2015 10 tlccv magazine

Oct

Cover 2015

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October 2015

Overland Cruisering Toyota Land Cruiser Club of Australia (Victoria) Inc.

A0005442c

Inside... < Canning

< Simpson

< Communications

Stock Route

Desert Adventure

and Vehicle Preparation Training weekend

www.tlccv.com.au

Registered by Australia Post Publication No. PP339119/00013 $5.00

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TOYOTA LAND CRUISER CLUB OF AUSTRALIA (VICTORIA) INC. A0005442C ABN87301244383

OCTOBER CONTENTS

General Meetings: 7:30pm on the 3rd Tuesday of each month at Mulgrave Country Club Wellington Road (corner Jells Road), Wheelers Hill Melways Ref 80 H1 Geelong Meetings: 7.30pm the 1st Tuesday of each month & 2nd Tuesday each November at the Supper Room, Geelong West Town Hall, 153 Pakington St. 3218. (Mel. 451 J2) ENQUIRIES: Membership & General to: The Secretary Toyota Land Cruiser Club PO Box 363, HAWTHORN 3122

Website: http:www.tlccv.com.au MEMBERSHIP DETAILS Joining Fee: $280.00 Membership: $155.00 REINSTATEMENT OF PAST MEMBERS If a member rejoins the Club within 5 years, a joining fee is not applicable.

If a member rejoins the Club after 5 years, they are required to pay the joining fee and undertake the Club’s Driver Awareness course.

RECOGNISED CLUB RADIO CHANNEL: 15 UHF

VOLUME 44

2015 No.4

Club Information

1

Committee 2015-2016

2

President’s Report

3

Yarck Plan

4

Over the Hill

7

Calendar/Coming Events

11

Family Christmas Party

12

Coms & Vehicle Preparation Training

13

Advanced Training Course

14

Sept Driver Awareness

15

Simpson Desert Trip

19

Canning Stock Route Trip

27

News from ARB

31

From the Archives - 2006

26

Yarck Bushfire Plan

32

Member Directory

32

YARCK PROPERTY Our property is a registered Land for Wildlife property and no inference is drawn in the publication that the sign or registration has any other meaning.

Life Members: Graeme Wilson, John Whitney (Dec), Don Honey, Bill Dower, Alan Winch, Barrie McCarthy, Harold Ross, Sandra Tanner, Brian Stewart, Charles Norman, Ashley (Dec) & Judith Williams, John Turbill, Garry Cooper, Jan Chivers & Ken Hildebrand Honorary Members: Ross McClure, Clive Blakely, Reece DeJong Club Auditor: Chris Rumble

Main photo by Simon Mustey The opinions expressed in the articles appearing in this magazine are not necessarily those of the Editor or the Toyota Land Cruiser Club of Australia (Victoria) Inc. The Editor reserves the right to delete where necessary any section of any article, which has been sent for publication in the magazine.

Acceptance of advertisements does not necessarily imply endorsement of products or associated companies or individuals by the Toyota Land Cruiser Club of Australia (Victoria) Inc.

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COMMITTEE President Laurie Miles president1@tlccv.com.au

2015 - 2016 Advertising Sandra Tanner

advertising@tlccv.com.au

Activities Coordinator activities@tlccv.com.au Matt Lilley Vice President Michael Martin president2@tlccv.com.au

Past President Ian Ross

Webmaster Laurie Miles

webmaster@tlccv.com.au

Excursion Visits Coordinator excursions@tlccv.com.au

Driver Training John MIlls: driverawareness@tlccv.com.au * Driver Training Course bookings * Awareness Course certificates Yarck Management yarckmanage@tlccv.com.au Brian Stewart

Marketing/Public Relations Coordinator Brian Tanner marketing@tlccv.com.au Emergency Response Coordinator tlccrg@tlccv.com.au

president3@tlccv.com.au Secretary Sandra Tanner secretary1@tlccv.com.au Assistant Secretary Ian wells secretary2@tlccv.com.au Treasurer Alan McMeekin treasurer1@tlccv.com.au

Magazine Distribution Gordon Chessum

Trip Convenor trips@tlccv.com.au Tony Middleditch * Register a Member’s trip * Assistance in trip preparation

Club Shop Graham Cahill

Technical Brett Dyson

Social Coordinator

technical@tlccv.com.au

Training Matt Lilley training@tlccv.com.au • Club training courses co-ordinator

Assistant Treasurer Barbra Bryant treasurer2@tlccv.com.au

Special Events Peter & Thea McLean

Committee Michael Schuettke committee1@tlccv.com.au

Membership Barbara Bryant membership@tlccv.com.au * Membership renewals, name badges, contact detail changes

Committee Liz Mills

Librarian Wendy Wilson library@tlccv.com.au * Borrow DVDs & books * Contributions to the Library

committee2@tlccv.com.au

Magazine Editor Sandra Tanner:

Raffles & Supper Gabi & Grace Azzam

clubshop@tlccv.com.au

Sergeant-At-Arms

social@tlccv.com.au * Book for participation in social events Visitor Greeters Carol & Greg Edmunds Cruiserkhana enquiries@cruiserkhana.com.au

events@tlccv.com.au • Shows & special event co-ordinator

FWDV Delegate Tony Bryant fwdvdelegate@tlccv.com.au editor1@tlccv.com.au

GEELONG BRANCH President Matt Lilley geelong@tlccv.com.au Vice President Matt McPhee

geelong2@tlccv.com.au

Secretary Jennie Harvie Social Alison Williams

alison4913@gmail.com

MAGAZINE CONTRIBUTIONS

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

TRADING POST

All articles, trip reports and other contributions are welcome for inclusion in the magazine. They must be in the hands of the Editor by the first of the month.

Please send them to: The Editor, Overland Cruisering, PO Box 1778, Geelong 3220

• Please submit articles as Word documents with no formatting.

(No fancy formats as it will only have to be removed in preparing for publication).

In particular DO NOT embed pictures in your documents • Images (photos) should be supplied as seperate JPEG files.

The higher resolution the better. As a guide images should be of 300 pixel per inch with image files around 1-5MB fine.

• If you have multiple images, please burn to a CD and post to Editor rather than trying to email numerous images.

• Articles can be posted with normal photos.

They will be scanned and returned to the author if a self-addressed envelope is provided.

• Note: if selling a vehicle in the Trading Post it is a Motor Car Trader Regulation (1988-22(4) legal requirement that a cash price, registration number or engine number are supplied.

or email: editor1@tlccv.com.au

Members’ name and membership number must accompany all articles and/or contributions.

ADVERTISING A TRIP • Note: All trips must be approved by the Trip Convenor before they can be gazetted in Overland Cruisering.

All contributions MUST BE received by the 1st of the month.

ADVERTISERS Please support those companies that advertise in our magazine. Let them know you saw their advert in Overland Cruisering.

ARE YOUR MEMBERSHIP DETAILS CURRENT? If you have recently moved, please notify Barbara Bryant – Membership Officer – and provide your new address, telephone number(s) and (if altered) your email address as soon as possible. Please also remember to remove the Club sticker if you change or sell your four-wheel drive.

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U P D AT E

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PRESIDENT’S REPORT

ith spring arriving quickly, it is good to see many trips being advertised on the Website. With many members wanting to book on trips, some are filling fast, so make sure you stay in touch with the Website & Weekend Wrap. With time constraints with advertising in our club magazine, it is unfortunate that by the time they hit the printed press, some of these trips are full. As more members utilize electronic media, it is important that we all remember to look at our website a little more often to keep up to date with club trips.

Since taking over the role as President, I have instigated a strategy group to review the future direction of Yarck. Hopefully this group will meet in early November and work through the challenges of formulating a future direction that is beneficial to members. I would like this group to report back by February, 2016 with their findings.

Their report will then be discussed with members at a meeting early next year.

Leisurefest was held last weekend. It was great to see so many members helping out on the stand. Thanks to Pete & Thea McLean for taking on the role of Special Events Coordinators. I know they put many hours into organising the stand at Leisurefest. Also thanks to the members who assisted on the stand with them.

With summer approaching, it is that time of year when Yarck receives its big clean up. Don’t forget to contact Brian at yarckmanagement@tlccv.com.au if you can help out at the Monster Working Bee weekend on Nov 21-22.

It is great to see so many training courses

W

being run at Yarck. Thanks to Matt Lilley for initiating all of these courses. In August Hari Marigos ran his famous “Cookout”. It was great to see some pictures on the club Facebook page of some of the tempting food that was cooked. It must have been great for the members who attended to be able to huddle around a warm fire during our cold winter weather.

In September, Tony Middleditch ran a weekend of Radio Communications & Vehicle Preparation. Paul ‘Tracks’ Hawdon & Jeff Gazzard ran a Map Reading & Navigation Skills weekend as well as a Bushcraft Basic Camp Skills weekend.

With Heidi involved in the Chainsaw course this month, I spent the weekend looking around our great property at Yarck to see the improvements that have been made since I was last up there a couple of years ago. I am sure Liz Mills & Brad Schaffer’s Camp Cooking & Bush Mechanics (run last weekend) was a great success. Hopefully we will see some great pics from this weekend soon.

It is good to see some new trips being advertised on the website. To add to this, Heidi & I have just advertised another 7 trips. Hopefully we see more members showing interest in becoming Trip Leaders.

It is not a difficult task. If you are interested, then send an email to the Trip Convenor at trips@tlccv.com.au. Tony will guide you through the process.

Michael Schuettke has just returned from a 4 week trip to Cape York. I hear that everyone on the trip thoroughly enjoyed it.

Don Bryant recently returned from 2 outback trips – one to the Old Ghan Railway

& another to the Savannah Way in northern QLD. Feedback was that everyone also had a great trip.

Our DA team has been busy creating a document which details how they operate.

