AN 800Nm Cummins 6BT engine, 40-inch tyres and nine inches of lift… just let that sink in for a minute. While we normally focus on touring 4x4s rather than comp trucks, this one had us scratching our heads.
If you run through the spec sheet, it reads like an over-the-top, competition-bred 4×4, and when you consider this Patrol isn’t even from Australia, it’d almost automatically get looked over. But it is in Australia, and right about now it’ll be parked up at Nolan’s Brook, with its owners Kim and Heidi sitting next to it enjoying a few ice-cold beers.
This Patrol has spent the past three years parked in a Danish workshop, where Kim and Heidi meticulously modified and upgraded every single component. This was done with the intention of shipping it to Australia to travel up and down the east coast and through the heart of the country for the better part of three months.
It started life as an early-series Nissan GU Patrol, with a clapped-out ZD30 sitting between the chassis rails; sills and quarter panels that resembled swiss cheese; and 31-inch All Terrain tyres. Hardly the awe-inspiring do-it-all 4×4 it is today.
The plan was simple. Kim’s then-current 4×4, a SWB GU Patrol on 37-inch tyres, wasn’t big enough for the deep mud-holes throughout the Danish countryside, and it definitely wasn’t comfortable enough for a lap around Australia. Something had to be done about it, and that something wasn’t going to involve cutting corners.
Starting with the belly of the beast, Kim dumped the ZD30 in the nearest skip bin. In its place would proudly sit a 5.9-litre inline-six turbo-diesel from a 1998 Dodge Ram, more commonly known as a Cummins 12V 6BT. The diesel donk now punches out 800Nm, a 25 per cent increase from stock, thanks to a re-ground fuel plate in the injection pump.
Now here’s the interesting part: that 800Nm is funnelled through a custom clutch and flywheel from Australian company, Western Clutch Service, before sending power to all four wheels through the standard Nissan five-speed manual gearbox. Bolting the factory ’box to the Cummins engine required a 10mm CNC-cut steel adaptor plate and, with some custom engine mounts, it became part of the landscape in the engine bay. The sump also required extensive massaging, while an Optima Yellowtop fires the whole lot into life.
While the gearbox may be stock, there’s now a second transfer case slotted in behind it for what’s known as a dual transfer case set-up. This gives Kim the option to run high-high, high-low, or low-low, for an impressive 15 forward gear ratios and three reverse. Fitment of the longer gearbox assembly required some careful notching of the factory crossmembers.
Follow the custom-length driveshafts in both directions and you’ll eventually find front and rear factory GU axles – not as over-the-top as the rest of the vehicle! Inside both diffs are 3.9:1 diff gears from Nitro Gear & Axle and a pair of TJM Pro Lockers. The 3.9:1 ratio works perfectly to keep the 6BT in the sweet spot for power and economy.
In the front, the stock radius arms have been replaced with custom-made units with the addition of a second bush to help minimise the binding issue that stops most Patrols from articulating. There’s also a custom-built, high-steer arrangement and a raised and adjustable Panhard to help maintain some semblance of road handling at the new altitude. The rear is also more flexible, with the standard five-link arrangement being replaced by a triangulated four-link with adjustable uppers.
While the Patrol was a bare chassis, the upper coil mounts were cut off and lowered to give the Patrol an extra 50mm of ride height. Coil buckets were fitted with dislocation cones to keep the springs seated under articulation, and Profender four-inch hydraulic bump stops were installed up front to improve the ride. Combined with the six-inch Dobinsons lift kit and one-inch body lift, Kim’s Patrol sits nine inches higher than stock.
Despite the monster-truck-inspired lift, the 40-inch Maxxis Trepadors still required the rear wheelarches and rear axle to be pushed back 40mm from its stock location. The tyres are bead-locked to 17-inch ATX alloy wheels to allow Kim to drop to single-digit pressures, while 50mm wheel spacers help increase the track width to regain stability.
