July 2014 tlccv magazine

TLCCV Cover JULY 2014

7/7/14

5:25 PM

Page 1

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

A0005442c

INSIDE > Jordon Valley Loop Working Bee > May-June Awareness Report > Explore Australia Expo > Big Desert 4WD Trailer Trip > 2013-2014 Annual Reports

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

July

2014

www.tlccv.com.au

Guest 4WD service centre has been established since 1961 with extensive expe operating 4WD tours to some of Australia’s roughest and remotest areas. As well as general servicing and vehicle modifications, we pride ourselves on pre-trip preparation and suspension modifications to ensure customers have a trouble free 4WD adventure.

Extensive showroom

With decades and millions of kilometres of 4WD experience, we only stock the best quality accessories in our new showroom - at the best prices.

Services • 4WD service and tuning • Pre-trip inspection and advice • Suspension modification and kits • Transmission and diff repair • Pre-purchase inspection • Clutch and brake repair • 4WD tyres and wheel alignment • Dual and triple battery kits • Turbo & intercooler kits Products • Engel & Waeco 12 volt fridge freezers • Piranha off road distributors • ARB accessories • TJM accessories • Kaymar step bars and wheel carriers • Black widow storage systems • Cooper and BF Goodrich Tyres • Roof Racks • Rhino Racks • Long range fuel tanks • Electronic parking aids • Tyre repair kits • T-Van Camper trailer hire • Air compressors • 4WD maps and books • Shower units - hot and cold • Optima batteries • Lightforce, IPF, Cibie & Hella lights • HID head and drive lights • Recovery kits • 4WD tours • Safari snorkels • GME UHF radio and antennae • GPS and EPIRB • In car TV/DVD and Sat navigation

194 Grange Rd, Fairfield, Victoria 3078 Ph: (03) 9497 3899 Fax: (03) 9497 3155 email: info@guest4wd.com.au website: www.guest4wd.com.au

Part 1 July

7/7/14

7:32 AM

Page 1

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

JJ UU LY LY CONTENTS

22 00 11 44

VOLUME 42

No.10

Club Information

1

Committee 2013-2014

2

Annual General Meeting

3

Calendar/Coming Events

5

Over the Next Hill

7

Explore Australia Expo

13

Then & Back Trip Report

19

May Driver Awareness Report

21

Jordon Valley Loop Working Bee

21

Big Desert 4WD Trailer Trip

23

Social Night

26

June Driver Awareness Report

27

Latest ARB Products

28

2013-14 Annual Reports

29

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

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: $145.00 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

A0005442c

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

INSIDE > Jordon Valley Loop Working Bee > May-June Awareness Report > Social Night > Big Desert 4WD Trailer Trip > 2013-2014 Annual Reports

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

July

2014

www.tlccv.com.au

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.

Overland Cruisering 1

Part 1 July

6/7/14

11:41 PM

Page 2

COMMITTEE

2013 - 2014

President Ian Ross president1@tlccv.com.au

Driver Training John MIlls: driverawareness@tlccv.com.au * Driver Training Course bookings * Awareness Course certificates

Vice President Eric Bishop president2@tlccv.com.au

Yarck Management Brian Stewart yarckmanage@tlccv.com.au

Emergency Response Coordinator Bruce Fullard tlccrg@tlccv.com.au

Magazine Distribution Russell & Lesley Edwards finerprint@bigpond.com

Raffles & Supper Gabi & Grace Azzam Karen Wade

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

Club Shop Graham Cahill

Secretary Sandra Tanner secretary1@tlccv.com.au

Assistant Secretary Alan McMeekin secretary2@tlccv.com.au

Treasurer Matt Parrott treasurer1@tlccv.com.au

Technical Brett Dyson

Committee Liz Mills committee1@tlccv.com.au Committee Russell Edwards committee2@tlccv.com.au Magazine Editor Sandra Tanner: Advertising Sandra Tanner

editor1@tlccv.com.au

advertising@tlccv.com.au

clubshop@tlccv.com.au

Sergeant-At-Arms Russell Edwards finerprint@bigpond.com

technical@tlccv.com.au

Training Eric Bishop training@tlccv.com.au • Club training courses co-ordinator Special Events

Assistant Treasurer Adriano Denni treasurer2@tlccv.com.au

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

Social Coordinator Helen & Rebecca social@tlccv.com.au * Book for participation in social events Visitor Greeters Carol & Greg Edmunds

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

Cruiserkhana enquiries@cruiserkhana.com.au

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

GEELONG BRANCH

Librarian library@tlccv.com.au * Borrow DVDs & books * Contributions to the Library FWDV Delegate fwdvdelegate@tlccv.com.au Tony Bryant Webmaster Laurie Miles

webmaster@tlccv.com.au

President Matt McPhee

geelong@tlccv.com.au

Vice President Matt Lilley Secretary Jennie Harvie

secretary1@tlccv.com.au

Social Judith Williams

Excursion Visits Coordinator excursions@tlccv.com.au

activities@tlccv.com.au Activities Coordinator Ian Ross

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.aau

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.

A R E Y O U R M E M B E R S H I P D E TA I L S C U R R E N T ?

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.

2 Overland Cruisering

Part 1 July

6/7/14

11:42 PM

NOTICE

Page 3

NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Notice is hereby given that the Annual General Meeting of the Toyota Land Cruiser Club of Australia (Victoria) Inc. will be held on Tuesday 15th July, 2014 at The Mulgrave Country Club, Cnr. Wellington & Jells Road, Wheelers Hill at 7:30 pm.

BUSINESS OF THE MEETING WILL BE: 1.

Confirm the Minutes of the previous Annual General Meeting.

2.

Receive the President’s report.

3.

Receive the Treasurer’s report.

4.

Receive other sub Committee reports.

5.

To elect Life Members if so nominated and/or Honorary Members.

6.

To elect Officers (4) Assistant Officers (2) and Ordinary Members (2) of the Committee.

7.

To present the Awards for the year.

8.

Any other business of which due notice has been given.

By order of the Committee.

Sandra Tanner Honorary Secretary.

AGENDA • • • • • • • •

• • • • • • •

OPEN APOLOGIES LIFE / HONORARY MEMBERS AND PAST PRESIDENTS IN ATTENDANCE MINUTES OF PREVIOUS AGM HELD TUESDAY 20th AUGUST, 2013 Matters arising TREASURER’S REPORT Motion for Auditor ANNUAL REPORT – PRESIDENT. Refer magazine for all others (Executive & sub Committees) ANNUAL TLCCV AWARDS VAL McGURGAN AWARD is awarded to the Club member – new or old, male or female – who achieves the most they possibly can out of the Club. This person shows great enthusiasm & support for their Club. This award is usually presented by Frank McGurgan in memory of his wife Val. The words “Joy of Being” are on this award.

BEST CLUB WOMAN is awarded to the woman who displays a high level of Club involvement and is a great team player with in the Club.

BEST CLUB MAN is awarded to the man who displays a high level of Club involvement and is a great team player within the Club.

TRIP LEADER AWARD is presented to the member(s) who ran the most trips during the past year.

JOHN WHITNEY PHOTOGRAPHIC AWARD (judged by the Life Members) is presented to the member who enters the best photo from a TLCC Club trip.

BEST JUNIOR CLUB PERSON GENERAL BUSINESS COMMITTEE ELECTIONS -

• • • • • • • •

President introduces Returning Officer.

President seeks a mover and seconder to accept as the Returning Officer President declares all positions vacant Returning Officer runs nominators presentation – each has two minutes Explains voting procedure Explains preference voting system Explains how we handle votes on a person who has nominated for more than one position Membership votes Returning Officer hands back to President to suspend AGM and run the General Meeting.

SUSPEND AGM OPEN GENERAL MEETING CLOSE GENERAL MEETING PRESIDENT RE-OPENS AGM AND HANDS TO RETURNING OFFICER RETURNING OFFICER GIVES VOTING RESULTS PRIOR PRESIDENT HANDS BADGE OF OFFICE OVER TO NEW PRESIDENT NEW PRESIDENT ACCEPTS ON BEHALF OF THE NEW COMMITTEE NEW PRESIDENT CLOSES MEETING.

The following nominations have been received for the 2014-2015 Executive Committee: President Ian Ross and Laurie Miles Vice President Adriano Denni Secretary Sandra Tanner Assistant Secretary Ian Wells Treasurer Alan McMeekin Assistant Treasurer Steve de Mamiel Committee x 2 Russell Edwards, Simon Mustey, Adam Takacs

4 Overland Cruisering

Overland Cruisering 3

Part 1 July

6/7/14

11:43 PM

Page 4

Part 1 July

6/7/14

11:44 PM

SOCIAL

Page 5

CALENDAR FOR 2014

Christmas in July Lunch at Fergusson Winery

Blues Train Evening at Queenscliff – Bookings closed

Entertainment Books 2014/2015

Saturday 26th July, 2014 at 12 noon.

Meet at venue, Wills Road, Yarra Glen (Mel. map ref. 267.G1) www.fergussonwinery.com.au Relax and indulge in the rustic restaurant overlooking the vineyard. Cost $60.00 per person for three courses – drinks extra.

Advise Helen or Rebecca if you wish to attend by email on social@tlccv.com.au or see us at the May and June Club meetings.

Note: Entertainment Book voucher F28 is valid for wine purchases at the cellar door (25% off the regular price).See voucher for further details.

Saturday 13th September, 2014.

Meet at venue: 20 Symonds Street, Queenscliff. (Mel. Map ref. 486.K11 or bottom of map 499.G9) Gates open at 6:15 pm. Event starts at 6:45 pm. Train departs at 8:00 pm.

Event concludes around 11:15 pm.

Dress code: warm clothing, neat casual, appropriate footwear to be worn at all times.

Blues Train evening consists of a meal at the historic Queenscliff Railway Station followed by a musical journey on a moving steam train.

There are only a few books left, which will be available at the July Club meeting.

This publication is very popular and offers worthwhile discounts on a vast range of services, products, travel and entertainment – just to name a few.

Don’t miss out! Only $65.00. Come and see Social Coordinators Helen or Rebecca after the meeting to obtain your copy.

CALENDAR July 26th July 26th & 27th August 2nd & 3rd August 9th August 12th August 30th & 31st September 7th – 16th September 9th September 13th Sept. 22nd – 3rd Oct. September 27th & 28th

COMING TRIPS Christmas in July lunch at Fergussons Winery DA Practical weekend Mt Skene Snow trip Chocolate Indulgence Tour Yarck Management and DA Theory DA Practical weekend Flinders Ranges Spectacular trip Yarck Management and DA Theory Blues Train Evening Extended Simpson Desert trip 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.

October 1st – 20th October 8th & 9th October 14th Oct. 31st – Nov. 4th Oct. 31st – Nov. 4th November 1st & 2nd November 8th & 9th November 11th November 15th

November 29th & 30th

Great Australian Bight & Nullabor Plain Little Desert Splendor trip Yarck Management and DA Theory Portland Sand Dunes – Melb. Cup w/end Robe, SA – Melb. Cup w/end Yarck & Surrounds DA Practical weekend Yarck Management and DA Theory Living Legends (home of retired champion racehorses), Greenvale Picnic & Tour DA Practical weekend

hastingscamping@gmail.com 4 Overland Cruisering

Overland Cruisering 5

Advertisements 2014

11/6/14

2:13 PM

Page 2

over the Hill July

7/7/14

7:36 AM

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

Page 1

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 applica-tions 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 www.parkweb.vic.gov.au/1process_content.cfm?main=9&page=2.