The committee is currently reviewing these documents & hopefully these will be documented via our By-Laws with a copy of the Policy placed on the Website very soon. The first area that new members see is the DA team so it is important that the DA process is communicated to new & old members. Well done to John Mills’ team for developing this process.

The committee will be meeting this month to review our Club’s By-Laws. Hopefully we will have further news on this next month.

Don’t forget to support our Christmas gatherings. The TLCCV annual Christmas Party is on Sunday 6th December.

Remember to complete the form in the magazine. Geelong are running their Christmas Party at Lake Fyans near the Grampians on 21-22 November.

Melbourne members are most welcome to join them.

With my extra challenge of being President, it is time for me to ask members if anyone can assist with preparing our electronic Weekend Wrap newsletter. If you believe you have the right skills, please email me at president1@tlccv.com.au Laurie Miles (1058) PRESIDENT

CRUISERKHANA 2016 16TH & 17H APRIL CruiserKhana next year will move into April due to an early Easter combined with school holidays.

After a solid review of this year’s event, it is proposed to only run the main competition on the Saturday with the prize presentations after dinner on the Saturday night.

The optional events such as Rock Climb and Bog Hole will be run on the Sunday morning.

However, before any further planning/organizing can take place, we need a committee.

Please review the following vacant positions and contact me if you are available.

The committee meets once a month, but a lot of our work is done via email.

Please give serious consideration to volunteering because without YOU there will be no CruiserKhana.

Coordinator, Sponsorship, Publicity, Chief Marshal, Entries, Financial Controller, Secretary, Logistics Coordination, Merchandise and Marshals Coordination.

Please contact Neil Chambers : co-ordinator@cruiserkhana.com.au

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YA R C K

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M A S T EI R P PLAN

YARCK MASTER PLAN TERMS OF REFERENCE Introduction For many years, members have promoted initiatives at Yarck. Recent examples have included the Forecourt development project, bush hut and training room(s).

Whilst many of these proposals have had merit, most have not been proceeded with for a variety of reasons, not the least being the finite amount of funds held by the Club.

During the past year, the Committee has instituted a number of processes to ensure that the Club’s limited funds are spent wisely. A key part of the process is the development of a master plan for Yarck so that all proposals are considered within a common framework rather than in isolation.

Scope The framework’s scope includes (but is not necessarily limited to) the following items: • Hilton development/improvements (e.g. electricity rewiring, solar panels)

LETTERS

events and identifying future levels of investment will also be included in the plan.

A small committee will be formed to develop the plan. It is the intention of the Committee to circulate the final plan to all members by the end of January 2016.

Current proposals will be held over until the completion of the plan.

Structure A small committee facilitated by the President will be formed by the end of October to develop the plan. Member involvement is vital and all members are invited to make submission with ideas and suggestions. If you also consider that you have the time, expertise and interest to contribute in the development of the plan through your participation on the Yarck Master Plan Committee, please contact Laurie Miles at president1@tlccv.com.au

LETTER TO THE MEMBERS

An Open Letter to the Members

The Continual Driver Awareness Team Trip Every month our trip begins with the Tuesday night theory session commencing at 7:00pm and continuing until at least 10:00pm. We welcome new members and hand out the TLCCV Training Manual, which along with the power point presentation, will guide them through the evening's procedures. Each member of the DA Team presents a section of the presentation.

Questions more often than not will be asked at the end of the evening.

Our next duty for the practical section of the course is to unlock the Yarck property on Friday by 4:00pm at the latest, as participants are invited to arrive from 4.30pm. We like to have everything open, the fire lit, the billy boiling, be on hand to welcome each and every student to guide them to the camping area and where all the facilities are located. We spend the evening socializing with them, as this is all part of the New Member introduction to the Club and the Yarck property.

Saturday: The alarm is set for 6:00am and we are up to prepare for the students to start filtering in at 7:00am; they all have questions regarding the day. An 8:00am sharp start to the day. An induction to the property at the Hilton before a vehicle is put on the ramp to show the basic workings of the vehicle from underneath and under the bonnet. Then we all gather to watch a demonstration on winch procedures. After morning tea it’s off to Woopsie –Doo. Each DA Team member takes students, (at this 4 Overland Cruisering

• Toilet/shower block(s) development/ improvements • Forecourt development • Training and associated facilities • Driver Awareness and Advanced Driver Training facilities and equipment • Cruiserkhana • Yarck maintenance including equipment • Bush Hut • Camp/caravan site(s) development • Tracks (new) • Venue Hire • Training room • Land development including possible new land acquisition • Storage facilities (e.g. for the trailer, paper archives) • Emergency fire shelter(s) Process All members are encouraged to contribute to the scope but it is intended to finalise the scope of the Yarck Master Plan early in November. The Master Plan’s table of contents will be based on the final scope.

Additional items such as the scheduling of

stage quite often feeling very nervous), on their first attempt at hill climbs and recovery.

Back to the Hilton for lunch and more questions as we try to gulp down a snack.

After lunch it is off around the tracks to instruct on more driving techniques, hills, wheel placement, bog hole and water crossing, before a quick afternoon tea and out again for the night drive, generally not returning to base until around 8:00pm. We have now been full on instructing for 13 hours. Good fun but tiring. We spend the evening again socializing until 10:00pm.

Then begins the DA instructor debriefing session and the possible program changes for the following day. We often have to change the tracks we use depending on weather and track conditions allowing for novice drivers. Bed around 11:30pm.

Sunday: 6:00am alarm, breakfast and an 8:00am start. A talk on travelling the Outback and etiquette in the bush, tyres, communications, trips etc. Off to the sand pit for recovery instruction using a snatch strap and changing a wheel in the bush. A final drive around the property before checking the questions set for the course, clearing up and farewells.

It is now 2.30pm having completed our final debriefing on how the weekend and students faired. We have had another very tiring but satisfying weekend seeing how the New Members have gone away feeling ten feet taller with their new found skills.

The DA Team give up to 10 weekends and 10 Tuesday nights, at their own expense, to teach New Members 4WD skills, which indirectly provides the Club with the most income each year. We are also required to

update our training skills on a regular basis. The Team does not have time to coordinate general membership movements around the property whilst instructing. The exclusive use is entirely one of risk mitigation. The New Members are our responsibility. We try to avoid long weekends and school holidays, not always an easy task to juggle, and still have enough weekends to keep up with demand and to fit in with the DA Team's private life and other commitments they have for your Club. The involvement with the DAU each month is equal to running a trip, think: "How many trips have I run this year,” before you are critical of the DAU. John Mills (1937) DAU Coordinator

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SPECIAL ACTIVITY

T O Y OI TPA 4 W D P R E V I E W S

E X C L U S I V E P R E V I E W O F L AT E S T T O Y O TA 4 W D V E H I C L E S FOR TLCCV MEMBERS Saturday 16th & Sunday 17th January, 2016 Members are invited to preview three of the very latest Toyota four wheel drives.

• The all new Toyota HiLux • Updated 200 Series LandCruiser • New Fortuner Toyota Motor Corporation has very kindly allowed us to show our members these vehicles, which is a wonderful opportunity for you to come up to Yarck for the weekend and inspect them under the direction of our DA team.

Saturday morning will be allocated to the DA team to drive the vehicles and Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning members will be able to see them go through their paces under the supervision of the DA team.

These three vehicles plus the re-powered Prado were all released this month, so evaluation vehicles are in short supply, making this opportunity very special.

Saturday night a sausage sizzle is organized Please email: secretary1@tlccv.com.au for catering purposes.

Brian Tanner Marketing/Public Relations Coordinator

SOCIAL NEWS CHRISTMAS PUB NIGHT Elsternwick Hotel, 259 Brighton Road, Elwood 6:00pm Saturday 28th November.

Be there or be square!

A short 10 minute drive along St Kilda Road from the CBD. It’s in the Entertainment Book. You pay on the night – a la carte menu.

Contact Angela on social@tlccv.com.au No later than 23rd November.

E ADVANC NOTICE MEDITERRANEAN NIGHT AT YARCK Saturday 5th March, 2016 This is an advance notice and details are being finalized.

Come and enjoy authentic Italian, Greek and Lebanese food prepared by club members. Live DJ and dancing.

Costs still to be finalized but it will be value for money.

Expressions of interest are open NOW. Contact Angela on social@tlccv.com.au

E ADVANC NOTICE PRE EASTER FAMILY GET-TOGETHER AATT YYAARRCCKK 19th & 20th March, 2016 This is a special for families and the young at heart. This is a combined Maintenance & Construction weekend but there will also be a couple of other activities organized on the Saturday.

Saturday night there will be a sausage sizzle.

Sunday morning there will be the egg hunt.

Contact Sandra on secretary1@tlccv.com.au or Angela on social@tlccv.com.au Overland Cruisering 5

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CALENDAR

INFORMATION FOR TRIP LEADERS • Trip leaders please note that under the Constitution, members may not take part in any club activities involving four-wheel driving unless they have completed the Driver Awareness

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COMING TRIPS

Course (Theory & Practical) and have filled in an Indemnity Form.

• The Club Insurance Policy states that only Club Trips that are gazetted in the Club Magazine and the Club website are covered by the Club Public Liability Policy.

• All Club Trips gazetted in the Club Magazine must include a telephone number (or mobile) and/or an email address for the purpose of booking on a trip.

• Members please note that telephone calls should not be made later than 8:30 pm.

Club trips are for club members only. Non members are not afforded insurance coverage by the club and may jeopardise our coverage. If you have any queries they may be raised with our Trip Coordinator, Tony Middleditch.

Members Please Note: All guests attending TLCCV trips must take out Temporary Membership. This includes children of members 18 years of age and older. If you have any queries contact our Trip Convenor, Tony Middleditch at trips@tlccv.com.au. All applications and payments for Temporary Membership MUST be received by the Membership Officer NO LATER than 14 days prior to the trip.