Rather than re-fit the rusty body, Kim and Heidi picked up a GU-IV with front-end damage and some trick leather interior. A new radiator support and some dent-free new panels gave the Patrol an updated look. The body and chassis received a full respray before coming together, with custom-made flares covering the rig’s massively increased width.
The couple has decked out the interior with all the required gear for serious outback travel. There’s a cargo barrier installed behind the front seats, a set of timber storage drawers, a pair of Waeco fridges, and three months’ worth of camping equipment.
The final piece of the puzzle before the long haul to Australia was a full set of custom-built bar-work. The front was painstakingly pieced together from flat plate, and it houses no less than six LED driving lights, a 12V winch wrapped in 12mm wire cable, and the UHF aerials.
While Kim was fabricating the rock sliders on either side, Heidi’s father fired up the welder to build a rear bar that was tight enough to get through narrow tracks and strong enough to hold up to the abuse of extended travel. Plus, it supports a 40-inch Trepador spare.
Kim and Heidi’s Patrol is a do-it-all kind of 4×4. Some well-thought-out modifications, the right know-how, and a little cost saving where appropriate have built a 4×4 that won’t only drive over whatever they point it at, but it’ll do it on any continent they ship it to.
THOSE TYRES AIN’T LEGAL!
YOU may be wondering how Kim and Heidi are able to legally drive on Australian roads with 40-inch tyres, nine-inches of lift and wheel spacers. Australia offers a few different methods for international travellers bringing their own vehicles to our tracks. The first and most obvious is a temporary import permit. However, the most commonly used method is a Carnet de Passage en Douane (CPD), which essentially functions as a passport for your vehicle.
To be eligible, the vehicle needs to pass a basic safety test in Australia and be insured with third-party property damage at a minimum. International travellers are also required to bring with them registration papers from their home country. Once here, the vehicle can only be driven by nominated drivers and must be exported before expiration of the CPD. The best part is, we can use the same system to take our vehicles overseas.
RENAULT has entered the uber-competitive one-tonne ute market with the launch of the Alaskan.
France’s first foray into the one-tonne ute segment was documented in September last year when it revealed the Alaskan concept. Now a slightly subdued production version has landed.
Based on the Nissan Navara, the Alaskan will feature Renault’s 2.3-litre four-cylinder, twin-turbo diesel dCi engine, available with 120kW or 142kW.
Depending on markets, two other powertrains may be available: a 2.5-litre petrol and a 2.5-litre diesel.
2WD and 4WD (4LO and 4H) capabilities, as well as a choice between six-speed manual and seven-speed automatic transmissions, will also be available.
The Alaskan comes equipped with electronic limited slip diff (eLSD) and a rear-locking diff. Other driving aids include hill-start assist (HSA) and hill descent control (HDC).
Road handling of the double-cab version will be greatly enhanced due to a five-link rear suspension, a la Navara.
Other notable credentials include a ground clearance of 230mm and a towing capacity of 3.5 tonnes.
The UV-resistant heavy-duty tray will feature a mounted 12-volt power supply, C-channels and four quick-fit hooks. Short or long trays will be available, depending on the market.
Ashwani Hupta, vice president of Renault’s Light Commercial Vehicles division, said: “This stunning pick-up will fulfil the needs of professional users and individual customers around the world.”
Groupe Renault unveiled the Alaskan in Colombia, and South America will be the first continent to start rolling them out of showrooms.
The Alaskan is expected to arrive locally early in 2017. Price is yet to be confirmed.
CAST a line and hook a juicy fish at your riverside campsite… or in Roothy’s case, take a shortcut and just buy some not-as-fresh fish from the nearest supermarket.
Either way, you’re having fish for dinner.
Last week Roothy took our taste buds to Mexico with the delectable Chook Amigo. This week he’s united oil and beer batter once again for a unique seafood culinary creation. And no, it’s not beer-battered fish and chips.
It’s beer-battered fish with a twist. In this case, that twist is coconut.
