Mud Week-end

12 March 2012 – One Nissan, two Toyotas, one kid. What can possibly go wrong ? The aim of the WE is to test out the truck in real condition…

So, we left SCS workshop around 4PM and made our way to the VIC-SA border. We originally intended to go to the High Country but as all of North Victoria is on flood alert, we thought best to go where it’s a little less humid.

First stop, petrol station to fill up all tanks, and wait for Cameron’s sleeping bag. Then the five hours’ drive to the Murray Sunset Park took us to the SA-VIC border. We spent the night at the Pinnaroo Camping Ground just passed the South Australia border and, while both Jeff and Cameron set up camp, tent, swags, etc, I only had to close the barn doors and sleep 🙂 Comfort means sometimes very small things.

7AM, time for coffee, pack up and head for the “Border Track” in the “Big Desert”, which, sadly, was closed for … wait for it… bloody FIRE SEASON ! The irony ! It’s pissing down, and the damn track is closed for fire season !

Oh well, a quick detour to the servo to get a map of the park and here we go. Tyre pressure down to 25psi, hubs locked, go go go ! Mud, sand, puddle, slide, splash, more rain and more mud. Boys will be boys.

By lunchtime, all three cars are caked. We test out the “self heating soup” cans, run a photoshoot, and, oh big mistake, let the Nissan driver get behind the wheel of Jeff’s Toyota. Within five minutes, Pete manages to hit a kangaroo and, well he blames poor little Emma, bog the 76 Series. Well f**ing done Pete! Supreme humiliation, it’s Cameron’s Nissan who pulls Jeff’s truck out, while Pete slams on the brakes, for fun.

Campsite a bit further down the track, there’s even a campfire, in a National Park mind you, nice one Phil.

I got to test out the mud slides with and without the diff-lockers on. And Jeff learnt two valuable lessons too: never, ever, let a Nissan driver behind the wheel of a Toyota, he’ll only make a mess of it; and never, ever ever, stop stirring the rice.

A very wet and muddy WE but that’s what 4wd is all about, right ?

PS : thanks for the 1000km drive and back, the fun and, Jeff thanks for the hospitality. Your kids are fun, even to walk to school 🙂