May 2012
Night Drive Bunyip Forest - May 2012
(ISSUE 381) Subaru 4WD Club of Victoria Inc. Reg. No. A – 0006149J FWDV Member www.subaru4wdvic.com.au GPO BOX 2456 Melbourne VIC. 3001
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 Page: 2
INTRODUCTION TO THE SUBARU 4WD CLUB The Subaru 4WD Club of Victoria Inc. was originally formed over 30 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 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 2012/13 year were agreed at the general meeting in March 2012 and are as follows: Interstate: $100 (Seniors card - $95) � Single: $110 (Seniors card - $100) Joint/family: $115 - (Seniors card - $100) (All fees includes affiliation and Insurance: $42) A trip fee of $10 per adult non-member applies (for insurance purposes) Please contact the membership officer for further information regarding membership, including pro-rata and monthly rates.
GENERAL MEETINGS
COMMITTEE
South Camberwell Tennis Club 322 Burke Road Glen Iris (Melways 59 H6)
Last Tuesday of each month at 8:00pm sharp (except December)
Meetings 1st Tuesday each month: 7:30pm
Damian Stock (President) Peter Bellis (Secretary)
president@subaru4wdvic.com.au
Bob Marshall (Treasurer)
treasurer@subaru4wdvic.com.au
Jessica Walsh (Trip & Social)
events@subaru4wdvic.com.au
Martin Foot (Editor)
editor@subaru4wdvic.com. au
Andrew Jantke (Membership) vacant (Resources) vacant (Venue) Phil Milkins (Ordinary Member) Dale Rebgetz (Ordinary Member)
mship@subaru4wdvic.com.au
secretary@subaru4wdvic.com.au
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PRESIDENT’S REPORT Welcome to the May club magazine and my report. Thanks to May being a five Tuesday month, as well as a quick holiday in Bali, it seems like an age since I wrote my last one. Of course that doesn’t mean that I am any better organized, but that’s nothing new I suppose. Anyway, for your reading pleasure here it comes. As I have already mentioned, I recently spent a week in Bali with some friends and I was intrigued by the absolute lack of Subarus, of any description, on the island. Apart from motorbikes, which seem to be used as the equivalent of a very compact, four seat passenger conveyance, the other main conventional vehicle on the road is the Toyota Kijang. There are also a number of well maintained, older short wheel base four wheel drives, such as Toyota Landcruisers and Daihatsus, mostly fitted with very large tyres and other off road accessories. These seem perfect for looking down on the hundreds of motorbikes that whiz past on every road or for scaling some of the unmade roads in the middle of the island. It would be a perfect location for a Subaru and I have no idea why it isn’t. Due to the trip to Bali I was unable to attend the recent night trip run by Jamie from Longwarry to Gembrook. From the video on the club’s Facebook page it looks like it was a bit of fun, especially for Adam in his D3. While the intrepid crew were wheeling their way through the West Gippsland forest, Angela and I were winging our way home after our week away. It was quite interesting flying over central Australia, in the middle of a moonlit night, trying to make out landmarks such as Lake Eyre, and wondering what all those well-lit outposts actually do out there in the middle of nowhere. It certainly reminded me why I want to head outback, to see a lot of this as yet unexplored country, as soon as work and personal commitments allow. For those of you who were at last month’s meeting, you may have noticed that Jean and Peter were conspicuous by their absence. They were off living the dream, finally achieving their belated trip to Lake Eyre that did not happen last year. At least they made it this time, although Peter’s absence from the meeting threw me for a few minutes, until Andrew stepped in as secretary. I did actually know that Peter and Jean would be away however I should have noted this down to remind myself prior to the meeting. Anyway, we finally got going, just a little late, and successfully made it through the meeting, including a photo presentation from the recent Grampians trip, thanks to Martin. Some of the members then braved the cold to check out the new Subaru XV. It was interesting getting different Page: 4
PRESIDENT’S REPORT perspectives on it from the many members who lingered well after the meeting finished. I found the XV quite different to drive when compared with the Forester, especially with the Constant Velocity Transmission, where the vehicle speed increases but the engine speed does not. Very weird. The other thing that took some getting used to was the fuel saving feature that turned off the engine when stopped in traffic. The first time this happened I thought that the engine had stalled so I restarted it. The second time I caught on that maybe it was a feature and then had to work out how to get the engine going again. Being in peak hour traffic didn’t help my nervousness about this however it was simply a matter of taking pressure off the brake pedal for the engine to come back to life. By the time I delivered the XV back to Glen Waverley Subaru I had become used to the feature, and the car in general. Overall, the XV is a pretty nice vehicle and years ahead of the last Impreza I drove. It feels very solid, with all of the features you would now expect. It is also spacious inside. While it is based on the standard Impreza, it is about 250mm longer between the “A” and “D” pillars. The one negative is the full size, reduced speed spare which I would definitely be changing for a full size wheel and tyre combination before taking it too far off the beaten track. Apart from that the 2012 XV is definitely a serious contender to replace the Forester. I would like to again thank Mark Kennedy at Glen Waverley Subaru for making the XV available for our meeting. Coming up at this month’s general meeting is a presentation by Paul from Bright Light Auto Parts. Paul will be bringing with him a small display of the latest in vehicle lighting systems. He has also offered one of their new products, the $120 BL-LB4F light bar, as a door prize. You have to be at the meeting to be in the running for this great prize so come along and make Paul feel welcome. Look out for the resources that I will have on offer at the meeting as I really want to take some of my garage back. We also have a special effort coming up that we will be running over the next couple of months. Some great prizes will be on offer not only for club members but for your friends and neighbours. Look out for information about this shortly. A couple of weeks after the May meeting we have the Queen’s Birthday long weekend trip to the Mungo world heritage area in outback NSW. This should be a great, but very quick trip, led by Jessica. I am looking forward to getting there although I have a major customer deliverable due on the Tuesday following the long weekend that may keep me in Melbourne for that weekend. I know that a few members have already signed up for the trip so please make sure that you do so quickly if you want to attend. Page: 5
PRESIDENT’S REPORT You may have noticed that Jessica is leading more than her fair share of trips, especially the ones further out of town. If you have some ideas about places to go, please let her know and she may offer to help run the trip with you. It really isn’t too hard and it isn’t even necessary to pre-trip the event, especially if you know the area well or if it is too far to visit beforehand. In a couple of months we will be looking for a new trip and social coordinator so maybe chat to Jessica about this position and how rewarding it is to be involved in this aspect of the club. Martin will also be stepping aside from the editor’s position at the AGM so maybe think about this position as well. Speaking of Martin, he has been busy recently putting the finishing touches to the club’s new website so please visit it and provide him with some feedback. It has been a few years in the making but it has certainly been worth the wait. Thanks also to Michael and Dale for providing input and to my son Michael for his work in creating it. Anyway that’s enough from me for this month. Take care of yourself out there, on the road or in the bush, and I look forward to seeing you soon. Damian
VENUE REPORT
MAY GENERAL MEETING Date: Tuesday 29 May at 8pm. Venue: Camberwell South Tennis Club Special Presentation: Paul from Bright Light Auto Parts will be our guest speaker. He has generously offered a BL-LB4F light bar worth $120 as a DOOR PRIZE. You will need to be at the meeting to have a chance to be in the running!
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EDITOR’S REPORT THE ELECTRONIC VERSION of the magazine has been available for several months now and members are hopefully taking advantage of being able to read it well ahead of the general meeting. In order to save on postage, Committee has decided not to mail the printed version ahead of the meeting. They will be available for collection at the meeting. Any remaining will be posted afterwards. Members who have not registered an email address will receive their magazine in the post beforehand as usual. === PRINTING OUT YOUR OWN MAGAZINE is now an option, and one that also saves the club money. The problem to date has been to get the pages in the right order to make a booklet, however, I can now supply a PDF document where this has been done for you. All you have to do is to print it out back and front. If you don’t have a duplexer in your printer, a different version of the file will allow you to flip the paper stack and print both sides in two passes. Contact me if you want to try this option - three people are doing this now. === SEEKING A NEW EDITOR: After five years (or six, I’ve lost count) I’m resigning as Editor at this year’s AGM. It’s time the magazine had a revamp and some new ideas. Please give thought to taking on this role which connects you with many people within and without the club. I will be available to help with the transition and the Club will provide the software necessary to do the job (MS Publisher), which is not difficult to learn. In addition, I have offered to continue printing the magazine and distributing it to the web and to members. I will also continue to maintain and develop the website, which needs more attention. So the task is not as onerous as it may first seem. Give me a call if you are thinking of taking this on. === The magazine deadline for next edition is JUNE 12th, 2012. Send all copy to editor@subaru4wdvic.com.au Martin
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TRIP & SOCIAL REPORT MUNGO LAKES WORLD HERITAGE AREA Saturday 9 June – Monday 11 June Trip Standard: Easy Contact Jessica Walsh, events@subaru4wdvic.com.au The Mungo Lakes area is just north of Mildura and has some of the earliest evidence of Aboriginal inhabitance in Australia. The area used to be a large inland lake, and thousands of years of water and wind action have left us with some amazing formations. The trip will meet at the Centro Shopping Centre on the corner of 15th St and Deakin Ave Mildura at 2pm on Saturday. We will then have a 1 ½ – 2 hour drive out to the campsite, where we will pitch tents, relax and watch the world go by.
Mungo lunette, ©OEH NSW 2012
On Sunday we will head around the loop track, past the visitor's centre and around The Walls Of China. This is part of the formation that has contributed to the park's world heritage status. Look closely enough and there are signs of early settlement. Depending on the weather we will head back out to The Walls for an amazing land based sunset, looking out across the dry lake bed. Monday will see a relaxed start and a return to Melbourne. Vehicles will need to be well prepared as we will be in an isolated area. All supplies including water are also needed as the only facilities are some long drop toilets at the campsite, and water cannot be relied on. Be aware that there is a fair bit of driving on the Saturday and Monday, as it will take about 5-6 hours just to get to Mildura, with another 1½ or so to get to Mungo.
