A weekend away !!!

Discussion in 'Adventure, Hiking, Backpacking and Travel' started by Andy the Aussie, Jun 20, 2021.

  1. Andy the Aussie

    Andy the Aussie Administrator of the Century Staff Member

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    Got home last night after a few days/couple of nights out on the western side of the Great Divining Range here. My best mate (don't let it go to your head when you read this you pr!ck with the 20yo girl's playlist on your phone) of 40 odd years and I have been slack and not away together as much over the last couple of years and made a conscious decision to fix that. Anyway, we both set out from home on Friday about lunchtime, for him it was about 2.5hrs south west and me about the same north west to meet up in a small gold mining town we last visited together around 1989 or 90 maybe (I will find a pic from that tip later). We know it was going to be on the cool side as about 10days ago good snowfalls occurred in the area. Where I dropped down on the western side of the range it was sleeting but that eased up before we met.

    From that spot we drove another half hour then started down on a nice 4x4 trail that drops onto one of the larger rivers, it was wet (they had some good rain in the days before) but easy enough going (though the 300 metre almost straight drop off the sides of the single lane track are food for thought :D ).

    About 10mins down from the start of the track...

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    View from that spot....

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    From there we just drove down till we hit the river and along till we saw a likely spot (as the afternoon was getting on and cold it pays not to be too fussy however we did well)....

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    A flurry of unpacking and waving of cords and tarps followed and home was made....
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    Firewood just here was not in great supply and all in all a bit crappy, however we made do...

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    Last edited: Jun 20, 2021
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  2. Andy the Aussie

    Andy the Aussie Administrator of the Century Staff Member

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    Our evening meal was a bit "laid back" (think add water freeze dried meals) but this beats the hell out of the rat race...

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    Had a pretty good sleep (it was cold and about the only thing that woke me was the "crack" of the tarp when the wind got it). I got up to smoke rising and goats bleating..... sounds which fortunately were unrelated !!!

    A mob of feral goats had come down to the river but didn't hang around for breakfast or coffee....

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    The fire and the mate's "cowboy coffee" were a good start for the day.....

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    One of the three most important meals of the day :D ....

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    The rest of the morning was all in all very lazy...... sat near the fire, hit some wood with knives (a cathartic experience) and then had a bit of a fish.....

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  3. Andy the Aussie

    Andy the Aussie Administrator of the Century Staff Member

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    It was time of course to stake a claim and post my flag !!!!

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    After this we packed up the HiLux and went back downstream for a better load of wood, I didn't try and take a pic crossing the river I think at one point we both thought we were really testing the watertight properties of the door seals... ! Anyway, ten minutes with the Stihl and the fire/wood situation was resolved.....

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    I did snap a few pics going back across the river, only one really turned out at all, it's hard to see but the crossing takes a good 30degree turn to the right ahead followed by a steep climb back up to the road, just near that large rock on the right is the spot it gets "suddenly deep"....

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    Just near where you hit track again is an old mine test shaft (I am guessing) as this was a huge area for gold mining back in the day.....

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    The mate walked in and reports it goes back about 100yds.....

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    With that we headed back to our spot on the river.
     
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  4. Andy the Aussie

    Andy the Aussie Administrator of the Century Staff Member

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    Once back and unloaded I think we commenced a short period of "sitting and staring at the fire". The 4x4 track that traverses the area was up above our campsite, over day a few more vehicles had headed along it and when we went for an explore a couple of groups were camped upstream of us (out of sight/hearing/raiding range ;) ). So for the weekend surprise..... we were there and could hear the unmistakable (like a melody of Valhalla) rumble of a V8 Landcuriser with a big exhaust, now out here that is not at all uncommon so nothing to get too much attention, then I could see it along the track above, still a 70 Series table top is also very common, but no so when driven by my Godson (the mate's son). He had wanted to come out but it looked like work (he has his own business) wouldn't allow it but he decided early Saturday morning he would take the drive out. Finding us was a lots more luck than good management and he said he was actually about to give up and turn around when he spotted us down on the river.

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    As it was right around lunchtime we stoked the fire and got to catching up...

