Quail or Duck?

Doc, Rick, Aim, Brody and Dan.

Dogs – Cruise, Buddy and Jewel.

An old family friend came up for a few weeks. He loves his shooting and every spare chance, we grabbed the guns from the safes and headed out on the rabbits or ducks.

We got together to do a little bit of quail shooting, first time for a few of us. Five of us walked the stubble paddocks with three dogs and itchy fingers. No quail shot up from the grasses. Walking up a little further and heading back, one flew out before Doc. One quail. Us young ones thought the two elders were going to fight over it.

It’s my quail. I get to cook it! Was Doc’s argument.

It’s also duck season. With channels and dams nearby, we gave up on the quail and moved on to the larger game. Ducks were falling out of the sky everywhere. By lunchtime, we had enough to keep the people who eat duck happy and lined up to prepared the ducks for freezer bags.

Us younger sooks plucked while the old farts gutted. Doc and his bloody small knife looked like a serial killer by the end.

A good day, the dogs did well for three workings together, A few yells disoriented them and weren’t sure who to bring the ducks back to.

So for a day out quail shooting. We got a feed of ducks instead!

Sunday Four Wheel Driving

Dan – Triton. Brody / Tennelle – Rodeo. Mckay – Patrol. Aim – Navara.

Our four-wheel driving Sunday started at 1 am in the morning when alcohol talked the boys into finding some mud out by the Loddon River. Found some mud. Bored through it and continued around the corner for some more. Underneath the headlights, they found what they thought to be the jackpot. Only to discover halfway through they bit off more than they could chew.

Halfway through a flooded section the Triton came to a halt. Unable to roll backwards, they continued forwards until they could no more.

“Aim, can you do us a favour?” Why do I get these phone calls at night? A few minutes later after nabbing Brody’s brand new recovery kit and a second jumper I head out as the Triton rescue vehicle.

Just around the corner, they tell me. Many corners later, I see the Triton’s rear lights and the four of them standing on the back, waving like mad for me to stop before I became trapped in the same bog hole.

Under headlights, it looked as if they had driven into the Loddon River its self.

Slipped over in the mud. Got my feet wet, Mckay pretty much went swimming, and the rest of them with wet legs helped to join two snatch straps and a winch extender between both vehicles.

After a bit of tugging and lots of sliding and spinning, the Navara finally pulled the Triton out. Was that the end of the night? Nope. Returned home, lit a fire in the middle of the driveway, and stayed up until 3am.

9 am, we were back at it. After recovering the snatch straps from the Navara, we headed out to the Myall forest down by the Murray in search of some more mud! We were not disappointed.

Mckay let the way through the mazes of roads within the forest. Pick a track, any track. Found a few easy mud holes and a few that weren’t so easy. All three utes became bogged at some time. Mckay said he was going to be disappointed if he didn't get his new Patrol stuck. A few times, he succeeded very well.

First one to become trapped, was Dan in the Triton, Trooton as he calls it when it fails. Pulled out by the Rodey. Mckay flew in next only to become stuck in the same spot. Also pulled out by the Rodey. The poor Rodey didn't even get a turn as we moved on to the next.

Not to be disappointed, the Rodey bogged down in a large hole. Second time Brody ploughed threw it with no problems at a higher speed. Mud was going everywhere! The three white utes were now a light and dark brown. Even Mckay, who decided to check the holes depth, was caked with the same brown mud over his legs.

Dan, unwilling to become bogged, held the Triton flat. Warp speed Spock! Smoke poured from the exhaust as water escaped from under the mud tyres as far as it could and straight over the roof.

Making our way through the forest, sometimes blind due to the mud splashing over windscreens, we came across a caravan and two clean utes! Either they dodged all the mud or found another way in. We couldn’t believe how clean the blue Nav was! There wasn't even a trace of dust.

A man walked up as we waited to get around the stationary caravan. When we expressed our desire to pass them through a ditch, he replied with. "This is going to be interesting."

Very interesting that he thought it would be interesting. Went down and along the side with no trouble at all, and popped out in front of the caravan and continued on our way.

