Trip Report

November 9- 14

Original trip changed due to rain and river depth

Andrew Haslett
HJ75 Tray, Snorkel and
BFG 33 Muddies
Vic. All Terrain 4x4 club

Neil Hemmington
Toymota Smurf, Stock,
2.4lt turbo diesel
API 4x4 club

Dave & Karen Ryrie
GQ Troll snorkel and
BFG 31 all Terrain's
API 4x4 club/Vic All Terrain 4x4 club

Later attendee's
Andy Callanan
Landrover Discovery,
Snorkel, BFG Muddies
Landrover club

Daryl Peacock / Doogs / John Clerici
Bronco 351
BFG 33 Muddies
Vic All Terrain 4x4 Club


This trip started Thursdaylate afternoon with a run down to Heyfield and up to Hickeys creek, just short of Licola. Camped overnight.
Friday was a slow start and drive to Licola to wait for Andy Cal.
From Licola we traveled along the Macalister to Primrose Gap and then down through Glen Cairn and onto Black soil track.
The rain started to tumble as we finished off Black soil track and started along the Macalister River crossing it 8 times before setting up camp at the base of the Butcher Country Track on the Macalister River.
As the tents went up the rain bucketed down turning the track into a river. Neil brought out his shade tent (cabana) and this when draped with tarps became our only dry area.
Meanwhile Hazza was very comfortable asleep in his cab.
Trenches had to be dug around the tents and they all ended up sending water underneath Hazza's 75 series.
With all the timber absolutely soaking wet, Hazza's beer can lighter expertise was called upon. And soon after, the fire was lit.
Saturday morning and the rain had not let up. Neil wandered off and caught his first ever Trout in 5 minutes. Very tasty!
So a very wet group of cars headed up Butcher track.
Neil's car with standard tyres already full of mud needed a little tug up the first steep bit. But after this the rest of the butcher track was relatively easy.
The view would have been excellent if only we could have seen more than 20 feet in any direction. Low cloud and the rain ruined the views.
The top of the track near Zeeka Spur track was flooded and great fun to drive through.
Our planned meeting with the Bronco didn't happen and they could not be raised on CB or UHF and did not answer their Mobile.
After lunch our group started down Zeeka and after 15 minutes Daryl called on the mobile to say he was just starting down Zeeka. The track was pretty good except for some non-Bronco-sized gaps cut in fallen trees.
Once in Wonnangatta we had to cross the first obstacle "Dry River" which was dry in February but was now flowing very fast and deep in one section. All cars crossed this bonnet height river without drama and proceeded to the first Bog hole.
Hazza charged in first and with lockers punched made it with ease.
Dave followed in the Troll and bashed his way through embedding a large amount of mud into the winch.
Neil with stock tyres got about half way before he lost traction. The comment from Hazza was "I'll tow you out but you have to connect yourself up" as Hazza had his new boots on.
Don't ask how much they are worth.
With Neil attached Hazza pulled him out with ease. Andy in the Disco managed the bog quite easily with his Muddies digging down and finding traction.
While waiting for the Bronco Hazza tried the bog a few more times.
Daryl's Bronc made the bog hole look small but he was driving along sideways with a roaring engine and a squealing power steering pump it made for good video footage.
Camp was set up not far from the toilet (destroyed by a wombat that evening) the same camp as in Feb.
The river was running very high in its banks and by next morning it has risen over another foot .
A decision was made to not try further down stream to cross but to go out the direction we came in.
Every one in the valley had the same idea. And once we got to Dry River there where 27 cars waiting to cross.
The track in was now impassable due to the height of the river and the fact that the trees downstream of the track on the other side would inflict serious damage to any car washed fractionally downstream.
A new track was made 20 metres upstream and some cars had already been towed across when we arrived.
A single tow car on the other side reversed and towed other cars across. The group of cars in front of ours decided they wanted their trailers towed across unhitched. The bike trailer made it fine but the light box trailer snapped its coupling handle (stupid place to winch from) and was taken downstream until a single piece of Blue Yellow nylon cable (Maybe Telstra rope, Maybe not, where not saying) saved it from getting washed completely away.
It took these guys 2 hours to get 2 cars and 2 trailers across, a lot of people cast doubts on the intellect of the towing people who seemed in charge.
The Bronco was the first of our group to be towed across it was hitched to the rear of a 45 series tray and then via 4 snatch-em's across the river to a 75 tray who had to reverse to tow.
The call went out to "GO" and in went the 45 followed by the Bronco, the towing vehicle could not reverse fast enough and everyone thought the Bronc slammed the side of the 45 which had been washed around to face upstream. But no damage was found. Daryl had to brake to avoid the 45.