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    And lunch....

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    Last edited: Jun 22, 2021
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  5. Andy the Aussie

    Andy the Aussie Administrator of the Century Staff Member

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    Once that was settled they went for another fish and I sat and continued with the important task of "staring at the fire"... :D

    Dinner that had been discussed ad nauseum prior to our departure and the mate packed some lamb shanks he opted to do in the camp oven. As the young bloke was unexpected he had catered for himself. Half the fun is getting it ready....

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    He browned the shanks off in the skillet with some onion and garlic before adding them to the camp oven with red wine, chicken stock, more garlic, rosemary and probably something else I have now forgotten....

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    Then it cooked away for a couple of hours, once it was getting closer, Godson cooked a steak in the skillet the lamb had browned off in with the leftover onion/garlic etc....

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    It was well dark by eating time and the fire was working well. The lamb was great and we then pretty much settled in with beers, some rum (in my case) and a really REALLY bad playlist of music (which I bitched about incessantly :D ) the beers etc meant I really didn't take anymore pics that night !
     
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  6. Andy the Aussie

    Andy the Aussie Administrator of the Century Staff Member

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    Had another good night sleeping (though I woke with a cracker of a headache) and another cool morning.

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    No rush but we packed up and were heading up the track again by about 10am, easy enough drive out and luckily only met one other vehicle on the one lane sections where you can't pass, they were close to a spot they could reverse back to for us to pass.

    Stopped just before the climb out and snapped one last pic, though I didn't realise my camera had fogged up from the cold !

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    After adding air back into tyres at the top we parted ways and were all home safely by around 3.30pm.

    I would happily turn around and drive back there now.....
     
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  7. Bozho

    Bozho Member

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    Looks like great time, mate!
    And awesome Toyotas.
     
  8. Strigidae

    Strigidae Administrator Staff Member

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    Outstanding!!! Glad Jeff gave you the time off to go relax. :)
     
  9. Andy the Aussie

    Andy the Aussie Administrator of the Century Staff Member

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    ....thanks mate, we area little "one-eyed" when it come to vehicle brand.... :D

    ......I called in sick but he is too old and decrepit to notice anyway.
     
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  10. Andy the Aussie

    Andy the Aussie Administrator of the Century Staff Member

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    My mate just started send through some of the pics he snapped....

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  11. Jeff Randall

    Jeff Randall ESEE Knives / Randall's Adventure & Training Staff Member

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    Cool shots. Does he not get extremely jealous that your truck is so much nicer than his?
     
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  12. Andy the Aussie

    Andy the Aussie Administrator of the Century Staff Member

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    If there was ever a comment that was going to make him angry enough to join and abuse you, that was it :D
     
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  13. ASH

    ASH Member

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    That looks like it was a good trip.
     
  14. Jeff Randall

    Jeff Randall ESEE Knives / Randall's Adventure & Training Staff Member

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    Well, I can't help it he's driving his wife's 4-door going-to-church vehicle on a real adventure trip. I bet it still had the child seat buckled in the back.
     
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  15. Strigidae

    Strigidae Administrator Staff Member

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    Right?! Its like he tried to make it look cool with all the racks, two extra tyres and large lights! Also white is a very weak color.
     
  16. Jeff Randall

    Jeff Randall ESEE Knives / Randall's Adventure & Training Staff Member

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    If those windows weren't tinted I bet we'd see it's his wife driving it across that mud puddle.
     
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  17. Andy the Aussie

    Andy the Aussie Administrator of the Century Staff Member

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    Bastards !!!!!
     
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  18. DYSPHORIC JOY

    DYSPHORIC JOY Administrator Staff Member

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    What is the dangler dealy on the cheap machete? Is that for swinging over your head during village raids?
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  19. Andy the Aussie

    Andy the Aussie Administrator of the Century Staff Member

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    ..... it sure was !!!!!!
     
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  20. Andy the Aussie

    Andy the Aussie Administrator of the Century Staff Member

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    ...... pretty much, I can get some great momentum up swinging it around my head as I ride down from the hills to pillage !!
     
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