CHRISTMAS IN JULY Saturday 21 July Trip Standard: Social Cost $30 Contact Peter Bellis, secretary@subaru4wdvic.com.au This is one of the highlights in the club's social calendar. The Bellis' always provide an outstanding event (with the help of club members). Come along and enjoy the cheer! Page: 8
TRIP & SOCIAL REPORT SNOW TRIP August Details TBC Trip Standard Medium (depending on weather and track conditions) The club's annual trip in search for snow is a great opportunity to drive in conditions we would not normally experience. The trip will of course depend on the weather, and if there actually is any snow. This will also determine the location of the trip. More details will be forthcoming as we get closer to August.
9TH AUSTRALIAN 4WD GATHERING Friday 28 September – Monday 1 October Trip Standard Easy – Hard depending on the day trips you choose Cost $220-$330 depending on the choice of accommodation Mt Ive Station, Gawler Ranges, South Australia More information www.auzbiz.com.au/4wdgathering
LEISUREFEST Thursday 4 – Sunday 7 October Sandown Racecourse Contact Damian Stock, president@subaru4wdvic.com.au The club will have a promotional stand at the show with other Victorian 4WD clubs. We are looking for volunteers to be able to crew the stand. Any time you are available will be welcome. It is a great opportunity to meet other clubs, and even do a little bit of “gear-freaking”.
GOLDFIELDS HERITAGE AREA Saturday/Sunday 20/21st October Trip Standard: Social/Easy Contact Martin Foot, editor@subaru4wdvic.com.au A weekend based in Maldon in central Victoria, with local trips on the Saturday to heritage mining sites in the surrounding countryside, and perhaps a navigation run. On Sunday there is the option to visit the annual Mt Tarrengower Hill Climb (a heritage vehicle and motorcycle event run by Bendigo Car Club – there’s a small cost involved to view). Page: 9
TRIP & SOCIAL REPORT Tent and camper accommodation available at Dot and Martin’s property on the edge of town, or at the local caravan park. BBQ or pub options on Saturday night depending on weather.
GRAMPIANS Saturday 3 – Tuesday 6 November Trip Standard: Medium Contact Peter Bellis, secretary@subaru4wdvic.com.au The Grampians are an outstanding geological feature in western Victoria. This trip will aim to traverse the ranges so is rated at medium as some tracks can be a bit scrabbly. Discussions are being had with Parks Victoria so there may be access to some MVO tracks as well.
TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE, CAIRNS 14 November Trip Standard: to be determined Contact Jessica Walsh 0414 692 574 Cairns is the only place in the world to view the total solar eclipse on November 14 2012 from land. Allow about a week before and a week after the eclipse for travel and some touring in the area. If you would like more information on the eclipse itself, go to www.eclipse2012.org.au The eclipse is due at about 6.45am (yes, am) and will be in an area that is subject to frequent cloud cover at that time of year, so there may in fact be nothing to 'see' - apart from the darkness, that is. Because of this, the trip is still in the concept stage, and may not go ahead. Please let me know if you are interested.
OTHER TRIPS Kurth Kiln (take 2) Narbethong Wombat State Forest Melbourne Laneways
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TRIP & SOCIAL REPORT JESSICA'S JOTTINGS As you will no doubt be aware, I have recently been travelling the planet. I stayed with friends, relatives, and strangers. There was always a lot of interest about Australia and the countryside. When talking about Australia common questions were wondering what the Outback was like and if it was just featureless desert. I was fortunate to be able to show them photographs of the Oodnadatta Track and Lake Eyre amongst other places to change their perceptions. It is often said that we should 'See Australia first' before travelling overseas. But I think we should do a mixture of both; see this wide brown land of ours, and then share it with the rest of world. Where-ever you choose to visit take the opportunity to learn about where you are going, and also to teach about where you have been. It all helps to make this world of ours just that little bit smaller. Happy travels, Jessica Walsh Trip and Social Co-ordinator
MEMBERSHIP REPORT MEMBERSHIP FEES NOW DUE Members are reminded that following the Resolution passed at the March General Meeting, annual membership fees and levies are now due and payable by 31 May. A membership renewal form is available for completion and is enclosed in your mailing or attached to your email version of this magazine. Please complete and return to Andrew Jantke by 31 May. Page: 11
TRIP REPORTS BUNYIP NIGHT DRIVE Saturday 5 May, 2012 by Jamie Scott Friday night came along, so l was off out to check the tracks and find some new ones,. All OK, so back in bed by 11pm. Saturday night was looking good, until l went to start the Cruiser but it would not go - dead on dash light - so l was off to a bad start. l had to get towed up the drive (by a Subaru!) to roll start it. Off to the meeting point at Longwarry BP to meet up with the rest of the trip. Martin and Adam were there and Les. l was last. We had something to eat someone had a roast [that would be me, quite nice! - ed]. With some light rain we were off out to see what was ahead for us. It was easy going along Forest Road and onto Tea Tree Road. The rain had stopped from hereon as we went around to the Power Line Track. Along here you could see the headlights pointing into the sky as we made our way up and down. Then turning off onto a side track with lots of puddles, we stopped to air down and try out the Bunyip Ridge Track with a couple of little climbs to get the blood flowing, we found a hill that nearly stopped us. But no, not at all, l had got up OK. Les was next to try it and got up OK. Martin was next. He got stuck a couple off times, but with Les packing some rock down he was up OK. Adam was on the way up by then, but the track had been ripped up, so it made it harder for Adam to get up. It took us about hour all up. We made it up onto the Blue Range Road and then we headed across to Tomahawk Gap and around to Basin Corner were we stopped for a cuppa and a short break. Down Hunter Rd we went. Along here there a lot of large tree ferns beside the road. It was very nice through here after here we headed back under the power lines onto Escourt Track to Tim Corner. Page: 12