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

Overnight:

Details:

Trip Leaders: SEPTEMBER Date: Meeting Place: Time: Limit: Standard: Fuel: Radio: quipment:

MT SKENE SNOW TRIP - Trip Full Saturday 2nd & Sunday 3rd August, 2014 Jamieson 8:00 am 20 vehicles Medium Full tank/s from Mansfield (full tank of Alpine fuel required for diesels) 15 UHF Genuine all/mud terrain tyres with minimum 50% tread (road biased tyres not acceptable), recovery points front & rear, full recovery equipment, suitable cold/wet weather clothes, UHF radio, compressor & tyre gauge, shovel, emergency sleeping bag, water & food. No trailers, pets or firearms.

Jamieson Courthouse Hotel - 5777 0503.

Costs: Queen rooms $80 per night, shared bunk rooms $40 per person per night. When you are accepted on the trip, please contact the Jamieson Hotel directly to reserve a room & mention you are part of the TLCCV. The hotel is holding 30 beds for us. Bookings need to be made as soon as you have been accepted onto the trip, and most members will be staying both Friday & Saturday nights. Of course you may arrange alternative accommodation.

A large, exciting & family friendly weekend trip to Mt Skene to experience some of the best snow driving in Victoria. We will be based at the Jamieson Hotel from where we will travel up to Mt Skene to drive in the snow, have some fun and then return to the pub and socialise. New members are encouraged to come along and vehicles will be split into two groups with two trips run concurrently to ensure that the large number of vehicles run smoothly.

Simon Mustey & Adam Takacs: Email: adam@insightproperty.com.au

Trip Leader:

FLINDERS RANGES SPECTACULAR - Wait List Only Sunday 7th - Tuesday 16th September, 2014 Peterborough, S.A 1:00 pm.

8 vehicles (new members most welcome) Medium - some tracks may require low range. Vehicles need to be set up for outback touring.

Full tanks Peterborough. Minimum fuel range 500 km.

15 UHF All terrain tyres only with 50% tread or better, extra spare tyre (preferably a wheel), in addition to spare wheel, tools, spare shock absorbers, standard recovery gear, compressor & tyre gauge, water (minimum 5 days) & supplies.

Further details & a briefing will be provided prior to departure.

Primarily bush camping. Basic facilities provided at station & park campgrounds.

Explore the stunning Flinders Ranges. Visit Mt Remarkable, Carinya, Bartagunyah, Willow Waters, Willow Springs stations & Wilpena & Arkaroola. Drive Buckaringa, Parachilna, Brachina & Chambers gorges & many others. Take on the famous Skytrek & numerous other 4WD tracks. There will be many other places of interest along the way.

Note: No pets or firearms permitted on this trip. Trailers: please contact trip leader.

Ian Wells: Email: ianwells@acslink.net.au

SEPT/OCT Date: Meeting Place: Time: Limit:

EXTENDED SIMPSON DESERT TRIP Monday 22nd September - Friday 3rd October, 2014 Coober Pedy 8:00 am 6 vehicles

Overnight: Details:

Overland Cruisering 7

over the Hill July

7/7/14

5:33 PM

Page 2

CALENDAR

Standard: Fuel: Radio: Equipment:

Overnight: Details:

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

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

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

Medium Minimum of 850 km range 4WDing/long range tank recommended.

UHF in car with additional hand held recommended.

Genuine all/mud terrain tyres with minimum 50% tread with 2nd spare tyre, recovery points front & rear, full recovery equipment, food/water/supplies for a minimum of 6 days, compressor & tyre gauge, shovel. Vehicles need to be set up for touring with appropriate suspension/spares, etc. Limited restocking available during the trip. Sand flag. No trailers.

Predominately bush camping with no facilities.

An extended school holiday trip to explore the Simpson Desert & surrounding areas, finishing north of Broken Hill.

Trip highlights to include Dalhousie Springs/Simpson Desert/Birdsville/Dig Tree/Innaminka/Camerons Corner & Sturt National Park. Track conditions will determine final route. SA Desert Parks pass required, potential overnight stay on private station.

Adam & Olivia Takacs: Email: adam@insightproperty.com.au GREAT AUSTRALIAN BIGHT & NULLABOR PLAIN Wednesday 1st October (depart Ceduna - Monday 20th October (return Melbourne) TBA TBA 8 vehicles. No trailers. No pets or firearms.

Moderate to difficult, depending on weather and conditions.

Fill tanks at Ceduna & as required thereafter. No need for jerry cans.

Various - 15 & 40 UHF Good off-road tyres, standard recovery gear, compressor & tyre gauge, vehicle spares & tools, sand flag, camping equipment, water & supplies. Further details at pre-trip meeting.

Bush camping plus caravan parks or similar.\ This trip commences in Ceduna & comprises an East-West crossing of the Great Australian Bight initially following the Eyre Highway (with diversions along the way) & then the beach & cliff-tops tracks between Eucla & Esperance.

The return trip commences in Kalgoorlie & follows portions of the Trans Australia Railway line & the old Eyre H’way.

Side trips include a tour of Maralinga (site of atomic testing in the 1950s) & a drive up Goog’s Track. Points of interest include beautiful beaches, largest sand dunes in Australia, Eyre Bird Observatory, remnants of Overland Telegraph Line, possible sightings of whales, seals or penguins, Nullabor Plain, caves, etc. Depending on conditions, difficulties & possible risks include soft sand, tides, seaweed, quicksand, rough overgrown tracks & ‘scratchadora’ shrubs. Costs will include permits, camping fees & tour fees for Maralinga. More information at pretrip meeting.

Don Bryant: Email dbryant@bigpond.net.au LITTLE DESERT SPLENDOUR Wednesday 8th & Thursday 9th October, 2014 Frances, S.A 8:30 am S.A time on Wednesday 8th 8 vehicles Easy - medium (if wet) Full tanks prior to departure.

15 UHF All terrain tyres, appropriate front & rear recovery points, basic recovery gear (snatch strap, 2 rated shackles & gloves), compressor & tyre gauge.

Full camping equipmnent required. Established bush campsites to be utilised. Trip is suitable for off road camper trailers.

Enjoy the wildflower & fauna splendour of the Victorian Little Desert. Wednesday we enter the western part of the Little Deseert then north to Mt Moffat before entering the central block for an overnight bush camp. Thursday we travel through the central & remote eastern sections of the National Park before exiting near Dimboola where the trip ends.

Ian Wells. Email: ianwells@acslink.net.au

YARCK AND SURROUNDS Saturday 1st & Sunday 2nd November, 2014 Yarck Hilton 10:30 am 10 vehicles Medium - medium/hard if wet.

Full tanks prior to arrival at the property 15 UHF Basic recovery equipmkent including a snatch strap, closed recovery points front & rear, shovel, air compressor for tyre inflation.

8 Overland Cruisering

over the Hill July

7/7/14

5:20 PM

Page 3

CALENDAR

Overnight: Details:

Trip Leader: OCT/NOV. Date: Meeting Place: Time: Limit: Standard: Fuel: Radio: Equipment: Overnight: Details:

Trip Leader: OCT/NOV. Date: Meeting Place: Time: Limit: Standard: Fuel: Radio: Equipment: Overnight: Details:

Trip Leaders:

Camping at the Club’s Yarck property.

Join us for a tour around the tracks at the Yarck property, re-acquaint yourself with some of the lesser used tracks & see what the property has to offer. Great trip for beginners to intermediate. Saturday night relax by the fire with food, drinks & good company. Sunday morning we will head off the property to explore Mt Stirling, Craigs Hut, Pineapple Flat & the surrounding areas. The official trip will end Sunday afternoon for those who have to work Monday, but you are welcome to stay on & relax till Tuesday.

Matt Lilley. Email: mattlilley@bigpond.com PORTLAND SAND DUNES - Melbourne Cup weekend Friday 31st October - Tuesday 4th November, 2014 Swan Lake Camping area (maps supplied for participants) 9:00 am 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@bidpond.com ROBE, S.A. - Melbourne Cup weekend Friday 31st October - Tuesday 4th November, 2014 TBA TBA 12 vehicles Medium - hard.

Full tank from Robe 15 UHF Standard recovery gear, compressor, tyre gauge, sand flag, shovel, rated recovery points.

Lakeside Tourist Park where attendees can make their own bookings. Email: www.lakesiderobe.com.au Travel the Millicent Buggy Club sand dunes, drive along the spectacular South Australian coastline. An excellent trip for new members to gain experience or for those who just enjoy sand driving with beautiful views for the camera lovers & fun for the children to go sliding down the dunes. Saturday night dinner at one of the local pubs. The Tourist Park has an excellent kitchen area with BBQs and cooking facilities. BYO everything, but there are plenty of facilities to purchase extra supplies.

Brian & Sandra Tanner: Email: sbtanner@bigpond.com

This space could feature your business card.

Contact the Editor for inclusion in TLCCV Business Directory

4 Overland Cruisering

Overland Cruisering 9

Part 1 July

6/7/14

11:45 PM

Page 6

Part 1 July

6/7/14

11:48 PM

SITE VISIT

Page 7

H I G HIWP A Y T Y R E S

A site visit to Highway Tyres, Doveton Friday 22nd August, 2014 with a starting time between 5:30 & 6:00 pm.

It will take about 60–90 minutes.

Please contact Russell Edwards on committee2@tlccv.com.au If you advise that you will be attending, please turn up or let Russell know if you are unable to come.

If enough members are interested, a pub dinner prior can be organised.

T h e

NEWS

A L P I N E P A R K S PI LP A N R E L E A S E D

PARKS VICTORIA

R E L E A S E O F G R E AT E R A L P I N E N AT I O N A L PARKS FRAFT MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR COMMENT Greater Alpine National Parks Draft Management Plan is now released for public comment.

Comments are invited on the draft management plan, which outlines a fifteen year vision and strategic focus for the management of over 900,000 hectares of parks and historic areas in eastern Victoria, including Alpine, Baw Baw, Mount Buffalo, Errinundra and Snowy River National Parks, Avon Wilderness Park, Tara Range Park and Walhalla and four other historic areas.

The plan will guide future management of these important areas. Key elements include fire management, managing pest animals and weeds, and maintaining and improving opportunities for tourism and recreation. The draft plan also highlights the need to work with the community, particularly the many groups and individuals who have long held connections with the area, to deal with these challenges.

The draft plan was developed with advice from the Alpine Advisory Committee and significant public input, including community open house meetings and on-

NEW FEES FOR CAMPING IN V I C T O R I A’ S PA R K S AND RESERVES

Increased fees for camping in Victoria’s national, state and coastal parks and reserves will apply from 1st July, the Minister for Environment and Climate Change, Ryan Smith has announced.

Funds received will be used by Parks Victoria to better maintain campsites across the State.

The announcement follows the Ministers release in October 2013 of a regulatory impact statement on proposed fees and a consultation period to gain feedback from the community.

Victoria’s 680 campgrounds in parks and reserves are wonderful assets for our state, however they cost a significant amount of money to operate and maintain

each year. These costs need to be recovered so that we can continue to maintain facilities and services to an appropriate standard.

