Bogans close O'Toole's Campground!

did you get there number plates? report them as they wreck it for the rest of us???

iff you see these idiots get there rego or club stickers off the windscreen & report them it will stop them dont just complain on web sites do something about it

"One of me plus a shotgun"

Yep!! that just the intelligent reply we have come to expect from you.

The sad fact is that at times it is necessary to carry a firearm for nothing other than personal protection.

I don't like the idea of us going the way of the USA, but if the authorities do nothing to deal with the Bogan element, well.... those who like to enjoy the bush may have to be able to take reasonable measures to defend themselves.

I've experienced the sort of stuff Mike is talking about, and it is not fun. Fortunately it is rare.

Jim.

Bull$hit!!

Comments like this on a public forum show a callous disregard for licensed shooters who act in a sensible and lawful manner.

The implied suggestion of utilizing a firearm over the "staking claim" to a campsite shows the same "Bogan" attitude that this thread is about in the first place.

>Yep!! that just the intelligent reply we have come to expect from you.

I'm impressed John... I doubted you could spell "intelligent".

Mike Harding

Pretty poor come back Mike.
No doubt that you had to get the dictionary to double check the spelling.

yeah well maybe a few nights at redfern area up in sydney will change the mind, i'm against violence to a point but if my life is in danger watch out, i will hit to imobilise first and if they get up and come again it's hit to kill, after 3 warning's!!!

I am also a shooter and believe firearms have a time and place, but mike did the right thing in leaving but the red necks did the wrong thing by being tossers and causing/ threatening trouble, you also have the right to use reasonable force to defend yourself and i think a shotgun against 10 to one odds do even it up.

THE BUSH IS THERE TO SHARE, NOT TO OWN!!! OR HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN THAT???

Can you defend yourself against those odds of ten to one??

I'm trained to do a max of 4-6 in the tightest of spots! but i don't reckonmend that!

Please John,

Take your vendetta elsewhere.

Haven't you got better things to do?

There is more to life than internet bickering.

Settle down fellas.

You don't take a gun to the bush for that reason. If you do, I reckon your license should be cancelled.

Some of these comments don't do us much good.

Regards

Kim

I agree with John.
Mike - people with your attitude shouldn’t be allowed near a gun

Chris are you for real??
You would start a gun fight with 10 blokes over a camp site??
And remember we only have the story as told by one person.

As you say the bush is there to share and threatening someone with a gun does nothing but show what a true idiot the owner of the gun really is.

As Kim said, if you carry a gun with that in mind then you should have your license canceled.

No but i wouuld use it for self defense only!

I don't see anyone being threatened by a gun, the comment was said in a self defense attitude.
Yes we only have one side, but the person invovled erred on the side of caution and protected himself by
1: not threatening anyone with it
2: leaving BEFORE ANY trouble occured
3: Using common sense
4: yes i agree that comment was inapropiate

Have you being beaten up by more then one person???
This is the way society is slowly going, so be prepared to defend yourself by any and every means possible. Within reason!!

in america they have the right to bear arms, to what detriment to there society?

In Australia we have the right to defend ourselves with reasonable force? if you pull a knife on me, i'm allowed to pull a knife on you?

Prevention was the key and Mike did his best not to become a statistic, ie DEAD.

i will hit to imobilise first and if they get up and come again it's hit to kill, after 3 warning's!!!

Chris have you ever thought of getting professional help?

Also to remeber with campsites first in best dressed, these guys didn't know the rules otherwise, why would Mike feel threatened enough to leave???

If i was in the same situation and have being close twice, moving is better, and having a friend ie: a lump of wood or shotty sitting close at hand just in case of trouble is preferable to getting the living bleep beaten outta me for somebody's stupidity and jealousy, I see that at work and around me everyday!!!

I go away camping to get away from that crap!!! Like the rest of us!!

Hey tell that to the guy that got beaten that started the cornulla riots?

How about the taxi driver that got beaten to DEATH by two 14 year old girls?

How about that 16 year old girl that got raped and beaten by 4 boys!!!

I have being a victim and it's not fun! I will defend myself with any and all means possible, in a graduated way first!!!

I know the law, i have taught self defense classes and we are taught to talk our way out first and if that doesn't work say stop in a strong commanding voice hands in front of me with open hands to indicate stop, and if the attacker doesn't stop then to immobilise them Without excessive force! i can teach you take downs, not to hurt.

According to Mike they are camped 200 meters away!!
(Further than my next door neighbor lives to me)
Hardly what I would call close enough to be a threat, besides his story did not say he felt threatened he said....

