Trip Report

This year was to see me and Stew competing in the Out Back Challenge but unfortunately due to the Missin Nissan still missing with only 4 weeks to go, we withdrew our entry. This left me to call on all my buddies to see if I could get a ride with someone else. After a few calls far and wide, Hobzee decided that he would have me as his navigator. Like all good preparation ideas, we were behind the 8 ball, but managed to get his GU Tray ready to compete in Touring Class.
The new Nissan was a GU 4.2 Turbo Intercooled Diesel Tray with 10000lb low mount winch running non bead locked 33inch Pro Comp Xterrains. It was a good combination at the start but at the end of the event was named A weapon of mass destruction with us performing numerous tyre repairs, mostly de beading issues as well as punctures, winch repairs including a cooked motor and burnt out soloniods and some panel damage to the sills as well as the windscreen being smashes 3 times, once being punctured by a stick that took out the GPS antenna.
We started off with a flying start lining up next to Roger Smith (Hobzee’s last year driver) in a 8km dry creek run where we overtook Roger on the way down but ended up finishing behind him where it counted. That was a highlight of my trip as we were flying all the way. From here we had the prologue. Our first run was our first tyre drama. The front right was punched off the bead on the first section but even with this we still managed to finish the course conquering the water hole and pipes. The tyre was repaired with 8 patches and plugs and a tube and the rim was panel beated back into shape. The second prologue was done without any issues and from here we headed over for a show and shine to show off the teams to the spectators.
Our first day was to be the mud and winch wall but not before a night nav combo event. This was done without too many dramas; one smashed windscreen, broken GPS antenna and 2 winch recoveries (giving Hobzee a chance to re plot the GPS points), but after all that we still managed to finish 3rd overall. The winch wall was a DNF due to not enough wall being removed and the winch not pulling us up and the mud wasn’t much better.
It was decided that the touring class car should go first thru the mud. 5,4,3,2,1,GO and we were off, then bogged, then moving the tractor anchor point towards us, then yelled at for not using the same UHF channel as Big Angry Dave (Head Marshall???). After all this it was decided that after we got out we could have another go and they would anchor the anchor point so a recovery could be performed. 5,4,3,2,1,GO and we were off again. Bogged in the same spot but a recovery was successful only to end up in the next hole, hopelessly stuck with the time running out and a winch very tired. We did run out of time and DNFed. After a few attempts, 2 winches winching together, a snatch from another vehicle, we were finally extracted using the tractor. The course was changed around the second hole and all the other teams managed the course without any problems. We were offered a third go but declined as we still had to replace the winch motor which required us removing the whole winch from the car and we already had spent hours in the mud. We were awarded the DNF time of 20minutes which we thought was a good gesture. There was always tomorrow.
Denian was our next property which was all sand special stages. Our first one was to go and collect codes from 3 different points in the course. Hobzee drove hard and there were times when we weren’t on the ground. We managed a good time and got all the codes correct. After this we had a motorkana course where we ended up de-beading a tyre resulting in a DNF. The sand wall was our next mission and was very steep, soft and we had no run up. The Nissan made it up to the 50 point mark and then the winch took over and we only managed to get the the 60 point marker inside the DNF. We all headed back to camp and had some tea before our last SS at Denian which was a motorkana around the same course as we did earlier. With more PSI we managed a good time.


Poolamacca was our next SS area where the gorge and rock wall had to be tackled but not before a navigational paper. We spent most of our time trying to locate a well on the map to find the microwave tower to the west of it but in the end a good result was recorded. The gorge was full of huge boulders, approx 13km long and we struggled to get thru, but made it unscathed (with a few minor sill issues) even after recovering a rather foolish driver that should’ve listened to his navigator who was stuck in the deep water at the end. The rock wall required everything we didn’t have; good approach and departure angles, fast-fair-dinkum winch, taller tyres, short wheel base. We had to negotiate a water hole, drive thru a canyon then exit up the rock wall. We gave it our best shot with the low mount only to cook a solenoid, even deflating a tyre to get more grip, only to see the tyre grip and the rim spin! Another DNF.