The next cars up where Hazza and Neil in his Surf (appropriately named). Hazza was standing beside his car and people where still attaching Neil's car to the rear of. the 75 when the tow car driver, Daryl in the Bronc, was told to go. This pulled Hazza's car into the edge of the river. Before Daryl realized no one was in the drivers seat and stopped. Hazza's first thought was "Shit the hand brakes slipped".
Once set, Hazza and Neil got towed/Drove the river. Neil's car swallowed water and stopped but Hazza towed him out of the river.
An unimpressed Hazza took over towing the next pairing to be towed through. Andy Cal's Disco and myself in the Patrol. Just before it was my turn to be towed, Karen slipped away from the group to perve on the bike riders pushing their dirtbikes across a fallen tree upstream. It then was my turn to be towed and Karen was nowhere to be found. I started yelling for her and so did all these other guys. Karen came running aware she would have to walk the river if she missed the ride.
The water covered the windscreen by about 3 inches. But the tow was uneventful. The Patrol stayed at the water edge and was hooked up for the next group of cars.
The track the tow car had to take was getting cut up and with having All Terrain's on it took a fair amount of RPM and trench digging by the tyres to drag the cars over. Meanwhile Neil had started stripping his engine down.
An 80 series with lockers took over the towing and because the next cars where Rodeo's and Couriers without snorkels, they decided to be towed over with engines off. Apparently something to do with the number of cars on the opposite side with bonnets up and steam rising /water spraying.
The 80 series was joined at the front to a 308- powered Hilux to help with the drag of 2 dead weights.
Karen tried to tell people the towpath was getting littered with broken down cars but no one listened to her, Because she's a woman. But indeed the next pair of cars towed across got stuck half way with water to the tops of their side windows. The 80 could not get traction and the dick in the Hilux had it in 2wd. After this was pointed out and 4WD engaged both cars wandered left and right straining to pull the now water logged cars out. And as Karen had foretold the dead cars where in the way. A big cry went out to shift these cars and they where shoved well out of the way. Finally after 20 - 30 seconds stuck in the river the cars where pulled out. And the occupants slightly soaked wanted an explanation.
Daryl's Bronc replaced the Hilux at the front of the 80 series. The Hilux just didn't have the weight or tyres to pull. The owner of the 80 was very vocal until on the next tow he felt the grunt of the Bronc.
The 80 had started towing before the Bronc and had started to wander to the left. When the snatch between the 80 and the Bronc took up it slammed the 80 back in line and probably elongated it just a little bit.
One of the cars to come across was a Isuzu 4x4 (pre Rodeo). A very small car. Unknown to the tow cars it was the only car coming across. When told to "GO" the Bronc and 80 took off like normal and the driver of the Isuzu wound the window down to talk to the person standing next to him. When the 4 snatch-em's took up the little truck took off like a rocket. Completely submerged as the bow wave covered the car. When the driver got out he was drenched. All the spectators where falling over themselves in laughter. Daryl too was laughing but not at the same thing. Andy Cal had joined him in the Bronco " to feel real power " as he put it. Daryl dumped the clutch to begin towing and the take off tipped Andy's Beer all over him.
The last car through was a Landcruiser towing a bike trailer. No problems towing him through with trailer attached. Its just a shame the other dicks earlier with their trailers didn't get to see it.
Everyone left and headed to the next river crossing on Riley's track. While Neil rebuilt his car. Neil's turbo was full of water and so were his cylinders. The car spat out the water via the glow plug holes. And we where travelling again with a very lucky surf.
Dry river had increased about 2 feet from the time we arrived that morning up until the last car, a raised Landcruiser, was pulled through.
Once at the Wonangatta crossing on Riley's track. We noticed the river was flowing very fast but not as deep or as wide.
The Bronco towed a plugged up surf through but the power steering belt slipped and the Bronc drifted to the downstream side of the track with Daryl wrenching the steering wheel. Unbeknownst to Andy and myself that it was the slipping belt that caused this, we opted for a tow lead on just in case.
Hazza drove across with Andy in tow but the tow strap was not needed. The tow strap was thrown back across the river and Doogs had to stand in goolies depth water to fetch it. Very cold. I attached it to the tow point on the Patrol but not good enough as soon as the car hit the water the strap let go and floated downstream. I was unaware of this until I was told when I got to the other side. $2 fine I think.
We then headed for Myrtleford and from there over Mt Hotham.
Hazza had no electrics in his car and it was found later to be the brushes were too worn to make contact. So over Hotham Hazza sat on the Disco's taillights. And I tried to shed some light down the side of Hazza by driving in the oncoming lane. This continued until Hazza's battery was charged up enough in the Bronc to be put back in. And with 1 headlight disconnected to conserve battery power we limped to Ensay South (Please slow down) where John has a holiday house. (miners cottage).
John was so pissed no one could understand what he was saying on the radio.
The remainder of the trip was taken up with drinking and relaxing at Ensay South (Please slow down) Where we found the cause of Hazza's power loss and replaced the bushes in the alternator.
A trip I will remember forever with fondness.

Dave Ryrie

Quotes of the Weekend.
To a group of people drinking Guinness.
"Chardonnay anyone"
By Doogs celebrating the purchase of a house, with a bottle of wine.
And discussing Slimming colours in fashion.
John came out with.
"I weigh 120 kg but only 80 if I wear black"

Damage
1 reverse light on the Bronco
1 bent shovel (used by drunks to belt holes in a 44 gallon drum)