The new user-pays approach applies to 195 of Victoria’s campsites in national, state and coastal parks and reserves. New fees are based on the level of facilities and service at a particular site.

From 1st July, Parks Victoria will also have a new online booking system allowing campers to book, pay and access information about available campsites more easily.

The new approach now includes concessions for school groups and means-tested concession card holders. There are also

TRADING POST FOR SALE: Prado 2003 GXL, petrol, automatic, VS 4.0L – long range fuel tanks, traction control, cruise control, bull bar, tow bar, snorkel, spot lights, new heavy duty battery, UHF radio, in-built 6-stack CD player, 3rd row seats, genuine 170,000 kms, Reg. no. SKK-706. $21,000.00 negotiable.

Contact: Slawko Kulyk or Rebecca (2270) Mobile: 0417 354 014 Mobile: 0409 351 504 line engagement. I encourage interested individuals and groups to contribute to planning for the future of these important areas.

Written submissions can be sent to Brian Doolan, Manager, Park Planning and Procedures, Parks Victoria, Level 10, 535 Bourke Street, Melbourne, Vic 3000 or emailed to alpsplan@parks.vic.gov.au by Monday 25th August, 2014. All submissions will be carefully considered in finalizing the plan.

For further information refer to the complementary Review of information and issues document, which is available to download with the plan at http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/alpsplan. Printed copies of the plan may be obtained from the Parks Victoria Information Centre on 13 19 63.

David Nugent Acting General Manager Environment and Heritage

shoulder seasons in addition to the peak and off-peak periods. More information is available at www.depi.vic.gov.au/camping Background Management of camping and accommodation in Victoria’s national and state parks Parks Victoria, on behalf of the Department of Environment and Primary Industries, manages Victoria’s parks and reserves. Camping and accommodation is provided in 133 parks and reserves across Victoria and includes approximately 680 campgrounds together with many dispersed camping sites. It is estimated that there are more than 2.2 million overnight stays in Victoria’s national parks each year. This represents nearly 7% of all visits to national parks annually.

Why a fee increase?

At present, the total annual cost of delivering camping and accommodation facilities and services within Victoria’s national and other parks is estimated to average $17.8 million over the next ten years. However, only $6.5 million is currently collected in revenue from user fees and charges. The estimated shortfall of $11.3 million is not sustainable.

4 Overland Cruisering

Overland Cruisering 11

6 Overland Cruisering

Overland Cruisering 5

Part 1 July

6/7/14

11:49 PM

Page 8

TERRAIN TAMER parts are proudly designed and developed in Melbourne by a team with decades of engineering experience.They are produced in partnership with the world’s leading manufacturers, such as this modified input gear for the LandCruiser that we manufacture in Japan. Talk fluent 4WD with us on 1300 888 444 or visit terraintamer.com

YOU’RE IN SAFE HANDS.

TT

COLLECT i dd

/

/

PM

Part 1 July

6/7/14

11:55 PM

Page 9

SPECIAL EVENTS he inaugural Explore Australia Expo was held at the Melbourne showgrounds for 3 days in June.

From a club perspective the Show was very successful, and certainly from the crowds, and packed spectator arena events I think show organisers would have been very pleased with the outcome.

For TLCCV it was the first use of a brilliant new marque and club teardrop flags, supplied courtesy of Toyota Australia to our Club. The highly visible black marque with large Toyota logos was hard to miss, and the black “LandCruiser Country” flags that we placed around the perimeter of our stand made for a very professional presentation and display. While only two other 4WD Clubs were in attendance, our display certainly outclassed all comers in the ‘Opposite Lock 4WD Club Corner’.

Thursday afternoon, Brian and Sandra arrived, and with strong support from David Manz and Jeff Gazzard soon had the marque erected for the first time. David had clearly done this before and it wasn’t too difficult at all.

Jeff Gazzard brought tables and display material and we were just about ready for the Show opening on Friday. Later in the day Russell and Lesley Edwards arrived with Eric Bishop’s restored/modified shortie which took pride of place on the display.

We had a good site, with most of the crowd having to pass us to get to the main pavilion, and with a large lawned area the display looked outstanding.

But more was to come and the

4x4 EXPO JUNE 2014

T

crowning touch was the erection of Graeme Cahill’s Pigspit stove, and rustic logs placed around it. The fire acted as a drawcard as the weather was brisk - to cold - and many stopped bye for a warm. Even member No 1 - Graeme Wilson - stopped byon Saturday, with a purchase that he knew his good wife would have vetoed! We won’t tell Graeme!

Russell and Lesley manned the stand all Friday, along with ‘Happy Camper’ Graeme, Saturday saw a large number of members with Sandra and Brian, Graeme, Alex Denni, Russell and Lesley in for the entire weekend. Others put in valuable time including David Miles and Luke, Tony and Barb Bryant, Angella & Leigh Di Lallo, the Edmunds, and others who I apologise in advance for forgetting!

Overland Cruisering 13

Part 1 July

6/7/14

11:57 PM

Page 10

Over the course of the weekend many people spoke to our members and Sandra signed up four new members. Two couples were from the Geelong area, including one from Cobden in the States south west. It was great to see such interest in our club from people from far a field.

There were many others that have expressed interest in joining, and we expect many to come along to a meeting in the near future.

Our Club received a $400 share of the $2000 which was on offer for the best Club display from Opposite Lock, but because of the small turnout of clubs, chose to split the funds five ways with the three clubs and two other groups.

Elsewhere the Show boasted all the main players from the accessories and aftermarket equipment, with ARB having the largest amount of floorspace that they have ever had at such a show. Their display was certainly extensive and with 40 plus staff on hand it was easy to find out more information. The ongoing restored cruiser of Terrain Tamer was also of interest. Other major players included TJM, Ironman, Opposite Lock, Recaro, Hema, 12 Volt on the Move, 4x4 Australia magazine, Brown Davis Automotive, Kaymar 4WD, Lightforce and many more.

Four Wheel Drive Victoria were also kept busy with enquiries, and personally it was great to catch up with old friends in Pat Callinan and Carlisle Rogers editor of 4WD Touring Australia magazine.

This year the arena events created great interest, although many of the activities reflected negatively on responsible four wheel drive touring. Nevertheless they were crowd pleasers, and as long as people didn’t go away with the impression that it is okay to drive like this in the bush.

Sunday afternoon came around and packup went smoothly, although the inability to drive vehicles in or out until a long time after closing time, mean’t that a lot of gear had to be carried with difficulty to the carpark, while Russell had to wait, and wait, before being able to drive Eric’s vehicle out. Despite these frustrations, the Expo was a success, our stand first rate,and the number of helpers encouraging. Thanks to all who assisted.

Brian Tanner (607) Thanks to the members that assisted: Russell & Lesley Edwards, Sandra & Brian Tanner, Graeme Cahill, Geoff Gazzard, Alex Denni, Tony & Barbara Bryant, Andrew Bock, Greg & Carol Edmunds, Ian & Ellen McCartney, David Miles & Luke, Lisa Ellerton, Angelia & Leigh Di Lallo, John Nazloomian, Neil Chambers, Garry Sonnberger, David Manz and Slawko & Rebecca.

14 Overland Cruisering

Part 1 July

6/7/14

11:59 PM

Page 11

Overland Cruisering 15

TC 7695_LCC_420x297mm.indd 1

toyota.com.au

Long days. Harsh environments. Extreme weather. You could say it’s pretty tough out here, but the locals wouldn’t have it any other way. In the face of extreme adversity the LandCruiser 200, LandCruiser 70 Double Cab, FJ Cruiser and Prado are built to thrive. Whatever the outback throws at them, it’s just another day in paradise. This is LandCruiser Country.

THIS IS LANDCRUISER COUNTRY.

MEET THE LOCALS.

28/03/14 2:47 PM

Part 1 June

11/6/14

2:19 PM

Page 14

O

l

dC

Part 1 July

7/7/14

12:02 AM

Page 13

12 Overland Cruisering

TRIPS

T H E R E A N DI PB A C K R E P O R T

Trip Leader: Michael Martin & Tony Middleditch as passenger Participants: Steve & Tom deMamiel Daryl Hansen George, Melinda, Kai & Dylan Marriotti James, Lynette, Lachlan & Sean Stephens T/end Charlie: Geoff Dumaresq 29th & 30th March 2014 ith promising weather on Friday morning, Michael picked me up promptly at 9:30 am. Our extended long weekend had begun. It felt quite different sitting in the passenger seat of the 200 Series (as compared to our trusty 80) but I soon got used to it as we headed east towards Licola via a lunch and provisions break at Traralgon. Arriving at the Licola Store and campground by mid-afternoon, we paid our dues, set out the swags, put the coffee on and gathered some fire wood – camp oven roast lamb tonight!

Saturday morning we awoke to clear skies and a next to full contingent. (The Stephens would be joining us on Sunday).

James filled us in on their saga in reaching Licola via GPS directions only. It seems it was set to gravel roads and tracks only, thus took them on what would have been a

W

Tardis

200 Series

Steve Crash Lost Cobra GJ

Prado 200 Series 100 Series 100 Series 79 Series

very scenic 6 hour adventure if it had been daylight! The call sign of lost seemed applicable.

Heading up to the Bennison High Plains with a magnificent spectacular vista was a good start to a great day. The weather continued to be perfect as we headed down the steep and windy Dingo Hill track down to the Caledonia River for morning tea and then to the Macalister River for lunch via Butcher Link and Butcher Country tracks.

Post lunch at a lovely campsite with water slide, we had numerous crossings of the Macalister river then departed the valley on Black Soil track up to the 2WD Bull Plain Spur road then back to Licola.

It must be noted that the tracks in this area are affected by the seasonal road closures.

They are all very steep with a fair degree of loose surfaces. In wet weather, access to or from this area could easily become impassable due to track conditions and

river heights.

Sunday was an early start, due to a thunder and lightning display and a leaky swag.

Coffee was required and dutifully delivered!

Thanks Geoff. Feeling quite full after the previous night’s apple pudding that Geoff knocked up in the camp oven, I just managed to put away a cooked breakfast.

James and family joined us this morning for our run back to Walhalla. We would bypass the Macalister Gorge due to the early morning storm. Our day saw us traverse Cheynes Bridge, Black Range, McEvoys and Donnellys Creek tracks to a lunch stop at Store Point. Only Cheynes Bridge track required low range, the remainder being reasonable roads. There were numerous historic sites on our route.

After lunch, some more serious four wheel driving along Army track and Fultons Creek track on to Binns road. Both these tracks had some serious steep sections but due to the dry conditions, no problems were incurred.

Michael closed the trip at Walhalla over coffee at the local café. Tyres were aired back up and vehicles checked - a very enjoyable weekend. On the way home Michael, Tony, Geoff and George tried some propagation tests on the HF radios.

Tony Middleditch (2169)

Overland Cruisering 19

Part 1 July

7/7/14

12:03 AM

20 Overland Cruisering

Page 14

Overland Cruisering 5

Part 1 July

7/7/14

12:03 AM

TRIPS

Page 15

M A Y D R I V E IRP A W A R E N E S S

lDriver Awareness weekend – 31st May & 1st June, 2014 aturday 31st May marked the beginning of another monthly Victorian 4WD Driver Awareness weekend in

S

Yarck.