Facebook: Any trips advertised on Facebook that have not been approved by the Trip Convenor will not be recognised as an official Club trip and therefore not be covered by the Club insurance.

Seasonal Road Closures: Contact Parks Victoria on http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/safety/fire,-flood-and-other-closures/seasonal-road-closures2

NOVEMBER Date: Meeting Place: Time: Limit: Standard: Fuel: Radio: Equipment: Overnight: Details:

Trip Leader: NOVEMBER Date: Meeting Place: Time: Limit: Standard: Fuel: Radio; Equipment: Overnight: Details:

Trip Leader: DECEMBER Date: Meeting Place: Time: Limit: Standard: Fuel: Radio: Equipment: Overnight:

PORTLAND SAND DUNES - Melbourne Cup weekend (Wait list only) Friday 30th October - Tuesday 3rd November, 2015 Swan Lake Camping area (maps supplied for participants) 9:00am start time Saturday morning from Swan Lake Camping area.

14 vehicles Medium to hard depending on sand conditions and your experience.

Full tanks from Portland.

15 UHF Standard recovery gear, snatch strap, compressor, rated recovery points & shackles.

Base camping at Swan Lake.

Drive the only legal sand dunes in Victoria. Test your skills on the many steep sand hills. Apart from a drop toilet there are no amenities at the camping area. Caravans & camper trailers are OK. No pets. Be prepared for wet & windy conditions. Sand driving for Saturday & Sunday, Monday trip to Picaninny Ponds, beach drive in SA, lunch at the Nelson Pub. Return home Tuesday. To allow time to process PDBC paperwork, your intention to join this trip needs to be in the hands of the trip leader by the end of August.

Garry Cooper: Email: gac001@bigpond.com SNOWY RIVER RAMBLE Saturday 31st October - Tuesday 3rd November, 2015 Buchan Caves campground.

8:30am 8 vehicles Medium to hard - depending on weather conditions Full tank from Bairnsdale UHF (initially channel 15) Basic recovery gear including snatch strap, closed recovery points on front & back, shovel, air compressor for tyre inflation, genuine off road tyres with at least 50% tread including spare tyre.

Buchan Caves campground on Friday night - bush camping on Saturay, Sunday & Monday.

After leaving Buchan, we will cross the Snowy river at Jacksons Crossing, then head up the Deddick Trail. After reaching McKillops Bridge, we will head across MacFarlane Flat to Native Dog Flat. We will then head down to Swifts Creek via Hells Hate Hole before heading home.

No trailers, no dogs, no cats, no firearms permitted on this trip.

Laurie & Heidi Miles: Email: trips@zebra400.com OXFAM CHRISTMAS TREE DELIVERY, 2015 Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th December, 2015 Saturday - South & East delivery - Heatherwood School, 370-380 Springvale Road, Donvale.

Sunday - North & West delivery - Princes Hill Primary School, Wilson Street, North Carlton.

Pick up time before 10:00am both days to get the best trees.

No limit. The more the merrier.

Easy, but will be a good test of your navigation skills.

Fill up with good Christmas cheer and have fun.

15 UHF but your favorite radio station that has good Christmas carols.

Trailer, ute or station wagon to carry at least 20 trees safely, rope, Santa hat if you have one, Melways directory & a navigator.

Hopefully you won’t get lost & have to stay overnight anywhere.

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(Oxfam Christmas Tree Delivery continued) Details: Trees are already paid for so you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t handle any money. Delivery time is usually 2-3 hours. This is a great way to start off your Christmas by delivering trees to the families of Melbourne & at the same time supporting a worthwhile cause. If you can help send an email to the Trip Leader with your suburb, phone number & method of delivery (ute, trailer, station wagon) no later than 20th November, 3015.

Trip Leader: Garry Cooper: Email: gac001@bigpond.com DECEMBER Date: Meeting Place: Time: Limit: Standard: Fuel: Radio: Equipment:

Trip Leader:

EXPERIENCE THE GRAMPIANS Saturday 12th & Sunday 13th December, 2015 TBA Saturday 8:30am 8 vehicles.

Easy to medium (some sections may be difficult if wet).

Full tank from Stawell.

UHF (initially channel 15) Basic recovery gear including snatch strap, closed recovery points on front & back, shovel, air compressor for tyre inflation, genuine off road tyres with at least 50% tread including spare tyre.

Bush camping on Saturday night.

We will explore some exciting tracks in the Grampians in Western Victoria.

No dogs, no cats, no firearms permitted on this trip.

Laurie & Heidi Miles: Email: trips@zebra400.com

JANUARY, 2016 Date: Meeting Place: Time: Limit: Standard:

ABERFELDY ADVENTURE Saturday 9th & Sunday 10th January, 2015 TBA Saturday 8:30am 8 vehicles Medium to difficult

Overnight: Details:

hastingscamping@gmail.com 8 Overland Cruisering

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Aberfeldy Adventure continued) Fuel: Full tank from Moe Radio: UHF (initially channel 15) Equipment: Basic recovery gear including snatch strap, closed recovery points on front & back, shovel, air compressor for tyre inflation, genuine off road tyres with at least 50% tread including spare tyre. Room to carry your MTB, if riding.

Overnight: Bush camping on Saturday night.

Details: Explore the exciting 4WD tracks near the Aberfeldy River, including a visit to Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Tooles Flat, plus take in the views as we descend the famous 12 switchbacks on Trigg Track, just north of the old mining town of Walhalla.

No trailers, no dogs, no cats, no firearms permitted on this trip.

Trip Leader: Laurie & Heidi Miles: Email: trips@zebra400.com FEBRUARY Date: Meeting Place: Time: Limit: Standard: Fuel: Radio: Equipment: Overnight: Details:

Trip Leader: FEBRUARY Date: Meeting Place: Time: Limit: Standard: Fuel: Radio: Equipment: Overnight: Details:

Trip Leader:

MARCH Date: Meeting Place: Time: Limit: Standard: Fuel: Radio: Equipment:

Overnight: Details:

Trip Leader:

AVON RIVER ADVENTURE Saturday 13th & Sunday 14th February Huggetts Lane camping area.

8:30am Saturday.

8 vehicles Medium to hard - depending on weather conditions Full tank from Traralgon UHF (initially channel 15) Basic recovery gear including snatch strap, closed recovery points on front & back, shovel, air compressor for tyre inflation, genuine off road tyres with at least 50% tread including spare tyre.

Friday & Saturday night bush camping.

We will head north, crossing the Avon River & Ben Cruachan Creek many times. We then head east following the southern edge of the Avon Wilderness area & camp on the Avon River.

On Sunday we will retrace steps to the Ben Cruachan Creek, then head up to Ben Cruachan to take in the great views. We continue to follow the Ben Cruachan Creek & then climb up to McMillans Lookout to take in the views.

We will descend from McMillans & finish our trip near Cheynes Bridge, just south of Licola.

No trailers, no dogs, no cats, no firearms permitted on this trip.

Laurie & Heidi Miles: Email: trips@zebra400.com SWIFTS CREEK EXPLORER Saturday 27th & Sunday 28th February.

Swifts Creek Caravan Park.

Saturday 8:30am 8 vehicles Medium to hard - depending on weather conditions.

Full tank from Bruthen UHF (initially channel 15) Basic recovery gear including snatch strap, closed recovery points on front & back, shovel, air compressor for tyre inflation, genuine off road tyres with at least 50% tread including spare tyre.

Base camping at Swifts Creek Caravan Park - fees apply.

Explore the exciting 4WD tracks around Swifts Creek, including the famous TVGC track.

Trailers are most welcome at our base camp at Swifts Creek Caravan Park.

No dogs, no cats, no firearms permitted on this trip.

Laurie & Heidi Miles. Email: trips@zebra400.com

TINGARINGY TRAILER TRIP - (Labour Day weekend) Saturday 12th - Monday 14th March Orbost Caravan Park Saturday 8:30am 8 vehicles Medium to hard - depending on weather conditions Full tank from Orbost UHF (initially channel 15) Basic recovery gear including snatch strap, closed recovery points on front & back, shovel, air compressor for tyre inflation. Both vehicle & trailer must have genuine off road tyres with at least 50% tread including sparee tyres.

Trailer must be suited for off road travel.

Orbost Caravan Park on first night. Bush camping on Saturday & Sunday nights.

Head north from Orbost to mt Tingaringy drivng to the summit on the NSW border. Take in the views as we head down to McKillops Bridge via the Laurie Track.

On Monday we will visit the Little River Gorge before heading home.

No dogs, no cats, no firearms permitted on this trip.

Laurie & Heidi Miles. Email: trips@zebra400.com

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CALENDAR

MARCH Date: Meeting Place: Time: Limit: Standard: Fuel: Radio: Equipment: Overnight: Details:

Trip Leader:

SANDY WYPERFELD NP & VIC / SA BORDER TRACK (Easter weekend) Friday 25th - Monday 28th March.

Lake Hindmarsh Friday 8:30am 8 vehicles Medium - depending on weather conditions 145Lt capacity. Full tank from Horsham, refueling at Pinnaroo if required.

UHF (initially channel 15) Basic recovery gear including snatch strap, closed recovery points on front & back, shovel, air compressor for tyre inflation, genuine off road tyres with at least 50% tread including spare tyre.

Thursday - Lake Hindmarsh CP (fees apply) - bush camping Friday, Saturday & Sunday night.

Travel through the sandy Wyperfeld NP via Lake Albacutya, circling the Big Desert via Ross Springs. We will then travel through the ‘Disputed Country’ before crossing into SA & heading down the Centre Track. We will join the Vic/SA Border Track at the bottom of the One Way section. We will experience some interesting sand dunes & bog holes, before finishing in Nhill.

No trailers, no dogs, no cats, no firearms permitted on this trip.

