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Middle Earth Trip Report (Now with photos!)
Hello!
As some of you already know, it has been a very eventful trip, much enjoyed by all.
So after everyone fueled up, we headed out towards the Barrington Tops with Luxster leading the way. It is really great country and it was a glorious sunny day.
After a little bit of confusion with the convoy procedures, the groups reunited at the gates of Tomalli station.
The Maverick was slowly getting dirtier and dirtier.
After lunch some of the group headed back whilst the rest of us pressed on. Luxster took us down a track that was fantastic. It started out with just a lot of fun mud, but the scenery got more impressive and the mud got thicker
Twinstacks carving it up!
About to head make the run in!
The Prado about to have a crack. It made a fair effort for a car with road tires.
A couple of people got stuck and needed snatching. Thanks heaps to Tony the cameraman / recovery guy! I was tail end charlie and the mud was pretty churned up but the judicious use of momentum got me through.
It doesn't look much but it was very muddy and the deep ruts caught a few victims. Great fun!
I had my lights on during the trip and the head lights where quite hot. The cold water of the river cracked the glass and let the head light fluid out of the left headlight
Thanks heaps to Luxster for leading the trip. The track was awesome!
I lead a small group back, lead by my trusty Tom Tom, which decided on an interesting route back. We went through by a sign that said "Linger and Die". I wanted to take a photo, but it was dark and with a warning like that, I just sped up! Legend has it that if the bullocks pulling the timber out of the valley stopped to catch their breath, they would be unable to get going again and would perish, but I didn't know that then and didn't want to take any chances
The next day was Stocktons! The driving there is fantastic. Grit gave everyone some pointers on beach driving, as there were a lot of people that like me, where new to sand. We aired down, I went down to 18, but after the drive in decided that 15 was more the go. It was interesting the difference that little less air made.
Here is the gang about to attack the hills!
And again!
I tried my first hill and failed on numerous occasions. The sand just robs you of so much power. Tina suggested making the changing from LPG to Petrol. That made a big difference. Before I couldn't make it up the hills and after I was getting in trouble for not keeping the wheels on the ground
Here is a picture of it. It is my take on the BMW art of driving ads. This is my art of 4 Wheel driving
The Maverick before tragedy struck!
We took some photos and then headed down to the Sygna wreck where we had a quick bite to eat and then off into the sand for Tony from 4WD TV to film. It was there that the Maverick suffered a 'minor technical issue'. Big thanks to Yobbo who towed me all the way from the wreck of the Sygna to Anna Bay BP.
The next day Tina, myself and the kids hitched a ride with Yobbo (thanks again, mate ) and we went back to Stocktons for more hills and airbourne adventures.
It was Yobbo's turn to get stuck. This was a really soft patch of sand and Matt had the sand sand flying like mud!
Tanya shows us just how deep the hole that Matt had made was.
The Hawks where flying over the beach, which William loved. The dunes at Stocktons have to be seen to be believed. The photos just don't do it justice.
We stopped just out of Silver City.
We had a bite of lunch and the kids ran off looking for trouble.
They found a massive sand dune. It would have been 70 meters tall and on a 60 degree incline. Needless to say they had great fun sliding down. The photo doesn't do it justice.
The next day was pack up day We waved goodbye to Gilly, Yobbo, Challenge Lee and Frosty, and headed off in our hire car. The Maverick wasn't ready so we dropped in to Fighterworld, where William and Lizzy sat in a fighter cockpit.
Back to pick up the Maverick and I went to pay for the upgrade. You know you have been going hard when the woman behind the counter says "Not that filthy Maverick - you need to give you car a f******g wash!"
Driving back to Ferndale to pack the car at about 7:30 and we hit a bump and all the interior lights go out, the brake lights don't work, the radio is dead. The only thing electrical working is the headlights (Thank God for small mercies). Pull over into a servo and look at the fuses. They seem OK. Then I lift the bonnet (which with my complete mechanical ineptitude is usually a waste of time) but I just happened to notice a wire swinging in the breeze. How lucky was that, quickly reconnect it to the battery and off we go!
Thanks to everyone who helped out with the weekend and thanks to everyone who came along. It was a great weekend and everyone got along well and had a great time. We did some great tracks and I can't wait till next years Middle Earth.
Thanks again to Yobbo for the tow and putting up with the kids on the Monday at Stocktons
Cheers,
James
Hello!