My name is Melissa and I had the pleasure and privilege of partaking in – to me – what can only be described as a jam-packed crash course in safe but enjoyable fourwheel driving.

As a novice of both four-wheel driving and camping, I definitely came away from the weekend a more experienced and cautious driver with a new found love for the outdoors.

I’m happy to say that I survived the night camping in a tent, nicely pitched by my partner, Julian. The koala grunts during the night however made me feel a little vulnerable, with only a thin layer of nylon protecting me from those wild beasts!

We gathered at the Hilton at 8:00 am to meet course instructors, other course participants and their beloved 4x4s. After an informative introduction to what lay ahead, Julian’s 75 Series and Rob’s 200 Series were elevated so we could have a look at what lies beneath. We then sat through a winch demonstration before piling into our vehicles and convoying to the first obstacle. We had Rob in the immaculate 200 Series, Peter & Bridget in the 100 Series, John & Felix in the 120 Prado and Julian and I the 75. Having not ever driven on a track before, I was a little reluctant for what lay ahead, but was assured by the course administrators and instructors, Simon, Heather, Jeff, Tony and Ian that it wouldn’t hurt a bit.

TRIPS

Because Julian and I were both driving his 75 Series we were the first cabs off the rank to attempt an up hill at the ‘Ups ‘n Downs.’ “Ladies first,” they said. So I was up. Heather was my instructor and after a safety brief and explanation of how to tackle the track, we buckled up and were off. I chose low range, 1st gear and attempted the climb, but soon realized that the 75 needed a little more grunt to tackle inclines. So after a short safety hill stop, my second attempt began in low range 2nd gear and I cleared it. I was pretty excited that I had successfully reached the top and it was now time to descend. Another hill stop was required to practice safe stopping and we then came coasting nicely down the hill. I must say I do like ascending much more than descending a hill.

A slippery track at Garvey’s Gully tested my driving ability and saw the 75 Series in need of a winch after losing traction. The 100 Series also got into some trouble and was snatched, with all other drivers making the climb. I was again snatched on Latimer’s and quickly learning how to handle the 75 and all its sensitivities.

Whoopsy-Do taught us correct hill stop and starting procedures, and we then tackled the bog hole, learning how to safely navigate through water whilst protecting ourselves and our vehicles. After dinner at the Hilton we headed on a night drive Butcher’s track. The day had been long but very, very informative, and after a welldeserved night’s sleep we woke up to the final day of the course.

The rains had settled in overnight so we were in for a pretty wet day. We assembled at the Hilton and discussed the day‘s itinerary, and pretty soon we were off again this

time to the Sand Pit to practice safe snatch strap recoveries. This was one of my favorite exercises. I now know how to identify safety-approved equipment, attach it to a vehicle and recover vehicles in trouble.

We headed back to the Hilton, soggy but pleased to have successfully participated in the course. All in all the weekend ran smoothly, and I think I can speak for everyone by saying that the weekend was a huge success and enjoyed by all.

Melissa Klioris (2681)

J O R D O N V A L L E Y LI PO O P W O R K I N G B E E E

Queens Birthday Weekend Trip Leader: Dulcie Watts Attendees: Lydia and Mark Emerson Chris and Colin Low Barb and Tony Bryant Chris and Ern Eichner Bill, Will and Caleb Motschall Rebecca Schlosmacher and Slawko Kulyk he inaugural Jordan Valley Loop working bee was a great success, with a hard working crew attending.

The weather wasn’t always kind but it didn’t rain on us, just showered a fair few times!!

As we were allowed entry into the catchment area, we concentrated our efforts on Chinaman’s Point, Jericho Diversion Tunnel and the Jericho Cemetery. A team of 4 was assigned each to Chinaman’s Point and the Jericho Diversion Tunnel where they all proceeded to do a wonder-

T

4 Overland Cruisering

ful job clearing, enhancing and respecting the area and avoiding the odd wasp nest.

The crew at Chinaman’s Point tendered the fragile Chinese clay ovens clearing the area around them with diligent care but unfortunately, they forgot to take before and after photos to show off their good work. The Jericho Tunnel Diversion crew discovered a retaining wall they could cut the blackberries back to on one side making the pathway down, wide and roomy and took some great photos. A fabulous job was done by both teams.

Overland Cruisering 21

Part 1 July

7/7/14

12:05 AM

Page 16

Clean-up proceeds at Jericho Cemetry The rest of us went straight on to Jericho Cemetery to be joined later by the others.

Rudi and his helpers had got there first and were already stacking raked up debris onto a fire, which Slawko and Will stoked and had roaring so the damp debris would burn faster. For a while Bill was the lone brush cutter and got assigned here and there to clear a recognised burial plot. Each time Bill would chip away at the undergrowth and we would rake out the debris and when the plot was clean, Rudi and his team, with the assistance from young Caleb, would put river rocks collected from the Jordan River around the burials. Once all the others joined us, Rudi had the brush cutter teams making a two metre break between the cemetery fence and the encroaching bush.

The rest of us raked and cleaned up the area, stacking the debris onto the fire.

Noel Lee (DEPI ranger) headed off into the bush with a chain saw to try and find a few unmarked graves including some Chinese burials, who sadly weren’t allowed to be buried inside the cemetery. Rudi also put his metal detector to work and found some lovely old nails..! He was hoping to find a few burial markers but alas not to be.

Although Mark, unassisted by a metal detector, uncovered a whole stack of mattress springs. Slawko got stuck into cleaning up Thomas Terence Gaffney’s large burial plot and made a huge difference to it. By the end of the afternoon an enormous amount of clearing and grave site cleaning had been achieved, a very good effort by all, but it will be a slow

Jericho Tunnel Diversion - Before

Jericho Tunnel Diversion - Before

22 Overland Cruisering

process to fully clean up the cemetery and define all the grave sites.

On the way to our camping area, we followed Noel Lee up a rather slippery Violet Town track, where Ern had a slip sliding adventure getting up the steep hill and Bill’s vehicle cut out on him but luckily he and Will got it going again.

Meanwhile at the top of Violet Town track we had come to a halt whilst Noel Lee was trying to open the gate. After a good 20 minutes, Tony asked him: “did he really have to the right key?” It finally dawned on Noel that he was in fact using the wrong key and five minutes later we on our way again. Pity we can’t give the Hook Award to non-members..!

Unfortunately, Anderson’s Campground proved too small for all 7 vehicles to camp

Part 1 July

7/7/14

12:06 AM

Page 17

in, so 4 vehicles continued along Donnelly’s Creek road to Jorgenson campground and settled in for the night along with a group of blokes who enjoyed their loud music until 4:00am Sunday morning.

With the wet weather continuing on through the night and next morning, I decided I was not going to continue camping at Jorgenson’s another night and called it quits for the weekend much to the relief of the others camping with me. We had worked hard on the Saturday and had achieved a lot in the sites within the catchment area. As it was our first weekend doing our region’s historical sites, it was a learning curve for me as a trip leader and as we drove back towards Matlock we sited out campsites for our next visit. I reckon the campsite up the track opposite Victor Spur Track will do nicely. The Wanderer’s 4WD club were using this site for their base camp as they were also down looking after their historical sites in and around Red Jacket.

TRIPS

As a footnote in regards to the history of our historical region, could those TLCCV members who are also family tree boffins get in touch with me, sometime in September (I’m away in the Kimberley’s) as we have an unknown father and son burial site, circa +/- 1910, which Rudi, Noel and I are curious to identify. I’ve been trolling through Trove Digital newspapers looking for a write-up on the tragic circumstances, but haven’t found anything yet.

B I G D E S E R T 4 W D T R A I LI EP R T R I P - J U N E , 2 0 1 4

Trip Leaders: Laurie & Heidi Miles Participants: Phil & Monica Coleman Marcel & Marianne Van den Bronk

Zebra

80 Series TD

Ultimate XPLOR

Coleman MnM

200 Series TD Pajero TD

Gerry Jarvis

Gerry Gee 80 Series P

Kimberley Karavan Johnnos Off Road Deluxe Vista RV Crossover

Crossing Wyperfeld NP: After leading 8 trips for the Club, we were pleasantly surprised to see that camper trailers were welcome on a Laurie & Heidi trip! Why, you may ask? Because they are the proud new owners of a very comfortable Ultimate camper!

We set off from Lake Hindmarsh in a convoy of four vehicles, each towing a different camper trailer, ranging in weight from 850kg to 2 tonnes. The first 70km to Arnold Springs for our lunch break was fairly easy. Then came the first of the steep and incredibly bumpy sand dune hills.

It didn’t take long before 3 of us did not make it to the top. We quickly learned that dropping the tyre pressures a further 5psi and flooring the accelerator did the trick.

Two tonnes with our Kimberley Karavan

14 Overland Cruiseringsering

The father had been going towards Jericho but came off his horse and died but wasn’t found for a couple of weeks, meanwhile back at his hut was his young son who starved to death. Any help finding these two would be greatly appreciated.

Dulcie Watts (2480)

requires a lot of forward momentum in soft sand full of corrugations! There were many quips about scrambled eggs and milk shakes for breakfast the next morning as heads hit the ceilings of the cars and campers jostled about on the track.

Fortunately everything including the eggs survived unscathed.

An enjoyable evening was spent relaxing around the campfire and listening to Laurie’s show & tell session crammed with must-have accessories that will keep everyone working for an extra few years!

Monica Coleman (2645) Breakdown in the Big Desert: Sunday morning saw us all up early as we had a big day planned. We enjoyed a nice breakfast, packed up and started to move out onto the road.

Three 4WDs with trailers in tow had travelled some 400 metres, but then we got a radio call from tail end Charlie: “I’m not going anywhere guys.” After determining that the problem was mechanical rather than traction, we decided to return to the camp.

For Heidi this meant moving on to find a place to turn around. (We still don’t know how she managed to turn around on the very sandy track). The other two cars

Overland Cruisering 23

Part 1 July

7/7/14

12:07 AM

Page 18

decided to reverse, with trailers, back to camp. It turned out to be easier than expected as the trailer wheels simply followed the sandy wheel ruts on the track.

Soon we had four men all hovering over the bonnet - actually three men hovering and one supervisor – well done Laurie.

You can imagine the testosterone that was flying around!

Eventually, they found the source of the problem. A new radiator had been “professionally” fitted earlier in the week and a hose clamp had apparently not been correctly fitted. This resulted in a loss of automatic transmission fluid. Poor Gerry had moved just 20 metres before he lost all power.

Fixing the hose wasn’t too hard, but of

course no one had 15 litres of transmission fluid to go back in. (Collecting it from the bash plate where most of it had pooled was soon discounted as a viable option).

We needed more, and as we were over an hour from Pinnaroo, it was going to be a long wait while Heidi & Laurie went to get some. Three hours later they returned.

With the hose (and clamp) refitted, we were left with the problem of getting the fluid into the narrow opening. A makeshift funnel made from a drink bottle, some electrical tape and a piece of water hose allowed us to top up through the dip-stick tube. Eventually we were back on the road, travelling along many different sandy tracks and dunes, which were very interesting.

We finally made it into the sandy Big Desert, and finished the day at a lovely campsite called Red Gums, and yes, there were beautiful gum trees around the campsite. We all enjoyed a wonderful time around the campfire as the day came to a chilly end.