Laurie & Heidi Miles. Email: trips@zebra400.com

ANNUAL “MONSTER” MAINTENANCE & CONSTRUCTION WORKING BEE WEEKEND 21st & 22nd NOVEMBER, 2015 To be held at Yarck, a “Monster” working bee is being organized for members to assist in preparing our beautiful property for the summer months and the ensuing Cruiserkhana.

We need as many members as possible to come for the weekend, or even for a day.

There is a host of tasks that require our attention for the safety of our members and the property.

BYO tools, trailers, safety gear and the usual food and liquid requirements.

Saturday night a BBQ will be provided.

For catering purposes, please advise ASAP if you will be attending, by advising Brian Stewart at a meeting or emailing Brian at: yarckmanagement@tlccv.com.au

SHOW & TELL NOVEMBER

MOUNT COBBLER This month we celebrate Brad Riddington’s first trip run for Club members.

We traverse the staircase and Razorback, experience views across to Mt Buller and Mt Cobbler.

Join us as we enjoy the tracks through this part of the High Country.

Liz Mils Show & Tell Co-ordinator

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CALENDAR October 24th & 25th Oct 30th â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Nov 3rd November November November November

7th & 8th 10th 17th 21st & 22nd

November 28th November 28th & 29th December 6th & 7th December 6th December 8th December 15th 2016 January 12th January 30th & 31st February 9th February 20th & 21st February 27th & 28th March 5th March 8th March 19th & 20th March 19th & 20th April 9th & 10th April 12th April 30th & 31st

Page 8

COMING EVENTS Maintenance & Construction weekend Portland Sand Dunes Melbourne Cup w/end DA Practical weekend Yarck Management and DA Theory General Meeting Monster Maintenance & Construction w/e Christmas Pub Night DA Practical weekend Oxfam Christmas Tree deliveries TLCCV Family Christmas Party Yarck Management General Meeting DA Theory (if needed) DA Practical weekend (if needed) DA Theory Maintenance & Construction weekend DA Practical weekend Mediterranean Night at Yarck DA Theory Pre-Easter Family Get-Together Maintenance & Construction weekend C/K set-up with Maintenance & Construction w/e DA Theory DA Practical weekend

Prior to booking or setting any dates for an event, please check with the Activity Coordinator who will ensure that there are no clashes. Please email to the Activity Coordinator the proposed date, time, venue and overview of the event.

May 10th May 21st & 22nd May 28th & 29th June 14th June 25th & 26th July 12th July 23rd & 24th July 30th & 31st August 9th August 20th & 21st August 27th & 28th September 13th September 24th & 25th October 11th October 22nd & 23rd November 5th & 6th November 8th November 19th & 20th November 26th & 27th December 13th

DA Theory Maintenance & Construction weekend DA Practical weekend DA Theory Maintenance & Construction weekend DA Theory Maintenance & Construction weekend DA Practical weekend DA Theory Maintenance & Construction weekend DA Practical weekend DA Theory Maintenance & Construction weekend DA Theory Maintenance & Construction weekend DA Practical weekend DA Theory Maintenance & Construction weekend DA Practical weekend DA Theory

Note: Yarck Management meetings to be confirmed.

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SPECIAL EVENT

2 0 1 5 T L C C V FI AP M I LY C H R I S T M A S P A R T Y

2015 TLCCV FAMILY CHRISTMAS PARTY - Not

just for the kids!

Sunday 6th December, 2015 Nortons Park, Wantirna South (Mel. Ref. 72 A2)

Starts 11:30 am – BYO Lunch and Drinks Fun and games will be provided Santa arrives at 1:30 pm SHARP with presents for the kids Value of each present $20.00 ($10.00 of that is paid by the members in advance).

Presents to children 15-years and under.

Cheques made payable to TLCCV, and posted to Melody Schaffer, 9 Paul Street, Cheltenham, 3192 Organisers: Brad & Melody Schaffer Email: bradschaffer26@yahoo.com.au

PLEASE RING TO CONFIRM PAYMENT HAS BEEN RECEIVED TO 0403 811 460 FORMS TO BE RECEIVED NO LATER THAN 17th NOVEMBER, 2015

Name: …………………………………………………………………………………...........................................................................

Membership No:

……………….............................................................................

Contact phone No:

…………………………………………………………………….

Boy / Girl

Child’s Name

Age

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………........................................................

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………....................................................

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………....................................................

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….................................................... ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….................................................... .

SOCIAL

D I N NIEPR N I G H T

Dinner at the Manhattan Hotel Eighteen Club members enjoyed a sumptuous smorgasboard at the Manhattan Hotel, Ringwood on Saturday night 12th September. It was really good value, especially for those of us with Seniors’ cards. Good food and good company made for a great night, although it would have been good if more members had been able to attend.

Angela Di Lallo (225) 12 Overland Cruisering

Bev & Tom Rust

Tom Rust, Cameron & Ian Ross

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C O M M U N I C A T I O N S &I PV E H I C L E P R E P A R A T I O N

COMMUNICATIONS AND VEHICLE PREPARATION WEEKEND – 5th & 6th September, 2015 CONVENOR: TONY MIDDLEDITCH n the week prior to these courses, Tony had emailed all participants with schedules for both days, what topics would be covered, basic electrical terms we need to understand, and some homework. He also included a complete list of the items he stores in his vehicle for 4WD trips. The list ran to four pages and was divided into four groups: vehicle, kitchen, recovery and tools, spares etc. - a very useful guide for both new and not-so-new club members. The comprehensive notes he emailed to everyone in the week after the courses will provide a handy reference when preparing for our own trips.

The group gave Tony a round of applause at the conclusion of training for the time, effort and expertise he had put in to bringing the courses to us. By the time the front gate was locked behind the last vehicle out of the property, the Hilton had been cleaned, furniture replaced, wood pile restocked and the amenities left spotless.

Koala George, which had been much admired in his favourite tree just outside the Hilton, could now eat and sleep in peace once more. Thank you Tony for sharing with the group your invaluable knowledge and experience on these very important topics. Slawko Kulyk and Rebecca Schlosmacher (2270) The following contributions to this report were supplied by some of the participants who attended one or both courses.

Was a great weekend. Fun, informal and lots to learn. The fire kept us warm in the cold and in your knowledge and humour, sense of time was lost. You have some very practical tips from your long field experience. This was gold. To all my fellow participants, it was lovely to meet you all and thank you for the sense of cama-

I

raderie. Hope to see you all again.

Rahul Mohud (2743) Around 8.30am we all slowly meandered into the Hilton. We casually sat around the camp fire listening to Tony present what works for him as far as trip preparation goes and what life lessons he has learnt along his interesting journey through the bush. Tony presented his ideas and we were encouraged to participate in a group discussion on trip preparation, which led us to morning tea. With a cuppa in hand, we went outside and looked over Tony’s vehicle to see where he stores all his equipment and what sort of electrical components he has installed to make his trips enjoyable. One thing noted was that “there is not a one shoe fits all” idea to trip preparation; it is an individual idea and one that, if it is comfortable and easy for you, then run with it. Remember, the most important aspects in four wheel driving are good mechanical preparation and a good sleep-

ing arrangement. Joe Carpenzano (2135) Tony was well prepared and provided a 16 page written material on both topics with a lot of very useful information. The training was well organised and smoothly followed the material in the handout. Also it included interesting demonstrations both inside the hut and outside. There was a lot and diverse information presented like: The use and allocation of the 80 channels in the UHF band including the rules of using the repeater channels; the impressive list of tools and spare parts that Tony keeps for his vehicle and how to safely connect the leads of a cranking battery to a vehicle with flat battery, to mention just a few.

Trajco Vilarov (2619) The weekend presented by Tony Middleditch started with about 18 participants assembled in the Yarck Hilton makeshift classroom. Tony was a very engaging presenter and obviously spent a lot of time in presenting the material. He brought along an array of radio and electrical gear to demonstrate, show us how it all works and allowed us to have a play. For the radio communications, it was back to basics as we learnt how a radio signal is produced. This required a basic understanding of electricity DC & AC and its role in creating radio waves. We learnt that the audio signal we produce when we speak into the radio mike is converted into electrical signals that are then carried on the radio waves, then sent out via our radio antennas. Tony covered a variety of radio frequencies and their purposes including VLF, LF, MF, HF, VFH, and of course UHF, the one of most interest to us 4WDrivers.

We covered the important role the antenna plays in radio comms, the radio patterns that they produce, the Gain, dB and reason there is such a variety of antenna lengths.

These lengths are an important ratio to the radio wavelength. For UHF radios at 477Mhz, our wavelength is 0.63 metres.

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to break our main one out in the bush. This involved using a spare piece of antenna cable that is sliced at one end to make a "T" shape to produce a simple Dipole.

Many of the participants said they would definitely throw a spare piece of antenna cable in their box of goodies in the future.

We then covered some of the typical features of today's common UHF radios.

This included priority channels, dual watch, scanning, 40 and 80 channel bandwidths, and the common channels used between channels 1 to 80 including the emergency channels channels 5/35.

Tony demonstrated how Repeater Channels actually work if you ever needed to increase your radio coverage, assuming there is a Repeater in your vicinity. Finally we covered alternative types of communications gear and their benefits and limitations including Sat-phones, GPS, SPOT Messenger and Mobile phones.

Sunday was all about Trip Preparation in and around your vehicle. Tony has a vast array of tips and know-how that he has amassed after many years of running 4WDrive trips and his own 4WD touring.

We spent a lot of time looking under bonnets to identify what's what and it became apparent that a good tip is to label all your after-market accessories so it is easier to identify and help in diagnosing faults, blown fuses, etc. Having dual batteries is common in 4WD's but if you need to jump-start a vehicle with two batteries, it may not be completely obvious which one is the main cranking battery. A simple label would help. The "safe" procedure for jump starting a vehicle with dual batteries was also demonstrated.