Packets of shredded coconut are available from supermarkets for dirt-cheap prices, so it’s a great idea to keep some in storage for a rainy day.
But, first things first: combine an egg, beer, self-raising flour, half a teaspoon of sugar and salt to make the beer batter. To give the batter some tropical flair, add a dash of lime juice.
Cut the fish (or prawns) into strips, lather them with the batter, and then roll the strips around in a bed of shredded coconut. Finally, whack it in a pot of boiling oil until they’re a crispy golden brown colour.
Roothy reckons the secret weapon to make this dish even better is sweet chilli sauce – can’t argue with that logic.
The fish works beautifully with a side of rice and a couple of tinnies
MITSUBISHI has added seven-seat options to its 2016 Pajero range.
The long-overdue update sees the mid-spec Pajero Sport GLS and top-spec Exceed gain extra seating as standard – the base-spec GLX remains a five-seat model.
This move sees Mitsubishi enter the competitive seven-seat SUV segment occupied by the Toyota Fortuner, Ford Everest and budget-priced Haval H9. And it follows recent news where Volkswagen hinted at the idea of a Amarok based seven-seat wagon.
In addition to the extra seating the 4×4 will gain the necessary safety enhancements, including curtain airbags that cover the length of the cabin. Seven airbags – driver and front passenger, side, side curtain and driver’s knee – are standard.
Mitsubishi claim the additional seats don’t impede on rear cargo space, as the third row seating can fold forward to create a large, flat area. While a cargo box fits neatly under the floor behind the last pew.
It’s also good news for us non-yoga folk, as the 60:40 second-row seating implements a fold-and-tumble function for easy access to the third row.
The Pajero Sport range has received no mechanical changes. The 2.4-litre turbo-diesel engine (133kW/430Nm) remains mated to the eight-speed auto transmission. Mitsubishi’s Super Select II four-wheel drive system is also carried over.
Despite the change, recommend retail pricing remains the same (Sport GLX, $45,000; Sport GLS, $48,500; Exceed, $52,750).
The seven-seat Pajero range is available to order now from Mitsubishi dealers Australia-wide.
OVER several days in March, Buckland and Beyond, a not-for-profit event sponsored by Four Wheel Drive Victoria and supported by affiliated 4×4 clubs, offered guided tag-along tours to a range of Victorian High Country destinations.
Operating from a base in the Buckland Valley near Bright in north-east Victoria, the occasion provided an enjoyable get-together of local 4×4 club members, and it also sought to introduce interstaters and local members of the public to the High Country’s tracks and scenic attractions.
Many attendees at this year’s inaugural outing belonged to 4×4 clubs, and while it might seem unusual that club members would be willing to pay for something they can otherwise do for free within their clubs, Buckland and Beyond offers its own special benefits. For instance, club trips don’t normally provide an elegant meal around a campfire that someone else has cut the wood for. Nor do they take you on tracks closed to the public, or bring along local historians to explain the legends and history of the places you visit.
The Victorian High Country is a place where local knowledge can be handy, as many tracks that start out looking harmless have a sting in their tail. And it’s wise to travel in the company of others – something Buckland and Beyond’s overnight trip into the beautiful Wonnangatta Valley demonstrated. All tracks in and out of the Wonnangatta are steep, so the last thing you want to hear halfway up a climb is a radio message from someone who’s in trouble. In this case, the trouble was a lack of drive accompanied by a sound like marbles in a washing machine emanating from the drivetrain.
Towing a dead 4×4 up a steep track to a point where it can be recovered is challenging enough, but in this instance the beast was a 4500kg Iveco ScrubMaster. Fortunately, two 4x4s joined together had enough grunt to do the job. The ScrubMaster had to be trucked away, and Buckland and Beyond’s experienced trip leaders quickly and safely secured the vehicle. Apart from the ScrubMaster’s demise, the drive from Buckland into Wonnangatta was a delight.