Marianne & Marcel Van den Bronk (2687)

24 Overland Cruisering

O

l

dC

Part 1 July

7/7/14

12:09 AM

Page 19

Heading for the Border Track: After a very chilly night at Red Gums – the coldest on the trip (minus 3), remnants of the frost could still be seen glistening within the rising glow of the sun. It took hours for my toes to thaw out and feel normal, but the discomfort was worth every minute to witness an incredible sunrise which would be the beginning of our last day in the Big Desert The campsite consisted of a large clearing complete with numerous clusters of red gum trees surrounded by desert banksia and scrub cypress. I was surprised it was not over-run with campers, especially due to its size and the availability of wood.

Fortunately we had the whole camping area to ourselves, unlike other areas which are devoid of wood and overcrowded.

After leaving camp our first scheduled stop was a visit to the “Disputed Country.” It was very difficult to notice the handmade sign, which is now in disrepair, unless you knew exactly where to look. Many groups drive through this area unaware of the political history and the dispute between Victoria and South Australia. It took 75 years before the dispute over the land was settled, with South Australia losing 500 square miles. In 1914, S.A was awarded 215,000 pounds as a form of compensation to settle the dispute. It was obvious that a brief history lesson was not a part of another group’s trip as they sped/pushed past us at the start of the Border Track. It would be encouraging to see a replacement sign erected. (Next time you drive past Serviceton, check out the historical train station, which was deliberately built within the disputed country).

Compared to the last few days, today’s travelling was very uneventful, but still memorable. We finally hit the Vic/SA Border Track, driving down it for a few kilometres. However, time was against us, so we departed from the Border Track in Scorpion Springs Conservation Park, where we turned west towards Cox’s Windmill. This track obviously does not receive the high volume traffic flow, travelling was now easier and not as bone jarring as the previous two days. Passing a solitary rusted windmill encroached by low scrub stands as tribute to the pioneers who

4 Overland Cruisering

were eventually overcome by the harsh conditions.

Our final four-wheel driving in the sandy desert took us north to Pine Hut Soak, which was relaxed and picturesque.

This is an area I have not visited before, and was surprised with the abundance of walking tracks and campgrounds that all offered their own unique features.

With time passing quickly, a decision was made to say our farewells from Pine Hut Soak campground. While airing up our tyres (6) in preparation for the long journey home via Bordertown, farewells and last minute stories were swapped.

This trip proved to be a great adventure for many reasons (a few reasons you already know). For me it was about towing my trailer and how it would perform through the sand dunes of the Big Desert. It allowed time to experiment with tyre pressures and handling issues of towing weight through a sandy environment. What did I learn?

What was my conclusion? I will save those answers for when we meet next. A conversation that I am sure you will have more than one question.

BUT – many questions still remain

unanswered.

1. Has Zebra finally become soft?

2. Is my mechanic still alive?

3. Were the last few dunes of the day I struggled with, the start of my transmission problems?

The above questions that will become folklore around the campfire for years to come. The first question I am sure you will draw your own conclusions after many, many hours of deliberation. All of us experienced an amazing long weekend.

Thanks to Zebra for their organization and leading the trip, and whom I must also thank for their rescue mission.

Four 4WD trailers successfully crossed the Big Desert – does this make us all members of the “Fantastic Four?” (A good theme for a movie).

Gerry Jarvis (2058)

Overland Cruisering 25

Part 1 July

7/7/14

12:10 AM

SOCIAL

Page 20

L O W E R P L E N T Y P U B N I GIHPT - S A T 1 4 T H J U N E

In attendance: Bill & Jan Black, Neil & Faye Chalmers, Ern & Chris Eichner, Jeff Gazzard, Gary & Christine Holt, Ian & Cameron Ross, Slawko Kulyk and Rebecca.

A thoroughly enjoyable evening was had by a select group from the Toyota Land Cruiser Club on a rather cold and windy Saturday evening. By seven o’clock everyone was seated and sipping on refreshments while catching up on each other’s events of the day.

Due to the cooler weather, we were a hungry bunch so off we went to order from the variety of meals on offer. Those attending had been warned that the servings were generous and to bring along a good appetite. Ian Ross and son Cameron had taken note and had not eaten anything since noon. Both ordered the 600 gram rump steak with Cameron claiming that he would have half and take the rest home for lunch the next day. Dad was adamant that his 9 year-old would not be able to finish this meal. Not only did Cam finish his plate, he finished well before Dad who struggled to do the same!

For new members Ern & Chris, this was their first social event. Chris produced some photos of interesting places they had been to on their trip around Australia in a Ford Escort station wagon with a small trailer in tow. The photos created a lot of

26 Overland Cruisering

interest as they were passed around the table, but it was the pictures taken of Chris in “fancy dress” that generated a lot of discussion and much merriment. The pics eventually reached Ian and after that it was virtually impossible to retrieve them.

By now it was time for sweets and coffee, but no one had any room left for more food, so we continued to sit around the table and relate our experiences of various places visited. Of particular interest was the

Qantas museum in Longreach and how a Boeing 747-200 donated by the airline, was flown to its final destination.

Time had marched on and it was getting late; our table was the only one in the room still occupied. Farewells were exchanged as we headed to the car park. It had been a memorable night in more ways than one with plenty of laughter and good humour. If you would like to join in for some good camaraderie and get to know your fellow members a little better, come along to the Club’s next social event.

Next Social Event for your Diary – Christmas in July at Fergusson Winery, Yarra Valley, Saturday 26th July, 2014 at 1:00 pm. If time permits, a visit to the nearby chocolate factory will be included.

Everyone welcome and plenty of laughs guaranteed.

Helen & Rebecca TLCCV SOCIAL COORDINATORS

Overland Cruisering 5

Part 1 July

7/7/14

5:10 PM

TRIPS

Page 21

J U N E D R I V EI P R AWARENESS

Driver Awareness Training – 28th & 29th June, 2014 A Challenging weekend fter a week of gale force winds, rina and very cold weather, we set off for Yarck with a forecast for worse weather to come. I checked our emails every day in the previous week looking for an email from John saying the DA weekend was cancelled. As no email came, we headed to the property arriving to cold and windy conditions – but no rain.

We were welcomed warmly by Jeff who showed us where to camp and after setting up, we went to the Hilton to meet the training team and other trainees. Due to the inclement weather, the Hilton became our haven for the two days with most of us finding a little area to set up our gear to cook and eat as it seemed silly to be struggling with the cold in the van.

We had met our instructors John, Jeff, Simon and Ian at the Theory night, and it was good to meet them again along with Tony, and Matt from Geelong.

Most of the instructors were either just getting over a cold, had a cold, or were coming down with a cold, so we really appreciated them giving up the comforts of their warm homes to come to Yarck where the temperature didn’t rise above 8 degrees for the weekend.

Overnight Friday the rain set in and Saturday morning ‘dawned’ to steady rain.

We had a briefing and course introduction by the wonderful log fire and instead of putting a car on the ramp to look underneath, they put a car under the back veranda and showed us what was under the bonnet, the driver’s sitting position and followed with a demonstration of winching.

Simon then shared with us the joys and dangers of the high lift jack.

There were 6 vehicles in the group: Judy & Steve in a Prado 150, Michael & I in a 200 Series, Logan in an 80 Series, Geoff in a Nissan Patrol (but we let him stay anyway), Pat in a 200 Series and Scott in a 76

A

Series.

As there had been so much rain during the night, we did our ‘driving through the brakes’ training on a couple of the tracks leading to the Hilton, which was a nice and gentle beginning for all. We broke for lunch before going out onto the property for some real driving.

We let the tyres down to about 28psi and each drove down Latimer’s hill with instructors on board providing great encouragement and good, clear instructions. From there it was down to the Bog Hole where Logan volunteered to be the first one through, which he did in spectacular style managing to wet the feet of nearby instructors.

We then went to the river crossing, which didn’t look much harder than the Bog Hole, except for the exit point which was very steep, with slippery rocks. Not everyone felt they could manage the exit road, so that one was optional.

Because of the wet, slippery conditions, several of the roads such as Garvey’s Gully and Whoopsy-Do were unavailable to us.

We practiced our ‘driving in convoy’ up Tea Tree track and back via Ups ‘n Downs and Bulldozer tracks without incident.

Being mid-winter, we were able to set off on our night drive at 5:30pm, driving in convoy around the property. Our first real excitement came at the Ups ‘n Downs track where the Prado suffered traction problems and the convoy stopped.

After two attempts it was decided to lower the tyre pressures to 22psi and the hill was negotiated well. It was challenging for those behind the Prado to reverse back down the hill to allow more room.

Back at the Hilton everyone was pleased to share their experiences of the day over a hot meal and a few drinks.

It rained quite hard all night, and Sunday morning was even colder and wetter than the day before. By now those instructors with colds were worse and some of the students now had colds. Sadly, John was too sick to stay, so he left on Sunday

morning leaving us in the capable hands of the others.

We sat around the beautiful fire in the Hilton for some more theory. Tony talked about tyres (and had some “tyred” jokes), Simon talked about trip preparation and beach driving, and Jeff explained the necessity of good outback communications.

After morning tea we headed to the sandpit to learn the techniques of snatching and spent a fun hour pulling each other out of the sand. Like everything else that we had done, what looked really daunting at first was quite easy once explained and tried.

It was then off for a gentle drive around the property practicing the ‘convoy’ driving and other skills we had learnt.

We followed a seemingly harmless part of the track near the front gate boundary fence, which ordinarily would be no problem, but with all the rain it was now very slippery and sloping. I lost traction and found myself off the track next to the fence, so we decided that we should lower the tyre pressures (it worked for Steve last night). We dropped down to about 20psi but Simon felt we should use the car winch to pull the car back onto the track. As I got us into that spot, I had to get us out! We put the tree protector around a trunk and with Simon’s great instructions, winched ourselves out of the spot and back onto the track. I drove up to the top of the track with not too much difficulty. It was a good lesson for all to never underestimate the track.

We all headed back to the Hilton for a final de-brief and said our goodbyes. The rain set in heavily again so we had to pack up a wet rig in the rain.

We were all very appreciative of the effort put in by all the instructors on this quite challenging weekend, and I hope they didn’t spend the next week in bed getting over it. We now feel much more comfortable to go ‘off-road’ but not necessarily with Simon “into the mountains.”

Lyn Johannessen (2688)

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

4 Overland Cruisering

Overland Cruisering 27

Part 2 July

7/7/14

12:21 AM

Page 2

TOYOTA LAND CRUISER CLUB OF AUSTRALIA VICTORIA BRANCH

Annual Report 2013-2014

PRESIDENT’S ANNUAL REPORT, 2014 Well yes another year has gone by and a lot has been going on. I would like to take a moment to reflect on the last twelve months and perhaps give an insight to where I feel the club should be going for the next twelve months.

1. Trips. We have become more and more concerned with comments being made in various communication forums about trip numbers, trip attendance, and issues around the importance of trips. The Executive completely recognizes that trips are one of our core values, and has therefore put steps in place to investigate ways in which we may better promote this activity within the Club. As such we established a working group to review, report, and comment or provide guidance in moving forward. We must recognize that there are factors at play such as modern lifestyle, cost of fuel, competing interests, and the Club’s demographics that play a role, but nonetheless wish to engage with the people that are involved to hear from them.

