicles for sale advertisements must contain: (a) the cash price of the vehicle and; (b) the registration number if registered or the engine/chassis numbers if unregistered.
Club Resources
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Resources Officer Dale Rebgetz Email: resources@subaru4wdvic.com.au
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M IN U T E S Committee Meeting Minutes Minutes of the meeting of the committee of the Subaru 4WD Club of Victoria Inc held on 9th August 2016 at the home of Duncan McCrae starting at 7:40pm. 1. Present Duncan McCrae, Dan Conlon, Michael Dale, Dale Rebgetz, Jean Bellis, Peter Bellis, Bob Marshall, Meredith Dale, Stephen Whittaker. 2.
Apologies Jamie Scott.
3.
Visitor Cynthina Rennolds.
4.
Quorum A quorum was achieved with nine committee members present.
5.
Consultation Cynthia discussed a matter with the committee. Minutes of the Previous Meeting
6.
5.1. Minutes of the July 2016 committee meeting were accepted without amendment. 5.2. Business Arising from the Minutes and Outstanding Actions 5.2.1. Bank account signatories. 5.2.2. Request for advertising in club’s magazine by AllDrive Subaroo. 5.2.3. By-Law – Convoy Travel – Peter yet to complete reformatting of agreed text into By-Law format – waiting on Dale. 5.2.4. New Member Pack – Currently on version 2. It does include a disclaimer. The personal information form needs to reference to the club’s website. It was also suggested that vehicle modification information be moved further back in the info pack. The club’s constitution needs to be added to the club’s website under the membership section as a PDF copy. Also, need to add a reference/pointer to the club’s website and Facebook page. Need to also add some details about what the club is. It was also suggested that the cover be printed on different coloured paper to differentiate it from a magazine. Alternatively, watermark or otherwise the front page to make it full colour. Correspondence 6.1. In Name badges. Club magazines from the Mt Gambier 4WD Club. 40th birthday (former and current members) 4WD Victoria – general meeting notice, new member invoice template. 6.2. Out 40th birthday.
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7.
Reports 7.1. Resources A recent clothing order has been received and will be delivered to members at the next meeting. 7.2. Trip and Social See elsewhere in the magazine for details about future trips and events. Snow trip – seeking someone to organise and run trip. A Pink Lakes trip may also be run on the Grand Final weekend, or some other trip. A trip to the National Gallery of Victoria to see the Degas exhibition – Saturday 3rd September 2016. Lee Wegner to investigate further. Marysville – Day trip on Saturday 12th November 2016. Christmas Party – Sunday 27th November 2016. Need suggestions for a location. Trip Leader’s pack – need a trip leader’s briefing sheet that would be used by the trip leader at the start of each day. 7.3. Venue See details elsewhere in the magazine about future club meetings.. 7.4. Membership Currently 47 memberships. This is up by 10 on last year. Still have 7 outstanding membership renewals. 7.5. Editor This month’s editorial deadline is Thursday 18th August 2016 7.6. Treasurer Current bank account balance is $11,895.12. 7.7. Secretary AGM – need annual reports by Friday 12th August 2016. 7.8. Vice-President Nothing to report. 7.9. President Nothing to report. 8. Sub-Committees 8.1. Communications Nothing to report. 8.2. Community Involvement Nothing to report. 8.3. Constitution Review Trip/convoy by-law – awaiting final draft from Dale prior to circulation as bylaw. 8.4. Education / Training Nothing to report. 9. 40th Birthday Have received payments from 28 people and 34 expressions of interest. Lantern tour – have 25 people booked in. Bus hire may be a bit more expensive than planned. Stephen is contacting some former members. Stephen has compiled the photo book as Katie could not download the photographs. Request people attending to bring photographs in an album for people to flick through. Should a special 40th birthday magazine be put out that profiles some of the older or former or life members, some old trip reports, etc? Duncan has volunteered to do this. Will be published before the Christmas party. Will also include the list of past committee members. 10. General Business Printed magazine levy – the committee discussed the issue further.