TRIP REPORTS Turning onto Hanes Creek Track towards Kurth Kiln along a red clay track to Corre Rd that turns into Boundary Track then onto Shepherd Creek Track. From here it was back to Kurth Kiln to air up and say a goodbyes and head home [in the thickening fog - ed]. It was a good enjoyable night out thanks for coming. Participants: Jamie Scott (Trip Leader) Adam Howley Les Scott Martin Foot
Landcruiser 100S Land Rover Discovery 3 Brumby - “Suboo” Forester 2.5X
BUCHAN STANDING CAMP Tues 15 – Fri 18 May, 2012 by Martin Foot Some eighteen months ago, the Subaru 4WD Club of Queensland contacted me for advice about a proposed Victorian High Country trip. I referred them to David Wilson. I heard nothing more for a long time, then I noticed in their magazine that the trip was scheduled for May 2012. I contacted their trip leader Jan Kancelarczyk to find out more and he sent me a copy of their detailed itinerary. It would take two weeks to complete, start at Cooma in NSW and visiting the Kosciusko area before entering Victoria, moving through various parts of the high country and ending at Walhalla, then returning home on the final weekend. They would have eight vehicles along. It seemed a good idea to meet up at Buchan for a yarn around the campfire, but it would need to happen midweek due to their busy schedule. Jan couldn’t be precise about when they would arrive, as they didn’t know the country. But we could certainly go ahead, as they intended to visit the caves at Buchan on the way through. Page: 13
TRIP REPORTS So I decided to organise a trip to Buchan for the week in question and Jamie, Michael and Les were available. I decided to go down ahead of the others on Tuesday to make sure the site was ready, as no-one had been there since January. Michael was to join me later that evening with the Scotts coming down the following day. Phil Milkins had kindly spoken to Wayne the farmer and he had no problems. On arrival, I was a little surprised to find that we were sharing the paddock with a flock of sheep and a herd of bullocks and calves. The sheep were timid but the cattle were inquisitive and assumed we were there to feed them, especially when the shovels came out to clear out the shelter. After all, it was their shelter, wasn’t it? Grass had grown underfoot and the place was full of fresh cow pats. Obviously a great place to get out of the rain and chew the cud. It took some time to convince them that they weren’t welcome. I had arrived just as dusk was settling over the valley and light was fast fading away. The evening was fine and cool as I went about setting up my camp. Finding a spot clear of pats for the tent was a challenge and I wanted to be close by the shelter as I could imagine being walked over in the middle of the night by a herd of heavy hoofed insomniacs! First fine of the trip came when I realized I had not checked the gas in either of my gas bottles. I had a canister stove as an alternative, but I couldn’t run my gas lamp. So I had to make do with a torch, an LED lamp and the interior light of the Forester. To provide some company (and an alternative to the bellowing bull in the next paddock) I left the ignition on so I could listen to Radio National as I prepared dinner. I had my UHF radio on in case others were trying to make contact. With the tent up, the pot belly firing and dinner over, I started on a cleanup of the shelter that would take some hours to complete. At any moment I expected Michael to appear of the hill, but as it turned out, he was delayed due to his Uni work and didn’t arrive until Wednesday. So there I was alone, with the river quietly gurgling behind me and that bull grunting away and some cows mooing back. All seemed calm and serene. So it was with some surprise that at around 10:30pm, the radio started to splutter and died. It wasn’t until the UHF also shut down and the back light of the car dimmed to a Page: 14
TRIP REPORTS faint glow that I realized that my ultra reliable yellow top battery was giving out. Oh, yes, well I suppose it is four or five years old! Second fine. Turning the ignition key to Start achieved nothing at all, so I grabbed my trusty Jumpstart battery, which had been powering the LED through the night, made the connection and turned the key again. The solenoid clicked over, but the starter motor did not respond. Whoops. Maybe it would have been a good idea to have had it charging on the trip down. Third fine. With no sign of Michael, I went to bed, dreaming of cattle, and woke to a deep fog over the river. Just to keep warm I started work on clearing more of the shelter, until by mid-morning the clouds had lifted and it turned out to be a lovely day. Michael’s MY appeared over the rise around 11am and he was a sight for sore eyes. I explained the situation and fortunately he had jumper leads. The car battery was