Yesterday I finished the last of the tours in the
Vic High Country for the summer of 2007/08.
There were some big changes in the
Vic High Country with fires and floods having a big impact on the trees and rivers. Huts have been burnt and most have been or are still being rebuilt. The tracks have been cleaned up with a lot of the
camp sites having a make over.
There has also been an increase in people and vehicles touring the area. I would have to say that the majority are very courteous and always willing to have a chat either face to face or over the UHF.
This last trip I came across conveys that were very helpful with the fine art of passing another convey. Once we had worked out where each convey was it was a matter of who had the room to move over. Some of the trip leaders were not quite sure exactly what track they were on but a strong UHF signal would mean that they were not to far away.
Single vehicles are always a problem, even though they might have a UHF they still will not have it on. I know that they are not talking to another vehicle while they are travelling but if they have it on scan they could pick up other vehicles in the area. That is how I find other vehicles. One UHF on the convey channel and the other on scan.
Talbotville was very busy again and the campers were very good with no music being played at night. Sound travels a long way at night in the bush and there is nothing worse that listing to music that people think that everyone will like and wants to listen to.
A single vehicle camped near us on Thursday night. The driver came over and introduced himself. I like that when you have new neighbours and they take the time to have a chat. It turns out he had met me on a
Simpson Desert trip last year when the convey he was in needed some shock bushes for a 100 Series. I was able to help them out and he remembered me from that occasion.
During our chat I asked where he was off too. He also told me that two other vehicle that were also single vehicles were doing the same trip as he was. All following the same pace notes in the same book. There was a
road closed that he did not know about and he would have to detour around it. I had seen the sign on my way over and we were able to work a way around.
Another couple came over also with a copy of the book also wanting to do the same trip but they were in a Forester. Wanting to go up Station track and then down Herne Spur I could not recommend that they do that trip.
Before I left
home I had put on tyre monitors, and they have saved a tyre from being destroyed on the first trip. They will not stop you from getting a
puncture but I was able to detect the tyre going down and stopped before the tyre was completely flat. The monitor has paid for itself already.
Now all I have to do is to strip out the back of the Troopie, clean and
check it all from bumper to bumper. The vehicle can then be packed for the desert trips that are coming up over winter.
Wayne