Following the track along, the cumbungi and other long grasses crept closer until the track narrowed to much. Unable to continue any further without scratching the utes, we turned around. Luckily the caravan moved. Our path was clear.

Driving further in, we found the Myall sand pit. Two large water holes before you climb a steep hill. First hole wall we managed to do was create tidal waves and grade the top off the exit. The Rodey nosed into the un-grated exit and stopped. Almost loosing a number plate. The Triton climbed the furthest because of a better bullbar clearance, then began to spin. The Patrol semi climbed out but also caught on the bullbar.

 

 

The next hole, each one climbed out and up the steep bank. Success, now on to the next challenge.

Dan spotted a wet spot, much like a dried dam, and much like a semi dried dam, the mud hole had no bottom. He dove in first, bogged down before he made it through to the other side.

Mckay, being a smart, deciding his vehicle would make it through with more speed. Nope. Bogged down in line with the Triton. Both or them rocking back and forwards trying to get out of the suction. Rodey to the rescue again.

After escaping the hole, Mckay took at the mud even faster and skipped across the top. He even went length ways.

Dan's turn. He made it sideways, but slipped up lengthways and bogged down so deep that the Patrol struggled to tear him free. A move of position and the Triton tugged out with a brand new accessory. The Trooton now has a moon cap.

After a few more plays in mud holes, we found the Guttrum sand pit. Black water and a bit of hill climbing. The day warmed up too. The mud baked onto the utes and after a while, our brand new brown paintwork begun to flake to reveal the white vehicle beneath.

Dan, in the Triton with the snatch strap permanently hooked up to his hayman reese bow shackle, tackled a mud hole and a steep climb. He bogged down first go. The Rodey came to the rescue and attached the strap to the rear. As he pulled, the snatch strap flung from beneath the Triton and disappeared underneath the Rodey. Running to hook the vehicles back together, we discovered the bow shackle had come undone. We had the shackle, but no bolt. Useless without the other. Not wanting to loose the bolt, Dan got ready to jump in the mud to recover it. On the puddle’s edge, I spotted something yellow. The bolt flug out of the mud.

A second go at bog hole was a success. Straight through it at warp speed and up the other side.

Mckay attempted another bog hole in the Patrol. Going in without 4WD engaged, he bogged down, the water above the bottom door sill. He begun screaming at us to stop moving like old people and pull him out as water ran in.

Dan hooked the Triton up, gave it a yank. The snatch strap broke with a huge crack. Meanwhile Mckay still screamed. We replaced the strap with Brody’s one and rescued him from the black water.

After checking out what damage the broken strap did to the rear of Dan's Triton, he discovered his two new green TRED’s gone. In an panicked attempt to find them, we searched Guttrum. No sign of the ramps. Brody, Tennelle and Mckay hunted in Barahm for some tucker while Dan and Aim continued to search. We went back along the rough track, certain they would have rattled out there. Then we made our way along the bog holes. There covered in mud, floated the two TRED’s, still together. What a relief.

Starting to get late and both groups at either side of the forest, we decided to call it a day and went home.

Brody and Mckay accepted the mornings challenge and disappeared back out the Loddon to own the elusive puddle/lake. Whipped its butt on the second go.

All bullbars required adjusting and the utes demanded decent pressure wash and that was the end of the day.

Big Desert Trip March 2014

Aim and Dan

Day One

Two utes Left Swan Hill at 2 and made their way along the Northern highways of Victoria with one goal in mind. The Border Track. 

The trip became filled with snarky remarks and stupid comments over the UHF. A phone call, a wrong turn and the cover of the brand new Bushman almost flying off added to the many stops along the way.

We fought our way through the fruit fly station with smiles and openings of eskies. "Going home?" one bloke asked. Really. You just seen the amount of food on board, (No fruit) camping gear and wood... On a Friday! Not to mention we're supporting Victorian number plates crossing into South Australia. To be obvious. No, we're not going home. We're out looking for a good time. 

Arrived in Pinnaroo at 4:30 Gave the utes a drink then headed out to the border track full of beans and eager to plough into some sand.

