We had in mind a campsite on the far side of an island, where you could drive the main logging track around the lake perimeter, or go overland over the top. We chose the latter. And we wish we had taken a winch.....! The area around here is rocky to say the least, and when my air locker gave up the ghost on the first climb, it was going to be a tough ask for the rest of the day. but surely it would be remiss of me not to have a red hot Aussie go on Australia day?!?! So away we went.
Tyres down to 12 psi, low 1st and and 2nd and some careful line selection needed to keep all 4 wheels on the ground, as progress was halted by open diffs at each wheel raising. We bashed and crashed our way up some loose climbs, always struggling for traction in the impossibly dry scree rock, until we were eventually halted by a combination of ledges that had us going no place. 1 hour of track building (moving rocks) had us a failed attempt at foward motion, and the truck came to rest acrross the track, tilting down the track enough for us to lash it to a tree. Hour 3 saw another attempt after more track building, and with modest success we got off the cross slope, and this time was wedged bum first into a thicket of trees overhanging the ridge edge... So we lashed the front of the truck to stop from slipping further back and we attempted to jack the back end and push it off the jack to move it sideways. At about hour 4, we 'stumbled' accross a problem with one of our party who was manning the bullbar strap, singing out 'i've got some bites here...' We all traipsed up like expectant tourists, as we weren't disappointed, 2 puncture wounds that bore the distinct look of a snake bite.
Whilst nothing was seen, heard or felt (amazingly), the wound looked way to close to gamble with, so it was back down the hill to the other truck, bandaged up and off the Mansfield Private for the night.... Turned out it was a brown snake bite, but I can imagine in the crawl of our hill down to the road (surely 25mins at least) one would have felt a tinge of stress creep in...! Still, alls well that ends, and after enduring a night of being woken every 30 mins for blood pressure tests, and a battery of ECG tests, and the worst nursing staff in the southern hemisphere (although were lovely ladies, just useless, try Alex Base hospital next time kiddies!!)
So after all this drama, Em and I eventually got the truck back onto the track, then Em made the realisation that someone had to get the strap, and it possibly shouldn't be the driver so she geared up and charged into the scrub and bravely retrieved the strap for team us!! Attagirl! Did I meantion she won't even watch snakes on TV, so petrified she is!!
We elected to camp the night by the trickle of the Delatite River, so we could catch up with the snake bitee next morning, and we had a decent night, although strangely enough we had enough excitement for one day... Next morning we picked up the bitee, and came back for some playing around with Aidan trying to get his snorkel to earn its keep, but ending up with a slashed tyre instead. Changing a trye under the supervision of the girls was entertaining, then I geared up for a ride figuring I should get the Virtue to sniff out some new trails for me! And it was heaps of fun too, crusing along trails in the middle of nowhere, I've got some more photos to come too!
See, old GT parts don't die, they just go in the camping kit. Old GT I-drive bearing races from the full suspension bikes make perfect egg rings, too cool!
So that was about that, we rolled around the bottom of the old lake bed, through all the old houses and paddocks that were flooded when they made the lake, and found some cool areas with amazing colours and riding as well. Motorbikes rule this area, and the looks I got rolling around were too funny!!
A good weekend, and that would almost be classed as an adventure!
And finally congratulations to Paulie, Winny, Tory and all the others I've forgotten on some super results at the nationals over the weekend!!
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