So Saturday morning I spent 4 hours driving round trying to get seat belts.
In the end I went to the other side of the city to what can only be described as the best Toyota scrap yard I've ever seen.
A huge warehouse with 15 brand new 4 post lifts/ramps in a row all with different cruisers and hiluxes on being stripped for parts.
They then had the orange and blue warehouse racking 20meters+ high with walkways/floors between each level all full of cruiser parts.
They took the seat belts out of a 3 year old 70 series pick up (ute) that had been rolled, as they couldnt find any on the shelf.
After much battering with the guy who I think was Lebanese I got them for $300. Much more than I wanted to pay, but much better than the $400 he wanted.
The new one is slightly different but fortunately it fits OK in my truck.
I did also get the other bits, as my seat belt wouldnt click into these in the donor 70. But the stalks are too short to fit in my truck, and as they came out of a 70 with a bench seat, the belt only fits into the loose buckle which isnt on a stalk.
Started loading the camping gear in. The new self inflating double air matress would prove to be very comfortable and warm.
And off I went.
I had no address and non of the 3 map books I've got had enough detail to show where I was going.
But some how I navigated the 50mile trip there using some rough notes I made using google maps.
Just oven an hour to reach the property.
I drove to the forrest, but thought I must have gone the wrong way because the tracks ahead looked extreme, and I knew the club was towing a toilet trailer in and didnt think there was anyway they could have come this way.
So I turned around.
After managing to get in touch with one of the members, he confirmed I should have continued through the forrest.
So I turned around and drove back through the forrest.
Drove through the forrest and through a paddock (Id say field, but they dont call them that over here) and down to the campsite which was a lovely spot with a river on 3 sides.
Set my tent up and attempted to cook dinner, only to discover the gas cylinder I'd bought was empty.
Fortunately everyone offered me they're gas/stoves, so dinner was saved.
The night consisted of everyone sitting round a huge campfire.
And of course plenty of bottles of TED.
Breakfast time.
The beer and steak here are really really good.
But the sausages are terrible.
These tasted as bad as the look.
Apparently there is a butcher in Dandenong that makes and sells English sausages, so I will have to try and source some for the next trip.
The property we were on belonged to one of the club members who builds and drives challenge trucks.
Up until 5-6 years ago they used to host a lot of events here.
Then the state goverment changed the law so that motor sport events can only be held at race tracks.
That law is due to be scrapped in August hopefully, then events can start again.
Anyway a few of the guys had offered to show me round the property. The rock garden sounded particularly exciting.
Aired down to 20psi.
Emptied all the stuff out of the back and I was ready.
Before we set off I had a chat with one of the guys who owns this lovely 60 series.
He has owned it for the past 20 years and because it has been regularly serviced and maintained it has never broken down or needed any major parts replacing. His mates one has just done 1million k's (600,000 miles)
Anyway.................back to the tracks.
I followed Dean in his Patrol tray back.
The pics dont really show quite how steep a lot of the terrain here is.
This is the rock garden, which is the start of a creak and runs all the way down the mountain. Its atleast 1km long, although I dont think Id be able to drive all of it because its too extreme.
Its very similar to the new rock section at Lincomb, but obviously this one is natural.
Very overgrown as it hasnt been driven for a few years. Once they do another event here everything will be opened up again.
The owner had said we could drive anything we wanted, and if we got stuck any where, we could cut trees down and make a new track to get out.
I decided not to attempt it without my front locker and winch, but next time I will definitely be attempting it.
John, the guy running the trip drives this lovely 80 series.
The guys then took me to one of the tracks I saw when I first got to the woods. A steep rutted, rocky climb that looked very extreme.
Had a wonder up and this is the view back down.
The only person there not driving a LandCruiser or Patrol was Craig in a disco. He was going to attempt the climb in his twin locked disco, but decided against it. Probably a wise decision as I struggled with 37"s.
We moved the trucks around so I could attempt the climb.
I aired down even further, this time to 15psi, and off I went.