We flew down the dirt road only to find a large yellow sign. Our hopes dropped as the sign announced track closure between November and April. Really! Why didn't the internet say so?

After a few minutes on the phone to Parks Victoria, we discovered the border track belongs to South Australia. Of all our luck. Travel 300Kms to find a closed track. What do we do now?

Apparently, there is a working bee going on along the track. Even if the ranger was nice enough to let us enter, there was no hope of us going down.
So, we headed in anyway, then took a sharp left at the big desert sign, back into Victoria! Well, a left after many photos on many different angles.

We were finally on sand! Dan, who hit every puddle he could find, was already driving a filthy vehicle. My dark blue one seemed to attract the fine partials to the paintwork too.
A few minutes down the track and still in two-wheel drive (With the hubs locked in) we climbed a few baby dunes. Took more photos of the landscape and the vehicles of course, then decided to let our tyres down. 18psi. Now the fun begins.

First, still a baby, but our first larger one we climbed, forced us to select 4WD halfway up unless we wanted to listen to a couple of engine revving hard and going nowhere. After all four wheels engaged, both climbed all sand dunes easy.

4WD, meh, who needs it. Knocked it back out, because having less control over a vehicle in sand is fun!

Look mum, no hands! The steering wheel turned itself as the front wheels followed the ruts. Good fun to watch until you realised the corner wasn’t deep enough to keep you on track and the ute goes sideways. Still a blast to fight it back into submission.

The rain might have washed away most vehicle tracks. They aren’t the only ones to imprint their mark along the narrow road. Emu and kangaroo tracks stood out in the white sand.

While looking for a campground before night falls, we were surprised to discover just how far we had travelled. Nowhere, compared to the highway. An hour was only a few ks. But who cares for time while you’re having fun! Soft spots play with our utes ability to hold a constant gear and power through. Looking for more of a challenge on the track, we came to a crossroads. Straight through the sand drift built up in the middle. Sand flew off the tyres as we fought our way through, then off to find the Red Gums camping ground.

Night crept upon us. Over another small dune and we found the camp spot.
Tall gum trees sat centre of the clearing. Strange thing to see in a desert. But different. We parked the utes, made camp, burnt the BBQ meat and found a shopping mistake. Wholemeal bread! Dan! How dare you buy something healthy for a 4WD trip. Smothered it with butter and a greasy sausage, that’s more like it!

The rest of the night we spent sitting around the fire and planning the next day. Make sure you take warm clothes. It gets very cold in the desert at night. We forgot all about this warning while we sat there in T-shirts. It wasn’t even a big fire.

An intruder waltzed into camp while we studied our very few maps for our next trek. Will be more prepared next time! A marbled gecko made his appearance in the red gum leaves.

Well, that was day one of the desert trip. No border track. But we're in! Still no idea what we're in for tomorrow!

Day Two

Best entry in a guest book I’d ever seen. Bit of light reading to start the day.

It’s even funnier for us. We came from close to Lake Boga, so we knew exactly how far it was back to Melbourne from both places.

Left Red Gums camping area and traveled along Coburns track. Met a few dunes. Owned them. Did some ridge driving and lots more photos of the utes and the landscape from higher peaks.

Then trouble started. We found some dunes that whipped our arses and sent us on our merry way. The Navara climbed first, but lost power. The second time, the driver lost her nerve, yes me, and gave up because of a slight fear of heights and backwards driving. The Mighty Triton then became stuck in the soft sand created by the Navara. We gave up, took a few photos of the track that put us to shame and continued on.

Where we wanted to get.

Where we got.

The country changed as we traveled east. It became sketchy bush land and hard sand. Boring, as Dan called it. We made our way to one of the main roadways. A highway compared to some of the tracks we've been on.

Had lunch at Big Billy Bore. As we finished our ham and cheese rolls. Ants appeared out of nowhere and attempted to steal our food. Too late boys! We're finished. A few more words in a visitors book and we jumped back on the desert highway.

Still a little bored after a few k’s on the hard limestone surface, we pulled off onto another track. In the distance stood a dune. How could we pass? I swear it was the roughest track we’d ever been on! Luckily, things were tied down on the climb or there would be things still scattered over that dune.