Following high ridgelines near Mt Selwyn through dense stands of tall mountain ash, the occasional clearing permitted panoramic views of forest-clad ranges. Our route then took us across Riley Creek to Wonnangatta Track and a somewhat rough and rocky 300-metre descent to the valley floor. After a very dry summer, the tracks were dusty and there was little water in the river crossings, but with the deciduous trees near the old station ruins just starting to assume their autumnal colours, the vista across this lush valley was spectacular.
Looking at the heavily grassed valley floor surrounded by almost impenetrable mountain ranges, it’s easy to see why Wonnangatta was such a successful cattle property in its day. Surprisingly, being the last day of a long weekend, the valley was all but deserted, ensuring the Buckland and Beyond group was spoilt for a choice of campsite. A secluded grassy bend in the all-but-dry Wonnangatta River near Wombat Gap provided an ideal place to overnight.
Buckland and Beyond also included a day trip to the Mount Wills Historical Area by way of Mt Battery Track from Dinner Plain. Parts of this track are privately owned, but special permission was obtained by the event’s organisers. This visit included a guided tour to a restored engine used to drive machinery at one of the old mines. Now the only remaining engine of its type in Australia, this nearly 100-year-old relic has been lovingly restored and is about to be started for the first time in 60 years.
However, the undeniable highlight of the day was a leisurely lunch in a swank dining room overlooking a lush and leafy garden at nearby Payne’s Hut. The meal was laid out by proprietors Greg and Tess Payne and wouldn’t have been out of place in a top city restaurant.
Lake Cobbler and Blue Rag were among other guided trip destinations. The latter is a must-do, with its 360-degree views and its amazing access track along a narrow ridgeline with precipitous drops off either side.
For four-wheel drive owners who don’t belong to a club and would like to spend a few days exploring High Country tracks they mightn’t be prepared to tackle on their own, Buckland and Beyond provides an opportunity to do so in the company and security of other like-minded people.
It also allows anyone planning a big off-road adventure to obtain a better understanding of the capabilities of their vehicle (and themselves), while seeing first-hand how other seasoned 4×4 owners set-up their vehicles for remote-area touring.
Buckland and Beyond 2016 was an exceptional experience, and the organisers are planning an even bigger and better program for 2017 – one every 4×4 owner should put in their diary.
TRAVEL PLANNER
WHERE Buckland and Beyond was based at Beveridge Station campground in the Buckland Valley, 45km south of Bright; which in turn is 300km north of Melbourne and 650km south-west of Sydney.
WHEN This event is planned to be held each March.
SUPPLIES The registration fee of $60 per person ($5 for children under 15) included a barbecue dinner on the first day of the event. Lunch at Payne’s Hut was $50 per person. Participants needed to be self-sufficient in respect to their own food and water. Bright is the nearest town where food and fuel can be purchased.
STAYING THERE Participants are required to make their own camping arrangements. Tents, camper trailers and off-road vans are all welcome. Toilet facilities are provided. However, pets are not permitted.
ROAD CONDITIONS The organisers ensure all vehicles (and their drivers) on any given trip are capable of the conditions they will encounter. Any four-wheel drive in standard trim could undertake all the trips on the 2016 program, subject to them having a minimum of All-Terrain tyres with 50 per cent tread or better.
CONTACTS Buckland and Beyond Web: www.bucklandandbeyond.com Email: [email protected] Phone: 0457 641 282
Four Wheel Drive Victoria Web: www.fwdvictoria.org.au Phone: (03) 9857 5209
IT’S FUNNY how old is new again. Such is the case with the straight-six (inline) engine, designs of which are now back on the drawing boards after years of being in the wastepaper basket.
Historically, the straight-six engine was a mainstream design, offering both simplicity and low production costs. However, it fell from favour as it took up too much space when mounted along a chassis in a traditional north-south application.
For modern east-west applications, which is standard practice today in most cars and SUVs, a straight-six is even more difficult to package and has never been popular.
The straight-six was effectively killed off by the far more compact V6, which fits nicely sideways in an east-west chassis and also works well north-south, where a shorter engine bay makes for more passenger and luggage space on any given chassis length.