Overall, we enjoyed a great weekend up at

TRIPS

he Driver Awareness Unit attended a training upgrade at Yarck to enable them to present an advanced course to Club members. The Instructors for the course were John Tomlinson, TLCCV and Nissan Club and Barry Walker from the Pajero Club, both are senior instructors with FWD Vic. We started Friday night with a working dinner whilst our instructors presented the power point deck, along with free flowing discussions, which lasted most of the evening, Saturday 8.30am start and down to Whoopsie Doo for a refresher on hill stops and starts, recovering vehicles from a hill and driving through the brakes. Alas Darren's rear diff decided it no longer wished to be involved in the weekend resulting in a slow recovery and a trek to Rennies Lane to be picked up by RACV Total Care. Darren returned and continued the course. Off to Latimers to remove and

14 Overland Cruisering

This little fellow slept through the presentation!

I PD V A N C E D C O U R S E TRAINING FOR A

DAU Training for Advanced Course 11th ,12th & 13th September, 2015

T

Yarck. Tony's delivery of the material was informative, engaging and pitched to suit all participants knowledge base. As usual at Yarck, the friendly club atmosphere was enjoyed by all. We really appreciated all the time and effort that Tony put into making it a great training activity for new club members like ourselves.

Michael and Megan Bourke (2713) Unfortunately, due to a clash with my grandma’s birthday celebration, I was unable to attend the Communication Training in the beginning. However, I did make an effort for the Vehicle Preparation Training, which was very informative and eye opening.

I really respect the depth of Tony’s knowledge towards auto mechanics and auto electronics. I am also very impressed with the amount of preparation he has put into preparing for the weekend’s training we have even received notes for future reference.

I really felt it was very worthwhile as I have learnt so much about spare parts to be carried during trips, what the procedures are to properly jumping a flat car battery, and also an introductory guide to basic bush mechanics.

I look forward to learn more in the future, and I cannot wait to apply what I have learned in the near future. If anyone asks whether it was worth the effort I will say, “Definitely YES!” Our appreciation to Tony and the TLCCV club for providing these type of opportunities to learn from others.

Ian Mak (2704)

replace a wheel in adverse conditions using drag chain and chocks to stabilise Michael's 200 Series; a worthwhile exercise. Back to the Hilton to break the bead on a tyre, clean the bead and rein-

flate.After lunch an exercise in winch recovery techniques was completed on the lower reaches of Gunbarrel, recovering around a corner, single and double line applications, plus lots of interaction and

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2 6 t h & 2 7 t h S E P T E M IBPE R D R I V E R A W A R E N E S S

Driver Awareness Training Session Participants were: Michael & Irene Karaszkewycz, Keith Benjamin, Greg Howarth, James Francis and Jon & Katam May. One would normally start with describing the weekend’s training program and what we learnt over the two days. However, participants were extremely impressed with the level of knowledge, experience and especially the amazing dedication of the team of instructors who showed patience and persistence to ensure everyone had the opp0ortunity to develop their self-confidence and were comfortable driving their vehicles in “hostile” terrain in safety.

It would be remiss of us not to name the instructors individually. They were: Simon Mustey, Ian Wells, Tony Bryant and Matt Lilley and lead by John Mills. As I said to them personally on the last day of the session: “I take my hat off to all of you.”

This Driver Awareness training team – on average once a month – dedicating their private and personal time so as members are able to drive in the Australian Outback and High Country with confidence and safely.

The Saturday’s session commenced with getting to know the differences between the various four-wheel drive vehicles and inspecting the engine bay and the drive train of these vehicles while they were on ramps. This was followed up with a practical session on reverse recovery on a steep track, descending and ascending steep and rocky tracks. Once everyone was

discussion re winching methods; a most informative session with everyone involved hands on.

We then went to the top of Bulldozer and the team played on the little used steep descent into Blue Gum Outstation.

Most of them had never been there. Back to the Hilton for happy hour around the fire and more interchange of ideas and experiences.

Sunday morning another 8.30am start.

More robust discussions over a wide range of subjects with everyone encouraged to participate. Simon demonstrated how to use a high lift jack as a winch and how to shorten a synthetic rope, (finger knitting) an eye opener for all including the instructors.

We broke off just before lunch and thanked John and Barry for their time and enthusiasm in helping us prepare for the Advanced Course.

As DAU Coordinator, I was impressed with how the team participated in the weekend.

comfortable, we were introduced to the various tracks around the TLCCV property at Yarck, culminated in a night drive – with emphasis in convoy procedures.

The Sunday’s session commenced with discussion centred on Club procedure and various aspects of vehicle accessories and recovery equipment. This was followed up with a sand recovery exercise using snatch straps and a river crossing culminating in the safe method of changing wheels on inclines.

Each participant was given the opportunity to perform all the exercises using their own vehicles. All in all, the two day session was extremely informative and well worthwhile, and I encourage every member, whether you consider yourself to be an experienced 4x4 driver, to at least have a refresher course.

We found that the Yarck Hilton was an amazing venue.

Happy 4x4 driving.

Michael Karaszkewycz

I think they will all go away with some new knowledge, but also realising how much they knew before, but this was good reinforcement of those skills. Simon's knowledge and enthusiasm never ceases to amaze me, along with Barry and John, I know for one I learnt a lot from them.

The participants were, Simon Mustey, Tony Bryant, Ian Wells, Michael Martin, Matt Lilley and Darren Russo.

John Mills (1937) DAU COORDINATOR.

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S I M P S O N I PD E S E R T

ur trip began in Renmark, S.A. Some of us were lucky enough to arrive from nearby Mildura, while others had a long drive straight from Melbourne making it a long, tiring day. Our camping spot was at Plush's Bend by a beautiful river with many species of bird life frolicking in the river.

The sun set quite early with the temperature dropping to freezing conditions. Early night was called for as we had a long day ahead.

Day 1: All set to go in the morning heading to Maree. The drive was long but a few stops for morning tea and lunch admiring the scenery was very welcome. The highlight of the day was meeting Talc Alf, an Outback legend, talc sculptor with his own interpretation of the Aussie language, whose workshop is on the outskirts of Lyndhurst on the Strzelecki track.

Later we stopped at the Lyndhurst ochre quarry site. The ochre has many uses for the aboriginal people including medicine, burials and ceremonies. As we were

O

leaving, we were lucky enough to watch the sunset putting on a great show.

Continuing on to Maree, it was getting late and we were all getting hungry. Our plans were to camp in the caravan park and have dinner in the pub. Suggestions from the ladies was to skip the camping and get rooms at the pub for the night. The ladies won!!! We all had an amazing dinner in the Tom Kruise room with warm rooms, hot showers and in-house breakfast in the morning.

Day 2: Sunday morning we farewelled Marree and headed off on the Oodnadatta track towards Oodnadatta. This is the best Outback drive in Australia - 650 kms of various sightings travelled by one to 100 cars a day.

On the corrugated track, the drive was fairly smooth. There were lots of sightseeing stops along the way as we were travelling alongside the great Ghan railway line and Lake Eyre South. We saw many relics of the railway line, which included buildings, cuttings and bridges as well as

firewood sleepers. The line was built between 1890 and 1935 and pulled up in 1981. A few stops along the way included the Lake Eyre lookout, Anna creek.

A stop at Wabma Kadabu Conservation Park was amazing. It encloses 'bubbler' and 'Blanche cup', 2 flowing mound springs in beautiful desolation. It also encloses Hamilton Hill - a flat top huge mound that stood up around the flat park.

Here we learnt about the great artesian basin and how mounds are formed. Lake Eyre is Australia's lowest point and largest salt lake.

Lunch was at the William Creek pub where we encountered familiar faces from the Club and caught up with their adventures.

William Creek's population is 12. The pub itself is very busy with a lot of passing travellers.

Our last sightseeing spot for the day was the old Ghan Bridge, an amazing spot by the river with a very popular camping area.

Finally we arrived at Oodnadatta, where we set up camp, had a wood fire with great

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company and milder temperatures.

Oodnadatta's population is 180. It's a historic Ghan railway town with a large aboriginal population.

Day 3: Monday started off at a slower pace. We left the Pink Roadhouse and headed further north. As a bit of a twist we were treated to a quick four-wheel driving play at the 6x4 sand driving track.

Lunch was at Hamilton Station, a beautiful spot with a shaded room for shelter.

Temperature was rising â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 20 degrees - the warmest it's been since we left Melbourne.

Hamilton is a large, private cattle station.

Leaving Hamilton, we found our track heading north across red soil plains towards Eringa. A quick stop alongside the track to collect our firewood for the night.

Eringa's waterhole is a beautiful, cold waterhole and run of Sidney Kidman's first cattle property. Overnight camping was just perfect. Beautiful fire roaring, good company, peaceful surroundings and yummy dinners.

Day 4: Today, off to Finke at the bottom of the NT. An aboriginal settlement of 400.

More corrugated track that seemed like a vastness of nothingness - so remote. Our crossing into the NT border was marked by a tiny sign that said old Ghan route. NT border with SA. The NT border apparently gets more monsoonal rain , sandier, redder country, more scrub, longer trees and desert oak trees.

After a quick review of Finke (the only store closed for end of year audit), we headed back towards Old Andado.

Our stop for lunch was at the Lambert Centre... Geographically the most central point of Australia.

After another bit of a drive, we arrived at our civilisation in the desert, the amazing Old Andado station, which incredibly enough was being looked after by none other than John and Liz Mills from our Club. There is so much history here. This piece of isolated paradise was owned by a pioneering woman, Molly Clark, who lived here for 50 years. She used to cater for tourists and set up camping facilities, cooked meals for the visitors and provided guided tours of the homestead. The station has been restored to a living museum. It caters to campers coming from Alice

20 Overland Cruisering

Springs or Mt. Dare by providing camping facilities among amazing picturesque and very peaceful surroundings with the luxury of toilets, hot showers, open fire and friendly Caretakers who are fostered on to voluntarily take care of the property.