very flat and we let it sit connected for fifteen minutes before the Forester was ready to fire up. An hour later we figured it was sufficiently charged to separate them. Michael and I took a walk around the site and inspected the plants, which were sadly destroyed by cattle pushing aside their wire protectors to get at the leaves and small branches. Only the main fenced plantation was still OK and even this had cow pats in it. He felt he may be able to provide some heavy-duty protectors for new plants through his work - he will investigate and get back to the club about this. David had suggested I place some star pickets down the stairs on the river bank as support for a handrail. Getting these into position among the round river rocks proved a challenge, but progress was made. Mid afternoon Jamie Scott arrived and set up camp. Unfortunately, Michael couldn’t stay overnight, so he headed off and I took the opportunity to follow him into town looking for network coverage, as I was hoping to hear from the Queenslanders. In the end I had to drive to Buchan South to pick up a signal - so much for Optus and iPhones. The message was that they would be in that day, so I went back to camp to let Jamie know. We kept up the spadework until the shelter was entirely clear of grass and offending cowpats so all would be ready for the visitors. Page: 15
CLUB CA Date
Event
2012 MAY
JUNE
JULY
Tues 29
General Meeting
Tues 5
Committee Meeting
Sat 9 - Mon 11 June
Mungo Lakes World Heritage Area
Mon 11
QUEEN’S BIRTHDAY HOLIDAY
Tues 12
Magazine deadline for articles, reports, etc
Tues 26
General Meeting
Tues 3
Committee Meeting
Tues 17
Magazine deadline for articles, reports, etc
Sat 21
Christmas in July
Tues 31
General Meeting
August (dates TBA) Snow Trip 9th Australian 4WD Gathering (not a S4WDCV event) Thurs 4 - Sun 7 Oct Leisurefest (S4WDCV will have a stall) 28 Sept - 1 Oct
AUG +
Trip Standard
Sat 20, Sun 21 Oct
Goldfields Trip/Mt Tarrengower Hill Climb
Sat 3 - Tues 6 Nov
Grampians
Sun 25 Nov
Christmas Party and Rally
Sign
Vehicle Suitability
Easy Medium
All wheel drive and high range 4WD. Can be Suitable for medium clearance vehicles with d
Difficult Very Difficult
Suitable for medium to high clearance vehicles wit Suitable for high clearance vehicles with dual rang
ALENDAR Location
Standard Contact for further info.
Cost
events@subaru4wdvic.com.au
CSTC TBA
Peter Bellis
Meeting in Mildura
Jessica Walsh
c
Martin Foot CSTC TBA
Peter Bellis
c
Martin Foot Bellis residence
Social
Jean Bellis
$30 ph
CSTC TBA
TBA www.auzbiz.com.au/4wdgathering
Mt Ive Station, Gawler Ranges, SA Sandown racecourse Maldon area
Damian Stock Social +
Grampians TBA
$220 - $330
Martin Foot
Peter Bellis Social +
TBA
low clearance with single range and road tyres. dual range and all terrain or road tyres.
th dual range and all terrain tyres. ge and tyres suitable for the terrain (eg. mud terrain tyres).
Small charge for ticket to MT Hill Climb
TRIP REPORTS As the night came in, Jamie and I talked and talked, stoking the fire, until we realized that it was late and it was unlikely that our guests would arrive after all. So we packed it in and hit the sack once more. Thursday was another foggy dawn followed by a glorious day. Buchan was really turning it on. Getting into my car was not straightforward however, as the door locks would not respond to the button on the car key. It took a moment to realize that the key was actually a key - it had a metal bit that went into the lock (never used it before!) - and so I was able to get into the car and one by one, open the other doors and the hatch manually. Then the key buttons started working! Weird. I went into town again hoping for more news, but nothing was on the phone, so I assumed the Queenslanders had run into some problems up the track. Never mind. At this point I saw Sooboo flash past me on the road into Buchan and it was Les arriving. I followed him back to camp, stopping to collect some firewood on the way, dragging a branch behind me on my chain. I looked in the rear vision mirror and oh my God! there was a full scale stampede behind me as the cattle became very excited by the branch bouncing about and were chasing me down to investigate. I slowed up and did a big circle on approaching the shelter and they calmed down a bit! The Scotts had a good laugh at this one! As I had no further word from Jan, I figured they were still some time away, so I decided to pack up camp and left Les and Jamie to hold the fort overnight. They were happy to do so as Jamie was planning a solo trip to various gold mining sites on the Friday. However, we had reached the end of the camp and unless the Queenslanders came in Thursday night, the clubs would unfortunately not meet up. And so it turned out. I rang Jamie from Melbourne on Friday and they had not arrived overnight, so the camp was officially over. Later that day I had a Page: 18
TRIP REPORTS message from Jan confirming that they had been held up and missed us. Turns out someone had a broken brake line. Most unfortunate, but it was always a possibility. The trip was not wasted however, as we achieved a lot in terms of maintenance and the weather were glorious. It was great just to have a break from town for a few days. I look forward to seeing Jan’s trip report in the Queensland magazine in future months. Thanks to Michael, Jamie and Les for taking part. Participants: Martin Foot (Trip Leader) Jamie Scott Michael Dickman Les Scott
Forester 2.5X Landcruiser 100S MY Brumby - “Suboo”
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FOR SALE 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. Contact the club editor to advertise in this space.