The V6 is everywhere now, both in petrol and diesel, and is the default engine configuration in medium/large cars and SUVs. The only manufacturer of note to stick with the inline-six and never venture down the V6 route has been BMW, but that’s about to change.
Land Rover, along with partner Jaguar, has announced the return of both petrol and diesel straight-sixes designed to power a range of models. The announcement comes on the back of Mercedes-Benz revealing it’s well on the way to developing a straight-six diesel.
The JLR and Benz sixes are 3.0-litre in capacity and both form part of respective modular designs that include 2.0-litre fours and 1.5-litre triples.
The driving force behind all this is cost. The engineer’s job is to make it all work, especially in terms of packaging a straight-six where a V6 has been the norm.
The cost benefit of a straight-six over a V6 comes from less complexity and lower manufacturing costs. For each straight-six engine there is only one cylinder head and either one or two camshafts to cast and machine. There’s also only one cam-drive system – which these days tends to be complex due to the widespread adoption of variable valve timing – to manufacture and assemble.
All that is doubled for a V6: two cylinder heads, two or four cams, and two cam-drive systems. A lot more cost.
From an engineering point of view, the straight-six is also lighter than a V6, which brings on further benefits with performance, fuel economy and handling – no matter how incremental.
Ever better news comes in the form of the perfect dynamic balance and therefore smooth running of a straight-six. In fact, the straight-six, along with the flat-six (Porsche and Subaru) and a V12 of any V-angle, are the only popular engine designs that are totally free from unbalanced forces, either linear or twisting, that cause some sort of vibration or other disturbance.
Even the popular V8 in its usual ‘cross-plane’ crank configuration isn’t as smooth on paper as a straight-six, as there is a slight unchecked twisting force or rocking couple that occurs at crankshaft speed. Flat-plane crank V8s, as used in racing, fare even worse in terms of balance, as they just replicate the balance problems of an inline-four (see breakout).
Even worse than a cross-plane V8 is the popular V6, even in its optimised 60-degree V-angle. The 60-degree V6 has two unchecked rocking couples, one at crankshaft speed and another at twice crankshaft. A 90-degree V6, a cheap way of making a V6 by lopping two cylinders off a 90-degree V8, is worse again in term of balance, and it generally needs a counter-rotating balance shaft to calm things down.
If the V6 goes the way of the dinosaur, I won’t be unhappy. With a couple of exceptions, I’ve never liked them.
Buzz-box four
INLINE-four engines are enormously popular, but they are also enormously flawed in terms of dynamic balance. In fact, of all the popular engine configurations, the inline-four is the most compromised in terms of dynamic balance thanks to unbalanced inertial forces that occur at twice crankshaft speed.
None of the other popular engine configurations – flat-four, inline-five, inline-six, flat-six, V6, V8, and V12 – have this problem, although the flat-four, inline-five, V6 and V8 do have various unbalanced inertial ‘moments’ or rocking couples that prevent them from being 100 per cent smooth.
The inherent vibration problem with an inline-four gets worse with bigger engine capacities and is typically addressed via the use of rotating counter-balance shaft(s), which unfortunately add complexity, weight, and engine size, and eat up power – so that’s not an ideal solution, either.
WE ALL love to chat on two-way radios, whether it’s with fellow travellers about how they’re travelling, strangers about hazardous road conditions, or station workers about accessing land.
However, one thing is for sure: It’s a damn pain when we can’t hear each other properly. It’s a situation usually caused by one of two things: the UHF is out of range, or it has poor sound quality and volume.
Often, no matter how high we turn up the volume, all we get is louder muffled noise, because the speaker is mounted within the dash or near the footwell. Some radios have an optional remote speaker, but many don’t. The alternative has been a handset with a built-in speaker, which is smaller and therefore easier to attach to the dash or console.
But this still raises the problem of sound quality; by holding the mic and speaker, you’re inadvertently blocking the sound or having to hold a mic that’s too large.
