Well I just thought I would add to
the Pyrenees trip reports with a review of the BonzTrain’s Saturday Journey
It started off
well at 0630hrs with me changing a tyre. Moved the Patrol about 3 metres and there goes that lovely hissing noise, must admit that when I woke the next morning I recalled Len Beadell’s adventures with flat tyres in the morning and my eyes misted over for a sec.
The fire beckoned and over I went, Mornin Kev! Nice cuppa and back to the tyre. GOB (of “and Denny” fame) came over to see if I needed a hand, and Heather, bless her cotton socks, came over and took a pic.
Fri Night around the fire I had planned a tour extraordinaire for the Saturday. A little hard and a little easy and a lot of scenery. That about sums up
the Pyrenees. The plan was also to leave at 0900hrs, however I was petitioned by the hard working Dairy Farmer Contingent to put back the start time. Hey! We are on holidays – Not a problem! Of course NickR was up ready to go by 0800hrs, but I still had to wait for the newest EO member to arrive from
Geelong, the Bonza Brother Rob with his 2 boys and a Pommy, U.S. accented Scott. (don’t ask! I don’t know the answer!)
Lined up to leave were Bonz (of course) + family, Rob n the Boys, Twinkles and Marg, NickR and Simone and the R-Crew, Shane and Anne-Marie (the Magnificent) + Bridie (she’s cute but I don’t know how she’ll handle the rough stuff), Dave and Nora in the Troopy with Willem and Jude as Tail End Charlie (Judy not looking too crash hot, she would double for Muzbry in a dark alley). Channel 16? OK lets Go! <--- Twinkles likes to get a move on.
We finally got away at 0937hrs and away up Emery track, what a track! In Robs words, “You drive around the corner on a dirt road and there’s the biggest rockiest track you can find”. The climb is a pearler! It just goes and goes and … just goes. Pick your line and go easy and it’s a cinch. We all made it up there no problems and with a call back to Glenn at
camp to say the terrible ascent was clear, we continued off down Mill track, passing a lovely little
echidna beside the track eliciting coo’s of “Cute” from the back
seat. Right turn through beautiful Glenshee, green grassed valleys along
Spring Creek Rd down Dridan track to the bottom of Old King Tree track. If Emery looked steep this thing looked steeper (and rocky). With expert skill and guidance, (from Me!) thems that wanted to try romped up the track making it look easy and making me wonder why I had three tries at this track 2 weeks earlier, now I am not saying that JohnR in the front reduces ground clearance, or that a good understanding of which side of the front axle the diff is in is important but never-the-less three tries it was. Dave’s Troopy made it look like childs play, him with his house on his back only needed one little cinch back and he was at the top in a jiff too.
From here we proceeded over to Camerons Track campground complete with lizards around the
tank outlet (it’s the brass tap near the ground Anne-Marie) and a nice drink stop, where AdrianLR popped up the track and decided to join the parade. Merv Flett (DSE
Ranger) also caught up, but he was in a Prado and didn’t want to go off the gravel road (or something). From there it was of to the bottom of Old Tiger Cat track, or the F F track, so named by Mrs Al. Coming down the track and looking up at the Old Tiger Cat track made it look un-scaleable. Being a caring trip leader, I nosed up the Chicken track with three other cars behind me, including NickR, the Man who conquered Slate Quarry track, however this time with Simone saying No No No! We walked up the track a bit and it looked relatively easy, steep but easy but Nick wasn’t having any of it. I asked Twinkles if she was going to give it a go, mentioned the line to take and she was off with a bounce and nary a second thought – DID IT EASY, although I am not sure if more than three
wheels were on the track at any one time! Good one Twinkles – made it look easy. Of course this prompted Nick to give it a go, and for a moment we thought he was going to reverse up the track, but no, he did it easy too, bonnet first as is the custom in Victoria. Minus Simone tho! Willem and Jude (looking more and more like Muzbry as the day wore on) idled up as if it was Flemington Road at 1714hrs on a Thursday afternoon. Ahhh experience, you cant buy that! Met Des Lexic at the top, he was so lost he asked for directions from Flemington Rd up PascoeVale Rd. Last I saw as we headed off up the track was Willem pointing at the track and saying “Its easy!”.
A short drive around Main Track and we descended to Waterfalls campground for lunch down the steep, and picturesque Fraser track, rock shelves abound, head out the window descents watching the front
wheels and where you place them, but we all got down with nary a dent, although I do believe Shane found out why those things on the side of the Hilux are called Banana Boards, not side steps. Beautiful lunch spot, shade and
toilets, but a shame that the mooted Ice Cream van with the 63 flavours wasn’t there! When we gout out, in full daylight, it did appear to be Muzbry in the passenger
seat of Willems truck. My mistake earlier... ;0)
After lunch was a leisurely jaunt down Schmidt track, Lever track, Radigans track to the highest peak scaled on the day, where we took a group photo and I couldn’t understand why, with all the wood and sticks on the ground, Twinkles bought along some aluminum ones, but that’s ok, no worries. We made our way back to
camp along Point Patrick track, a great drive with a nice steep section at the end descending around 450m, beautiful scenery and ending up in Pete’s driveway for the trip back to the
camp.
Back on the bitumen I just couldn’t be seen to drive back into
camp and Willem graciously agreed to tow me back in, topping off a fantastic day.
The Pyrenees turned on the weather and the tracks are magnificent, but ts the EO people that made the day such a joy. Thanx to everyone who came along, all named above and sorry about that one little track that petered out….. Des Lexic told me to take that one hahahahah