2. FWDV. In the past 12 months, the TLCCV has been proactive in helping to steer our representative body back on track. We instigated a meeting of Club Presidents, and have been active in the management of the organization, which is becoming increasingly highly respected and influential with Government and bodies like Parks Victoria and DEPI. We are absolutely committed to this cause, as due to the work in the past, and into the future, we can continue to lobby and fight to not only keep our existing tracks open, but to lift the status of four wheel driving in the community. We are the envy of Australia, and must continue to support those that allow us to have the best access to tracks so we can continue to run trips to these amazing destinations.

3. Community Activities and PR. We need to support this activity for those who wish to participate, and all of us should be proud to be involved in a Club that so actively works in the community. This exercise not only brings much self-satisfaction for those involved, but it makes a difference for people in need, and allows us the ability to prove our worth thus allowing us to engage in conversations with Government as a socially responsible organization, that deserves to be treated with respect.

4. Choice of activity. Just as Australia is a multicultural country and thrives on the many and varied benefits, our members are a diverse group of people that share one common interest. We are not a Club that consists of a single group of people with one single passion, but instead are able to support and facilitate a range of activities, covering a wide spectrum of people, to offer choice for our members, and add value to our offer. This must continue to be supported, and we should be proud of this – not fight against it. Not everyone wants to mend fences after bushfires, or lug hay bales to transport companies, or cross the desert, or participate in difficult day trips, but what we all want to do is be involved in the Club, set around a culture of responsible 4WD activities.

5. Looking towards to the future. Recognizing the need to evolve, and to continually question what our offer is for our members, both existing and for new, to attract like-minded people and ensure the long existence of our great club. Yes this will cause ripples, and not everyone likes change, but if we ignore what other Clubs and organizations are doing or furthermore if we don’t try and innovate and grow but rather shun new ideas, then perhaps this will result in a slow decline and eventual extinction...

28 Overland Cruisering

6. Challenges. Yes, running of the Club is challenging, and the committee deal with multitudes of issues every day. In all honesty though we feel that you can rest assured that every decision is made with the best interests of the Club, and of the people who work so hard to contribute to its running, at heart. We put down the challenge to members for the next 12 months, to directly communicate with the committee especially via email, to let us know what you believe the issues are and remember that any idea no matter how big or small, may be an opportunity worth exploring to make our Club bigger, stronger and of more value to you the members.

In closing I would like to express my most sincere thanks to my fellow members of the committee Sandra, Alan, Russell, Liz, Adriano, Matt and Eric for their extensive and extraordinary contributions to our great Club. I sincerely believe that we as a group have provided strong, transparent yet effective leadership. I also believe that we have this year allowed the members the ability to have their say by pushing the envelope to new levels by our extensive involvement of the membership in major decision making. I would also like to thank all the various heads and members of the many sub-committees for their contribution to the Club also.

I thank you for allowing me the opportunity to be your President and look forward to my continued involvement next year.

Ian Ross PRESIDENT

TREASURER’S ANNUAL REPORT I am pleased to present the financial reports for the Club for the year ended 31st March, 2014. During the year I have taken over the role of Treasurer from Marcus Kunath, and I would like to thank him for his great work over the previous years and the support he provided me in transition.

The reports show the Club is be in a secure financial position, but with head winds approaching. As at 31st March, 2014 the Club has net assets of $580,960. For 2014 the accounts show a surplus of $13,652 prior to the non-cash depreciation charge of $9,838.

2014 benefitted financially from having two Cruiserkhanas. Many thanks to all those concerned with putting both of these events on, with a special mention to Carol Edmunds (SP) who was a great assistance to me in her role as CK Financial Controller.

During the year all areas of the Club have been run on an extremely lean basis. The main outgoings for the Club continue to be the Magazine, FWDV Affiliation fees, Yarck Property and Rental payments for the Mulgrave Country Club.

I wish to thank all the people who have made my time on the Committee and as Treasurer an enjoyable one, and as I start the next phase of my working life, I hope to see you around the tracks soon.

Unfortunately I will be absent for the Annual General meeting so please email me at treasurer1@tlccv.com.au if you have any questions relating to the financial statements.

Matthew Parrott HONORARY TREASURER

Overland Cruisering 5

Part 2 July

7/7/14

12:20 AM

Page 3

ANNUAL REPORT 2013-2014 COMMITTEE MEMBER’S REPORT, 2014 This year has been one of exciting times on the Committee where, as a group, we were instrumental in bringing together many affiliated Clubs of the Association to discuss the then current leadership and financial position of FWDV and to put in place a plan to attempt to rectify the problems. As a result, FWDV is now operating in a proper manner with Wayne Hevey as General Manager and several positions of the Board being held by TLCCV members.

Closer to home, the Committee was determined to turn an annual operating deficit into a positive, to become more communicative with the sub-committees and members. It has also put into place systems to take the Club into the future.

It has been disappointing to note the lack of Club support for those organizing activities. Socially many of the events were poorly attended with minimal members attending, some of which were friends of members. The Club Rios night was an example where out of the twenty-three attending, six were not Club members. The same goes for the site visit to ARB where thirty-two people had booked and only about twenty-three attended. ARB went to a lot of effort to conduct the evening, and there were members on a waiting list who could have attended.

On the other hand, the Rock ‘n Roll night held at Yarck was most successful with a full house. The decorations, entertainment and food was excellent and James Azzam was amazing as DJ. My thanks must go to Helen Foley and Rebecca Schlosmacher for their efforts in organizing the many varied social functions during this past year.

The site visit to Terrain Tamer was most successful with 52 members being introduced to the premises and staff, filling in the morning driving the new obstacle course, being shown around the premises and treated to a BBQ lunch before keeping the sales staff busy.

The magazine has continued to be interesting with the many technical articles, trip reports and being our 40th year, many interesting inclusions from earlier Club times. Sandra and Brian put a lot of effort into the magazine organizing current advertisers and obtaining new ones, and it is shown by the quality of the end result. Although the cost of postage remains a burden, we are sending far less magazines to members today than we were a few years ago.

Once again the Cruiserkhana has grown in popularity as an event that will not break the bank balance or the vehicles with new events designed to be challenging and interesting for spectators. This year there were over 60 competitors creating a logistical nightmare not only for the smooth running of the event, but also accommodating all those in attendance and catering. This year there was also a traders area, which was well attended and popular.

The weekend was a huge success, sponsorship coming from many areas and prizes totalling $12,000+ handed out. The Club team event has become popular with 6 teams vying for the award of best Club, and the Pajero Club taking the honors this year.

While there are those that are not happy with the event being conducted and feel that it should be made smaller or even abandoned, it reaped over $7,000 in profit this year, and in conjunction with Yarck Management, which have also been closely involved, some of the profit is being used to improve the training/competition and camping areas.

The work and tireless efforts by Annie, Angela, the whole CK Committee over the past twelve months, marshals and all those that helped over the weekend are to be commended.

I am extremely pleased to have been a part of this year’s Committee.

I must thank Lesley and Sandra for their help and support, also to Ian who has been strong as President with a steadying influence, always open to all views.

Russell Edwards COMMITTEE MEMBER

TLCCV TRIPS ANNUAL REPORT, 2014 Trips commencing from 1st April, 2013: This excludes Easter trips that would have been included in the 2013 count. Does not include the Christmas tree run or emergency response group as these do not constitute trips.

Note that a few trips were initially advertised then removed from the official Trips List. One was from Adam Takacs and three from Hari Maragos. This was due to either insufficient numbers or failure to 4 Overland Cruisering

30 Overland Cruisering

follow TLCCV trips protocol.

Trips statistics: Laurie & Heidi – 6 Adam & Olivia Takacs – 5 Hari Maragos – 2 Ian Wells – 2 (outback and extended weekend trips) Matt & Sarah Lilley – 2 Garry Cooper – 2 Nan & Tony Middleditch – 2 Matt McPhee – 1 Rob Logie – 1 Annie McGennisken – 1 Martin Boland – 1 Don Bryant – 1 (outback trip) Shane Goodall – 1 Steve de Mamiel – 1 Simon Mustey & Sherry Salveson – 1 Michael Martin – 1 Total trips officially run = 30, a little down on last year.

Active trip leaders = 16 New trip leaders running trips = 3 Trip Leader Training: Liz & John Mills,Tony Middleditch, Paul Hawdon, Brad Schaffer Fortunately the Yarck Hilton was not as cold this year. A suitable venue is still required.

The 2013-2014 TLCCV year has been a year of frustration. There has been a decline in trip numbers and active trip leaders, but more concerning is the decline in trips participants. A majority of trips have been under-subscribed – even those specifically requested by the membership survey.

By contrast, there has been an increase in trip activities through our Facebook site. This medium may well be a means to generate further interest in TLCCV trip activity.

I am also working on a procedure where members will be able to prepare their own TLCCV trip for a listed trip leader to run. I am also keen to remove as many obstructions as possible in order to stimulate greater trips activity.

The trip leader training weekend was held again at Yarck. The number of TLCCV participants was low, however the total number was boosted with three members of the Range Rover Club plus two existing trip leaders being observers / doing a refresher course.

Yarck is an ideal venue for such an event, but the Hilton continues to be an unsatisfactory venue for classroom type training.

Tony Middleditch TRIP CONVENOR

DRIVER AWARENESS ANNUAL REPORT This has been another very successful year for the driver awareness team. I extend my gratitude for the support from Simon, Jeff, Heather and our new trainee instructors Tony and Michael. They have all contributed in making my job much easier.

This year we have run ten courses with an average of ten trainees per course all having taken away new skills and loads of enthusiasm.

Looking forward to the coming year, we anticipate that Tony and Michael will be qualified by FWDV as Club Instructors and we will be recruiting at least two more trainee instructors.

John Mills DA COORDINATOR

YARCK MANAGEMENT ANNUAL REPORT These past twelve months have been busy times at the TLCCV Yarck property. Numbers at the monthly Maintenance & Construction weekends have averaged around 18 and 60 at the big weekend in November. Well done. We need to keep these numbers up just to ensure the property is well maintained.

A major item prior to summer involved the Vegetation Management Officer and a Regional Officer from the CFA visiting the property. They were able to make a number of recommendations. These included removal of tea tree from various areas, removal of branches overhanging the hut, installation of more fire extinguishers in and around the hut and camping spots, illuminated exit signs in the hut. Most of these have been addressed. Now that we are out of the fire season, we will be able to burn the piles of rubbish.

Overland Cruisering 29

Overland Cruisering 5

Part 2 July

7/7/14

12:19 AM

Page 4

ANNUAL REPORT 2013-2014 A considerable amount of track work and clearing of existing campsites has been completed. Currently new sites are under construction, and others being considered. Track work has also been done in the Cruiserkhana area, such as improvement to the viewing area at the water crossing. Two new competition areas were created.

The hut had posts and beams sanded and painted at the November big weekend. Gravel was spread along the path beside the hut and in the fire pit seat area, maybe this will get better use. The hut has been tidied up on numerous occasions, but some members still leave it in a mess. Remember, this is your home away from home. Two glass display cabinets are there to use, but not for rubbish. The electrical system is undergoing an overhaul and a new generator is currently being sourced. The solar system has had a new panel fitted and the use of LED lights is being trialled.

