Is a bush made promise still valid when you get home ?

Submitted: Friday, Jan 09, 2015 at 11:05
ThreadID: 110664 Views:4140 Replies:6 FollowUps:6
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I'm not sure if the question here should not be "Are OzTents up to it" but anyway.

Well we expecting it as we arrived for our annual family camp at Talbotville (victoria), and on the first day the kids went to a freezing wind swept Mt Blue Rag where number one son proposed to long time girlfriend and she said yes.

Well she said yes as soon as she realized he wasn't shivering from just the cold and snow showers!

24 hours later they were proceeding up the long and shaley Billy goat Bluff track in there Pathfinder when a partly out of control Navara was descending with a broken CV joint.

It was a bad spot with lots of boulders and they quickly pulled of line hitting the diff.

They continued up, but the car began to find the track harder and harder until another decsending vehicle yelled out that there front wheels were not turning.

It appears that the diff had finally exploded outwards leaving a large hole in itself and a long trail of oil.

What proceeded next was a harrowing gear crunching 3 hr recovery descent begining with a 3 wheel turn around on the most difficult part of the track.

With no front wheel action and apparent loss of some electronic control systems they had no power brakes either and had to use every bit of strength just to pull the car up using only its back two wheels.

They were not sucessful every time !

The Pathfinder limped back into camp its blown front diff now waterlogged as well from the 5 river crossings on its way home.

Hard choices, but about midnight is was decided the the only way to get the pathfinder home was to physically cut out the front axles.

The electric axe was dragged out and by 2am it was done (its amazing what an 18v grinder can do in anger! )




Next day the exhausted crew went into Dargo for a rest, whilst I remained at camp as I had an opportunity to test out a Bt50/ford Ranger hill descent control on a serious hill known as South Basalt track.
With the impressive test over we were relaxing at camp when we were hit by the heavy weather change with damaging winds.

Our camp was huge with some 20 vehicles and the few people remaining at camp struggled to save what they could but it was futile.

Almost everyone suffered damage, our 2 Oztents failed, the 3rd survived because it was being held at the time, everyone of our trail bikes was blown over, but that was nothing to the near total destruction of the kids camp.









48 hours earlier she had said yes in the Pathfinder which was her pride and joy and now both it and the campsite was a wreck.

I walked up to my future daughter in law and said - you know there is a 48 hour cooling off period for any promises made while camping.

She just smiled ?
Robin Miller

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Reply By: Member-Heather MG NSW - Friday, Jan 09, 2015 at 13:37

Friday, Jan 09, 2015 at 13:37
Haha,
I guess things can only get better for her from now on Robin. Sounds like a memorable 48 hours in the worst kind of way.
regards,
Heather
Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt. John Muir

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Follow Up By: Robin Miller - Friday, Jan 09, 2015 at 15:19

Friday, Jan 09, 2015 at 15:19
Hi Heather , one would hope things would get better but life is't like that always I guess.

I wasn't going to include in this post what happened when we got home as its not really 4wding related however as it happened when we were unpacking and that sort of make the following relevant just !

2 hours after getting home whilst still unpacking a storm hit melbournes eastern suburbs - it was a dozy to.

With wind rain and hail hitting hard, suddenly the sky went dark , we looked up and a spaceship was about to land.

Straight into our swimming pool it went.

After the inital shock it turned out to be a new christmas present someone in the street over from us had got a not tied down.





I hope your christmas was less eventful Heather.

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Reply By: Bob Y. - Qld - Friday, Jan 09, 2015 at 14:21

Friday, Jan 09, 2015 at 14:21
Robin,

Sounds like she is made from the right mould. No.1 is a very lucky young man, and no doubt a happy one!

Something for them to tell the future grandkids. :-)

Bob

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Can't remember most of it.

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Follow Up By: Robin Miller - Friday, Jan 09, 2015 at 19:01

Friday, Jan 09, 2015 at 19:01
Thanks Bob - At Least she won't be able to say she wasn't warned.
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Reply By: muzbry - Friday, Jan 09, 2015 at 17:13

Friday, Jan 09, 2015 at 17:13
Gday Robin
I am with the 24hr cooling off period , and congratulations to you and Mrs Miller . Realy its all in good fun..And as for soft roaders on big hills.
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Follow Up By: Robin Miller - Saturday, Jan 10, 2015 at 13:27

Saturday, Jan 10, 2015 at 13:27
Thanks Muz , the cooling off period is over now so lots of fun ahead.

I left a lot out of this post but talking about soft roaders, a 3rd Nissan, the black 3lt v6 diesal you have seen before had turbo failures after we baby sat it while it constantly went into limp mode.

On way out it failed fully and had to be flatbedded home.
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Reply By: Bonz (Vic) - Friday, Jan 09, 2015 at 22:19

Friday, Jan 09, 2015 at 22:19
Congratulations Robin and Anne and your growing family! What an adventure in the best part of the best part of the High Country.

All the best

GWBonz
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Follow Up By: Robin Miller - Saturday, Jan 10, 2015 at 13:31

Saturday, Jan 10, 2015 at 13:31
Thanks Bonz , it will be one to remember for sure , but it was a little scary at the time.

Struggling in 2wd for only 2km up Billy goats chopped out its rear set of BFG ATs so badly they are gone as well.
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Reply By: Steve D1 - Saturday, Jan 10, 2015 at 01:00

Saturday, Jan 10, 2015 at 01:00
Always love reading of your adventures Robin. You really do have the life.

I'm sure the new bride to be is well aware of what she is getting herself into, and will no doubt love every minute of it.
Congrats to you and your boy.
Love will last forever,and vehicles can always be recovered and repaired. All of which is part of the fun.

Steve

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Follow Up By: Robin Miller - Saturday, Jan 10, 2015 at 13:52

Saturday, Jan 10, 2015 at 13:52
Hi Steve

Love the bush as you do, the kids had most of this adventure though and I hope they learnt a few lessons for the future.
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Reply By: MactrolPod - Saturday, Jan 10, 2015 at 07:11

Saturday, Jan 10, 2015 at 07:11
Nice story, EXCEPT you left your rubbish at the fire pit!

Saw it there on the 30/12/2014

Why did you leave the Pathfinder bits behind?

It annoys us that people leave their rubbish for others to clean up.
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Follow Up By: Robin Miller - Saturday, Jan 10, 2015 at 13:56

Saturday, Jan 10, 2015 at 13:56
Your right Mactrol , pretty sure though it wasn't intentional , just lots of confusion.

They could have used those parts right now as its becoming an issue to find the exact parts as there seem to be variations of axles and splines used across this model range.
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