The day dawned early for the intrepid Bonz, organiser of the gathering and all around nice guy, 1230am in
Wellington NZ for an early flight back
home to the gathering. All over Victoria people were soundly asleep dreaming of a fantastic weekend. Mr Weather Bureau had predicted outstanding weather and there was a bumper crop of eager participants on the list for the 2011
Pyrenees Gathering. Bonz lay in his bed contemplating getting up, any minute now, safe and sure in the fact that Dust Devil, as promised, was already at GlenPatrick, had staked out his claim, got the genny and Sat TV working, finished off the last minute tasks in the never ending Lucy List and had already setup the GPS event for Saturday. Seems he was wrong.
Bonz arrived at GlenPatrick mid-afternoon, hoping that his panicked request for shorts had gotten thru to the Local Government. There were a few players onsite already, Trish and Trev and a party of many, and Ifeellikeanewscreenname and Curry Lamb, the weather was spectacular and things were starting to relax. But no Dust Devil! Maybe that’s a blessing in disguise. The GPS competition quickly became a trivia quiz and people started filing into the Reserve and setting up. Eventually around 50 revellers including a swag of kids had a great weekend catching up, meeting new people and helping others out. And Bonz’s engine in the Patrol was still going after the gathering (unlike the last one ….)
Friday evening people gathered around the fire to catch up and were welcomed by Bonz. He outlined the plan for the weekend and then everyone settled down to a great chin wag and catch up. Matt and Julie bought enough paperwork to cover off all peoples needs and there’s some left over for the next gathering too. We even left a few rolls in the Reserve ablution block just to say thanx.
Saturday dawned wonderfully and the 9:30 trip left dead on time at 10:15. Shortly into the trip Glenn radioed that he had done a rear tyre. A thumb size hole in the inside wall. All hands to the fore and the essential repair
tools sourced (Camera, jack and tyre irons – in that order). The Prado was jacked, moved jacked again and the spare onto the back to resume the trip. Rox commented that now she was a little worried with no spare. Ominous sign of things to come. Not 200m down the track those words came back over the radio – We’ve done another tyre! That couldn’t be a joke could it? Nope, sure wasn’t, this time it was a little more serious, a nice slice in the side of the other rear tyre, no spare and halfway up a rocky climb. Out came the plug repair kit and the slash was plugged and tentatively reinflated – success! But what to do now? Common sense said go back the way we came, but when has sense been common?. Bonz had been up further and it got lots rockier (like the Picture Show, but less externally worn underwear) so Toonfish first, then Glenn was carefully guided metre by metre backwards down the
hill. Toonie managed to clock something hard doing a fifteen point turn on the track to turn around, rearranging the rear bumper on the 100 Series and Glenn managed the way down expertly with no more damage and little lost but a whoosh of air over the edge of a particularly nasty
rock. Two more inflations and we were back at
camp, Glenn licking his wounds and everyone else tucking into a feed. Luckily NowIamMemberNo1 was heading up that afternoon and bought along another tyre for the trip
home. Glenn tried to apologise but there was no need. The way everyone pitched in to help, take photo’s and care for them in need was magnificent to experience, and is the essence of the 4WD fraternity
Saturday afternoons trip up North Glenpatrick track and back around in a loop was a great time and the lovely weather just topped it off.
Saturday afternoon into the evening was a chance to sell a few raffle tickets, raise a bit of money for the GlenPatrick Reserve Committee and rest up. Bonz managed to feed himself mooching from various accomplished cooks and chefs with the lamb (thanx Glenn)and porcupine meatballs (thanx
Corinna) a delicacy!
The trivia quiz was great fun and the major prize of Lifetime
membership went to Toonfish, just having paid up the week before, oh
well mate, no refunds! Dust Devil had managed to secure a South Australian recipe for mulled wine which went down magnificently and added to the timbre of the evening around the fire which went
well into the night (see below for one of the results)
Sundays trip was a short run, and we also did a bit of geocaching (see
www.geocaching.com) on
Old Mill track with Dash, the geocaching expert, finding the prize 50 or so metres off the track – good job Dash!
All in all a great weekend had. Great to meet new people and catch up with others seldom seen. As we all headed off Bonz could be heard muttering – they should have had a prize for the one who came the furthest to the Gathering……. Oh
well next year!
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