This is not so with the TX3350, which features the trademarked SoundPath speaker microphone. What the engineers at GME have managed to do is project the sound away from your hand to allow clear sound from the in-built speaker.
GME has also managed to produce an ergonomic, full-function LCD handpiece to control all features of the base unit – a top effort in miniaturisation. The head unit can be tucked away under the dash, within the console, under a seat or in any other hidden space. It comes with an extension lead from the head unit to the microphone. The handpiece is mounted on a traditional microphone clip, and extra external speakers aren’t necessary.
The TX3350 also features digital signal processing for pure sound, user-selectable/adjustable open and group scan, squelch, duplex channels and priority channel, plus 104 in-built DCS codes, 50 in-built CTCSS codes, five-digit selcall with quiet mode, and a five-year warranty. It’s Australian designed, engineered and manufactured.
Having used the GME TX3350 for just a few weeks, I reckon it’s the duck’s nuts of UHF radios. I didn’t need the extension lead as I’ve semi-hidden the head unit under the centre dash and hung the microphone where my gangly arm can easily reach it.
Something I’ve found over the years with some ‘loaded’ handheld microphones is the annoying ease of accidently pushing buttons while using the mic. Sometimes I’ve unintentionally changed channels while talking; other times I’ve inadvertently turned the volume way down, leaving me to wonder why no one wanted to talk to me!
Not so with the GME TX3350. The ergonomics of the handpiece negate accidental button-pushing.
I’ve opted for a GME AE4705 antenna that measures 1200mm long and has a 6.6dBi gain. It’s ground independent and came complete with a sturdy spring base. The fibreglass whip is easily removable should I wish to use shorter (for hilly country) or longer (for flat country) whips to suit different terrain.
Same goes for the super-rugged, heavy-duty stainless-steel spring mount; I had the same on my last vehicle and, while it soaks up the stresses of corrugations and pot holes, it doesn’t flop all over the show like a pansy in a gale.
All up, I’ve got a brilliant UHF set-up that’s been designed and manufactured in Australia for our conditions. The compactness of the head unit allayed my fears of squeezing it into my dash, and the handheld unit delivers quality easy-to-hear sound. It’s a beauty! Once I learn which button does what, all I’ll need is someone who’ll listen to me.
RATED Available from: www.gme.net.au RRP: TX3350 $449.00. AE4705 $249.95. We say: Compact; easy to use; full-featured.
THE Aussie-developed Ford Ranger is closing the gap on the market-leading Toyota Hilux. And updates to the 2017 Ranger range could see the gap tighten further.
The 2017 Ranger will see a host of fresh technology implemented as standard across the range.
XL pick-up models (excluding the XL Plus) will receive rear view cameras and rear parking sensors as standard, and an automatic transmission will be available for the 4×4 XL Super Cab Chassis 3.2L.
XLS pick-up models also get a rear view camera and rear sensors as standard.
XLT models get a rear view camera, front parking sensors, black fog lamps bezels and Ford’s all-new SYNC 3 technology – replacing the outgoing SYNC 2 tech.
The Wildtrak also gets SYNC 3 tech, but adds adaptive cruise control with forward collision alert, a driver impairment monitor, automatic high beam control, Lane Keep Assist and Lane Departure Warning.
All 2017 Rangers will receive a powertrain tweak to meet Euro 5 emissions standards.
Ford Australia’s CEO and President Graeme Whickman said: “These innovations, combined with Ranger’s unsurpassed towing and hauling capability, will help continue Ranger’s momentum as we continue closing the gap on Hilux.”
“In particular, Australians are being drawn especially to the XLT and Wildtrak variants, which now account for 62 per cent of all Rangers sold this year, up from 51 per cent in 2014.”
Ford has shifted only 310 fewer Rangers than Toyota’s Hilux so far this year (VFACTS, May 2016).
Pricing details are yet to be released.
ENTRIES for our Loaded Lux competition close on July 7, so you’ve got a week to get yours in and be in the running to drive home in this amazing adventure package.
