Gnangara Pines 15 Feb 2025

Web Editor March 16, 2025 Club Magazine 0

Dave (Prado)

Don and Jane (Patrol)

Sandie & George (Pajero)

Paul and Finn (Prado) (G)

Craig (Patrol) (G)

Kelvin (Pajero)

Chris (Prado) (G)

Jason & Dawn (MUX) (G)

Tony (FJ)

The group met at the Cnr of Centre Way and Gnangara Road at 8:30 for a 9am depart.

As usual, Dave was there early and helped me get organised with forms, sand flag (thanks Dave) and some just in time training on Gaia GPS.

It was a reasonably size group of nine cars, including 4 guests/ visitors.

After waiting for a late arrival, we did the pre-start briefing and headed off at around 9:15. We got straight into soft sand, mainly chopped up by bikes.

Our first challenge was a tree that had fallen across the track, which was a bit narrow to back out of, or drive around. Of course, I had forgotten my chainsaw, and the only other one in the group didn’t have a battery. But after a group effort, and with Don’s reciprocating saw, we got pasts it.

We then continued onto the first drive challenge. Getting up a hill with very, very, soft sand. Dave provided some advice to the visitors, and we pretty much all made it up without any really hiccups.

We proceeded to drive on more soft sand, helping each other through the more difficult patches. Suffice to say, the maxtracs (or equivalents) got a bit of a work out, but nothing was insurmountable and stops were short.

The next stop was a play area that had some deep ruts and places to have fun. I have it on good authority that this area is a fantastic mud pit during the winter. On this day it was soft, dusty BUT great fun!!!

Following a play, and a short break for early lunch, we left to visit a couple of sand dune areas for the group to have a play in. Getting there meant going through a little more, you guessed it, soft sand.

While Sandie got stuck, with the usual team effort (that is a theme and strength of this Club) we got her out and she learnt another thing about her car 😊

The group had some fun playing on a couple of sand dunes, with one [very] long term member stating they didn’t know there were such great dues this far from the coast!

Having had fun in the sand, it was time to make our way out, and we stopped to air up and reflect on the day. I am pretty sure the whole group enjoyed the day, and were surprised at the 4wding fun they could have so close to home.

The day being over, some of us bid farewell and headed home.

On the drive out, I noted a massive forklift clearing car wrecks (there is a veritable caryard in the Pines).

What I couldn’t know was that one of our members (Kelvin 😊) would get bogged a little while later trying to give the forklift room. To be fair, this was after having aired up!!! As usual, those who were still there pitched in to help Kelvin out!