march 2015 tlccv magazine

Toyota Land Cruiser Club of Australia (Victoria) Inc. A0005442cToyota Land Cruiser Club of Australia (Victoria) Inc. A0005442c

Overland CruiseringOverland Cruisering

March 2015

Inside

Registered by Australia Post PublicationNo. PP339119/00013 $5.00

www.tlccv.com.au

< SwiftsCreekExplorer

< GeelongCaravan,Camping &OutdoorShow

< MirimbahMagicAlpine trip

TLCCV Cover March 2015 9/3/15 7:18 PM

http://www.tlccv.com.au

DECEMBER FINAL PRINT MASTER 15/1/15 10:14 PM

www.guest4wd.com.au

mailto:[email protected]

www.guest4wd.com.au

TOYOTA LAND CRUISER CLUB OF AUSTRALIA(VICTORIA) INC. A0005442CABN87301244383

M A R C H 2 0 1 5M A R C H 2 0 1 5

General Meetings: 7:30pm onthe 3rd Tuesday of each month at Mulgrave Country ClubWellington Road (corner JellsRoad), Wheelers HillMelways Ref 80 H1

Geelong Meetings: 7.30pm the1st Tuesday of each month &2nd Tuesday each November atthe Supper Room, GeelongWest Town Hall, 153 PakingtonSt. 3218. (Mel. 451 J2)

ENQUIRIES: Membership & General to:The SecretaryToyota Land Cruiser ClubPO Box 363, HAWTHORN 3122

Website:http:www.tlccv.com.au

MEMBERSHIP DETAILSJoining Fee: $280.00Membership: $145.00

REINSTATEMENT OF PASTMEMBERSIf a member rejoins the Clubwithin 5 years, a joining fee isnot applicable.If a member rejoins the Clubafter 5 years, they are requiredto pay the joining fee and under-take the Club’s DriverAwareness course.

RECOGNISED CLUB RADIOCHANNEL: 15 UHF

YARCK PROPERTYOur property is a registeredLand for Wildlife property and no inference is drawn in thepublication that the sign or registration has any other meaning.

Life Members: Graeme Wilson,John Whitney (Dec), Don Honey,Bill Dower, Alan Winch, BarrieMcCarthy, Harold Ross, SandraTanner, Brian Stewart, CharlesNorman, Ashley (Dec) & JudithWilliams, John Turbill, GarryCooper, Jan Chivers & KenHildebrand Honorary Members: Ross McClure,Clive Blakely, Reece DeJong Club Auditor: Chris Rumble

Victoria Alps touring

The opinions expressed in the articlesappearing in this magazine are notnecessarily those of the Editor or theToyota Land Cruiser Club of Australia(Victoria) Inc. The Editor reserves theright to delete where necessary anysection of any article, which has beensent for publication in the magazine.Acceptance of advertisements does not necessarily imply endorsement ofproducts or associated companies orindividuals by the Toyota Land CruiserClub of Australia (Victoria) Inc.

Club Information 1

Committee 2014-2015 2

Mirimbah Magic Trip 3

Jordon Valley Working Bee 5

Swifts Creek Explorer 7

Geelong Outdoors Show 10

Otway Night Drive 11

Over the Next Hill 13

President’s Report 17

Calendar/Coming Events 18

FWD Victoria 40th Anniversary 21

Magazine Voting 22

Member Survey - A Summary 24

Trading Post 25

History of the jerrycan 26

News from ARB 27

Yarck Bushfire Plan 28

Member Business Directory 28

Toyota Land Cruiser Club of Australia (Victoria) Inc. A0005442cToyota Land Cruiser Club of Australia (Victoria) Inc. A0005442c

Overland CruiseringOverland Cruisering

March 2015

Inside

Registered by Australia Post PublicationNo. PP339119/00013 $5.00

www.tlccv.com.au

< SwiftsCreekExplorer

< GeelongCaravan,Camping &OutdoorShow

< MirimbahMagicAlpine trip

V O L U M E 4 3 N o . 8C O N T E N T S

Overland Cruisering 1

Part 1 March 9/3/15 8:10 PM Page 1



2 Overland Cruisering

MAGAZINE CONTRIBUTIONSAll articles, trip reports and other contributions are welcome for inclusion inthe magazine. They must be in thehands of the Editor by the first of themonth.Please send them to:The Editor, Overland Cruisering, PO Box 1778, Geelong 3220

or email: [email protected]

Members’ name and membership number must accompany all articlesand/or contributions.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES• Please submit articles as Worddocuments with no formatting.(No fancy formats as it will only have to beremoved in preparing for publication).In particular DO NOT embed pictures inyour documents

• Images (photos) should besupplied as seperate JPEG files.The higher resolution the better. As a guideimages should be of 300 pixel per inch withimage files around 1-5MB fine.• If you have multiple images, please burn toa CD and post to Editor rather than trying to email numerous images.• Articles can be posted with normal photos.They will be scanned and returned to theauthor if a self-addressed envelope isprovided.

TRADING POST• Note: if selling a vehicle in the TradingPost it is a Motor Car Trader Regulation(1988-22(4) legal requirement that a cashprice, registration number or engine numberare supplied.

ADVERTISING A TRIP• Note: All trips must be approved by theTrip Convenor before they can be gazettedin Overland Cruisering.

All contributions MUST BE received bythe 1st of the month.

ADVERTISERSPlease support those companies that adver-tise in our magazine. Let them know yousaw their advert in Overland Cruisering.

PresidentIan Ross [email protected]

Vice PresidentLaurie Miles [email protected]

SecretarySandra Tanner [email protected]

Assistant Secretary Ian [email protected]

TreasurerAlan McMeekin [email protected]

Assistant Treasurer Steve de Mamiel [email protected]

CommitteeMichael Schuettke [email protected]

CommitteeAdam Takacs [email protected]

Magazine EditorSandra Tanner: [email protected]

AdvertisingSandra Tanner [email protected]

Activities CoordinatorIan Ross [email protected]

Driver TrainingJohn MIlls: [email protected]* Driver Training Course bookings* Awareness Course certificates

Yarck Management Brian Stewart [email protected]

Magazine DistributionRussell & Lesley Edwards

Trip ConvenorTony Middleditch

[email protected]

* Register a Member’s trip* Assistance in trip preparation

TechnicalBrett Dyson

[email protected]

TrainingMatt Lilley [email protected]• Club training courses co-ordinator

Special [email protected]

• Shows & special event co-ordinator

Membership Barbara Bryant [email protected]* Membership renewals, name badges,contact detail changes

LibrarianWendy Wilson [email protected]* Borrow DVDs & books* Contributions to the Library

FWDV DelegateTony Bryant

Webmaster

[email protected]

[email protected] Miles

Excursion Visits Coordinator

[email protected]

Marketing/Public Relations CoordinatorBrian Tanner

[email protected]

Emergency Response Coordinator

[email protected]

Raffles & SupperGabi & Grace AzzamKaren Wade

Club ShopGraham Cahill [email protected]

Sergeant-At-ArmsRussell Edwards

Social [email protected]

* Book for participation in social events

Visitor GreetersCarol & Greg Edmunds

[email protected]

Ph. 0418 120 374

GEELONG BRANCHPresidentMatt McPhee [email protected]

Vice PresidentMatt Lilley [email protected]

SecretaryJennie Harvie

SocialJudith Williams

2 0 1 4 - 2 0 1 5C O M M I T T E E

A R E Y O U R M E M B E R S H I P D E T A I L S C U R R E N T ?If you have recently moved, please notify Barbara Bryant – Membership Officer – and provide your new address, telephone number(s) and (if altered) your email

address as soon as possible. Please also remember to remove the Club sticker if you change or sell your four-wheel drive.

































4 Overland Cruisering Overland Cruisering 3

4WDing & MTBing to Mt Stirling: 8vehicles rolled into the peaceful camp-ground at Mirimbah throughout Fridayafternoon and evening. After being greet-ed by Laurie & Heidi and meeting/renewingacquaintances with other Club members,we settled in for the weekend adventureahead.By morning 3 group members – Heidi, Ian& Adam – had taken off on their MTBjourney to Mt Stirling. The remainder of thegroup stayed in camp to listen to Laurieprovide a detailed explanation about globaland local map referencing systems. Wegained a good understanding about thecapabilities of the OziExplorer map systemas well as other digital mapping products.After morning tea we set off on the MtStirling Road passing picturesque standsof tall eucalypts and densely vegetatedfern gullies. The dusty but solid 2WD roadled us through Telephone Box Junction andthen onto Howqua Hut where we had abrief look around at both the original oldmountain hut and its newer addition. Therewere a few MTBers who had set up basecamp in the newer hut.Engaging 4WD, we set off up the HowquaGap Track heading up from Howqua GapHut to Mt Stirling. Some challenging,loose rock sections along the way wereencountered. Glimpses of Mt Buller villagecould be seen through the snow gumsstunted by the usual cold temperatures atthis elevation and many of which had beenburnt by severe bushfire.Engaging 4WD, we set off up the Howqua

Gap Track heading up from Howqua GapHut to Mt Stirling. Some challenging, looserock sections along the way were encoun-tered. Glimpses of Mt Buller village couldbe seen through the snow gums stunted bythe usual cold temperatures at this eleva-tion and many of which had been burnt bysevere bushfire.The final ascent of the track to Mt Stirlingwas a rock, slippery climb, which finishedin the panoramic and open views from thesummit at 1731 metres. The short walk tothe summit provided the opportunity topeek at tiny Alpine daisies in purple, white

and yellow as we tried to avoid stepping onthe vulnerable mosses which make up theAlpine bog botanical environment.We descended back to the Howqua GapHut for lunch to rendezvous with theMTBers. After a leisurely lunch stop andchat, we drove the Circuit Road to theMonument Track. We were warned thatthis track can vary in condition quitedramatically across seasons. It certainlyhad many challenging switchbacks, butgenerally (although rocky) it was dry andall vehicles got through to Craig’s Hutunscathed.