Day 5: Woke up to a beautiful day, cooked breakfast and a long walk around the homestead. We topped up our water from the bore, said goodbye to our hosts and headed off onto Binns track towards our next stop, Mt. Dare. This track was the most challenging so far with many patches of soft bull dust. Lucky we dropped our tyre pressures even more before we left.

Visibility from bull dust was very poor. The idea was to travel slow and very carefully.

Finally we arrived at the South Australian border again. Not long before Mt. Dare!!

Lunch will be at the famous Mt. Dare Hotel.

Mt. Dare is situated on the western end of the Simpson Desert and 70 km north of the Dalhousie thermal springs where we're heading next. It is at a crossroad for travellers. You can visit Ayers Rock/Uluru to the west, Alice Springs to the north , Qld via the Simpson Desert to the east (our destination) and Oodnadatta track and the Flinders Ranges to the south. We refuelled, had a meal, drinks and most importantly our wine.

Mt. Dare was such a busy hub - we met

and chatted to many people from South Australia, Victoria and Qld. Back on track towards the much awaited Dalhousie Springs. The tracks are hard, rocky and dusty. Let's push on... 65 kms of it.

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Dalhousie Springs was literally the oasis of the desert. It's a huge pond of natural spring water sitting at 37 degrees. The park facilities were pretty good although no hot water for showers. The swim was enjoyable as little fish nibble the back of your feet in the so called ex-foliating process. We met so many people driving – riding - either on their way to cross the desert or just having been.

Early morning rise (before the sunrise as it was freezing). We armed ourselves with our desert flag, said goodbye to our newly found friends and headed off.

Day 6: Our first stop was the Dalhousie ruins. They are heritage listed ruins established in 1994 to protect the cultural heritage of Witjira National Park to ensure transmission for the next generation. The park has around 140 springs and considered a highly spiritual place for the aboriginal people. It also tells the story of the pastoral era and their blending within aboriginal communities to live peacefully together.

Further on, as I thought we were well and truly in the desert, our trip leader says we haven't actually started it We stopped at Purni bore for lunch.

Purnie bore was the result of drilling by the French petroleum company in 1963 to explore the rock strata beneath the artesian basin. The bore started leaking after it was capped and sealed at a rate of 18 litres per second. In 1987 it was capped again to preserve the water that reaches temperatures of 85 degrees.

The start of the Simpson on the French Line, which was built in 1964 by the French petroleum company.

This track is suited only for 4WDs, tyre pressure needs to be lowered to allow vehicles to climb over some of the higher sand dunes. This track is mainly sand based.

Did I say we are not crossing the direct route??? Well, we will be doing bits of

twists and turns, so from the French Line we turned right into the Rig Road. We camped at George's corner, which connects to the Rig Road.

Day 7: The Rig Road was built to carry fully loaded semi-trailers. Some of the dunes have been cut through and the road surfaced with clay. Sand has blown over the road in some places and 4WD is necessary.

We are averaging about 30kms an hour.

Surfaces have varied from bad corrugation to sand dunes to smooth clay, and even muddy at times.

We stopped at the lone gum tree, a huge tree in arid surroundings that's baffling at its capabilities to grow in such harsh surroundings. No other tree is known to be growing in the desert in an isolated location like this.

We continued on the Rig Road till around 5:00pm, spotted a flat spot and settled for the night.

The highlight of the day was spotting and photographing a dingo that just stood in the middle of the road staring at us.

Day 8: Still on the Rig Road this morning - another 200 km to Birdsville - we are heading north from SA towards the Northern Territory to connect back with the French Line.

We came across a huge salt lake and decided to drive straight through it. The boys had their fun as they slipped and slid through the deep muddy bits.

Just a few kilometres before reaching the French Line, we came across another sacred site, the Approdina Attora Knolls.

They are two hills named the knolls, and their story is an important aspect of life in one of the harshest environments on the planet.

As we hit the French Line we continued South towards Poeppel's Corner .

The dunes on the French Line are so much softer and more frequent. Everyone had a bit of a hard time getting over certain

dunes, sometimes having to lower the tyre pressure even more. We were averaging 20 kms per hour so the 40kms drive to the corner was taking us hours.

Finally we arrived to Poeppel's Corner, the point where South Australia, the Northern Territory and Queensland meet, all this overlooking a vast dry salt lake – an amazing spot.

From SA we continued on to the Northern Territory and we're hoping to cross into Qld, however as the sun was quickly setting we decided to call it a night and set up camp after a long day.

Day 9: We decided to be up and early to try and get to Birdsville at a reasonable hour so that the boys could have plenty of time for their fun. An 8:00 am departure, and what a great effort by everyone.

Waking up at 6:00am it was the coldest morning yet. We have about 5kms before we get to Qld. We are still currently on the French Line and turning right onto the QAA line. We hope to do around 165kms today to Birdsville, at an estimated travel time of 6 hours. With shorter stops for morning tea and lunch, we lost half an hour on the clock as we entered Qld with the time difference.

A bit of a hiccup on the way. One vehicle had loose shockers. It took just over an hour to tighten and we used the time to have an early lunch. Off again and still averaging 20-30kms an hour, at 3:00pm we reached the Rabbit Proof Fence, which indicates the end of the national park.

Hopefully the road will be smoother on the other side - and it was. The sand dunes were less frequent and between each there was long stretches of clayed terrain.

Our average speed went up to 30kms an hour.

We are getting excited now as we are hoping to reach Big Red in enough time to have a bit of a play before reaching Birdsville. It looks ‘doable’ at the moment, and we had just enough time for a quick play before heading to Birdsville to settle in for the night.

The boys absolutely loved it. They had at least a couple of turns each then decided to press on to Birdsville, set up camp, and the next best thing a cooked dinner of roast, veggies and gravy followed by fruit salad. Yummmm.

Hot showers followed after 4 days in the desert.

The night was still freezing but woke up to an absolutely gorgeous day.

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Day 10: Today an easy day in Birdsville, washing our clothes, our car, filling up petrol and stocking up on supplies then heading to the one and only Birdsville Bakery for fresh bread and coffee.

Did a walking tour around town then had a drink at the pub. Official sighting of Jimmy Barnes and his entourage but we're too worried to ask for a photo. Sunset was scheduled at 6:00 pm tonight, so we were tossing whether to go watch the sunset over the peaks of Big Red, which we did, and it was the best decision. The dunes looked amazing under the sun, changing colours with the setting of the sun. We also managed to see the thousands of crowds at the Big Red Bash and listen to their music. All in all a magical experience.

Early night for an early start in the morning, off to Innamincka.

Day 11: An early start. Heading to Innamincka on the Birdsville track. The track is smooth but very dusty and made dustier by the wind. We only travelled a short distance before we reached SA territory again. There we followed the outside track then onto the Walkers Crossing track, then cut across to Innamincka. We couldn't believe how busy Innamincka was. A refreshing stop to the outback made even heavier by those returning home from the bash. The motel/cabins filled up quickly and so many people were camping for the night - like us.

We had a cooked pub meal which was welcome. The staff did an incredible job feeding sooo many people. We had a huge table of about 15 as we were joined by 2 other vehicles from the Club who travelled to the bash, and were on their way home.

The night was milder and we woke up with an easy pace, had a cooked brekky and walked up to the pub to meet our group.

We decided to drive to "The Dig Tree" historical reserve - the site of the Burke and Wills expedition depot camp 65 kms from which Burke, Wills, King and Gray jour-

neyed to the Gulf of Carpentaria in 1861.

The depot party remained at this camp for 17 weeks and returned to the Darling River after burying supplies near the "Dig Treeâ&#x20AC;?. Burke, Wills and King returned to this depot during the evening of the day that the depot party departed. Burke and Wills both perished some weeks later near Innamincka.

Evening time we decided to have dinner at the pub again. Choices were Pizza, Pasta, Bol or Lasagne. I managed to get a bowl of steamed veggies. There were so many people at the pub drinking, eating, singing old time favourites or watching the NRL final on the big screen - NSW vs Qld. The atmosphere was amazing. It was as if a whole group of strangers knew each other and were partying together in the middle of nowhere. The pub was running out of supplies. They had an unprecedented turnout due to the crowds heading home from the bash.

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Day 13: Up nice and early. Departure time nine-ish. Heading to Cameron's Corner this morning.

We hit the old Strezlecki 4WD track We stopped for morning tea at Moomba - an oil and gas field town where Santos produce around 20 million cubic meters of gas per day and 1200 tonnes of gas per day. Employees here fly in and out on a roster basis from Adelaide. A left turn took us on a nice smooth track for a change, all the way to Cameron's Corner.

Cameron's corner is divided by the Dog Fence. It is the spot where Qld, South Australia and New South Wales meet.

A quick visit to the corner store and a quick confer between members, it was decided to head on towards Tibooburra. Then we will have a head start in the morning to get to Broken Hill at a reasonable hour. We crossed the New South Wales border and waited for the black top to show.

It is a mere 140 kms to Tibooburra. Once we hit black top we should be there in no time. ?*#%????

We arrived at Tibooburra by 5:00pm, and with rain predicted and the need for warmth saw us all check into a motel. It was nice to sleep with the heater on and not many layers, and wake up to a beautiful shower in the morning. Dinner was also at the pub. We celebrated our last dinner together as some of the team will split in the morning as we reach Broken Hill.

Day 14: Fridayâ&#x20AC;Ś.. last "official" day of the trip. 340 kms to reach Broken Hill. We left at 9:00am hoping for a nice smooth ride. It

26 Overland Cruisering

turned out the main highway has sections of sealed and corrugated road all the way to Broken Hill. Still we pushed on hoping to get to Broken Hill no later than 2:00pm.