"I decided; either this is going to end up in conflict or I should go. On the basis there were about 10 of them and one of me plus a shotgun I decided it was best I packed up and went - which I did"

Clearly he implies that he would use the gun to shut them up because they are disturbing his peace and quiet.

As I said a Bogan attitude by a gun toting Bogan who should not be in possession of a Firearms License.

They camped (six vehicles) in a spot about 200m away from me which was only suitable for, maybe two, vehicles.

we'll put our f****** swags down on the road here if we have to mate". I walked away.

After listening to their music and watching them tearing around the area for 30 minutes I decided; either this is going to end up in conflict or I should go. On the basis there were about 10 of them and one of me plus a shotgun I decided it was best I packed up and went - which I did.

Conflict, hmmmm usualy ends up with someone getting hurt!!!

Do you see the signs?? Trouble was brewing. Enough joy juice and i bet mike would have being in serious trouble. A fire starts from a spark, add fuel and it turns into a flame, add more fuel and you have an inferno!!!

I say he did the right thing left while he could, i'm not condoning the after comment about a shotgun, but if he had to use it it would most likely have being if he had of felt really threatened to a point where he would have had to use it! ie 6 wankers beatening the crap out of him!!!

but we live by different rules these days.

Personally I don't take a firearm when we go camping for 2 reasons:

1. I don't own one.
2. The last time I fired a rifle was about 25 years ago shooting rabbits and I am not a good shot. Given that, if I was to get into a conflict with Bogans who may also be armed, my thought is that they would be far more skilled than me and I would end up dead.

Having said that I do understand why some people feel safer with the reassurance of a gun. It's just not for me though.

Jim.

I will not travel with people carrying weapons such as guns. Not needed for general camping (yeah recognise all the exceptions) and when you consider 1 in 5 of our population has some form of mental illness then it's a no brainer for me. My observations suggest there is an inverse relationship between the number of weapons carried and intellect. That's my bit fellas!

I'm with you Leigh!!!

Also agree that there are these bad boys out there. On the flip side there are people who think that only they should be in the bush or particular camp area. I have met both of these types of people and find them as distasteful as each other. ( No aspersions cast here Mike, just observation)

Now I would definately want to leave to not put up with their crap.. but the stubborn b!tch in me wouldn't let me leave... "nah, not going anywhere, they are not going to come in here and bully me and push me out! not going to let them win!"

They said last time, that if it happens again at Merringtons, and it appears that it now has, that they will shut it for ever!

Shaker its also obviously a Motor Bike issue also.
I like most who frequent the HC have suffered the minority idiot bike brigade doing donuts in various High Country locations over the years and find that its always a small group that will ruin it for the majority.
Most bikers are good blokes who want to enjoy their chosen hobby like the rest of us a but few don't seem to care.

2 or 4 wheels, it doesn't matter ... A bogan is a bogan!

Kim,

Thanks for the voice of reason. Yep, I still wonder how some people ever got a firearms license. If you're scared to go into the bush without a firearm you should'nt have a firearm or go into the bush for that matter.

For reasons detailed above I do not take a gun with me camping.

However I can understand why some people do. I might not agree, but I can understand their reasoning.

Jim.

"If you're scared to go into the bush without a firearm you should'nt have a firearm or go into the bush for that matter"

Spot on Al.

I don't own a gun, never have and I don't object to those who do own one and who act in a responsible and lawful way.
I travel the HC and the deserts and camp like many others in very remote locations and have never felt the need to carry a gun for any reason.
Comments and insinuations as to the possible use of a gun as displayed by people on here do nothing but add another nail to the coffin of the true sporting shooter.

Jim your contradictory attitude rings true, in the above post you support Mike for carrying a firearm.

"The sad fact is that at times it is necessary to carry a firearm for nothing other than personal protection"

And now you back peddle by saying you agree with the reasons for not carrying.

In the first instance you are sucking up to your mate and in the second you are trying to distance yourself as you realise what a dick along with him you now look.

No vendetta or bickering from me, and if you think thats the case then it shows what a true dick you really are.
I just respond as I see it to posts I think are worthy of the appropriate response.

Your just as bad as Mike Harding with your condescending tone and attitude to others maybe you should spend your time doing something more productive than to try and belittle people on here.

John,

Once you resort to cowardly insults, any further discussion with you would be a waste of time.

Jim.

John,

Look out, you've upset the Forum bully. Next he'll start a post to have you banned from the site LOL

Damn Al, now I'm really worried.

Maybe he will ask me over to his factory so he can start a punch up like he did in the other thread.

I note his mate has ducked for cover also.

Hey Gramps...I thought i was the forum bully...thats what Harding called me a little while ago....hahahaha.....