Forester Aluminium Bash Plates: made from 6.0mm construction grade aluminium: $300 for club members, $330 for non-members. Fitting can be arranged. Contact: David Wilson, dw@subaru4wdvic.com.au. Touring Wagon, 1983, BRP 630, (11 months rego) dual-range manual, gold/ bronze. One owner since new, all papers available. 304,000 Km. VGC (always garaged). Never been off-road. Goes well. Defects: slight rust on the inside lip on the nearside doors and slight surface rust spots on the door sills. Small crack ion the top of the dash in front of the driver. CV joints and new engine fitted two years ago. Reason for sale: have purchased a new Skoda. Too good for the wrecker. Car is in Heathmont. Offers invited. Contact: Bruce Dickie, ph: 9729 0948, or Bruce.Dickie@optusnet.com.au Dunlop Light Truck tyres on L-series rims, 75R13, would make good off-road tyres. Donation to club requested of $20 per wheel. Contact Mark Towns at Combined Servicing in Clayton, 9546 9828 (BH) [sighted at Bruthen - ed] Brumby, $5,500,contact, 0428 171 868
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RESOURCES The club may not have a resources officer at the moment but we do have plenty of resources to sell. We may have many, some or none of the following items so if you are interested in any of these then please come along to the club meeting and I will be very happy to sell them to you. Correct change will be much appreciated. $ Hat Oiled Skin size 55
20.00
Hat Safari
20.00
size 59
Black caps with club logo
15.00
Short sleeve blue chambray shirt with logo Size 14
40.00
New Style Red Polo Shirts (M, L, XL, 2XL)
30.00
New Style Vest
60.00
Blue Polo Shirt
15.00
Large Sew on Badges
3.50
Small Sew on Badges
2.00
Shackles 3.2 tonne
5.00
Fuel Filter Plastic x 45deg.
7.00
Fuel Filter Plastic x 90deg.
7.00
Fuel Filter Plastic x Straight
5.00
eFlare HZ510 Red with Base
66.00
CV Boot Clamps Large & Small
4.00
CV Joint Grease
6.00
Wheel Nuts [Set of 4]
1.60
Thanks, Damian Stock Acting Resources Officer
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CLUB MEETING MINUTES A General Meeting of the Subaru 4WD Club of Victoria Inc was held on Tuesday, 24th April, 2012 at Camberwell South Tennis Club starting at 8:15pm. 1. Present Bob Marshall, Martin Foot, Damian Stock, Dale Rebgetz, Bev Davison, Cynthia Rennolds, Jan Aylott, Phil Milkins, Elaine Milkins, Rick Koster, David Wilson, Peter and Katie Mynard, Andrew and Lisa Jantke, Les and Jamie Scott, Michael Hartshorne, Tom Boltadit za, Michael Dickman 2. Apologies Peter and Jean Bellis, Doug Coghlan, Glenys Howell, Brian Howell, Elaine Hyde, Ruth Marshall, Dot Greiveson, Kate Coghlan, Gerry de Vries. Jessica Walsh. 3. Visitors: Stephen Whittaker. 4. Welcome A welcome was extended to all members. A quorum of members was present. Acting Secretary was Andrew Jantke. 5. Minutes of the Previous General Meeting The minutes of the March 2012 General Meeting were accepted without amendment after being moved by Bob Marshall and seconded by Michael Dickman. 6. Correspondence 6.1 In ●
Magazines from various 4WD clubs, etc: Subaru club mags , QLD, NSW Pajero Club Advertising material ● Subaru brochures Membership renewals (2) Insurance renewal for the trailer. Cross Country Driver’s Association Submission. ● ●
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Electronic Correspondence Page: 22
Planning
Review
CLUB MEETING MINUTES 6.2 Out ●
Nothing of importance.
7. Reports 7.1 Resources ● ●
Club Clothing please talk to Damian. Lots of things going up for sale. ● CB radios ● First aid kit Door prize for next month.
7.2 Editor ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
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People seem to be happy with the electronic mag. Those who don’t get the mag at the meeting with have it posted out. There are about 4-5 people are getting the DIY file. Considering attaching it to the normal e-mail message. Also now looking at the club server to store pictures as there is now much great capacity. Only printed 24 mags at a cost of around $50.00. Mag has been changed so the header is now an outline that has reduced the costs of printing. Adam indicated that the mag is much better to download from what it was about 8 months ago. Peter Mynard asked if we are sending hard copy’s to other clubs etc. Martin indicated that the clubs only get it electronically, advertisers and a few others get it as a hard copy. Paul asked if we should print the mag in black and white as you can see online in clolour. Martin said that would reduce the costs even further. Martin said that if we can keep the costs at $50.00, that would reduce the costs of the mag for the year down to $650 per year. Martin is also standing down from Editor next year. He will focus on the Internet side of the club. Page: 23
CLUB MEETING MINUTES 7.2 Trip and Social: As per the mag. 7.3 Venue: Slide show from the Grampians. 7.4 Membership. ● ●
One new member. Reminder that membership fees are due by 31 May, otherwise not financial.