I PT R I P S M I R I M B A H M A G I C - F E B . 2 0 1 5

Trip Leaders:Laurie & Heidi Miles Zebra 80 Series TDParticipants:Michael & Megan Bourke Eagle 1 Prado 150 Series TDWalter & Maria Denni Dingo 105 Series TDRobert & Bee-Lee Fairweather CavOK 200 Series GXL TDIan Frost & Adam Perkins Frosty 80 Series TDJeff Gazzard Sandwich Maker 200 Series GX TDEamonn & Libby King Redgum 100 Series TDBrett & Tom (10) Trethevan &Jodie Simm Lynx Prado 150 Series TD

Craig’s Hut


We were greeted at Craig’s Hut by a largehorse trail rider group, and had it not beenfor their hard hats, we might have imagineda scene from “The Man from Snowy River.”Nonetheless, this location always providesexcellent photographic opportunities.A leisurely convoy drive down the mountainalong the Circuit Road and to Mt StirlingRoad saw the group return to Mirimbah by4:30pm-ish. Our MTBers were faster thanus, and just beat us back to camp.Some of us took a wander along thewalk/bike track, which runs adjacent to theDelatite River. This is ‘picture postcard’stuff and well worth it to stretch one’s legsafter a great day’s drive in excellentcompany.Michael & Megan Bourke (2713)Picturesque Lake William Hovell:Leaving camp at 8.30 Sunday morning weheaded the 1km back down the BullerRoad before turning north along CartersRoad for the trip up to Tomahawk Hut. Avery pleasant drive through beautifulcountry. Tomahawk hut was well main-tained and set in lush surroundings.After checking out Tomahawk hut, weheaded across Buckland Spur to thepicturesque Lake William Hovell. Thetracks were a little more challenging thanyesterday, but didn’t give anyone any realtrouble. It was truly picturesque.Being close to an ex TLCCV member,Libby gave them a call on Saturday night,so when we arrived at the lake for morningtea, we met up with Karen (Possum) &Craig Smith. Laurie & Heidi hadn’t seenKaren for nearly 15 years, so it was a sur-prise for some of our older members tocatch up again. Karen used to be theTLCCV Membership Officer in the mid90’s. The picturesque lake was busy withseveral people canoeing which looked likefun.After morning tea, we crossed the KingRiver, down river from the dam, and ontothe Long Spur track then up to the BurntTop track. I really enjoyed this part of thedrive, as we saw spectacular views of MtCobbler. We continued on the Burnt Toptrack until we reached Pineapple Flatwhere we stopped for lunch.A couple of our convoy went for a swim in

the refreshing King River while trout werespotted swimming in the water. A lovelyplace and no one else around at all.After a relaxing lunch we again crossed theKing River and headed up Weston Tracktowards Mount Number 3 with fantasticviews on the way.Finally we found ourselves back on Cartersroad for a leisurely trip back to camp. Aquick pack up and then back to Melbourne.It was a fantastic weekend. Thanks toeveryone for making it such a great trip,especially to Laurie and Heidi.Brett Trethevan & Jodie Simm (2445)



I PT R I P S J O R D A N V A L L E Y W O R K I N G B E E

6th December, 2014

Participants:Dulcie Watts Prado SX 150Barb & Tony Bryant Troopy 78 SeriesEamonn King Landcruiser 105Chris & Ern Eichner Troopy GXL 2013Bill Black Landcruiser 79 SeriesAndrea Holden & Robert Karkut Landcruiser 2004Bill, Will & Caleb Motschall Landcruiser 80 Series

The weather was atrocious; fog, rainand limited visibility made fortreacherous driving conditions onboth Friday and Saturday as the

team of volunteers made their way to thecampsite opposite the Victor Spur Track, offthe Woods Point – Walhalla Road. All of ushad to set up camp in either constant driz-zle or actual rain. Not a pleasant start toour weekend working bee.Friday afternoon, in the drizzle, Eamonngot stuck into cutting up a dead tree for thecamp fire with Dulcie attempting to collectand stack it. Billy arrived around 5.45pmand luckily for us he had a huge canvassheet, which we helped to put up besidehis T/Van. It proved to be a great shelteredmeeting place for all of us to sit under in theconstant rain. With the arrival of Barb &Tony followed by Rob & Andrea, the Fridaycampers called it good night and weresoon tucked up in their warm beds, listen-ing to the thunder as they fell asleep.Well it rained continuously throughout thenight, with thunder and lightning still hap-pening on Saturday morning, a low cloudof gloom had settled on our campsite.Chris and Ern arrived around 7:00am aftergetting to Matlock late Friday night anddeciding to settle in there for the night. By9:00am, the thunder storms had notabated, and I almost made the decision toabandon our working bee but decided toshow everyone our historical sites downthe Victor Spur Track and at Jericho, so weclimbed into our cars to check them out.We started with the sites at Red Jacket, sowith rain coats on and umbrellas up, wechecked out this area. At this point we weresurprised to hear a car coming towards usfrom Jericho, and who should it be but Bill,Will and Caleb. They’d decided to join uson Saturday morning and had driven downthe Jericho Track to see if they could findus already at work at Jericho. Not finding

us there, they decided to go up Victor SpurTrack to the campsite but found us explor-ing Red Jacket instead. Joining our convoywe all headed off to our first TLCCV histor-ical site, Chinaman’s Point. By this time therain had stopped and the drizzle hadsettled in again, but it didn’t put a damperon things as we explored the site and thesurrounding area trying to find the pristineclay oven, which we knew was around herebut it remained elusive to us, which isprobably just as well because if it’s elusiveto us, then it’s elusive to vandals too. Backin the cars and onto Jericho proper wherewe checked out and cleaned the informa-tion board and walked down the road to thegrave site of the unknown Father and Son.Cleaned the information board and pickedthe white flowers from a dogwood tree toadorn the grave.Back to Jericho Diversion Tunnel and myGod, the blackberries were growing withprofusion and had encroached on ourpathway with gusto. By this time it wasaround noon so we made our way to theJericho Oak Tree site to have lunch, andyou wouldn’t believe it but the drizzlestopped. We actually got about 5 minutesof sunshine before the clouds swallowedthe sky again. BUT it had stopped raining,which was great as we were able to devotea good 4 hours to clean up the sites we

had visited. We galvanised into action.Eamonn and Billy headed off toChinaman’s Point to remove the logsacross the pathway and create new stepsdown to the trail from the road. Ern, Chris,Rob, Andrea, Bill, Will and Caleb got stuckinto the Jericho Diversion Tunnel black-berries. Barb, Tony and Dulcie headed forthe grave of the unknown Father & Son tocut out some more steps into the roadembankment and then clean up the trackto the grave site, then onto Chinaman’sPoint to clean up that track and the clayoven as well.What a great job everyone did. Tracks tothe sites were pruned of branches wherethey couldn’t hurt anyone, and blackberrieswere cleared as much as possible with theexception of the Jericho Diversion Tunnelwhere they were annihilated for about 3metres across and all the way down thetrack to the river and into the tunnel as well.Fabulous job was done by all. Only mishapfor the weekend was Chris slipping into theJordan River up to her knees and beinghoisted out by the lads.Everyone then converged on the JerichoCemetery where we got about 45 minutesof work done before the rain settled in forthe arvo. Ern and Bill got stuck into cuttingthe thigh high bush with the whippersnipper and brush cutter.


