D21 dualcab Z24 4X4
Member
Heading off Friday night for the weekend with a couple of mates at Otooles or Jorgensons hut. Anybody wanna tag along. Nothing exciting, no set plans.
Otooles flat 29/9 (Gippsland area)
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D21 dualcab Z24 4X4
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Well F me. What a great weekend. Left work at 4.50 and headed straight for the Monash Carpark, sorry FWY. Once the traffic cleared aroun Packenham I wound it up to 100 and set the navigator for Little Otooles. I stopped at the top of Merringtons to air down, lock the hubs and divert the phone then hit the mud. One slight mis calculation and I found myself at a long river crossing that did not look too good to a bloke alone in a Terrano with no snorkel. Reviewed the map and the directions I had been given and found my way back past Junction hut, over the double river crosssing and off along Junction track towards Donellys creek road. Past Jorgensons hut and into camp at little Otooles at 08.30.
Dinner was ready (Cheers Bruce) so we ate then set up my tarp and Swag, had a few drinks and hit the sack.
The following morning over breaky I convince Bruce we should leave his TD V8 cruiser ute in camp, and head out in the Terrano to see what it was capable of. Thats when the fun began. Up this track and that, first go every time. Bruce, a ten year veteran of the high country was quite impressed to say the least. He says well, lets have a go at Axe track. A track that has the highest possible rating of difficulty by the YV 4WD club.
Guess what. Drove up first try. Now Bruce was convinced I had a secret something in the car. I carefully explained that all we had was a front locker, 2 testes, a big right boot and may I suggest, an aptitude for the activity.
As the day progressed we followed a similar course as a group that winched some of their vehicles over some of the obstacles we simply drove.
After lunch which included a can of Bundy (yep. you know where this is going) we continued wandering around and ended up heading East down Fultons track. The day had started out quite nice and slowly deteriated to snow and rain and we were well into Fultons when I remembered we had no self recovery gear. No sleeping or cooking equipment and no chance of reversing back out of the spot we were in. So on we went in the hope that things would get better. We got down into the valley, crossed the river and started up the East side when we rounded a sharp bend and were faced with a section about 50m long that was steep, deeply rutted, wet and had multiple small steps and ledges. Hit the ruts in second at full noise and made good progress untill the rear diff centre ran aground. I backed up a little and had another go but got no further.
By now we were just a little worried (shitting ourselves) as I backed all the way back to the sharp bend, idling in reverse and trying to stay in the ruts and keep the speed under control. Wound her up in first and took a slightly different line. We got passed the spot where we had stopped twice before, dropped back into the ruts and then powered on out just to come to a stop about 1 car length further on. At this point I remembered thinking will I go right or follow the ruts, so I put her in reverse, full left lock, added a little throttle and drove the front wheels up out of the rut. Full right lock and full noise and off we went again, this time over the next wash out and out of trouble.
I still can not believe that vehicle got us out of that shit and back to camp. Bruce spent most of the return journey through snow and sleet telling me he thinks his ute would never have got us out and how most people he knows have to have a few goes at Axe track and the little Terrano drove almost all of it without issue.
A front locker, 4 cheap 31" mud tyres and some lifted rear springs and the damm thing goes almost anywhere.
I had a ball. Learned the value of bothering to take the hand winch if going out in one vehicle and DONT have Bundy for lunch if driving around the high country.
Great weekend.
Dinner was ready (Cheers Bruce) so we ate then set up my tarp and Swag, had a few drinks and hit the sack.
The following morning over breaky I convince Bruce we should leave his TD V8 cruiser ute in camp, and head out in the Terrano to see what it was capable of. Thats when the fun began. Up this track and that, first go every time. Bruce, a ten year veteran of the high country was quite impressed to say the least. He says well, lets have a go at Axe track. A track that has the highest possible rating of difficulty by the YV 4WD club.
Guess what. Drove up first try. Now Bruce was convinced I had a secret something in the car. I carefully explained that all we had was a front locker, 2 testes, a big right boot and may I suggest, an aptitude for the activity.
As the day progressed we followed a similar course as a group that winched some of their vehicles over some of the obstacles we simply drove.
After lunch which included a can of Bundy (yep. you know where this is going) we continued wandering around and ended up heading East down Fultons track. The day had started out quite nice and slowly deteriated to snow and rain and we were well into Fultons when I remembered we had no self recovery gear. No sleeping or cooking equipment and no chance of reversing back out of the spot we were in. So on we went in the hope that things would get better. We got down into the valley, crossed the river and started up the East side when we rounded a sharp bend and were faced with a section about 50m long that was steep, deeply rutted, wet and had multiple small steps and ledges. Hit the ruts in second at full noise and made good progress untill the rear diff centre ran aground. I backed up a little and had another go but got no further.
By now we were just a little worried (shitting ourselves) as I backed all the way back to the sharp bend, idling in reverse and trying to stay in the ruts and keep the speed under control. Wound her up in first and took a slightly different line. We got passed the spot where we had stopped twice before, dropped back into the ruts and then powered on out just to come to a stop about 1 car length further on. At this point I remembered thinking will I go right or follow the ruts, so I put her in reverse, full left lock, added a little throttle and drove the front wheels up out of the rut. Full right lock and full noise and off we went again, this time over the next wash out and out of trouble.
I still can not believe that vehicle got us out of that shit and back to camp. Bruce spent most of the return journey through snow and sleet telling me he thinks his ute would never have got us out and how most people he knows have to have a few goes at Axe track and the little Terrano drove almost all of it without issue.
A front locker, 4 cheap 31" mud tyres and some lifted rear springs and the damm thing goes almost anywhere.
I had a ball. Learned the value of bothering to take the hand winch if going out in one vehicle and DONT have Bundy for lunch if driving around the high country.
Great weekend.
D21 dualcab Z24 4X4
Member
oddkid82
Member
Hey Matt how's things going? It's Simon here, I joined you guys in June/ July with the Y V 4wd club for a boys weekend, sounds like you guys had a great time.
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D21 dualcab Z24 4X4
Member
Had a ball thanks Simon. Been wondering what your Handle was. You been out much since then?
oddkid82
Member
Been out a few times, nothing as crazy as the time with you guys,
Had a little spin on Sunday on the way home from Mansfield, turned off at molesworth and did a few good tracks, some good steep hills around there, ended hitting the black stuff at buxton.
Had a little spin on Sunday on the way home from Mansfield, turned off at molesworth and did a few good tracks, some good steep hills around there, ended hitting the black stuff at buxton.