7.5 Treasurer ● ●
Bank account balance is currently $755.28 as at end of March. Hall hire has just been paid for 12 months.
7.6 Secretary ●
Due to Peter being on holiday there is no report.
7.7 President ● ● ● ● ●
As per mag. Damian has been to Glen Waverley Subaru to discuss advertising and also to visit. Remind everyone about fund raising, looking at going to Bunnings. Open to suggestions of potential sponsors or advertising. XV is out the front to look at.
8. General Business 8.1 Martin spoke to the QLD club about the trip mid May to Victoria. 8.1.1 Looking at going to Buchan mid week. Looking for people who would be able to meet in Buchan. 8.2 Michael has picked up the car and found it is too good to wreck. 8.3 Adam has snow chains for a standard Forester 215/65R16. Please contact Adam $100 buy or $95 to hire. 9. Fines and Fun 9.1 Nametags Michael Hartshorne Les Scott
Bev Davison Tom Boltaditza Page: 24
CLUB MEETING MINUTES 9.2 Last to Meeting: David Wilson. 9.3 Fines ●
Jessica forgot her camera on the Grampians trip.
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Andrew forgot his memory card.
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Matt forgot the tent poles, slept in the car for Saturday.
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Martin forgot the CB aerial. Dot then said don’t we need it, so Martin did a U turn through football traffic, so it took 45 minutes to get home. If they got home by 8pm they would set off again. Problem was that Martin used to much force and broke the Aerial mount!!! Martin tried to fix the mount. Left at 4am, this time the aerial broke on the way!! [finally fixed by Telstat a week later - ed].
9.4 Total fines collected - $1.60. 10. Meeting closed at 9:25pm. 11. The next meeting will be held on Tuesday, 29th May 2012 commencing at 8pm.
Fog lifts over Buchan
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COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES Minutes of the meeting of the committee of the Subaru 4WD Club of Victoria Inc held on Tuesday, 8th May 2012 at the home of Martin Foot starting at 8:00pm. 1. Present Martin Foot, Phil Milkins, Bob Marshall, Dale Rebgetz, Peter Bellis, Andrew Jantke, Damian Stock. 2. Apologies: Jessica Walsh 3. Quorum A quorum was achieved with 7 committee members present. 4. Minutes of the Previous Meeting 4.1 Minutes of the April 2012 meeting were accepted without amendment. 4.2 Business Arising from the Minutes and Outstanding Actions 4.2.1
Club Resources ● ●
4.2.2
MS-Publisher 2010 ●
4.2.3
Damian to follow up contact details with 4WD Victoria.
Membership Renewal Form ●
4.2.6
Still waiting on a response from them. On the other hand, another Subaru dealership may be willing to talk/deal with us.
Venue Meeting – Spatial Vision ●
4.2.5
Have not yet been able to source a copy for Martin.
Subaru Docklands ● ●
4.2.4
Have received the list of club resources from David. Damian has done a stocktake and has identified a few discrepancies.
Was distributed at the last general meeting, and posted out to those who were not at the meeting.
Silhouette Version of Club Logo ●
Damian’s son has produced an initial version. Page: 26
COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES 4.2.7
Club Constitution Changes ●
4.2.8
Are yet to be lodged with Consumer Affairs Victoria.
Club Website ●
The club website has been updated to the new version. However, there is still some outstanding work.
5. Correspondence 5.1 In ● ● ●
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FWD Victoria Delegates’ brief sheet Affiliation and insurance renewal notice/form ● The affiliation fee advised in the notice was $44, an increase of 10% - a lot more than the Melbourne CPI. The club has no option but to absorb this as the club membership fees for 2012/13 were set at the March meeting. th 9 Australian 4WD Gathering – Mt Ive Station, Gawler Ranges. Advertising material OzLED Access Party Hire Morning Glory River Resort Freeway Car Audio
5.2 Out: None. 6. Reports 6.1 Resources ● ● ● ●
Have identified some resources that can be put up as raffle prizes. Stock valuation – should be valued at purchase price, not selling price. Have an opportunity to realise some value from the current stock. Club needs a resources officer to maximise resource opportunities. Page: 27
COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES 6.2 Trip and Social ● ●
See elsewhere in the magazine for details. Suggestion made that have a raffle in conjunction with the “Christmas in July” dinner. Tickets are purchased prior to the dinner and the prizes are drawn at the dinner. Would have 3 or 4 prizes up for offer. Damian will design the tickets and Dale will print and collate in books of 10. Will be distributed at the May meeting. The tickets will be priced at $2 per ticket.