Jericho Cemetery before

Jericho Cemetery before

Jericho Cemetery after

Tunnel before Tunnel after Tunnel after



www.idealseat.com.au


The rest of us were either hand cutting theferns that had grown all over the cemeteryor gathering them up to dump in a pile overthe fence or cleaning up grave plots.Whatever the task, everyone chipped inand did as much as they could. Rob evengot his metal detector out to see if he couldlocate any grave numbers. He found a fewrusty old nails instead. Caleb went offexploring and found a stone staircasegoing up the hill behind the cemetery. Asthe rain got heavier we called it a day andreckoned we could knock over the rest ofthe cemetery and check out those stairs inthe morning.Saturday night’s camp fire was an interest-ing sight. Billy had got a magnificent fireroaring, and for those of us with umbrellaswe sat in our comfy chairs having happyhour sheltered from the drizzle, whilst oth-ers created makeshift shelters with plasticsheets fitting over chairs held up by slimbranches. The others just managed asbest they could.The wind was particularly fierce during thenight, and the rain didn’t let up at all andcontinued pouring into Sunday morning.Miserable weather and it was decided topack up in the rain and go home. Theweather cleared as we neared Warburton.Thanks everyone for your great effort insuch trying weather conditions.Dulcie Watts (2480)

Jordan Valley Loop Working Bee –28th February, 2015

There were six of us this weekend, andwe only did a day trip in the end as theSaturday night weather was going to bea stinker, and none of us wanted to becamped under / near trees for the night.We got through heaps though, would’vedone more but Ern’s brush cutter wasplaying up and the 2 x whipper snipperscouldn’t tackle the stuff he was doing.The Jericho Oak Tree looks fabulous asthey annihilated the blackberries border-ing the pond and car park area, it looksgreat.Started at 9:30am and finished at4:30pm with half an hour for lunch.Total hours worked by the team: 6.5 x 6= 39 hours.We actually got to do the historical sitesoff Walhalla Road this weekend, whichwas great as we’ve now decided to dosome track exploration and see wherethey all go to. We checked out MuttonTown’s track hoping it goes back toMatlock, which it did and the views werespectacular up on Matlock Hill.Dulcie Watts (2480)(There’s more to come. Watch thisspace………………Ed)

Chinaman's Point after

I PT R I P S S W I F T S C R E E K E X P L O R E R

Climbing up through the Tambo Valley:This was our first real 4WD trip after ourDA in November, 2014, so we were veryexcited and looking forward to it. We spentalmost 6 hours driving from Melbourne onFriday afternoon, and we finally arrived atSwifts Creek Caravan Park around8:00pm. However, Laurie and Heidi onlyspent 4.5 hours driving from almost thesame starting point, so we realised theirdriving skills must be very good (or veryfast).The day started with a briefing at 8:30am.After driving on the bitumen for 10kms, weheaded onto dirt and aired down. We start-ed driving towards the famous TVGC track,where we made our first newbie mistake –we had forgotten to mark the turnoff!Fortunately, with the smart Marianne &Marcel who were running OziExplorer, wewere able to follow them.

And then comes the first challenge, a steepupward slope – the TCGV track – itseemed never ending at first, until wereached some flat ground. Yet, there wasan even steeper slope with loose gravelahead. However, we all managed to con-quer this steep climb with no drama – itwas a great feeling.

After driving past a bog hole, we realisedKloppy’s car was actually still clean whileeveryone else was covered with mud anddust – not sure how he managed this.It was time to take a short break withmorning tea, and share our thoughts aboutthe first part of our 4WDing experience.During the break we noticed that MnM hadan oven in the back of their 4WD. Hey, itlooks like our convoy has managed tochange our 4WD trip into a GourmetTraveller’s trip! Their cute little 12 volt ovenheated up meat pies, roast chicken andeven soufflé over the weekend.It was time to conquer some more steepascents, descents and creek crossings.These included Hammond Break andMcKenzie Track, both giving us somebreathtaking High Country views.However, some in the convoy thought that

February, 2015Trip Leaders:

Laurie & Heidi Miles Zebra 80 Series TDParticipants:

Pat & Wendy Bajraszewski Bundy 100 Series TDMonica & Phil Coleman Philharmonica 200 Series TDJohn & Lachlan (15) Klopstock Kloppy 100 Series TDIan Mak & Claudia Lee Makkas 2002 Prado TDMichael Schuettke Michael 100 Series TDMarianne & Marcel van den Bronk MnM Pajero TDJohn & Wendy Wheat Grumpy 100 Series TD



terraintamer.com.au


the gourmet conversation was just asexciting, especially when Marianneconstantly reminded us of the smell of herhomemade pies.Just before lunch there was a major obsta-cle awaiting, a steep, rocky climb on theTelegraph Track. The trick about this slopewas staying on the right hand side, other-wise…well, let’s just say Laurie and Heidifound out the hard way on the left side withhuge bog slippery holes. With someguidance from Laurie, we all made itthrough without a problem, and at timessome of us made it look easy. After thatchallenge, we all made it to the top of MtNugong for lunch where we were joined bythousands of ants and flies.After lunch we took an easy drive to visitthe Moscow Villas where we all stopped fora bit of a photo shoot. It was a very niceand cool hut for a warm afternoon, and def-initely a nice hut to camp for the night.We then drove to visit the Old WashingtonWinch, only a 5 minute drive from the hut.We appreciated the size of the winch,which originally helped to transport a lot ofbig logs back in the old days. It was alsofascinating to see photos of how it was builtand operated, and obviously OH&S wasn’ttoo much of a concern back then.On the way back to our base camp, westopped along the way to collect some fire-wood for our campfire. During our stop alost fluffy, stuffed rabbit mysteriouslyappeared in our trip leader’s car seekingadoption. A nice note was attached intro-ducing himself as “Fluffy.” However, Laurie

and Heidi rejected him (which made himreally sad), but he finally decided to beadopted by Ian & Claudia, who introducedhim to many new friends when theyreturned home.In conclusion, the day had a mixture ofsome moderate rated tracks with someheart pumping moments, which tested usand the vehicle and some sightseeing andphoto opportunities. This certainly was avery good experience for us as new mem-bers. We’re also very proud to be drivingthe only Prado in the convoy, and didn’t getstuck once! We are certainly looking for-ward to participating in another Club tripvery soon.Ian & Claudia (2704)More great views over Tambo Valley:After a slow and easy drive on the blackstuff as we were still running low pressuresfrom Saturday, we headed back to theTambo Valley. Only this time we made aleft on to Lees Track after selecting lowrange. After a steep climb, we arrived atSpring Hill track. After turning right, weheaded down through some interestingcountryside before taking a break near MtShaw for morning break. With signs uptelling us that there was no access throughBindi Station, unfortunately there was noinvitation from the Station for scones andtea, so we had to supply our own.During the course of the drive there weremany interesting discussions on subjectssuch as OziExplorer, frequency ofchanging transmission oil and the treat-ment of bat bites. We did a big loop

travelling along Bowen Bridge Track andSplitters Range Track joining back on toLees Track where we stopped for lunchenjoying the fabulous views towardCassilis. The morning drive was relativelyeasy, but more challenging 4WDing wasexpected in the afternoon.After descending Lees Track, we made thechange to high range for our short drivealong Nunniong Road past the TamboValley Golf Course to Telephone Trackwhere we shifted back to low range.Telephone Track was the most challengingpoint so far in the day’s drive as there wasa section where things became a bitslippery and it was necessary for Laurie toprovide some guidance over the UHF.After the challenge on Telephone Track thedrive was easy enough for the participantsto take in the spectacular views this part ofVictoria has to offer.The last and biggest challenge greeted uswhen we arrived at the top of the TVGCTrack, the same track we drove up yester-day morning. This was only my secondClub trip and I thought I’d been challengedon Saturday on the climb up. I didn’t thinkit would be the case, but I found goingdown this track much easier than theascent, plus there were the spectacularviews.After the descent we all made a leisurelydrive back to the campsite where we saidour goodbyes and prepared for the triphome.John & Wendy Wheat (2712)


The Geelong Branch put on an interestingdisplay at the Geelong Caravan, Campingand Outdoor Show over the January longweekend.Being a four-day show it was a big ask tohave the stand manned at all times. Themarque was erected on the Wednesdayevening, with the show commencing onThursday.For much of the show the weather wasvery hot, with an esky of cold drinks andfan provided by Greg Fleet very welcome.The weekend saw temperatures drop alittle to be replaced by moderate winds,making things dusty and unpleasant.Notwithstanding, we had plenty of interestfrom the public, signing up two new mem-bers - who unfortunately live in Melbournerather than Geelong!On our stand we had a tricked up vehiclefrom the Geelong ARB dealer whichcreated plenty of interest. Being in theToyota marque, we also received plenty ofquestions about new Toyotas as peoplethought we were the local Toyota dealer!Manning the stand for 4 days was a greateffort, with thanks to all Geelong membersthat put in a little time (and some an awfullot of time!) in making the display asuccess.Brian Tanner (607)