Reaching the top, we discovered very soft sand. The Triton bogged down on a drift at the peak. Dan leapt out at the chance to use his new Trax in the sand. We learnt something up there. Trax don’t do well in soft sand. The tyres grabbed the plastic ramps and shot them down at a 30 degree angle. We spent the next five minutes digging them out!

Reaching the top wasn’t the only perk. I had a phone dying and the USB charger for it couldn’t be found. (Later found in the back of the ute) While up there we found a USB led. The exact one I was after! Plugged it in and I was right to take a few more photos. What are the chances. On a dune, in the middle of a desert!

Next track, the Milmed Rock Track. Just a few k's of good sandy soil with many waves. The Triton hummed along. The Navara bounced its way through.

Visited the Milmed rock, took more photos then continued onto a few more camping grounds.

Both were as if we'd driven back into the mallee. Trees shot out of the ground as it changed to loam. The mallee in the middle of the desert. Dan was happy. Mud! It was a hard bottom, but still got to drive through some water!

Almost shamed by another hill. Triton struggled with 4WD engagement, but made it up. The Navara almost. But almost is didn't, although in snatch strap range and climbed the rest of the way with a little help. We continued down an unsigned track. Bad idea. A little overgrown and our toys couldn’t fit. Turn around and go back up the hill.

Navara made it. Just. Grazed the side of a small tree on the crest and folded the side mirror on the passenger side.

Not enough room for two. I continued down. After reaching the bottom decided to check on Dan. “Did you make it?”

“Ah, have a problem. I'm on my side.”

Well, that’s all we needed. On his side on a hill that I really can't climb and how do we get it back on its wheels and will it go!

“Only kidding. I'm coming down now.”

I'm not writing the words I called him. But, they were colourful.

The Mighty Triton did come to a bit of trouble. Coming around a corner the sand drift was a little too soft, and the Triton a little too low to the ground. Bogged with two wheels spinning on opposite axles.

Snatch strap time. The Navara tugged the other ute out with a struggle and a brand new, now burnt clutch.

Found another camping ground and some P platers out for a day trip by the look of them. One had a smart comment. Whatcha doing out here in a trooton. Well this Trooton made it this far. Ok, with some Navara power and a burnt clutch.

The track eventually came to an end and we know where the bushfire consumed some of the desert plant life. Fed the tyres some air after a few wrong directions and turns we found Lake Albacutya. Sigh. No water, but West Beach is a great camping spot, except for the ants and flies. Thankfully, they go home at night and mozzies were minimal.

It had toilet facilities and even showers! More than we expected.

Camped for the night and planned to burn all firewood brought and stay warm. Though, despite all the warnings, the temperature didn't drop as severe as expected. Disappointed. Two sleeping bags and only using one!

We spent our last night listening to a bit of music, eating un-burnt BBQ meat, and laughing at Dan communicating with a mopoke.

Day Three

The day we head for home.

We packed up. Dan had a friendly chat with the local ranger about how rough Milmed Rock track was heading the other way while I was down taking some photos of the empty lake.

A track started at the end of the boat ramp. We headed down that one, straight across the middle of Lake Albacutya and to the boat ramp and campground on the other side.

A kangaroo watched our progress from the very few shady spots of the lake bed. Dan didn’t even see it as he searched for any sign of water to drive through.

On the other side we found a little more four wheel driving in the dry lake sand, then it was time to head home.

We took the back roads. The seemed straighter than the bitumen route. Loam roads between large paddocks crossed over many bitumen roads. I expected them to be rough and shake us around a bit. We were surprised to find the narrow one-vehicle roads to be much smoother than our own highways back home. The only problem was the dust. The fine red soil created a huge cloud behind the Navara and Dan couldn’t see a thing.

We reached Lalbert in no time at all and headed the back way into Mystic Park. Both of us used about a tank an a half for the whole weekend and had a great time. Can’t wait to do it again. Hopefully next time the border track will be open and we can call it the Border Track Trip for real!