Christmas/Welcome Back Trip 2025 Day Trip
Attendees:
- Merrick Young (TL) 80 Series Landcruiser
- Steve Condello Mitsubishi Pajero Shorty
- Phil Kleiner Mitsubishi Pajero Shorty
- John Hofstee Landcruiser Prado D4D
- Matt Ratcliffe Nissan GU Patrol
- Steve and Sandy Baker Nissan GQ Patrol Shorty
After a wonderful day and night celebrating the Christmas 2024 in 2025 we slowly arose from slumber and fed ourselves a great big breakfast at Gordon’s Farm. As we were all packing up to get into the day’s action two lookalikes came trundling down the mountain, in the form of Steve and Phil.
Mounting up after greetings all round we left Yarragon and headed to across the valley to Neerim, specifically Sweetwater Creek Conservation Area. Here we aired down and began a loop that Callum and I had tested a couple of months earlier. Navigating easy terrain to begin with we leisurely drove through the forest and took in the sights and sounds of the bush. Towards the end of the loop things started to heat up a little and a couple of us had to take second bites at things, myself included.
A steep and rutted section near the end had some of us lifting wheels as pictured in the thumbnail. Gass bagging at the re-entry to the main road saw us ahead of time and wondering about more. Discussing the other terrain Callum and I had tackled, the difficulty increased and there was a risk of damage for vehicles without barwork. It’s at this point that John sensibly decided to leave us for the day to head home and not risk any potential regrets.
The rest of us pressed on and made our way down to the rutted tracks in the swamp. Finding them almost as dry as a bone the risk of damage was still there as I watched a freshly painted tray slid along a mud wall. Thank god for thick steel. It’s at this point Matt decided to test what the V8 patrol he’d recently acquired could do, unfortunately a lack of momentum and thick, glutinous mud did him in. Nothing a quick snatch couldn’t fix.
Climbing back up out of the valley there was still opportunities to get muddy as a number of no detour dried out bogs lay before us. Hope everyone was keen to clean their cars….
Finishing almost back where started we all aired up and had a quick bite to eat. Without any food on board I was lucky that Sandy offered for Phil to make me delicious sandwich. It very much hit the spot. Thanks guys.
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