I PT R I P S G E E L O N G O U T D O O R S S H O W


It only rains a few times ayear in the Otways. Onetime is from April to

October. The other handfulof times is spread across thesummer months. Matt andthe Geelong branch man-aged to pick a warm, humidday with late storms forecastfor the Otways Night Drive.The evening started with ameal at the Aireys Inlet Pub.Unfortunately due to a fewfamily related commitments we had to skipthe dinner and arranged to meet the rest ofthe crew just before the 8:00pm trip brief-ing. We left Jan Juc at about 7:15pm andheaded toward a spectacular lightningshow. We hit rain just out of Anglesea andby the time we got to Aireys it was peltingdown. Cars in front of us had slowed to25kmh and the road was covered in asheet of water. The worst of the downpourthough was over in 10 minutes. Aireys got4mm in the 20 minutes to 8:00pm and7mm to 11:00pm.Just after 8:00pm Matt addressed thegroup and discussed the option to abort ifanyone was worried about the possiblemuddy conditions following the heavyshowers. It was a unanimous decision toproceed. Lots were drawn for the order ofthe convoy, last minute preparationssorted, and we were off just as the lastlight of dusk faded.We headed about a kilometre south intoAireys township and turned right ontoBambra Rd, heading alongside the riverflats where a big mob of kangaroos hadjoined the horses for a feed in the pad-docks. From there we swung onto OldCoach Rd and then turned right ontoGentle Annie Track. The rain had packeddown the sand and settled the dust, andthe first section was an easy drive through

the Eucalypt forest.A few kilometres along Gentle Annie we hitsome clay. A descent into the valley got abit interesting as the track was verygreasy, though everyone got down OKwith a bit of sliding but no real dramas.The track climbing out the other side waslonger and just as greasy, and we pausedat the bottom to give leader Matt firstcrack. We could see him slipping and slid-ing a bit and he was using the whole trackbut got up no worries. Scott was next andhe gave it some throttle (his V8 soundsgreat) and once he got through the steepslippery section 2/3’s of the way up he’dmade it. Car 3 got a bit sideways on thesteep section and lost momentum. Mattguided them back down onto a flattersection on the left of the track, and afterdeflating the tyres a bit more they got upnext go. I lost traction on the same section(wheels spinning forward and car goingbackwards) and again Matt guided meback to the flat section on the edge of thetrack. The side of the track here was solidand had been recently slashed so weended up avoiding some of the mud andgot up OK on the second run. With Matt(still standing in the rain) guiding the restof the convoy onto the verge, everyonemade the hill first go and the section oftrack was saved from being chewed up.

The next part of the drive was uneventfuluntil we hit another steep section andagain Matt got us to pause while he droveup. It was quite a sight, nothing but head-lights and tail lights bouncing around. Atone point we could have spotted koalas,Matt’s headlights were pointing at the treetops. The rain had stopped at this stageand we all had a chance to wind down thewindows and enjoy the fresh rainforest air(except those behind Mark who were get-ting the exhaust from the Troopie).

It turned out the climbwas firm but had somedeep ruts and a fewmoguls. Everyonemade it up without anissue, just plenty ofbouncing around onthe way up. (Matt didmention that it was thepart of the trip that youcould chip your teethon your beer bottle.Chat on the UHF con-

curred, and thought chipped teeth a smallprice to pay as long as no beer wasspilled).From there the drive followed the ridge; weturned onto the recently graded MoggsCreek Track and after a few more enjoy-able kilometres, we turned onto CoalmineCreek Track for the descent back to theGreat Ocean Rd. Here we encounteredanother section of clay, which made aninteresting, long slippery downhill runtowards the ocean. Matt warned us ofsome friendly trees on the way down thatwanted to get close and personal to hisvehicle as we waited to descend one at atime. I’m happy to say I made it downkeeping the back wheels behind me formost of the way, though there were acouple of times the car made decisionsabout the direction we should take thatwas independent of the steering wheel. Ifelt pretty much in control but it was prob-ably a good thing for my passengers thatyou couldn’t see anything (such as thedrop on the right hand side) outside theheadlight beam.Again, we all made it down safely andwere back on the bitumen at just after10:30pm. We stopped at the beachcarpark next to the GOR Arch at EasternView for a quick debrief and a chat in thelight rain before people started to maketheir way home.It was a fun drive through the bush in thedark, and the bit of rain we had before thetrip made it interesting in a couple of parts.Many thanks to our fellow participants, andspecial thanks to the trip leaders Matt,Emma and family for the time put in toorganising and executing the trip. Thanksalso to Brian & Sandra for safely bringingup the rear.Graeme & Veronica Innis (2673)


I PT R I P S O T W AY S N I G H T D R I V E

28th February, 2015

Trip Leader: Matt, Emma, Josh & Abby McPheeParticipants: Car 2: Scott & Susan Fabbian 76 Wagon

Car 3: Tracks & Annette Hawdon 80 SeriesCar 4: Graeme, Veronica & Neshren Innis 200 SeriesCar 5: Mark & James Ker-David 70 Series UteCar 6: Colin & Dinah Kosky PajeroCar 7: Alison & Judith Williams 80 SeriesCar 8: Robert & Chantal Dungen 100 Series

T/end Charlie: Brian & Sandra Tanner GU Patrol

The night time route

The happy group of nightowls!



www.airporttoyota.com.au


Members Please Note: All guests attending TLCCV trips must take out Temporary Membership. This includes children of members 18 years of age and older. If you have any queries contact our Trip Convenor, Tony Middleditch at [email protected]. All applications and pay-ments for Temporary Membership MUST be received by the Membership Officer NO LATER than 14 days prior to the trip.Facebook: Any trips advertised on Facebook that have not been approved by the Trip Convenor will not be recognised as an official Club trip and therefore not be covered by the Club insurance.Seasonal Road Closures: Contact Parks Victoria on http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/safety/fire,-flood-and-other-closures/seasonal-road-closures2

MARCHDate:Trip Leader:

MT COBBLER - Trip FullSaturday 21st & Sunday 22nd March, 2015 Brad Riddington: Email: [email protected]

APRILDate:Trip Leaders:

Vic / SA BORDER TRACK - Easter weekend - Trip Full Friday 3rd - Monday 6th April, 2015Laurie & Heidi Miles: Email: [email protected]

MAYDate:Meeting Place:Time:Limit:Standard:Fuel:Radio:Equipment:Overnight:Details:

Trip Leader:

VISIT TO WANDARRAH (Nissan Club property) - approx. 200kms from MelbourneFriday 1st - Sunday 3rd May, 2015.Caltex Servo, cnr. Sands Rd and North side of Princes Freeway, Longwarry.Friday 1st at 6:45pm for 7:00pm departure.10 vehicles.Medium - weather dependant.Full tanks from home.15 UHFVehicle in sound mechanical condition. Basic recovery gear.Camping at the Nissan Club property for two nights, which can accommodate tents, camper trailers, caravans. Leave Caltex servo under the guidance of Nissan Club leaders, arrive Wandarrah & settle in.Saturday, drive the various tracks around the Wandarrah area - lunch on the tracks. Arrive back in time for happy hour & socialising.Sunday, short trip, lunch on the track, return to Wandarrah for pack up & early afternoon leave for home.All members need to bring own food & drink for the weekend. Wandarrah has hot showers & toilets but NO DRINKING WATER.Garry Cooper: Email: [email protected]

MAYDate:Trip Leader:

SIMPSON DESERT - EAST WEST CROSSING - Trip Full Sunday 10th May to Thursday 21st May.Harry King: Email: [email protected]

JUNEDate:Trip Leaders:

SANDY WYPERFELD TRAILER TRIP - (Queens Birthday weekend) - Trip Full Friday 6th - Monday 8th June, 2015Laurie & Heidi Miles: Email: [email protected]

JUNEDate:Trip Leader:

LOCK YOUR HUBS SIMPSON DESERT - Trip FullSaturday 27th June - Friday 10th July 2015Simon Mustey & Sherry Salvesen: Email: [email protected]

C O M I N G T R I P SC A L E N D A R

INFORMATION FOR TRIPLEADERS• Trip leaders please note thatunder the Constitution, membersmay not take part in any clubactivities involving four-wheeldriving unless they have com-pleted the Driver Awareness

Course (Theory & Practical) andhave filled in an Indemnity Form.• The Club Insurance Policystates that only Club Trips thatare gazetted in the ClubMagazine and the Club websiteare covered by the Club PublicLiability Policy.

• All Club Trips gazetted in theClub Magazine must include atelephone number (or mobile)and/or an email address for thepurpose of booking on a trip.• Members please note that tele-phone calls should not be madelater than 8:30 pm.

Club trips are for club membersonly. Non members are not afforded insurance coverage bythe club and may jeopardise ourcoverage. If you have anyqueries they may be raised withour Trip Coordinator, Tony Middleditch.

March over the Hill copy 9/3/15 8:39 PM Page 1


http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/safety/fire,-flood-and-other-closures/seasonal-road-closures2







toyota.com.au

POPULATION: 5LANDCRUISER 70 DOUBLE CAB.

Company is a good thing in LandCruiser Country, that’s why there’s the LandCruiser70 Double Cab. There is enough room for you, your mates, the cattle dog and even atag-along. What’s more, like the rest of the Landcruiser 70 series line-up, it’s just aspowerful and indestructible. And with unbelievable grunt courtesy of Toyota’s V8 Turbo-diesel engine, together, you’re unstoppable. This is LandCruiser Country.


www.toyota.com.au


www.powerful4x4.com.au

www.powerful4x4.com.au


P R E S I D E N T ’ S R E P O R TU P D AT E

Hasn’t it been warm? We seemed tohave had a heat spell come throughso late in the season. I note from the

magazine, Facebook, etc. that there hasbeen a lot of activity with many peopleaway on trips. Unfortunately, due tomedical reasons, I have not been able toparticipate.For those of you that were at the last meet-ing, you would be aware that theCommittee is putting forward a recommen-dation to the members about the maga-zine. Please see elsewhere in this maga-zine the details of that proposal. Pleaseread it carefully and then make sure yourvote is in by the due date of 20th April,2015.Cruiserkhana is coming up and by the timeyou read this it will be a matter of daysbefore it is on. At this stage I cannotpromise to be there as I have surgeryplanned on the following Monday. I willhave to just see how I go. Well done to allinvolved. It is important that the event getsa lot of support from the members.Laurie Miles and Michael Schuettkerecently joined the Committee and as I wasa last minute non attendee at the lastCommittee meeting, Laurie had to step upand fill the role. Thank you Laurie for doingthat.