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A person has donated to the club a new snatch strap and shackles, and bag to the club. A single-used snatch strap has also been donated and will be used for training purposes. 11. Next Meeting will be held on Tuesday13th September 2016 at 7:30pm at the home of Dan Conlon. 12. Meeting closed at 10:45pm.
General Meeting Minutes The general meeting of the Subaru 4WD Club of Victoria Inc was held on Tuesday, 26 th July 2016 at the South Camberwell Tennis Club starting at 8:25pm. 1.
Chairman for meeting Jessica Walsh was elected chairman of the meeting in the absence of the President and Vice-President.
2.
Present Peter Bellis, Tim Folliard, Damian Stock, Simon Whitehead, Lee Wegner, Duncan McCrae, Martin Foot, Andrew Jantke, Jessica Walsh, Anthony Saunders, Edith Fullalove, Bev Davison, Ruth Marshall, Bob Marshall, Peter Devine, Kevin Bird, Jean Bellis, David Wilson.
3.
Apologies Stephen Whittaker, Peter Mynard, Katie Mynard, Michael Dale, Meredith Dale, Lisa Jantke, Peter Fullalove.
4.
Visitors Robert Miller.
5.
Welcome A welcome was extended to all members and visitors.
6.
Minutes of the Previous General Meeting 6.1. The minutes of the June 2016 General Meeting were accepted with amendment (Jessica and Lee were apologies) after being moved by Bev Davison and seconded by Tim Folliard. 6.2. There was no business arising from the minutes. Correspondence 7.1. In Magazines from various 4WD clubs Consumer Affairs Victoria – annual association registration 7.2. Out None Reports 8.1. Resources No report submitted. 8.2. Editor 1. No report submitted. 2. Editorial deadline for August magazine is 19th August. 8.3. Trip and Social
7.
8.
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40th birthday – everything is okay at the moment. Need to receive reply slips with money. Looking for a volunteer to run this year’s snow day trip. 8.4. Venue No report submitted. 8.5. Membership. 49 memberships at the last count. Have 6 yet to renew. 8.6. Treasurer Cheque account balance is $11,721-52. Main income – membership renewal and 40th birthday celebrations. 8.7. Secretary Annual general meeting will be held after next month’s general meeting. Notice of AGM and committee nomination form will be emailed out. Printed magazine levy – has been suspended pending a further analysis by the committee. An email will be sent out to members on this topic. Next month’s committee meeting is on 9th August (second Tuesday) at Duncan’s place. 8.8. Vice-President No report submitted due to being somewhere in the middle of the Simpson Desert. 8.9. President As per the magazine. 9. General Business 9.1. Member reward program – members are encouraged to sign up to the member’s reward program organised by 4WD Australia. An email was sent out last month by Stephen on the topic. If members cannot locate the email, please contact Damian Stock. 9.2. Damian gave an update on the happenings at 4WD Victoria – including office relocation, additional funding, and the relationship with the Victorian State Government, DWELP and Parks Victoria. 10. Fines and Fun 10.1. Nametags Andrew Jantke, Tim Folliard, Lee Wegner, Duncan McCrae, Ruth Marshall. 10.2. Last to Meeting David Wilson. 10.3. Trips 10.3.1. Christmas in July Bev for going to the Wantirna Club instead of the Wantirna Hill club. 10.4. Martin was fined for not eating all his vegetables. 10.5. Total fines collected - $4.10.
11. The next meeting will be held on Tuesday 30th August 2016 commencing at 8pm. 12. Meeting closed at 9pm and was followed by supper.
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E DIT OR N OT E S Thanks for all the contributions again this month!
Just a couple of things from me: Any interesting articles you find and want to share, or if you would like to write an article for the magazine ….let me know! Just a friendly reminder also to please proof read, and be sure to use punctuation and grammar. The deadline for submissions for next month is:
September – Friday 16th (I’m serious)
As always please send emails to: editor@subaru4wdvic.com.au
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