Track closures

Barnsey,

It always makes me laugh when they preach tread lightly and continually whinge about the increasing number of track closures sometimes perminant (spelling).
They then seem to always go through the biggest bog hole or similar.
I agree that they as a large publisher should campaign to the beaureacats to keep these tracks open for the greater public that wishes to use them.
Some of the tracks are becoming open to 4x4 clubs only and it seems to be a case of us non club members being locked out with no option but to join a club.
Is Explore Oz membership considered as a 4x4 club?? if it is I'll tell SWMBO that I need membership for an early Chrissie present. ha ha ha ha

Apart from that may be some of us should send in an editorial and make a point about their double standards as to treading lightly.

Food for thought.
Kev

I'm with you both Barnesy and Kev and I belong to a large Melbourne 4WD club but cringe all the time when the boys come back with their photos and videos of the tracks that they have churned up and laugh when they get stuck in the biggest bog hole they could find.
I know I sound like a kill joy but I genuinely feel for the bush that must try to recover from this damage. I chose 4WDing to be able to get into the bush but I draw the line when in attempting to do so it's obvious that I will do damage to both bush and probably vehicle. I would much rather choose another track that I can travel along without damage knowing I have given either Parks Vic or the DSE no cause to close this track.
You see it all the time don't you? A track is open, it's churned up to the max, huge ruts being created, bog holes forming, driver's deciding to modify their vehicles to cope with the changing track conditions, bigger wheels/tyres, lift kits etc.
Where does it end? Usually with the track closed and we are too blame.
Barnesy I know which magazine you refer too and they certainly don't follow the Treadlightly policy.

I know there will be a lot of drivers reading this and thinking what's this old wanker on about but I just don't think the majority of people who churn up these tracks either appreciate what a privilege we are being provided with or the damage they are doing in what they believe is harmless fun.

Cheers. GU

How refreshing to read the above - we often discuss the behaviours of folks who seem to enjoy the "Big Splash". E.G. We arrived in Innamincka with very little dirt as about dozens of others arrived from the SAME track and all filthy muddy - we can only assume they did not CARE for the track NOR other fellow travellers future ambitions to access such regions which can be with drawn due to careless inconsiderate driving.
We like to get out and enjoy the outdoors - I guess that the muddy ones could hold back and go to a private 4WD track to do the rest!
Cheers - Mobi

Yeah I totaly agree with you. Have you also read articles that praise people who manage to cross ( or even double cross) Australia in seven days (or what-ever). The only way they can do it is to ignore the safety of other track users or crash and bash there way through sensitive areas.

Re track closures - theres good and bad here.

In South Australia, we've been lucky to have a spirit of cooperation between the 4wd Association, National Parks and pastoralists - facilitated no doubt to some great work by individuals. VKS737 members will have seen a story about Don Ransom in the latest newsletter - he was awarded an OAM in the Queens Birthday Honours List for "services to the environment and to the community of South Australia, particularly through initiatives relating to recreational vehicle access to public lands"

In South Aus, we've seen more tracks opened up - about 15 PARs (public access routes) and many private 4wd tracks, on properties, particularly in the Flinders.

These good news stories don't seem to make the mags.

We agree with those that actually do Tread Lightly. We have seen so many tracks closed when we were in NZ becuse of the go hard tyes of drivers and it is a real problem there now near the major cities.

We run a Troopy on AT tyres and Rangie on road tyres - both are standard vehicles and if we cannot do a track with the standard vehicle without damaging it, we don't do it. We even skirt mud holes beside tracks to help keep the enviroment open for all because it does not take much to get tracks closed, especailly if it is wet - then everyone looses.

In NZ, the big tyred, big horsepower, lifted go hard 4WD's were the ones that got heaps of tracks and even whole forests closed to 4WD's due to them ditch digging on the tracks. We do no want the same thing to happen here.

Likewise on beaches and dunes, if there is any vegitation, keep clear of it as any vegataion has areal hard time getting established on sand.

Stevesub

With no offense intended to members of 4WD clubs, i recall some years back when my elder son first got his licence. We had one of those Mitsubishi people movers micro-bus thingees with tiny wheels, but it was 4WD. They were down at the coast where a 4WD club or group were talking each other up by 2 way, and somewhat destroying the dune in their attempts. My son had his siblings and a couple of spare youngsters in our little bus, and the group person directing the others let him go through, as they were taking too long with all their failed attempts. My kids went straight over the top in the people mover, while the fancy 4WDs slipped and slid. Being in a club alone will not prevent damage to a track, and may do more by sheer volume that just the occasional driver.