Just a reminder to all members that there isan opportunity for those who wish to learnabout using a computer available prior toour general meetings from 6:30pm. If youhave any queries, or have decided to pur-chase your first computer / lap top, this val-ued information is free. Thank you to thosewho have offered their time.Don’t forget the 40th Anniversary of FWDV.An updated flyer is out with the costs, soget in early. Great roast on the Saturdaynight, a raffle valued at over $7,000 andlots of trips into the High Country – easy,medium and/or hard. Make sure that youjoin in the celebration.As the Club gets older, it is important thatwe remember our history. Recently theClub was able to assemble a library of oldissues of the Club magazine. We want todigitally scan it so that we are able to makethe past issues available to all members,but also maintain a library. We are lookingfor a member who might be able to get aprofessional price to scan all the previousClub magazines to maintain the history ofthe Club. If you can help, please contactSandra Tanner.Just a further reminder about fire safety upat Yarck and whilst away on trips. Makesure you read the fire plan for Yarck andstay aware of what’s going on around you.

That’s all for now. Stay safe and I hope tosee you out and about again soon.Ian Ross (1409)PRESIDENT

S H O W & T E L L

APRIL SHOW AND TELL

This month enjoy travelling with us toCentral Australia

The Simpson Desert & Hay River track.

Also the historic remote homestead ofOld Andado



www.supafitseatcovers.com.au


Prior to booking or setting any dates for an event, please check with theActivity Coordinator who will ensure that there are no clashes. Please emailto the Activity Coordinator the proposed date, time, venue and overview ofthe event.

C O M I N G T R I P SC A L E N D A R

MARCHMarch 20th – 22nd TLCCV CRUISERKHANA 2015March 21st & 22nd Mt Cobbler tripMarch 28th & 29th DA Practical weekend

APRILApril 3rd – 6th Vic/SA Border Track (Easter w/end)April 14th Yarck Management and DA TheoryApril 18th & 19th Maintenance & Construction

weekendMAYMay 1st – 3rd Visit to Wandarrah (Nissan Club

property)May 2nd & 3rd DA Practical weekendMay 12th Yarck Management and DA TheoryMay 23rd & 24th Maintenance & Construction

weekendMay 30th & 31st DA Practical weekend

JUNEJune 6th – 8th Sandy Wyperfeld Trailer trip (Queens

B/day w/end)June 9th Yarck Management and DA TheoryJune 20th & 21st Maintenance & Construction

weekendJune 27th – July 10th Lock Your Hubs Simpson Desert tripJune 27th & 28th DA Practical weekend

JULYJuly 14th Yarck Management and DA Theory

July 25th & 26th Maintenance & Construction weekend

AUGUSTAugust 1st & 2nd DA Practical weekendAugust 11th Yarck Management and DA TheoryAugust 22nd & 23rd Maintenance & Construction week

endAugust 29th & 30th DA Practical weekend

SEPTEMBERSeptember 8th Yarck Management and DA TheorySeptember 19th & 20th Maintenance & Construction

weekendSeptember 26th & 27th DA Practical weekend

OCTOBEROctober 13th Yarck Management and DA TheoryOctober 24th & 25th Maintenance & Construction

weekendNOVEMBERNovember 7th & 8th DA Practical weekendNovember 10th Yarck Management and DA TheoryNovember 21st & 22nd Monster Maintenance &

Construction w/eNovember 28th & 29th DA Practical weekend

DECEMBERDecember 8th Yarck Management


www.batteryworld.com.au


N O T I C E

WANTED - HELPERS FOR THEEXPLORE AUSTRALIA EXPOOur Club has again been offered a free 6m x 6m stand at the Showgroundsfor the second Explore Australia Expo.Last year proved to be a big success with us gaining new members and lotsof interest in our Club. We anticipate having a similar display to last year,but we can only achieve our goal if we have members helping.Set-up day is Wednesday 27th and/or Thursday 28th May, 2015Open days are Friday 29th, Saturday 30th and Sunday 31st May, 2015Many hands make light work and we need volunteers to set up and to help man the stand over the three days of the Expo.Please help us by putting your name down. Those who will be helping on the stand will get free entry.Please contact Sandra Tanner: [email protected]

Are you looking at purchasing an off road GPS system? Unsure of which solution would best suit your needs? Come along on Tuesday 21st April (before the meeting) at the Mulgrave Country Club where Laurie Miles will run a discussion and information session on the different types of off road GPS systems there are and which system may suit your needs.Please let me know if you would like to attend at [email protected] for numbers.Date: Tuesday 21st April, 2015Time: 6:00pm prior to the April meeting.Where: Mulgrave Country Club

Matt Lilley (2598) training @tlccv.com.au TRAINING COORDINATOR

I PT R A I N I N G C O M I N G T R A I N I N G O P P O R T U N I T I E S

GPS INTRODUCTORY COURSE 21st April, 2015


Laurie Miles






CHAINSAW COURSE 12-14th June, 2015

I PT R A I N I N G C O M I N G T R A I N I N G O P P O R T U N I T I E S

The TLCCV 2015 chainsaw course will be held at the Yarck property on the weekend of Friday 12th – Sunday 14thJune. The theory session will start promptly at 7:00pm so you will need to arrive beforehand and get your camp set up.Saturday morning will consist with the maintenance module and will be done under the covered area at the rear of thehut (please keep that in mind if setting swags up in that area). Saturday afternoon and Sunday we will be out cutting,looking to finish around 2:00pm – 3:00pm Sunday.

The training delivered will produce a nationally recognised certificate that will enable you to cut fallen wood on theClub property and clear wood from tracks on DSE land. (Note: this is not a tree felling course). The trainer has alsorecommended that you use premium fuel and carry enough fuel and bar oil for the whole weekend.Cost is $250 per person to be paid to TLCCV by the 1st June. (The Treasurer will track payments and confirm whenpayment has cleared). You will require:

• 1 x chainsaw in good working order per person.• Minimum 10 litres fuel and enough bar oil for the weekend.• Chaps / cut proof pants.• Safety helmet.• Leather, steel-capped boots (the trainer will accept composite safety boots, however he stressed

that steel-capped boots will stop the chain if it hits your toes).• Face shield or goggles or safety glasses.• Hearing protection e.g ear muffs or plugs.• Fitted clothing – no loose items.• Gloves.• All your regular gear for camping at Yarck (wet weather / warm clothing and food).

To apply for your spot on this course, please email the Training Coordinator at: [email protected] with the com-pleted training application form: http://www.tlccv.com.au/forms/TLCCV-Training%20Application-2013-08.pdfOnce I have received the completed training application form and the Club has received the training fee, your position will be locked in. Any outstanding fees after the 1st June will cause you to lose your place. As you can appreciate the trainer has to have firm numbers so he can organize equipment and trainers to run the course.Matt Lilley (2598)TRAINING COORDINATOR

CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS - 1st JUNE, 2015



http://www.tlccv.com.au/forms/TLCCV-Training%20Application-2013-08.pdf

www.piranhaoffroad.com.au


WHERE: Mansfield in the Victoria HighCountry.WHEN: Queen’s Birthday weekend -Friday 5th- Monday 8th June 2015.Members are invited to arrive Fridaynight, or Saturday morning for registra-tion. ACCOMMODATION: Limited camp sitesare available at the MansfieldShowgrounds.Powered sites $25.00 per night;Unpowered sites $20.00 per night. Sitesare rapidly going with numerous book-ings received. Some fire drums andwood will be available. Book early toavoid disappointment!

(There are also numerous other accom-modation options in Mansfield & District)ACTIVITIES: Four wheel drive trips of allstandards are organised for members toparticipate on the weekend.There is also the Mansfield Saturdaymarket and various tourist activitiesavailable in the region.ANNIVERSARY DINNER: Saturdaynight a dinner will be held in the hall atthe Showgrounds. Maximum seating isavailable for the first 200. Cost of dinneris $40 per adult, $20 per child under 12. A DJ will provide entertainment into theearly hours! A communal BYO HappyHour will precede the dinner.

Sunday evening BYO Happy Hour willagain be held at the Showgrounds.MONSTER RAFFLE: Over $7,000 ofquality prizes available, including anARB Locker and air compressor, and aspecial anniversary Engel fridge valuedover $2000.BOOKINGS: Are now being taken for camping and the dinner. BOOK EARLY.To book email: [email protected] (Registration Form attached)or phone Sandra on 03 52 661609. Bookings close May 15th, 2015. Payment required up front for dinner and camping.