We did it. Our first stop was Maccas for those hanging out for a feed. Then we headed to Silverton, an Outback town about 25kms out of Broken Hill to have a look at the Mad Max 2 museum.

From then on we said goodbye to Darren, Rachel and Clay as they decided to start their journey home. The rest of us explored Silverton and the lookout quickly and headed back to Broken Hill to find

accommodation for the night. We had a nice shared dinner at the caravan park then off to bed early. Freezing again but heater on all night.

Day 15: In the morning we farewelled our trip leader, Simon and his family, as they left early to head back to Melbourne . It was such an amazing trip. His leadership skills, patience, knowledge and skills all contributed to it being the best trip we have ever been on. I for one always felt safe and confident at all times putting all my trust in Simon. Thank you. We also said good bye to Jeff as he also headed back to Melbourne.

Gabi and I are solo again. We quickly explored Broken Hill and treated ourselves to an amazing coffee and breakfast at a local cafe then on the road again to Mildura to pick up the van - some 300 kms away.

Black clouds cover the sky and it's raining heavily, so cross fingers for a safe hassle free run.

Day 16. Sunday: I loved sleeping back in our caravan.. A warm night, hot shower in the morning. We could hear and feel our caravan being rocked by the wind, but all was good.

We spent at least an hour doing vehicle and van checks to make sure all was good, and started our trip back to Melbourne via Sea Lake (Lake Tyrell) and Daylesford. We made sure we picked up delicious Mildura oranges and mandarins.

Grace & Gabi Azzam (2140)

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12:07 AM

TRIPS

Page 24

C A N N I N G SI TPO C K R O U T E

August 2015 fter much planning and preparation it was time to begin our adventure. It was a quick run from Melbourne to Port Augusta, then up the Stuart Hwy and Tanami Rd to arrive at Wolfe Creek Crater.

We witnessed a lovely sunset lighting up the crater walls. When darkness fell the stars were just incredible.

Day 1 - 214km - Average speed 47.8km/h: Packed up camp at Wolfe Creek Crater and stopped in at Billiluna to find a well-stocked store, easy to obtain fuel (112.8L at $2.60/L) and good quality water. We couldn’t buy any chocolates as it was before noon and as per the community policy, chocolates are not for sale to help the kids eat less sweets. Leaving the community, and with much anticipation, we began our journey south on the Canning Stock Route.

The scenery was stunning; wide plains of grass dotted with white trunked gum trees and red dunes covered in waving spinifex.

Passed Well 51 & 50 (both ruins) to arrive at a stand of desert oaks just north of Well 49 to camp for the night. The sound of the wind through the desert oaks is one of those magical sounds of Outback Australia.

Day 2 - 48km - Average speed 23.8km/h: Well 49 had a recently constructed windlass, so we hauled up some good quality water, did some laundry and topped up our supplies. We walked into Godfrey’s Tank

A

4 Overland Cruisering

over the stony hills and admired the marks left by past explorers carved into the sandstone walls. That night we camped out on the plains to the west of the Breaden Hills to admire the sun setting on the flat topped mesas.

Day 3 - 100km - Average speed 26.2km/h: After a very windy night, we walked up Mount Romilly, then found the plaque where Warburton’s East – West expedition crossed in 1873. We set up camp at Well 46, which had good water and a working windlass with a bucket. After showers we settled around the campfire with a glass of red and admired the stars.

Day 4 - 104km - Average speed 24.7km/h: Today we saw a herd of camels close to the Birds at well 46

track on the way to Wells 45, 44 & 43 (all ruins). It was exciting to tackle the first sand dunes, which had tall white gum trees growing on them. There were many colourful flowers in the swales between the red dunes.

We found the best gear for the dunes was high range 1st, idling over at 1000 – 1200 rpm. Only one dune on the whole stock route required a second attempt.

Day 5 - 92km - Average speed 26.1km/h: The dunes are getting bigger as the distance between them increases! Today we visited Well 42 (ruins) and Well 41, which had a cover and good water for a shower. Our camp was 10km south of Well 41 amongst the shady tea trees.

Day 6 - 110km - Average speed 23.5km/h: The weather is starting to heat up, it got to 32 degrees today. We visited Wells 40, 39, 38 and 37. Camp was just north of Well 37 in a large stand of desert oaks. Tobin’s grave at Well 40 had a marble cross, a heavy load for the camel that transported it. Three graves can be found at Well 37, two stockmen were killed by aboriginals during the first droving trip down the stock route in 1911 and an oil prospector killed by natives in 1922. The dunes are now very cut up on the southern approaches and there are lots of corrugations between the dunes. The rattling shook apart the tail light assembly on the driver’s side; we found it dangling from the wiring!

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Breaden Hills Day 7 - 120km - Average speed 25.3km/h: Revisited Well 37 this morning and watched the Galahs come down to drink.

One would stand guard while the other hopped into the well, then they would swap roles. Saw one other vehicle today and stopped at Wells 36, 35, 34 and 33.

Lots of stands of desert oaks between Wells 37 and 35. The country has changed to stony outcrops, then burnt spinifex plains with lots of corrugations.

The native well at Bungabinni was hard to find, so many footprints in the dust. Drove into Kunawaritji to refuel (132.5L at $3.40/L); well stocked store and good water available. Camped at Well 33 and witnessed a magical sunset behind the windmill.

Day 8 - 128km - Average speed 26.2km/h: Well 32 was just a depression in the sand.

Well 31 (ruin) was in a pretty stand of cabbage gums and would make a good camp.

The terrain today was made up of broken stony sections, slow going. Well 30 was next to a gorgeous stand of bloodwoods, but was a dry ruin. Found a photogenic campsite at Thring Rock and got a few dingo visitors. One dingo was standing about a metre away from my tripod while I was taking star photos over the rock, curiously checking me out.

Day 9 - 106km - Average speed 25.5km/h: Wells 29, 28 and 27 all in ruins, with only bits of metal sheeting to indicate anything was there. Camped at Well 26 (restored) with good water for a shower and replenishing the jerry cans.

Day 10 - 82km - Average speed 28.7km/h: Driving over softer dunes today, one dune needed a couple of attempts to conquer.

Then open rocky country, with small mulga forests and the occasional clay pan.

Visited Wells 25 (with the timber trough frame still standing), 24 (pool of water and flocks of zebra finches) and 23 (shaft still evident). Arrived at Georgia Bore, which has a hand pump to get access to excellent water for laundry, showering and drinking. Strange to camp in sight of other people, but Georgia Bore is a popular spot. Everyone was washing the desert grime out of their clothing!

Day 11 - 100km - Average speed 25.6km/h: Bad corrugations on the way to Wells 22 and 21. The track then follows the shore of Lake Disappointment. Detoured onto a side track to visit Well 20 then 4 Overland Cruisering

returned to Lake Disappointment for an early camp amongst the desert oaks. We felt a bit drained from the corrugations, and enjoyed the rest.

Day 12 - 118km - Average speed 21.3km/h: Crossed Savory Creek and continued on to visit Well 19 (ruins). After crossing the Tropic of Capricorn, we took the track east to Onegunya Rockhole.

Here we checked out a bit of rock art and watched a hawk hunting the zebra finches.

The hawk actually used the confusion we created by being there to swoop down just over our heads and try for a finch.

After returning to the stock route, we visited Well 18, which has a cover and reasonable water, so we stopped for an afternoon shower to freshen up. Stopping for a shower during the middle of the day worked well, the weather was warmer, the car’s engine was nice and warm (we have a heat exchange shower setup under the bonnet which worked a treat) and gave us a nice break from driving. That afternoon we took the track west to the Diebil Hills. It was great to drive along the sandy track with only animal tracks visible in the sand - no one had been out this way for a while.

We camped under a lone gum at the end of the track. Another peaceful campfire under the stars.

Day 13 - 48km - Average speed 22.5km/h: Today we walked in to the Diebil Springs. It wasn’t an easy walk with lots of rock scrambling to reach a very small trickle of water seeping from the base of the cliff.

After returning to the car we visited some caves on our way back to the Stock Route.

We turned south again and continued on to the access track to Killagurra Spring (Well 17). A gate across the track meant it

was back on with the walking shoes for the beautiful walk up the gorge to the spring and to view the impressive rock art close by. Continued on to Durba Springs where we set up camp on the grass beside a waterhole. Now we understand why people rave about this place, it’s a great spot for a two or three night stay to rest up and explore this beautiful area.

Day 14 - 5km – Walking: After a sleep-in it was time to explore the gorge. We walked along admiring the red cliffs above, then started the rock scramble up to a tannin stained, very inviting rock hole. After soaking our feet, we continued up the branching gorge to eventually climb up to the top of the escarpment, where a large, noisy flock of ravens swooped down to check us out. We admired the curling bark of the Red Mulga trees growing along the sides of the gorge. We retraced our path to the rock hole for a very refreshing swim as the weather was quite warm. We lingered for some time, soaking up the quiet beauty of this magical spot. We eventually dragged ourselves away and started the tricky descent along the rocky gorge back to camp for happy hour.

Day 15 - 147km - Average speed 25.5km/h: Rose early and enjoyed an amazing, colourful sunrise. Drove to the short but steep walk up to Canning’s Cairn, to admire the sweeping views of the surrounding plains. We continued on to Well 16 (ruins) and Well 15 (lid and windlass, but no bucket), Well 14 and 13 (both ruins) to arrive at the newly restored Well 12. We set up camp under the desert oaks, had a shower and admired the birds flitting around. A few drops of rain fell overnight, our first since driving through Adelaide a couple of weeks ago.