There are a number of members who are involved in keeping the Evergreen areas in great shape, be it removing weeds, cutting back and pruning, re-staking or planting new shrubs. We must keep Joy’s vision alive. If you have not done the Nature Walk, do so. The thistles are an ongoing problem and are being tackled at the appropriate time.

Construction of the bush hut is proceeding well, almost ready for a roof.

There is a small group of members working through this project.

Proposals have been put forward for the development of a Forecourt at the front of the hut. Details can be seen in the May edition of Overland Cruisering. It has been great to see so many members coming forward with their views, be they for, against or other ideas. Keep them coming, get involved. There is a lot to consider here.

Equipment purchases have been an auger attachment and a heavy duty slasher to suit the tractor. A generator will be purchased very soon.

The property has been well used and the water supply system has worked without any problems as there has been sufficient rain to keep the tanks near capacity. There have been the regular Maintenance and Construction weekends, the monthly Driver Training weekends, also a Map Reading course and a Trip Leaders Training weekend. A Medieval Night and a Rock ‘n Roll Night, were all well attended. There is something for everyone. And if that is not enough, there is always the Cruiserkhana to be part of.

I would like to thank all the members that have contributed to the upkeep and running of our fantastic 4WD getaway.

Brian Stewart YARCK MANAGEMENT COORDINATOR

GEELONG BRANCH SECRETARY’S REPORT, 2014 Firstly, I would like to say I have enjoyed my time as Secretary (and indeed as Treasurer), and if no one else wants the job, I will stand again.

In the nine months I have been Secretary with Matt McPhee, President, and Matt Lilley, Vice President, this Branch has achieved much by working as a team to which I am but one part.

We have gained six new members: Graeme & Veronica Innes; Robert Dungan; Mark Ker-David; Scott Fabbian and Alison Williams (Judith’s daughter). We have even had a couple of old members attend and some potential new members attend our meetings.

The recent ‘Expo’ at the Melbourne Showgrounds went well with two from this area signing up and others showing an interest.

It’s just great to see this Branch forging ahead.

Jennie Harvie GEELONG BRANCH HONORARY SECRETARY

CRUISERKHANA 2014 ANNUAL REPORT Cruiserkhana 2014 took place on 21st-23rd March and as in the previous year’s event, attracted a bumper crowd of both entrants and spectators, with increasing interest from the local Yarck area.

Whilst the event itself is logistically complex and needs a lot of volunteer input from within TLCCV Club ranks, it is a very important event in the yearly Club calendar. It tests not only driver skills but also provides an opportunity to showcase the Club and our wonderful Yarck property. It also injects significant funds into the Club coffers and is a forum for members of all sorts of four-wheel drive Clubs, as well as the wider 4WD community to meet and mix in a fun and relaxed atmosphere.

This year saw some new faces on the Cruiserkhana subcommittee

with Greg and Carol Edmunds, Neil Chambers joining old stalwarts Andrew Bock, Ellen and Ian McCartney, Luis Jardim and Annie McGennisken (Coordinator) and Angela Di Lallo on the committee.

Member at large Russell Edwards (as Executive Committee representative) also attended some meetings. We gave a fond farewell to Gunther Scheffel, Robert Karcut and Yolandi Jardim who had provided significant and much valued input for the previous year’s event, but had decided to move on due to work pressures.

This year has seen a number of significant improvements, including the new night time and navigator events, increased sponsorship yet once again, and increased sponsor stalls at the event, which benefit both the stall holders and add to the events atmosphere.

Financial results are not yet to hand at the time of writing this report, but things are looking good. The philosophy of this subcommittee is not only to make the event a success in dollar terms, but also to add value to our resources at Yarck by repairing and relocating events and buying things that can be used by the Club as a whole. To this end, a huge number of additional chairs have been bought out of Cruiserkhana funds and also a Bain Marie for catering and the kiosk.

Carol Edmunds has done a magnificent job as both entry person and also in formulating a very professional budget and income and expenses control spreadsheet.

At the time of writing this report the results of the Cruiserkhana debrief weekend at Rutherglen were still being collated, but it would be fair to say that the Cruiserkhana subcommittee values all feedback and recognises that improvements can be made. Cruiserkhana is always a work in progress and when change stops it might get boring.

We would really like to thank from the bottom of our hearts, all those Club members who have put so much into Cruiserkhana, often without expecting a thank you, year after year and without those Club members the event simply would not run. So a heartfelt thank you to all.

You will know who you are and just how much you put in. Wendy Wilson, Jan Chivers and Grace Azzam probably warrant a special mention, stepping up with their catering and kiosk involvement, but the list could go on and on.

I am sure all the current Cruiserkhana sub committee members would agree that their involvement has been – in an overall sense – fulfilling and interesting but some of our members for work and personal reasons will probably have to step down in the coming months. We welcome Greg West, Anne and Bill Potter and Adrian Froggart to our ranks, but the old adage, many hands make light work, definitely applies. So if you have a bit of time on your hands and would like to become involved, why not contact us?

Angela Di Lallo On behalf of the Cruiserkhana sub committee

EMERGENCY RESPONSE ANNUAL REPORT Over the last year Club members have attended 4 organised emergency response requests involving the fire in the Kilmore area. These visits have involved several fodder runs from Geelong to Lancefield, Launching Place to Wallan and Castlemaine to Lancefield, all on behalf of the Victorian Farmers Federation.

Farm assistance has involved removal of some 15 kilometres of fencing at a farm in Kilmore, the initial visit saw 35 members attend and subsequently 8 members assisting reconstruction of boundary fences.

All in all it is estimated that some 500 member hours and considerable litres of fuel at members’ expense were spent in providing that vital assistance to Kilmore. All those involved have put in a tremendous effort and the Club needs to thank all involved for their commitment.

It was disappointing to note however that the derogatory post placed on Facebook by certain members has had a direct effect on volunteers coming forward to assist. The Club has been involved in providing Emergency Response over many years, before I got involved 5 years ago when the fires hit Kinglake and the areas north and east thereof.

The Club spent 9 months assisting many owners in the KinglakeFlowerdale and Glenburn areas, floods in Skipton and surrounding districts, floods in Tungamah in northern Victoria, the fire at Dereel south

of Ballarat, fires in Glenmaggie and now fires in Kilmore. Some 10,000 member hours in assisting the community over that time.

At all times we have worked as an independent Club in the tasks undertaken and never under the direction of any other body, which has in turn enhanced the standing of the four-wheel drive fraternity and in particular that of TLCCV.

30 Overland Cruisering

Overland Cruisering 5

4 Overland Cruisering

Overland Cruisering 31

Part 2 July

7/7/14

12:18 AM

Page 5

ANNUAL REPORT 2013-2014 We do not assist small properties such as hobby farms as I take the view they should have been insured. The only exception was in Dereel as it was the town that was directly devastated by fire.

Unfortunately due to current work situation changing I have decided not to continue beyond this Club year as the personal cost and time involved has caught up with me. However, I am prepared to mentor whoever assumes this role.

Bruce Fullard EMERGENCY RESPONSE COORDINATOR

RAFFLES ANNUAL REPORT I am happy to report on our raffle folio for this year.

Our raffle table – aka naughty corner – is always a fun spot where we engage with members, joke, laugh and catch up on who has been where and who is going where.

The raffle is more than a fundraiser for our Club, it is a social corner that brings people together, chatting and discussing our prizes on offer

for the night as we promise every member that their ticket is the “winning one.”

It has been very hard to get donations for our raffle. If any member would like to donate a prize or a service, we would like to hear from you.

We thank everyone who supported us with buying raffle tickets. We encourage everyone’s input for ideas for prizes.

We thank Rhys from Hastings Camping who sometimes on very short notice, delivered a good selection of prizes for us when we had been unable to go shopping.

We thank our fill-ins who helped on a couple of occasions when we were unable to attend the meetings.

We had a great year, thank you all again, and hope to keep bringing you more great prizes and more winning tickets.

Gabi & Grace Azzam and Karen Wade RAFFLE ORGANISERS EXTRAORDINAIRE

MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE TOYOTA LAND CRUISER CLUB OF AUSTRALIA (VICTORIA) INC. – A0005442C Held on Tuesday 20th August, 2013 at the Mulgrave Country Club, Wheelers Hill.

The Annual General Meeting was opened at 8:10 pm by President, Ian Ross who explained to the members the procedure which would follow.

PRESENT AS PER REGISTER. APOLOGIES AS PER REGISTER. Motion: That the apologies be accepted. Moved Ted Gray. Seconded Eric Bishop. Carried.

ACKNOWLEDGE WERE MADE TO: FOUNDATION MEMBERS: Graeme & Barbara Wilson and Bill & Beth Dower.

LIFE MEMBERS PAST PRESIDENTS MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS AGM: Motion: That the minutes of the Annual General Meeting held Tuesday 17th July, 2012 be accepted. Moved Brian Tanner. Seconded Garry Cooper. Carried.

BUSINESS ARISING FROM THOSE MINUTES: Nil. TREASURER’S REPORT: Marcus Kunath went over the report as presented then detailed items as necessary. The Club is in a secure position with a small profit. It should be noted that the key money has been moved across and reconciled and a depreciation of $10,000.

It should be noted that some 10 years ago there were more members, which greatly assisted in subsidising the club. Because of the lower number of members it may be necessary for the members to fund the club a little more. The raffles have done very well, as has the club shop – thanks to John & Liz Mills for most of the year. Of the costs involved there have not been any real changes – 80% being FWDV, the club magazine and Yarck and the rest of the club is run on a very lean basis. You will note that I have summarised the Profit & Loss and Balance sheet. If anyone wants a copy I have a few tonight or can email you if you have not already given me your email address.

Marcus then went over the Balance sheet of income and expenses that had been presented to those present.

I have decided to stand down after 3 years to do more four-wheel driving, but I wish the ongoing committee all the best in going forward.

Motion: That the Treasurer’s report be accepted. Moved Laurie Miles. Seconded Eric Bishop. Carried.

Marcus made further mention of the Rule changes that will be coming shortly and one of those changes will be that the club no longer needs to be audited. This will alleviate the strict rules that have been imposed in the past and will save quite a cost as well – about $800.

The committee have been looking at an internal independent financial review sub committee consisting of accountants Marcus Kunath, John Wilson and Tony Bryant. The role of the sub committee will be to review the financial statements prepared by the Treasurer on a regular basis.

Motion: That the review as proposed be approved. Moved Marcus Kunath. Seconded Eric Bishop.

Following questions and discussion from the floor, it was decided to “Take on Notice” the motion until the special general meeting in October.

ANNUAL REPORTS: Ian Ross made special mention to immediate past President, Peter Dwyer thanking him for his hard work prior to standing down due to health and business pressures. Ian recalled the difference of the committee workload from 2000 to today and the extra responsibilities involved. It is also incredible the amount of work the sub committees put into their respective roles and this has not gone unnoticed.

The Cruiserkhana this year was fantastic, and when attending a Presidents meeting at FWDV I felt very proud when approached by other club Presidents congratulating our club following this event.

We have just celebrated our 40th year of TLCCV, and the reason we have reached this goal is due to the wonderful volunteer work by our members, and I sincerely thank each and every one of them for their contributions.

One of the big changes that have taken place this year is the new meeting venue. A lot of research was done in locating something suitable, and although not suitable to the whole membership, we hope it has been far more satisfactory in the long term.