UPDATE MARCH 2015

1975 - 2015

I PN E W S C O M I N G E V E N T S

This year Four Wheel Drive Victoriacelebrates its 40th anniversary.

To celebrate we are staging a week-end of celebration, fun and friendship.

TLCCV Members are invited to attend.(Already a number have registered for

what is shaping up as a great weekend).

FOUR WHEEL DRIVE VICTORIA 40TH ANNIVERSARY

REGISTRATION FORMName:

Club:

Email address:

Please fill out and add up amount due: Total

Campsites required: Powered x $25 a night $

Unpowered x $20 a night $

Saturday Dinner: No. of adults x $40 per head $

No. of children x $20 per head $under 12

TOTAL $Payment details:

Direct debit to Four Wheel Drive VictoriaBSB 033-054 A/C No. 243340 (Please remember to place your name in payment type) [email protected]




http://www.fwdvictoria.org.au/


Club Magazine – Membership Voting

The proposal the Committee wishes to put to the membership is that:From May 2015, the Club’s magazine “Overland Cruisering” be produced and distributed electronically with eleven monthly editions (asis the current practice), and that a hardcopy be printed and distributed to members six times each financial year.

BackgroundFor the last few months, the Committee and Club members have been considering the future of the Club’s Magazine, “OverlandCruisering”. The topic has evoked intense discussions, understandably, since the magazine has been part of the Club’s history for 40years. The Committee has resolved that the membership will determine its future. A brief background to this issue, analysis of mem-bers’ survey responses and financial data will assist you to decide how you will cast your vote on the above proposal.The discussion has arisen now for several reasons:

1. The question was asked during a general meeting last year, how are our membership subscriptions being spent, andwhether members are getting the best value from their subscription?

2. A financial analysis of how the Club spends its revenues from membership subscriptions and advertising has revealed thatin 2014, core activities such as driver training, trips and general training opportunities for members received only 2.27% ofthe Clubs’ revenue.

3. In contrast, 43% of the Club’s revenue was spent on producing and distributing the magazine, mostly on printing andpostage.

4. From an external perspective, there is an undeniable trend that in all walks of life, electronic media are becoming thedominant form of communications and sources of information, notably at the expense of the print medium.

5. To date, the Club has been an innovative adopter of technology to provide services and members, notably Weekend Wrap,a Members’ only Facebook, the public TLCCV Facebook and the Club’s website. Further developments are underway and

more are planned.

The recent members’ survey has revealed that there is an overwhelming desire for change in the way the Club distributes the magazine, with 83.8% of the 204 respondents to this question, advising that they would be willing to discontinue receiving monthlyhardcopies, (viz. 42.6% voted for six bimonthly hardcopies along with monthly electronic copies, 41.2% voted to receive electroniccopies only).

Benefits of changing to bi-monthly printed magazineFrom a financial perspective, the adoption of the proposal being put to vote will enable an additional $11,300 pa to be invested into thedevelopment and offering of services to members. Some of the initiatives that received strong support in the recent survey and waitingto receive funding for the next financial year include:

• Offering a variety of driver education opportunities to members, beyond the initial driver awareness that has become sosuccessful.

• Offering a full complement of short relevant 4wd education courses to members• Supporting trip leaders to offer a variety of trips to suit the varying needs and interests of members• Creation of an attractive printed brochure suitable for marketing the Club to prospective members• Scanning and digitizing all the back copies of “Overland Cruisering” for the last 40 years, and making these available on the

TLCCV Website, a resource that can be accessed by any member, anytime, from anywhere in the world. Back copies arecurrently archived in boxes and stored in members’ houses.

In addition, a structured approach to planning and service development is being adopted by the Committee whereby Club officers andmembers are invited to submit suggestions for development initiatives that will be assessed, prioritized and considered for funding.

How the savings are calculated

* Amount assessed from current financial year** Allows for a 10% reduction in Advertising revenue

How do I voteYou can register your vote in either of three ways, one vote per membership, to be received by the Secretary no later than midnight,20st April 2015:

1. Accessing a special electronic survey by following a link which, on 18th March, will be emailed to your email address asrecorded by the Membership Secretary, adopting the same procedure used for the recent members’ survey, or

2. Submitting your signed voting form, on the tear-out below section, to the Secretary, or

3. Submitting a signed proxy form, on the tear-out below section, to the Secretary.


Voting Slip (one vote only per membership)

Option No. 1: 11 hardcopy and 11 electronic editions YES NO


Your membership No.

Proxy Form(one vote only per membership)

I

submit my proxy to vote as indicated below.

Signed: Member No.



T0 vote: Either vote electronically orCut (or photocopy) above form and post to The Secretary, TLCCV, PO Box 363, Hawthorn 3122



www.cimconcepts.com.au

On behalf the TLCCV Committee, I wish tothank all members who responded to therecent survey. The response greatlyexceeded expectations and demonstratedthe interest and passion for the Club. Theobjective was to enable an accuraterepresentation of member interests. Twohundred and fifty four (254) members outof a member population of four hundredand thirty four (434) members completedthe survey. The complete unedited reportwas distributed online via Weekend Wrapon February 6th. The following report is asummary of the survey. I hope it is ofbenefit and interest to all members.Ian Wells (2486) TLCCV Assistant Secretary

Private versus Club Trips and TripPreferencesDuring the last year, no clear trend for trippreferences emerged. Many membersnevertheless, indicated an intention toundertake at least one Club trip over thenext year. There is a clear need for theClub and its Trip Leaders to be active inproviding trips and importantly, a range oftrips in times, length and difficulty.TrainingAbout a third of respondents have under-taken Club training (first aid, chain saw,photography, and mapping). However,there were many other suggestions suchas vehicle maintenance and camp cookingwhich indicates much interest in thetraining aspects of the Club.

Driver Awareness and Trip Leader(training)There was much interest by membersdesirous in undertaking a refresher and/oran advanced DA course and by membersin becoming a trip leader and/or under-taking an advanced trip leader’s course.YarckOver half of respondents visit Yarck at leastannually for a variety of reasons, not leastto participate in the maintenance of theproperty.No dominant conclusions can be drawn onYarck’s appeal due to the range of memberinterests and member participation.Nonetheless, the three key potential capitalexpenditure items (Hilton improvements,children’s play area and the forecourtproject) did not generate overwhelmingsupport.There was strong support for Yarck to behired out as a corporate or 4WD trainingfacility.Social and Community ResponseWhilst many members participate andhave an interest in social and communityresponse activities, the range of interest ineach type of function diluted the potentialnumbers (participants) for each function.Library A limited number of members use thelibrary predominantly for DVD’s/CD’s. Manymembers appear to have little idea of whatis actually in the library.Club Shop Members make active use of the Club

Shop with a wide range of stock sugges-tions.CruiserkanaRelatively few members have competed inCruiserkana with even fewer indicating anintention to participate suggesting thatinterest in the event as a competitor haswaned considerably. Member interest inhelping out in some capacity atCruiserkana or in marshalling is also low.Club Meetings Over 60% of members attend a t least oneClub meeting annually with most attendingregularly. Members attend the meetingfor a variety of reasons suggesting thatoverall, members value it with the caveatthat the running of, and content of themeeting should be changed and/orimproved.Members who rarely if ever attend meet-ings: the Mulgrave location, time to traveland meeting content were given as themain reasons for non-attendance.CommunicationsThe Club currently communicates to mem-bers via its magazine, the TLCCV website,Facebook, Weekend Wrap, GeneralMeetings and of course ‘word of mouth’between members or groups of members.Online communication tools are usedregularly by the vast majority of members.However, there are fifty odd members with-out online access and are reliant upon theClub magazine to be informed about trips,forthcoming training, social events,community activities and meetings.

TLCCV Survey - A Summary



www.atocauto.com.au


Magazine There was a clear preference by membersfor the Club to adopt online magazineaccess but not at the absence of having aregular hard copy version of the magazine.It would appear that option 2 - (6 hard copyeditions in addition to 12 online editions)was considered by members to be areasonable compromise.Value PropositionTLCCV is a 4 wheel driving Club so notsurprisingly, members indicated that 4wheel driving related activities, Yarck anddriver training were most valued.Secondary activities such as social,community response, general training, clubshop and communication tools wereconsidered as less important but stillrelevant to member needs.Club Direction and Management Whilst most members were satisfied withthe direction and running of the Club, therewas nevertheless, enough dissatisfactionparticularly with the present committee thatchanges are needed.‘Other Suggestions’Caution should be taken into reading toomuch into the qualitative data (sugges-tions). More research is required to under-stand this data better rather than just tak-ing it at face value, amusing as it may be(in some cases). Nonetheless, somethemes emerged such as the need for theCommittee to do better in its consultationand communications with members.