Denise at well 49

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Day 16 - 131km - Average speed 26.1km/h: Cooler day with the passing front last night and a southerly wind. We passed Lake Aerodrome, crossed our last sand dune (with a tinge of sadness) and endured more corrugations on the way to Well 11, where we encountered dozens of zebra finches coming into drink. These finches weren’t as flighty as at the other wells, so you could get fairly close for some decent photos. That is, until a flock of Galahs arrived. On to Well 10 (ruins), then Well 9 for lunch and a stroll around the well, Glen-Ayle Station stockyards and the remains of Forrest’s Fort. The stockyard had some ingenious one way gates for the cattle to access the water trough.

We surmised this was designed to keep the camels out. Continued past Wells 8 and 7 (both ruins) to arrive at Pierre Spring (Well 6) a virtual oasis of shady white gums, where we set up camp. Well 6 has been restored, complete with whip pole so you can see how the water collection worked.

Day 17 - 132km - Average speed 29.8km/h: Just after leaving Well 6 on the track south, you drive through a wonderful stand of large grass trees. Well 5 is fully restored, very deep, with a stainless steel bucket to retrieve the clear water. Visited Wells 4B (ruins) and stopped for lunch at Windich Springs for a walk around the gorgeous waterhole surrounded by white gums. Lots of nesting Corellas, Twenty

Eights and Galahs in the hollow limbs.

Passed Well 4A, which had a unique whip pole carved out of a tree trunk, Well 3A (ruins) and camped at Well 3, which has been restored, but the water had an unpleasant smell.

Day 18 - 142km - Average speed 35.2km/h: Dropped in at Well 2A (Granites) and stopped at Well 2 to read the newly erected information display, which had the following poignant quote: “Like the hundreds of thousands of Indigenous custodians from long ago and from now, like Canning and Forrest, like the drovers who made it a stock route, the pastoralists who made it pastoral country, and the adventurers who made it one of the toughest four-wheel-drive journeys, each has followed a map, left a trace, made and re-made a story. And, so, of course, do you.”

And with that, it was onto the Wiluna Rd and the flag lowering ceremony - sand flag that is. Dropped into Well 1 then headed into Wiluna to refuel. Camped at North Pool (on green grass!) where we bird watched during happy hour. We were thrilled to see lots of nesting birds, including four baby budgies close to our camp.

On the way down to Kalgoorlie we made a detour out to Lake Ballard, west of Menzies. In the middle of the salt lake is an art installation of stick figure sculptures.

They looked incredible against the stormy sky, and I returned later to photograph

them in the light of the full moon.

Other Information: We decided to drive the Canning Stock Route from north to south for a number of reasons. We would get into the warmer weather of northern Australia sooner; we hoped the warm weather would follow us south; and the sun would be behind us on most of our driving days, instead of beating through the windscreen all day. It also seems that less vehicles drive from north to south, so the dunes are less chewed up when you approach them from the north.

Billiluna to Kunawaritji 731.8 km used 132L of Diesel 18.1L/100km Kunawaritji to Wiluna 1166.5 km used 201L Diesel 17.25L/100km I carried 250 Litres of Fuel & 100 Litres of Water.

On bad corrugations I kept my speed to about 15 km/h.

Sand dunes mostly high range 1st gear.

Good water easy to obtain from Wells 49, 46, 33, 26, Georgia Bore, 12, 6 and 5.

Billiluna and Kunawaritji also have good drinking water available at no cost.

Shower water Wells 41, 18 and 3.

Brad & Denise Riddington (2694) 4.2L GU Patrol

DANDENONG 25 Frankston-Dandenong Rd FAWKNER 1074 Sydney Rd FRANKSTON 138 Beach St GEELONG 25 West Fyans St Newtown HOPPERS CROSSING Hoppers Crossing Homemakers Centre Shop 4, 428 Old Geelong Rd LILYDALE 43 Cave Hill Rd MENTONE B6, 27-29 Nepean Highway MILDURA 846 Fifteenth St SWAN HILL 10 Rutherford St WANTIRNA Cnr. Boronia Rd & Wantirna Rd WARRNAMBOOL 25 Walsh Rd 30 Overland Cruisering

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12:12 AM

PRODUCTS

Page 31

OME HIGH PERFORMANC BYPASS SHOCK ABSORBERS ARBs revolutionary suspension system from OME… BP–51 high performance shock absorbers bring racing technology to everyday applications.

BP-51 (bypass 51mm diameter bore) shock absorbers feature revolutionary

technology developed to deliver unparalleled on and off road performance.

Developed and tested extensively in some of Australia’s most rugged environments, these big bore, position sensitive bypass shock absorbers with remote reservoir are designed to be fitted without any need for vehicle modification, combining considerable ride comfort around town with significant amounts of end-zone damping for exceptional chassis control and handling off road.

In addition to the velocity sensitive damping used in most shock absorbers, where the faster the piston moves, the higher the level of damping is generated, BP-51 shock absorbers also generate damping dependent on the position of the piston within the shock absorber’s body via their bypass design.

This results in an ability for the shock absorber to provide the best of both worlds, with a comfortable and compliant ride during normal driving and amore controlled ride over challenging terrain. With greater levels of damping generated at each end of the stroke, the piston slows as it approaches full compression and extension, preventing harsh topping out against the bump stop and allowing larger bumps and corrugations to be absorbed more easily.

Further to this, damping performance is easily adjustable across a wide range in both rebound and compression, allowing the user to alter the vehicle’s ride performance to cater for different road conditions and vehicle loading scenarios.

The body, reservoir and components are

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Designed, developed and tested entirely by ARB’s team of Old Man Emu Ride Engineers, all BP-51 shock absorbers are manufactured in-house by ARB. In order to achieve this, significant investment has been made in state of the art machinery and hard anodising equipment, allowing ARB total control of the manufacturing process to ensure the highest possible quality.

Applications include Toyota 200 Series and HiLux 2005+ with other applications to be rolled out in 2015.

Key Features • Bypass technology with remote reservoir • Vehicle specific applications • Independently adjustable for both rebound and compression • Hard anodised, aircraft grade (6061 T6) aluminium body, reservoir and components • Adjustable spring preload/ride height adjustment • High pressure nitrogen reservoir with aluminium, anodised floating piston • 19mm hard chromed ground shaft with impact resistant, replaceable shaft guard • Dash 6 high temperature Teflon hose with high flow fittings • Large Teflon lined spherical bearings on coil over applications • Designed, developed and manufactured

by ARB

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YA R C K

Page 32

BUSHFIRE PLAN

The Toyota Land Cruiser Club does not recommend a “Stay and Defend” plan.

Infrastructure on the property can be replaced.

FIRE DANGER PERIOD [November – May] It is members’ responsibility to listen to radio news reports each evening during the Fire Danger Period for advice on the possibility of fires. Also be up to date with any declaration of Total Fire Ban Days.

Yarck is in the NORTH CENTRAL FIRE BAN DISTRICT-149 Rennies Lane, GOBUR It is recommended that members leave the property the day before a declared Total Fire Ban day or very early in the morning of a Total Fire Ban day Members should not go to the property during any Total Fire Ban day.

EVACUATION Those present will select one person from their number to take charge, The issue of evacuation during an emergency must be addressed early in the planning.

Evacuation can be extremely dangerous unless it takes place well in advance of the fire hazard entering the general area of the camp. Roads may be blocked with fallen timber and visibility reduced by thick smoke.

Increased pressures on emergency services may make it difficult for them to render assistance.

Evacuation should only be done via the main access track to Rennies Lane and the Gobur –Yarck Road.

REFUGE There are NO bushfire proof shelters on the property.

If a fire incident occurs and members cannot leave the property, then the Hut could possibly be used as a “safer place” to provide protection from radiant heat. It should be made as fire safe as is practical.

Wet towels to be placed under doors to prevent embers entering.

There is running water inside; there are knapsacks and fire extinguishers.

Other equipment to have on hand should include.

A battery operated am/fm radio and P2 filter masks.

UHF radios left on – mobile phones – torches – first aid kits – drinking fluids.

Clothing - it is advisable to have long trousers, long sleeved shirt and sturdy footwear. Gloves and hat are also useful.

The wearing of shorts, dresses, thongs or any synthetic fabrics is totally unsuitable.

Be prepared for smoke and embers that may enter the building. After the fire front has passed check outside and extinguish any burning embers or fires around the hut.

All vehicles should be parked on bare ground, facing towards the exit with all doors and windows closed and keys in

the ignition. DO NOT BLOCK OFF ANY ACCESS TRACKS. Alarm, A distinctive alarm signal should be used, a simple manual device such as the triangle hanging in the tree outside the hut or the electronic device near the radios in the hut.

Panic. This is something that can well be done without. Anyone showing signs of panic should be kept under some form of supervision, and provided with reassurance and prevented from doing anything rash.

COMMUNICATION and CONTACTS • Phone: 1800 240 667 for Bushfire information.

• 000 only to report a fire.

• Alexandra Fire Station Phone 0357721855 • Yarck Fire Captain Phone 0357734334.

Mobile: 0439 656 913.

• ABC radio AM band 774 • Local Radio Station (Alexandra) UGFM 106.9 (an official emergency broadcaster) • GPS coordinates (six figure grid) of the Hilton.

• Websites www.abc.net.au\emergency www.cfa.vic.gov.au A Bushfire Survival Kit is located on the notice board behind the hut door.

It is available for members to read and return it.

MEMBER SERVICES DIRECTORY

miles.ppm@bigpond.com

ELTHAM TIMBER & HARDWARE P/L

ROB DEYLEN (1622) MANAGING DIRECTOR Mobile: 0409 305 534 1175 - 1181 Main Road, Eltham Vic. 3095 Phone: 9439 5533 (All Hours) Fax: 9431 1762

32 Overland Cruisering

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9/3/15

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Part 1 Oct

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12:14 AM

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