Click here for your chance to win 4×4 Australia’s Custom Toyota Hilux.
However, before we give it away we took it to the snow for a bit of fun – along with a Ford Ranger from UNEEK 4×4.
We’re happy to say all the components and accessories we’ve added to the Hilux work well together and the vehicle drives remarkably well on-road. It also hits the off-road tracks with confidence and composure.
We’d like to take this last chance to thank all the companies that have partnered with us for the project – from Red Plum Automotive, who found the car for us in the first place, to those that added parts and accessories. These include Terrain Tamer and Flashlube, TJM 4×4, Mean Mother, Lightforce, TJM Airport West, Cooper Tires, EFS Suspension, Ironman 4×4, Ontrack Automotive, Marks 4WD, MSA 4×4 Accessories, HEMA Maps, DPChip, Piranha Offroad Products, Harrop Engineering, Opposite Lock and MAXTRAX. These companies all manufacture top-class products and they have all come together to improve this old Hilux 100-fold.
Finally a big thank you to Michael Hurren, who has spent days in cold workshops filming the products going on to the Lux and then many more hours editing the footage for the great build videos.
All the hard work paid off with this rewarding day out in the snow and mud, which showcased how well the build has come together.
So get your entries in now. You don’t want to miss your chance to WIN!
Want to know how we built the Project Toyota HiLux? Follow the link to find out.
I’M OUT of touch with what happens over the Easter holidays. Like a lot of people who can get away at times other than public or school holidays, we prefer to keep a low profile over the Easter break.
This year was no different, with one exception: We were away camping right up to Friday morning, and again from Monday onwards. Over the busy time we were ensconced at a friend’s place out of Mansfield, beside Victoria’s High Country.
As we were pulling out of our camp in the Buckland River Valley on the Friday morning, I literally had a vehicle on my front bumper taking over our campsite. When we got out into the King Valley, the pleasant camps along the river were jam-packed with tents, camper trailers, caravans and motorhomes. If I had been planning to camp there and found it like a crowded mini-suburbia, I would have gone home.
And, late on Easter Monday morning as we drove into the delightful Granny’s Flat Campground on the Jamieson River, there were dozens of camps set up. By all accounts half of them had already left by that time, and by evening the number of campers was down to three. Just the way we like it.
The Mansfield paper reported local businesses had their busiest period ever over this year’s Easter and, as we shifted camp over the mountains to Dargo, the local store owner told us Easter Saturday was their most hectic single day ever!
One of the reasons the High Country may have been so busy was that the reported blue-green algae outbreak on the Murray River just before Easter might have changed a lot of people’s minds about camping up that way.
Whatever the cause, Easter was a huge weekend for campers right through the High Country. I’ve since renewed my vow never to go camping over Easter (or other equally busy times) unless I have some private land to go to, or I can get to somewhere very remote.
The following weekend we were at Talbotville. There were still quite a few campers around (the school holidays were on), and something happened that we’d never experienced before while camping in Victoria: a park ranger came over and had a talk with us. I wasn’t doing anything wrong and I was gobsmacked!
Sure, I’ve had rangers pull me over when they thought I was camping in the wrong area, and a few years ago a ranger pulled me aside for taking photographs in a national park, stating I was a professional and professional activities were banned there.
However, there was a reason for the friendly exchange at Talbotville. A fire reduction burn was planned the next day using the Crooked River Track as a fire control line. The rangers – four of them in two vehicles – were out telling people what was going on and what they should do.
There should be more of this public interaction. Rangers, instead of being stuck in an office or cocooned in their vehicle, should be out and about talking to the very people who are using public land. A friendly ranger’s presence in the popular camping areas over the peak holiday periods would lead to fewer issues of unattended fires, dumping of rubbish and vandalism. It would also be a winner as far as public relations are concerned.
We hope it’ll happen again soon, but if it occurs only during the Easter holidays, Viv and I probably won’t see it!