[email protected]

T R A D I N G P O S T

FOR SALESuit 2000 Prado 95 Series:• Springs and shock absorbers. $50.00• Metal rim with new tyre 6-stud, 16-inch.$50.00• Tradesman roof rack with mesh 2.2m x1.3m. Cost $1,450.00. Sell for $500.00Or take the lot for $500.00Contact: Slawko Kulyk or Rebecca(2270)

Mobile: 0417 354 014, orMobile: 0409 351 504

FOR SALE:1. Magellan eXplorist 600 GPS2. Porares extension screen withOziExplorer software3. Tirfor T516 winch and 3000kg snatchblock4. 5 recovery straps in ARB bag5. 7000kg snatch block – brand new

6. ARB snatch dampener – brand new7. Bushranger recovery hitch8. BFG 265x75–16 mud terrain tyres 85%tread – 2 only9. Cooper 285x75-16 ST Maxx tyre,brand new, never on road10. Full set of original springs/torsionbars for 100 Series IFS11. Heavy duty rear coil springs for 100Series IFS12. Full set of original shockers for 100Series IFS13. Cannon 18-55mm, hood and filter14. Cannon 55-250 lens with filter15. Exhaust jack16. 4.75 tonne bow shackles – 2 off17. 3.2 tonne bow shackles – 2 offAll going at reasonable prices.Contact: Duncan Hopkins (1907)

Email: [email protected]

eNews – Are you receiving your copy of TLCCVWeekend Wrap?Make sure you include your email address on your membership renewal form. Alternatively you can send an email to the Membership Officer (Barb) at [email protected] with your updated details.Weekend Wrap is produced by Laurie Miles (1058) and Garry Cooper (1219). Items for Weekend Wrap can be sent to [email protected].








The Remarkable History of the Jerrycan(Reprinted with acknowledgments to NigelMason, Jaguar Car Club, December, 2014)

In the early nineteen-thirties the Germanarmy reasoned that if they were going tofight a mechanized war they would need

a far better fuel container than any of thecurrent types. Most contemporary fuelcans were made of thin tinplate, frequentlymerely soldered together. This made themfragile and easily damaged by roughhandling. They also often had screw-oncaps that could get lost and needed aspecial spanner to loosen. The cans wereoften an odd shape that made them hard tostack and awkward to carry, would not pourwithout sloshing and gurgling, which meantthat you usually needed a large funnel or atleast a separate spout, and last but notleast, if they were filled right up and left inthe hot sun the petrol would expand andburst the can.The Germans came up with a design thatwas made entirely of steel plate and wasessentially pressed in two halves. Thehalves were welded together and the weldwas inside a sunken gutter that protectedthe weld from damage. The flat sides ofthe can were stamped with a deep, large Xshape to stop the sides from bulging. Thebottom corners were well rounded tominimize damage, the can was narrow sothat it did not bump the legs when beingcarried, was tall enough to not requireexcessive stooping to pick it up and wasrectangular in plain view to make themstack side by side efficiently. The canswere designed to hold twenty litres ofpetrol and to weigh twenty kilograms whenfull. This made life easier for the loadmas-ters!Originally, the insides of the cans werecoated with a plastic compound developedfor beer containers. The idea was that thecans could be rinsed out and used forwater, but this did not prove a success andinstead cans for water had a large, whitecross painted on each side.The can has a spout that is designed toallow pouring without the need for a funnel.The cap is fixed on a hinge so that it can-not get lost. The hinge is designed to allowthe cap to stay open without being held,thus freeing up both hands to hold the canwhile pouring. The cap is opened andclosed by means of a lever device that canbe quickly operated with one hand. Thelever enables the cap to be tightly closed.There are three handles on the top, whichat first glance, looks to be two too many.The can is normally carried with the centrehandle while the outer handles allow a canto be carried between two people. If twoempty cans are placed side by side theycan be picked up with one hand by grasp-ing the two adjacent handles, so one mancan easily carry four empty cans, two ineach hand. If he was a burly type, he could

carry four full cans!But the main use ofthe outer handles isthat they make it veryeasy to pass the cansfrom hand to hand.So a line of men canset up a ‘bucketbrigade’ and quicklymove hundreds oflitres of fuel. Thehandles also makeconvenient tie-downpoints.The handles aremade from the samesteel as the mainbody of the can andthey are rolled tomake a handle ofcomfortable diameter.Anyone who has car-ried one of the oldfour-gallon kerosenetins with the handleseemingly made fromcoat hanger wirewill appreciate thatparticular designdetail!Behind the handlethe top of the canrises to a distinct hump. This creates an airpocket that ensures that the can cannot befilled completely up. Inside the spout is abreather tube that leads into the air spaceand prevents gurgling when pouring. Theair pocket makes a chamber to allow thepetrol to expand if left in the hot sun andstops the can from bursting in the heat.The air space also means that when thecan is full of petrol and falls into water, it willfloat!The Germans mass produced the can insecrecy by the thousands and stored themin a guarded hangar at Templehof airport.In WW2 the British first came across thecan in the Norway campaign, quickly sawthat it was much superior to their own, andcollected up all they could find for their ownuse. British soldiers usually called theGermans ‘the jerrys,’ so the German canquickly became the jerrycan. The Britishquickly began to mass produce the jer-rycan, essentially identical to the originalGerman design. After a couple of falsestarts the Americans also started to makeit, again to the original design. In prepara-tion for the invasion of Normandy theBritish made literally millions of jerrycans.Just after D-Day President Roosevelt wentbefore Congress and said:“They were among the first supplies landedon the beaches of France. When the US1st & 3rd Armies broke out of Normandy itwas in these jerricans that the petrol ourtanks and lorries needed to keep goingwas sent forward. Without these cans itwould have been impossible for our armies

to cut their way across France at a lightningpace which exceeded the German blitz of1940. Cargo planes and even combatplanes were loaded with them and carriedthem forward to airfields. Lorries of everysize, jeeps, armoured cars – everythingthat rolled on wheels – loaded up with jer-ricans and rushed them to the front lines.They were tough enough to be dropped offlorries in motion without bursting open.They could even be dropped from the airinto rivers and streams, or they could bedumped overside from ships, because theyhave air pockets at the top which makethem float even when filled.”At the end of WW2 it was estimated thatabout twenty-one million jerrycans werescattered around Europe.Today the jerrycan is made world-wide (myown was made in Croatia) and is the stan-dard issue for NATO countries, the Israelimilitary, many African countries and manyof the former Warsaw Pact countries. It isstill made essentially to the original design,eighty years later.So, next time you are down at Super-Cheap and you see jerrycans on displayand you don’t already own one, buy one,even if you don’t need it. You can put it inyour garage and tell yourself that you ownan iconic piece of history. A classic pieceof twentieth-century industrial design.(Interesting to note that the English calledit the jerrycan (with a ‘y’) and theAmericans called it the jerrican (with a‘i’)……..Ed.)

I PO F I N T E R E S T H I S T O R Y O F T H E J E R R Y C A N

A WWII scene - the labourious task of fillingthousands of jerrycans



P R O D U C T S

The ultimate camping accessory noadventurer can live without has finallyhit the shelves at ARB. After extensiveresearch and development, ARB hasdesigned a sleeping bag with featuresthat set it apart from the competition.Ideal for indoor and outdoor use duringthe colder seasons, the ARB sleepingbag is the perfect companion for theadventurous soul.

The ARB sleeping bag – now available instores – was designed with warmth, com-fort and durability in mind. Manufacturedwith anti-bacterial and fire-retardant treat-ments, the ARB sleeping bag is alsomachine washable. Weighing as little as2.9kg, the sleeping bag is compact, light-weight and will even retain its ability toinsulate when damp or wet. Perfect foradult 4WDers of all shapes and sizes, thesleeping bag boasts the luxurious size of aking single (200cm x 100cm x 100cm)offering plenty of room to move, keepingyou warm and rested-up during youradventure.Manufactured from the highest qualitymaterials, ARB has ensured their sleepingbag will be your best friend on a cold anddreary night.To ensure its comfort rating of -5°C, thesleeping bag is filled with high qualityinvista Dupont Thermolite Quallo 7 holefill. Holding all of this together is a 100%cotton brushed flannelette inner lining,treated with Sanitized® anti-bacterialtreatment for maximum hygiene protectionand longevity. The nylon outer shell notonly displays a sleek black and stonedesign with ARB topographic print, butalso has fire-retardant treatment to CPAI-75 standards for added protection. Madewith genuine YKK zippers, a single contin-uous main zipper with added Velcro clo-sure ensures you keep snuggly-warm dur-ing the night.The unique design of the ARB sleepingbag makes joining two to make a double,simple and easy. There’s no need for a leftand right hand model as fully unzippingtwo bags and laying one on top of theother means that the joining zipper runsaround the outer edge, not up the middlebetween the occupants.This allows each occupant toexit the sleeping bag via aside zipper, so that theother occupant canstay snug and warm.When the secondsleeping bag is placed ontop, the hood/ pillow can beeasily removed from the topbag and zipped to the bottom bagto complete your tailor-made sleep-ing setup.Providing ultimate head support andcomfort, the semi-circular hooded sectionincludes a pocket to insert a standard

sized pillow and can also be removed forconvenience. Designed for maximumsecurity, two handy stash pockets areprovided to keep your valuable items closeand safe but also so they don’t get lost inthe bottom of your bedding. Perfect forpersonal items such as mobile phones,wallets or even a small torch, there is oneon either side of the main zipper.The generously-sized rectangular stuffsack allows room for the sleeping bag tobe folded before being placed inthe sack, as opposed to‘stuffing’ which is oftenvery difficult witht rad i t i ona lstuff

sacks. A draw cord and compressionstraps allow the stuff sack to be com-pressed to a much smaller size. And final-ly, when fully packed, the entire shebangtakes the shape of a rectangle, so it canbe easily stored between the fridge andthe fishing tackle box, ready for your next

adventure.