From here we traveled to Nundooka where a night nav exercise was in store for the night but not before some repairs were carried out. We had to fix a solenoid which proved to be rather tricky as ARB designed the bulbar off first, solenoid box off second trick. Out with the hacksaw and we were in business again, finishing in time to start the SS even without the winch cable properly attached. 80 GPS points in 3 hours were out for the getting, we managed an impressive 32 (the most was high 30’s), lost 5 Light Force light covers, suffered 2 punctures, both got wet feet and made it back with time to spare. All was good and we headed back to camp to fix the tyres as did everyone else. I don’t believe anyone did this without a puncture, some getting 5 in a tyre!
It was an early start with some making the half hour drive to Packsadle to refuel themselves as well as the cars and then be ready, packed up by 7:30am. Hobzee got up early and I got a sleep in, although I did have to help wind the cable on before he could go. He was back about 7:00am with a egg and bacon sandwich for breakfast and 12 bourbon cans for later. After packing up we headed over to the start of Brumbys Run where 10 GPS points had to be found in a huge paddock inside 2 hours.
The water in the fuel light had been on since we left the water hole the day before but we had forgotten until this time, so it was decided to drain the fuel filter. How hard can this be? It wont take long, will it? A reverse park facing up hill was where we were and the fuel filter was removed. Out came the water, back to the tank went the fuel and in came the air. I was pumping furiously as the start was drawing near until a suggestion was made to face the car downhill and let gravity help so a tow was organized and we were facing the right way. I missed the drivers brief as I was still pumping but luckily for us Hobzee had that sorted and had inputted the points into the GPS. With still no fuel it was time to look under the car where I found a fuel breather line off. The line was refitted, the fuel was pumped up and the car was going again with me at the wheel and Hobzee doing the navigating. This was going good for about 10 minutes when Hobzee said left! I turned and the car fell off the bank into a dry creek! Out came the shovel and we dug our way out this time with me navigating. It was rough country out there which caused another puncture, this time un-repairable. Due to all our misshaps eating into our time we ended up only getting 8 out of 10 points.
The next SS was a rough, rocky creek run, up a steep hill and back along the same track. This is the only SS that was different for touring class as we didn’t have to do a short loop that took about 1 minute to do. This was our chance to get back some points and we did well finishing with a very good time without any more noticeable damage! After this we had another dry creek to conquer which was done in good time even with a reverse effort after over shooting a corner. Some chances were taken shortcutting under branches, some we missed, some we hit resulting in another 2 windscreen cracks and another lost GPS antenna.
We traveled from here to Pincally and were greeted by the VATC members who made us more than welcome before explaining our next SS which was another night motorkana. By now we had learnt more PSI was good and did a good clean run to record another good time before retiring to a camp fire for a rather relaxed night with no mechanical repairs to do. The VATC crew came over for a mingle and told of their weeks adventures before being coaxed to compete in our SS. They had to eat a weetbix covered in peanut butter! We all had a laugh and before they went they donated 6 bourbon cans to our cause which divided up to about half a can each.
A first Aid paper was given to us to complete which proved to be done well, even with a few controversial questions regarding bloody snakes again! Shifting Sands is another nav stage where we had 30 minutes to plot and locate as many GPS points as possible. We answered them all and I think we got about 5 correct, but most importantly made it back inside the DNF. The last SS was the motorkana course this time 2 laps and once again done in a good time without any issues.
There were also Special Exercises that had to be undertaken throughout the event including rolling up a swag, running it up a dune, putting the swag thru a loop and returning to the start. This was the most energetic one as the others were to guess when the tyre had 22PSI and line up the sockets in order from smallest to largest (including 5/8ths and 19/32nds sizes).
Upon leaving Pincally we headed back to Packsaddle for a well earned drink or 10 before heading back to Nine Mile for the night. Presentation was a luncheon at the Line of Load where a few bourbons were enjoyed before announcing the stage top 10 place getters. We managed 7 top 10 places, our best one being 3rd for the Night Nav Combo, finished 2nd in Touring Class and 38th Overall.
It was a week full of laughs, with some highs and some lows. I had a great week, learnt more about the importance of bead locks, learnt that you can’t beat a high mount winch, that 33inch tyres are for the road and that adrenalin is an amazing thing as it kept me going all week, some nights only having 3 hours sleep.
Always Focused
Jonesy the Navigator, Winch Jockey, Winch Fixer, Tyre Repair Man, GPS Repairman, Windscreen Repairman, Panelbeater, Part Time Catering Officer & Mechanic!