During my term this coming year I would like to see the new data system up and running, and would like to see the club reach a balanced budget as well. I would like to see a full calendar of training events as well as social activities, and closer communication with you the members.

4 Overland Cruisering

Overland Cruisering 31

32 Overland Cruisering

Overland Cruisering 5

Part 2 July

7/7/14

12:16 AM

Page 6

Ian asked that the 2012-2013 committee join him and asked that they be acknowledged by the membership.

ELECTION OF LIFE MEMBERS: Garry Cooper advised that the nomination tonight was made by Tony Swinden. Garry made mention of the present life members over the 40 years of the club. Tonight’s nomination paid tribute to Jan Chivers and Ken Hildebrand, a couple who have been in the club for 35 years and who have dedicated their time and hard work to Yarck monthly working bees, with Ken working tirelessly on the mechanics, Yarck Management meetings, club general meetings, their involvement in Cruiserkhana, Jan as Treasurer on the committee and for some years the club statistician.

At this point Ken & Jan were asked to leave the room to allow discussion of the nomination and for a vote to be taken.

Motion: That Jan Chivers and Ken Hildebrand be accepted as Life Members. Moved Tony Swinden. Seconded Bev Rust.

President Ian Ross asked if there were comments in favour or against the motion from the floor.

It was questioned whether the correct criteria was followed which should have included service to the community and the four-wheel drive movement. Ian advised that on presentation to the Executive committee the nomination was given due consideration and felt the nomination was deserved according to the criteria set out in the Rules. Ian added that due deliberation would be made when reviewing the new Rules.

In favour of the motion, it was pointed out that the criteria presented was unjustified considering the amount of hard work carried out by Ken & Jan over many years.

It was further pointed out that the 4WD Association did not exist in the early days, nor did community work.

There being no further comments presented a vote was taken by a show of hands for the motion which was carried in favour.

Ken & Jan were then congratulated, and Jan thanked everyone for their support and expressed their love for the club and the many friends they have made over the years.

HONORARY MEMBERS: President Ian acknowledged that the following be Honorary Members: • Clive Blakely who was instrumental in obtaining the frame for the Yarck Hilton.

• Ross McClure the Club Solicitor.

• Rhys De Jong of Hastings Camping & Outdoors for his outstanding contribution and support to TLCCV. Motion: That the above named be accepted as Honorary Members. Moved Russell Edwards. Seconded John Nazloomian. Carried.

ANNUAL TLCCV AWARDS: • Val McGurgan award: Walter & Maria Denni • Club Woman award: Lesley Edwards.

• Club Man award: Peter Hemming.

• Trip Leader award: Adam Takacs.

• John Whitney Photographic award (leave nothing but footsteps): Michael Hoare • Junior Club Person: Carly Miles PRESIDENT’S AWARD: President Ian donated a silver tray trophy to the club for the yearly President’s award. This year the trophy was presented to Sandra Tanner.

Two further awards were presented for notable outstanding contributions to the club: John & Liz Mills David Sheean (the award was accepted by Brian Tanner on David’s behalf).

GENERAL BUSINESS: • Origins of the Hook Award: Bill Dower informed the members that back in 1978 he ran a trip across the Simpson Desert in one of the first Toyota diesels. That particular model was known for its problems and unfortunately whilst crossing the desert he broke down and had to be towed by the various members who were on the trip with him to Birdsville. Following this trip, Butch Meatchem made the hook award and presented it to Bill at a club meeting and it has become a permanent award in the club.

CLUB ELECTIONS: Ian asked that there be a mover and seconder for Brian Tanner to be Returning Officer. Moved Graeme Wilson. Seconded Bernie O’Reilly. Carried.

Brian declared all positions vacant with the following being uncontested, and according to the Rules: President: Ian Ross Vice President: Eric Bishop Treasurer: Matt Parrott Ass Treasurer: Adriano Denni Secretary: Sandra Tanner Ass Secretary: Alan McMeekin Nominations have been received for the two committee positions and due to having three nominations, in accordance to Rule 26.4 a ballot will be conducted. The ballot papers have the three nominees listed and members are requested to put a cross in two of those boxes of your choice. If you have not already had your name crossed from the membership list to vote, please do so now. Please note that as per Rule 21, only fully paid up members as of two weeks ago can vote. A list of financial members is with the scrutineers.

Proxies must have been received by the Secretary no later than 24 hours prior to this AGM. I have been advised that only 2 proxies were received. Scrutineers tonight are Bruce Fullard and Tony Bryant. Prior to voting, each nominee was permitted 2 minutes to speak. In alphabetical order they were Russell Edwards, Michael Martin and Liz Mills.

The voting proceeded.

The Returning Officer suspended the AGM at 9:40 pm The AGM was reopened at 10:07 pm by the Returning Officer who advised that the results for the 2 committee positions went to Russell Edwards and Liz Mills.

The Returning Officer then asked for a mover and seconder to have the voting slips destroyed. Moved Jennie Harvie. Seconded Bruce Fullard. Carried.

The AGM closed at 10:08 pm.

The next Annual General Meeting will be held on Tuesday 15th July, 2014 at the Mulgrave Country Club.

32 Overland Cruisering

9758 9288 9735 0188 Visit our website: www.widetread.net.au

LILYDALE 32 Main Street

FERNTREE GULLY 1158 Burwood Highway

Huge ran for SUV’s AWD’s & 4x4’s Mud Terrain T/A / KM2 Mud-Te T rrain T/ T /A

All-Te T rrain T/A T

Savage your way through the wilderness with BFGoodrich Mud T rrain T/AKM tyres. With these tyres Te you can go way out of bounds offroad and still play dirty. y A proven race winner, their DiggerLugzTM shoulder blocks can handle any deep mud, dirt and sand.

Eats rocks and dirt All fun, all action, all the time, BF Goodrich All-Terr T ain T/ T/A KO K tyres are the ultimate in on/off road tyres. Rocky or smooth, like their name says, they can handle anything on any terrain.

Inspired by the BF Goodrich Tires KrawlerTM T/R ® KX has a footprint made to to dominate almost anything in its path Linear flex zones allow the tyre to wrap aroung obsticale for unnatural amounts of traction. Smart design gives it excellent mud-clearing ability and low road noise. The MudT rrain T/A KM2 features a 3-ply Te T iGuard carcass wth a single-strand Tr bead for smoother ride and uniformity. y

Quality Snow Chains WRANGLER AT/R

WRANGLER MT/R

ROADGRIPPER

GRANDTREK AT3

GRANDTREK TG32

The all-terrain specialist tyre capable of handling all conditions - on or off road.

Tough, durable and long T lasting, outstanding in extreme conditions.

Perfect for drivers who spend as much time off the road as they do on it.

Outstanding on and off-road performance, this tyre gives you the best of both worlds.

An ideal tyre for drivers who seek a combination of on and off road use.

LTX A/T A 2 The Michelin LTX A/T A 2 is the ultimate all terrain 4x4 tyre designed to deliver rugged off-road durability, for Australia's harshest rural and mining environments, and a quiet, comfortable Michelin highway ride.

ST - Sure Tr T ac Baja Radial AT A Z - 4 Rib Design 60% Road & Sand 40% Dirt & Mud The Baja Radial ATZ A is the latest 4 Rib All Terrain T design from Mickey Thompson. This unique design delivers excellent off road traction in a wide variety of terrains, without compromising the on road ability of the tyre. The wider footprint incorporates larger tread lugs with the latest internal siping technology to give better handling in wet and greasy conditions.

Latitude To T ur HP The MICHELIN Latitude Tour HP lasts 20% longer, has improved 5% in accoustic comfort as well as vibration comfort, and is safer with 5% extra grip on wet surfaces

Proven 4x4 tyre on versatility, durability and excellent traction in some of the toughest terrains. Continuous circumferential blocks provide good handling both on and off road. Twostage unidirectional sturdy lugs provide maximum self-cleaning properties and provide maximum traction on soft ground. Sturdy independent blocks provide excellent rock climbing property.

60% Road & Sand 40% Dirt & Mud Ideal for outback touring, and high mileage with regular bitumen and offroad driving. Exellent offroad traction and good performer in muddy conditions.

Reinforced for puncture resistance and guaranteed to last up to 80,000 kms*

STT - Super traction Ty T re 20% Road & Sand 80% Dirt & Mud Ideal for serious offroad applications.

Armor-Tek3 carcass construction now 33% stronger in sidewalls and 2.5 times mor resistant to tearing. Exellent offroad traction. Surprising bitumen grip and quiet ride for an aggresive traction tyre.

Baja Radial MTZ 40% Road & Sand 60% Dirt & Mud The Baja Radial MTZ is designed for maximum traction off road and on the blacktop. The new tread blocks are designed to minimise noise, making the MTZ one of the quietest traction tyres available.

Baja Radial Claw

A - All Te ATR T rraiin Reiinfforced 70% Road & Sand 30% Dirt & Mud Ideal for high mileage driving on bitumen and exploring offroad.

Suprisingly quiet ride with exellent bitumen grip, especially in the wet.

Excellent for driving on sand. Reinforced for puncture resistance and guaranteed to last up to 90,000 kms*

Road & Sand 80% Dirt & Mud Radial Claw has 23 degree angles the ultimate angle for and self cleaning (used on blades and tractor tyres.) This you get maximum traction and e level of road noise as a less ve tyre. Reinforced sidewals are here you need it, just below the tread.

CS4 Touring i - All Wheel Drive i 90% Road & Sand 10% Dirt & Mud Twice the mileage without giving up grip or comfort. Superior wet traction.

Excellent stability, traction and and treadwear, premium appearance and guaranteed to last up to 80,000 kms*

Add Toyota Genuine Accessories to your Toyota and it’s easy to turn life’s journey into an exciting adventure. No matter what you’re into, there’s one to enable you to enjoy the best of life’s experiences. Every Toyota Genuine Accessory is engineered and tested to Toyota’s strict quality and performance standards and backed by our Toyota Warranty.* Live A Genuine Life with Toyota Genuine Accessories.

See your Toyota dealer today or visit toyota.com.au/accessories.

toyota.com.au/accessories Prado Kakadu model shown accessorised with Toyota Genuine Alloy Nudge Bar, Front Weathershields, Aero Roof Racks and Towball, Towbar and Trailer Wiring Harness. Accessories sold separately.

Toyota Genuine Accessories are not applicable to all models/grades. Consider the mass of your load to ensure you will not exceed the maximum allowable individual axle capacity, Gross Vehicle Mass and/or Gross Combined Mass of the vehicle. Refer to the current Accessories brochure or visit toyota.com.au for details on warranty and toyota.com.au/vehiclepayload for details on vehicle payload, to help determine Accessories suitable for your vehicle. Accessory colours shown may vary from actual colour due to the printing process. $OO 7R\RWD *HQXLQH $FFHVVRULHV SXUFKDVHG DQG ĆŞWWHG WR D 7R\RWD DUH ZDUUDQWHG IRU WKH UHPDLQGHU RI WKH 1HZ 9HKLFOH :DUUDQW\ RU PRQWKV ZKLFKHYHU LV JUHDWHU 7R\RWD *HQXLQH $FFHVVRULHV 9DOLG 36$ 7/&& purchased from an authorised Toyota Dealer over the counter are warranted from the date of purchase for one year. Conditions apply.