6.3 Venue ● ● ● ● ●
See elsewhere in the magazine for details. Mick Burke re trip through the outback in a Forester towing an A-van. Damian to follow up. Spatial Vision. Float Pac re water bladders in Subarus. Peter to follow up. Telstat re communication gear. Martin to follow up for August meeting.
6.4 Membership ● ● ●
Stephen Whittaker joined the club in April. Have received 4 membership renewals for the new membership year. Membership renewal form will be issued again with the May magazine.
6.5 Editor ● ●
Editorial deadline for May is Tuesday 15th. Committee nomination and annual awards form needs to be included in the May magazine. The form will be mailed to those who receive the magazine electronically.
6.6 Treasurer ● ●
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Current bank account balance is $755.28. Recent payments include hall rental - $270, website maintenance - $171, magazine printing and mailing - $204 (two editions). Term deposit of $5,000 is maturing soon. It was recommended that the deposit be rolled over for another 6 Page: 28
COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES months at approximately 5.45% The interest earnt will be added to the term deposit. Committee agreed to action the Treasurer’s recommendation. 6.7 Secretary ●
Nothing to report except that he had a good trip to the Flinders and Gammon Ranges.
6.8 President ●
Nothing to report except that in his recent holiday in Bali, he did not see one Subaru.
7. Fundraising Activities ● ● ● ● ●
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Possible activities: Sausage sizzle at Bunnings (Andrew to contact a work colleague). Raffles (organising one to coincide with the “Christmas in July”). Sausage sizzle at the Glen Waverley Subaru dealership – Damian to follow up. Demonstration of Subaru capabilities to the sales staff at a local Subaru dealership (for a donation) via a drive in the Big River area – Damian to follow up. Buy bulk discount movie tickets for club events – Andrew to investigate. The club’s resources can also provide a means of raising funds. To optimise this, the club needs a resources officer. Need to look long term at what regular fundraising events are run each year. Another possibility is to charge a trip fee. However, this would involve a culture change in the club.
General Business
● None. 9. Committee Elections ●
Concern has been expressed that the committee for the new year will be somewhat decimated as some current committee members will not be seeking renomination. Page: 29
COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES ●
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The current committee has operated with a number of vacant positions, which has compromised what the committee has been able to do over the past 12 months. Ideally, the next committee will have all positions filled and so, allow the workload to be more evenly spread and more diverse input into decision making and directing the club’s future. New members need to be encouraged to become more involved in the club and assist in directing the future of the club.
10. Next Meeting will be held on Tuesday 5th June 2012 at 7:30pm at the home of Phil Milkins. 11. Meeting closed at 11:05pm.
FWDV NEWS
Looking for something to do on the Queen’s Birthday Weekend? We have limited vacancies on the Sand Driving Course to be held on 9/10/11 June 2012 at Portland Dune Buggy Club at Portland. This is the only location in Victoria you can legally drive on the sand dunes and also learn new techniques along the way whilst having some fun in the sand. Contact: Suzie Christan Office Manager, FWDV 9857 5209 or e-mail: training@fwdvictoria.org.au
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FOUR WHEEL DRIVE VICTORIA TRAINING CALENDAR June 2012 Friday 1st Proficiency Course (PC120602) Theory - Nth Balwyn Saturday 2nd Proficiency Course (PC120602) Practical – Werribee Friday 8th Sand Driving Course (SA120609) Practical (Optional) – Portland Saturday 9th Sand Driving Course (SA120609) Practical – Portland Sunday 10th Sand Driving Course (SA120609) Practical – Portland Monday 11th Sand Driving Course (SA120609) Practical – Portland Tuesday 12th Chainsaw Course (CS120616) Theory - Nth Balwyn Saturday 16th Chainsaw Course (CS120616) Practical - Tallarook Sunday 17th Chainsaw Course (CS120616) Practical – Tallarook Thursday 28th Proficiency Course (PC120630) Theory - Nth Balwyn Saturday 30th Proficiency Course (PC120630) Practical – Werribee July 2012 Thursday 5th Intermediate 4WD Course (IN120707) Theory - Nth Balwyn Saturday 7th Intermediate 4WD Course (IN120707) Practical - TBA Friday 13th Proficiency Course (PC120714) Theory - Nth Balwyn Friday 13th Ladies 4X4 Course (LC120715) Theory - Nth Balwyn Saturday 14th Proficiency Course (PC120714) Practical – Werribee Sunday 15th Ladies 4X4 Course (LC120715) Practical – Werribee Saturday 21st Winch Recovery Course (WR120721) Practical – TBA Sunday 22nd On Road Towing Course (TO120722) - Altona Friday 27th Map Reading and Into to GPS Course (MR120727) – Nth Balwyn Saturday 28th Advanced Winter Driving (Mud and Snow Course) (WD120728) – TBA Sunday 29th Advanced Winter Driving (Mud and Snow Course) (WD120728) – TBA FWDV can be contacted on 9857 5209 or e-mail: training@fwdvictoria.org.au Contact S4WDCV Secretary Peter Bellis, secretary@subaru4wdvic.com.au regarding attendance at FWDV courses as a club discount may apply.
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