Cheers.....Borgy

Borgy,

Don't worry about Mike's "red neck stupid bloodly Rambo comments" as per Kim's description above LOL

Or, you could take it upon yourself to discreetly make a note of their registration numbers & report them to the appropriate authority.

you dont need the ranger or police to be there take a photo/video of them in the act & get rego no & make note of day date time then hand it to the ranger or police whith your details so when they need a witness you will be there

"I think some of you blokes look for molehills so you can turn them into mountains."

Oh, so, so true Lionel. The forum has a few pontificators.

Regards,

Jim.

Lionel,

"No where did I read that he had the firearm for his protection or that he was scared to go bush without it"

Here is the molehill from post 53808

"AnswerID: 283240 Submitted: Wednesday, Jan 23, 2008 at 05:23
Mike Harding replied:
I post this incident from time-to-time in case anyone can relate to it. I've been back to that spot but (thankfully :) no recurrence.

---------------------------------------------------

Last Sunday (7th March 2004) my partner and I
were camping on the south bank of the Murray
River in NW Victoria a few 10s of kilometres SE
of Robinvale. We stayed in the one spot for four
days and had a great time, my elder son and his
girlfriend were with us and camping about 2k
downstream, joining us for meals and much of the
day. Our campsite was in a state forest with low
to medium density bush and about 8k away from the
nearest habitation, a farmhouse. The forest was
_very_ dry with a lot of fallen branches and
leaves on the ground. It is the second time we
have camped in this forest the first time being
about six months ago. I have spent many, many
nights in the bush/deserts all across Australia
and the world (probably 50% of those nights by
myself) and am familiar with the night noises
and animals of such places.

Sunday (by chance a very bright full moon) was
our last night camping before returning to
Melbourne on the Monday. My partner retired to
bed around 10pm in our see-through mozzie screen
tent and promptly fell asleep; I followed about
30 minutes later and was asleep within five
minutes.

I think it was about 3.30am when I awoke from a
deep sleep - I was instantly wide awake and knew
what had awakened me, I was not surprised to find
my partner was also awake, she was sitting up in
bed and looking around at the forest. We were
both listening to the loud and unmistakable sound
of a heavy biped moving through the forest
towards our camp and, at a guess, no more than
100m away. I listened and looked for a further 5
or 10 seconds using the bright moonlight to try
and see the creature walking across the forest
floor on the dry twigs and leaves. I could see
nothing but I sure as hell could hear it. Two
feet, crunching the forest underfoot as they
moved. I pulled on my shorts, left the tent and
put on my shoes, the footsteps were still loudly
approaching but nothing was to be seen. I decided
to hide in the shadow of a large tree about 10m
away, as I moved towards the tree I made quite a
lot of noise on the dry leaves and by the time I
reached the shadow of the tree the sound of the
approaching footsteps had ceased. I waited for
about 3 minutes and neither saw or heard
anything. I moved the few metres across to the
camp, placed a chair in deep shadow and waited
silently for about 45 minutes. The only sounds
were those of the normal night noises of the
forest. I returned to bed and slept lightly for
the balance of the night, my partner had fallen
asleep before my return.

During the night my partner and I had not
exchanged a single word about the incident, we
both knew we sensed danger and took appropriate
measures to protect ourselves so there was no
influence or suggestion from one to the other yet
in the morning we were in 100% agreement about
what had happened and what our perception of the
noise was.

As an electronics design engineer I've not given
to making assumptions without having creditable
evidence and I offer none here; but I can think
of no creature which could tramp through a dry
forest and then, suddenly, disappear without
trace, surely an animal would either have fled
when it heard/smelled me and I would have heard
it's flight through the bush or it would have
frozen for a time and then cautiously moved away
and I would have heard it during my 45 minute
wait and with such a bright moon that night I
probably would have seen it too.

I would return to this location to camp but I
suspect I will never sleep there as soundly as
before.

I would be interested to hear of experiences
others may have had of a similar ilk.

Mike Harding"

Mike's got a problem with bogeymen in the bush.

Would you mind posting your cr@p in your own thread & stop hijacking mine!

Just an after-thought: if we have a disagreement on
the internet... does it _really_ have to be like
World War 3, can we _never_ find harmony again?

Mike,

Just the usual lies and personal attacks from you. No wonder you have so many issues elsewhere.

Its ok Mike....your'e allowed to have a cry in public....

Someone give the sook a tissue please

Mike,

Might you email me your email address please.

My email address is jimbest at bestoffroad dot net doot au

Regards,

Jim.

Sorry,

Should have read the last line of your post.

Jim,