I came to a stop a few times, but by backing up a little and changing lines slightly, and plenty of right foot she got quite far up.
The rear locker did a great job, but as I didnt have the front one fitted it was a struggle. I reached one point where 2 tree roots were going across the track and try as I might I couldnt get over them.
They can be seen quite clearly on the pic below.
One of the guys had come with me and he used his hand held radio to radio down to the others and tell them we needed the chainsaw.
I wanted to cut the fallen tree out of the way on the side of the track, as I was sure without that there I could take a different line and avoid the 2 tree roots which were causing me problems.
I wondered down to meet the others, view back up.
Tree cleared and I shot up the track. The next section was very rough, and as I had no winch, and knew no one would be able to get to me, I had to make it through. Going back down back wards really wouldnt have been an option.
So I gunned it in first low and was convinced I was going to hit one of the trees with the rear quarter panel, but luckily I missed it. One of the front wheels then bounced up 2 ft into the air which was pretty scary. But I made it through and up the track.
I'm hoping some of the guys might have got some good pics/videos because it was pretty mad.
I managed to find my way back down to the guys and we set off so they could show me some other challenging bits.
They showed me a few tricky rocky sections which I drove while they all watched which they seemed to enjoy.
I then popped a wheel in the air and jumped out to take a few pics.
I then found I couldnt reverse as I was against a bank, and forward wasnt an option as the wheel off the ground was just getting higher and higher.
So a quick winch pull was needed.
We had a walk round and looked at some of the tracks going up the hill. I'm not sure I would have attempted any of them in a 4x4. One was like a shear cliff face, the challenge trucks must have had to winch the entire way up. It was that steep I think it would be a struggle to get up it on a trials motorbike.
One of the guys turned up in his lovely 70 series.
We then went back to the camp for lunch.
We then spent the afternoon drinking and chatting round the campfire till the early hours. A great bunch and a real mix of people. The youngest was 6months and the oldest in their 80's.
Today (Monday) was much clearer and warmer. View from the tent.
A lot of the guys were cooking on these.
There called biji's and worked very well.
http://www.4wdshop.com.au/equip/bijibarbi/
Had a good look at John's 80 today and had a chat with him about the different mods hes done to it.
Hes fitted a top mount intercooler in order to get EGT (exhaust gas temp) down. I asked if hed got an EGT gauge which he had and I told him its not a very common mod over in the UK, but I know a lot of 4wders do it in OZ.
He said its because when your driving in the desert and its a 40 degree day, the EGT can get dangerously high, obviously not a problem in the UK.
Took the tent down and hung it over the back door to allow the base to dry as it was damp. Also got all my tyres aired up.
With the camp packed up we all said good bye and left. Still couldnt believe they towed trailers, and caravans along the access track through the forrest.
View back up the extreme track that I drove.
Back on the road home. Everything is looking very green now after the recent rain.
And home.
Gave it a good blast over with the jet wash, and while changing the tyres took the opportunity to clean underneath while the wheels were off.
With the trolley jack and air impact wrench and steam pressure washer, it only took 40 mins to clean the truck and swap all the wheels. 40 mins after a trip is quite quick really, so I think thats what I will do in future, but obviously I would be putting the 35" tyres back on and not these tiny 31"s.
So a great weekend away with some great people.
Not a huge amount of driving, but loads of socialising which was still very enjoyable. On the next few trips we will be travelling around and camping at different spots, so will do a lot more driving.
Cant begin to tell you how happy it made me to finally be driving my LandCruiser here in Australia, off road with a 4x4 club!
It finally feels real and I'm loving it!
Next time we go back to Bindarree if I've got my front locker and winch fitted I'm going to drive the most extreme tracks I've ever found!
Might take all day to drive and winch my way up the 1km rock garden, but it will be so much fun!!!
Hoping to get back to the guy doing the compliance certificate tomorrow to show him the new headlights, seatbelts and weld below the windscreen. Fingers crossed he says its ok and passes it off, then I can get it registered and get my Ozzy number plates.