As some of you already know, it has been a very eventful trip, much enjoyed by all.
So after everyone fueled up, we headed out towards the Barrington Tops with Luxster leading the way. It is really great country and it was a glorious sunny day.
After a little bit of confusion with the convoy procedures, the groups reunited at the gates of Tomalli station.
The Maverick was slowly getting dirtier and dirtier.
After lunch some of the group headed back whilst the rest of us pressed on. Luxster took us down a track that was fantastic. It started out with just a lot of fun mud, but the scenery got more impressive and the mud got thicker
Twinstacks carving it up!
About to head make the run in!
The Prado about to have a crack. It made a fair effort for a car with road tires.
A couple of people got stuck and needed snatching. Thanks heaps to Tony the cameraman / recovery guy! I was tail end charlie and the mud was pretty churned up but the judicious use of momentum got me through.
It doesn't look much but it was very muddy and the deep ruts caught a few victims. Great fun!
I had my lights on during the trip and the head lights where quite hot. The cold water of the river cracked the glass and let the head light fluid out of the left headlight
Thanks heaps to Luxster for leading the trip. The track was awesome!
I lead a small group back, lead by my trusty Tom Tom, which decided on an interesting route back. We went through by a sign that said "Linger and Die". I wanted to take a photo, but it was dark and with a warning like that, I just sped up! Legend has it that if the bullocks pulling the timber out of the valley stopped to catch their breath, they would be unable to get going again and would perish, but I didn't know that then and didn't want to take any chances
The next day was Stocktons! The driving there is fantastic. Grit gave everyone some pointers on beach driving, as there were a lot of people that like me, where new to sand. We aired down, I went down to 18, but after the drive in decided that 15 was more the go. It was interesting the difference that little less air made.
Here is the gang about to attack the hills!
And again!
I tried my first hill and failed on numerous occasions. The sand just robs you of so much power. Tina suggested making the changing from LPG to Petrol. That made a big difference. Before I couldn't make it up the hills and after I was getting in trouble for not keeping the wheels on the ground
Here is a picture of it. It is my take on the BMW art of driving ads. This is my art of 4 Wheel driving
The Maverick before tragedy struck!
We took some photos and then headed down to the Sygna wreck where we had a quick bite to eat and then off into the sand for Tony from 4WD TV to film. It was there that the Maverick suffered a 'minor technical issue'. Big thanks to Yobbo who towed me all the way from the wreck of the Sygna to Anna Bay BP.
The next day Tina, myself and the kids hitched a ride with Yobbo (thanks again, mate
) and we went back to Stocktons for more hills and airbourne adventures.
It was Yobbo's turn to get stuck. This was a really soft patch of sand and Matt had the sand sand flying like mud!
Tanya shows us just how deep the hole that Matt had made was.
The Hawks where flying over the beach, which William loved. The dunes at Stocktons have to be seen to be believed. The photos just don't do it justice.
We stopped just out of Silver City.
We had a bite of lunch and the kids ran off looking for trouble.
They found a massive sand dune. It would have been 70 meters tall and on a 60 degree incline. Needless to say they had great fun sliding down. The photo doesn't do it justice.
The next day was pack up day
We waved goodbye to Gilly, Yobbo, Challenge Lee and Frosty, and headed off in our hire car. The Maverick wasn't ready so we dropped in to Fighterworld, where William and Lizzy sat in a fighter cockpit.Back to pick up the Maverick and I went to pay for the upgrade. You know you have been going hard when the woman behind the counter says "Not that filthy Maverick - you need to give you car a f******g wash!"
Driving back to Ferndale to pack the car at about 7:30 and we hit a bump and all the interior lights go out, the brake lights don't work, the radio is dead. The only thing electrical working is the headlights (Thank God for small mercies). Pull over into a servo and look at the fuses. They seem OK. Then I lift the bonnet (which with my complete mechanical ineptitude is usually a waste of time) but I just happened to notice a wire swinging in the breeze. How lucky was that, quickly reconnect it to the battery and off we go!
Thanks to everyone who helped out with the weekend and thanks to everyone who came along. It was a great weekend and everyone got along well and had a great time. We did some great tracks and I can't wait till next years Middle Earth.
Thanks again to Yobbo for the tow and putting up with the kids on the Monday at Stocktons
Cheers,
James
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