A R B A D D S S L E E P I N GB A G T O G R O W I N GT O U R I N G R A N G E



www.arb.com.au

B U S H F I R E P L A NYA R C K

The Toyota Land Cruiser Club does notrecommend a “Stay and Defend” plan.Infrastructure on the property can bereplaced.FIRE DANGER PERIOD[November – May]It is members’ responsibility to listen toradio news reports each evening duringthe Fire Danger Period for advice on thepossibility of fires. Also be up to date withany declaration of Total Fire Ban Days.Yarck is in the NORTH CENTRAL FIREBAN DISTRICT-149 Rennies Lane, GOBURIt is recommended that members leavethe property the day before a declaredTotal Fire Ban day or very early in themorning of a Total Fire Ban dayMembers should not go to the propertyduring any Total Fire Ban day.EVACUATIONThose present will select one person fromtheir number to take charge,The issue of evacuation during an emer-gency must be addressed early in theplanning.Evacuation can be extremely dangerous

unless it takes place well in advance ofthe fire hazard entering the general areaof the camp. Roads may be blocked withfallen timber and visibility reduced by thicksmoke.Increased pressures on emergencyservices may make it difficult for them torender assistance.

Evacuation should only be done via themain access track to Rennies Lane andthe Gobur –Yarck Road.REFUGEThere are NO bushfire proof shelters onthe property.If a fire incident occurs and members can-not leave the property, then the Hut couldpossibly be used as a “safer place” to pro-vide protection from radiant heat. It shouldbe made as fire safe as is practical.Wet towels to be placed under doors toprevent embers entering.There is running water inside; there areknapsacks and fire extinguishers.Other equipment to have on hand shouldinclude.A battery operated am/fm radio and P2 fil-ter masks.UHF radios left on – mobile phones –torches – first aid kits – drinking fluids.Clothing - it is advisable to have longtrousers, long sleeved shirt and sturdyfootwear. Gloves and hat are also useful.The wearing of shorts, dresses, thongs orany synthetic fabrics is totally unsuitable.Be prepared for smoke and embers thatmay enter the building. After the fire fronthas passed check outside and extinguishany burning embers or fires around thehut.All vehicles should be parked on bareground, facing towards the exit with alldoors and windows closed and keys in

the ignition. DO NOT BLOCK OFF ANYACCESS TRACKS.Alarm, A distinctive alarm signal shouldbe used, a simple manual device such asthe triangle hanging in the tree outsidethe hut or the electronic device near theradios in the hut.Panic. This is something that can well bedone without. Anyone showing signs ofpanic should be kept under some form ofsupervision, and provided with reassur-ance and prevented from doing anythingrash.COMMUNICATION and CONTACTS• Phone: 1800 240 667 for Bushfireinformation.• 000 only to report a fire.• Alexandra Fire StationPhone 0357721855• Yarck Fire CaptainPhone 0357734334.Mobile: 0439 656 913.• ABC radio AM band 774• Local Radio Station (Alexandra) UGFM106.9 (an official emergency broadcaster)• GPS coordinates (six figure grid) of theHilton.• Websites www.abc.net.au/emergency

www.cfa.vic.gov.au

A Bushfire Survival Kit is located on thenotice board behind the hut door.It is available for members to read andreturn it.

ELTHAM TIMBER& HARDWARE P/L

ROB DEYLEN (1622)MANAGING DIRECTORMobile: 0409 305 534

1175 - 1181 Main Road, Eltham Vic. 3095Phone: 9439 5533 (All Hours) Fax: 9431 1762

[email protected]

M E M B E R S E R V I C E S D I R E C T O R Y



http://www.abc.net.au/news/emergency/

http://www.cfa.vic.gov.au


LILYDALE 32 Main Street

9758 92889735 0188 FERNTREE GULLY

1158 Burwood HighwayVisit our website: www.widetread.net.au

Baja Radial ClawRoad & Sand 80% Dirt & Mud

Radial Claw has 23 degreeangles the ultimate angle for

and self cleaning (used onblades and tractor tyres.) Thisyou get maximum traction ande level of road noise as a lessve tyre. Reinforced sidewals arehere you need it, just below the

tread.

GRANDTREK AT3Outstanding on and off-roadperformance, this tyre givesyou the best of both worlds.

ROADGRIPPERPerfect for drivers who

spend as much time off theroad as they do on it.

GRANDTREK TG32An ideal tyre for drivers who

seek a combination of onand off road use.

WRANGLER AT/RThe all-terrain specialist tyre

capable of handling allconditions - on or off road.

WRANGLER MT/RTough,TT durable and longlasting, outstanding inextreme conditions.

Latitude ToTT ur HPThe MICHELIN Latitude TourHP lasts 20% longer, hasimproved 5% in accousticcomfort as well as vibrationcomfort, and is safer with5% extra grip on wetsurfaces

STT - Super traction TyTT re20% Road & Sand 80% Dirt & MudIdeal for serious offroad applications.Armor-Tek3 carcass construction now33% stronger in sidewalls and 2.5 timesmor resistant to tearing. Exellent offroadtraction. Surprising bitumen grip andquiet ride for an aggresive traction tyre.

SST - SSure TrTT ac60% Road & Sand 40% Dirt & MudIdeal for outback touring, and highmileage with regular bitumen and offroaddriving. Exellent offroad traction andgood performer in muddy conditions.Reinforced for puncture resistance andguaranteed to last up to 80,000 kms*

ATRAA - All TeTT rrain Reinforced70% Road & Sand 30% Dirt & MudIdeal for high mileage driving onbitumen and exploring offroad.Suprisingly quiet ride with exellentbitumen grip, especially in the wet.Excellent for driving on sand. Reinforcedfor puncture resistance and guaranteedto last up to 90,000 kms*

CCSS4Tou iring - All Wheel D irive90% Road & Sand 10% Dirt & MudTwice the mileage without giving up gripor comfort. Superior wet traction.Excellent stability, traction and andtreadwear, premium appearance andguaranteed to last up to 80,000 kms*

Baja Radial MTZ40% Road & Sand 60% Dirt & MudThe Baja Radial MTZ is designed formaximum traction off road and on theblacktop. The new tread blocks aredesigned to minimise noise, making theMTZ one of the quietest traction tyresavailable.

Baja Radial ATAA Z- 4 Rib Design60% Road & Sand 40% Dirt & MudThe Baja Radial ATZAA is the latest 4 RibAll TerrainTT design from MickeyThompson. This unique design deliversexcellent off road traction in a widevariety of terrains, withoutcompromising the on road ability of thetyre. The wider footprint incorporateslarger tread lugs with the latest internalsiping technology to give betterhandling in wet and greasy conditions.

LTX A/TA 2The Michelin LTX A/T 2 isthe ultimate all terrain 4x4tyre designed to deliverrugged off-road durability,for Australia's harshest ruraland mining environments,and a quiet, comfortableMichelin highway ride.

Proven 4x4 tyre on versatility,durability and excellenttraction in some of thetoughest terrains. Continuous

circumferential blocks provide goodhandling both on and off road. Two-stage unidirectional sturdy lugsprovide maximum self-cleaningproperties and provide maximumtraction on soft ground. Sturdyindependent blocks provideexcellent rock climbing property.

All-TeTT rrain T/ATTEats rocks and dirt

All fun, all action, all the time,BF Goodrich All-TerrTT ain T/A KOKKtyres are the ultimate in on/offroad tyres. Rocky or smooth,like their name says, they can

handle anything on any terrain.

Mud-TeTT rrain T/TT A//Savage your way through thewilderness with BFGoodrich MudTeTT rrain T/AKM tyres. With these tyresyou can go way out of bounds off-road and still play dirty. A provenrace winner, their DiggerLugzTMshoulder blocks can handle any deepmud, dirt and sand.

Mud Terrain T/A// KM2Inspired by the BF Goodrich Tires

KrawlerTM T/R ® KX has a footprintmade to to dominate almost anythingin its path Linear flex zones allow the

tyre to wrap aroung obsticale forunnatural amounts of traction. Smartdesign gives it excellent mud-clearingability and low road noise. The Mud-

TeTT rrain T/A KM2 features a 3-plyTrTT iGuard carcass wth a single-strand

bead for smoother ride and uniformity.

Huge ran for SUV’s AWD’s & 4x4’s

QualitySnowChains

Part 4 Jan 9/3/15 9:06 PM Page 5

http://www.widetread.net.au

Part 4 Jan 9/3/15 9:02 PM Page 4

www.toyota.com.au/accessories

march 2015 tlccv magazine

Documents