EXCEED JUNE/JULY 2017 june_July_colour emag | Page 44

TRIP REPORT
Caravan Capers #4 - Grampians Grandeur
8th -12th May 2017
Participant Name
Brian and Sue Hay (Trip Leaders)
Lyndon and Marg Joss
Brian and Margaret Haymes
Gordon and Margaret Ainslie
Gary and Bev Smith
Paul and Sue Harris
David Turner and Enid Maloney
Member Number
1497
1792
1807
1664
1409
1721
1232
Vehicle Details
NM Pajero
NW Pajero
200 Landcruiser
Pajero
2014 Pajero
NT Pajero
100 Landcruiser
Once published, the trip filled gratifyingly fast given that the cold weather had started to set in which might have put
many people off registering. Sue and I arrived at Halls Gap the Tuesday before the trip was due to start, six days early. I
needed to conduct a recce of the proposed tracks before the trip started to ensure that the planned route would be open.
It was a fortuitous choice because two more tracks were added to the list of 29 other tracks that had been closed, putting
me at my whits end. Any more closures would render the trip a walk-fest. Many of the good tracks had been closed, some
for up to three years. During the trip planning phase I felt sure that many of the closed tracks would be open but only a
couple came good. I couldn’t cancel or postpone the trip because people had paid deposits on the caravan park and had
also planned their dates around the trip making a re-scheduled trip unthinkable. On the Saturday, Sue and I finished our
recce and the final route was set.
Four couples arrived on the Sunday, a day early, which was probably a good idea, given that it takes a bit longer to tow a
caravan. Arriving early also meant that setting up was more relaxed. However, on the Sunday morning, Sue and I headed
back home. I had forgotten a couple of things (maps, fire wood, beer, replacement spare wheel, my other spare had finally
given out after tearing a side wall elsewhere) and decided that if we picked those things up on Sunday we would come
back Monday and meet the other two couples at Beaufort on the way up, as planned. The other early arrivals made a day
of it visiting various attractions in the region. Day 1 passed without further ado.
Day 2 was our first day out on the tracks. Given the number of tracks that were closed, I briefed the trip members as to
the situation and suggested that part of the trip was the grandeur and the vistas not only from the lookouts but from
some of the roads too. I was able to arrange a key from the Ranger Station to the MVO gate at Heatherlie Quarry to allow
a vehicle through to ferry people up to the quarry who might find the walk up the track a little slow and tiring. The key
was returned at the end of the day. Day 2 concentrated on the Northern part of the park and included an Aboriginal art
site as well as some 4WD tracks and scenic roads. We arrived back at camp around 4:30 or so and set about fivesies in the
camp kitchen, alongside the fire place.
Day 3 started with a track that had been closed for about 3 years, hooray, it was finally open. We concentrated more on
the lookouts and waterfalls on the day, keeping fairly much to the central regions of the park. As the day progressed,
smoke from burning off operations started to obscure the views from some lookouts, especially in the mid to later parts
of the afternoon. However, we made up for it by visiting the obscured areas at the start of day 4.
Day 4 concentrated more on the Southern regions of the park. This included more Aboriginal art sites which involved
walks of over a kilometre but well worth the effort. Upon entering the last track, the Victoria Range track, I asked Brian
and Margaret if they would like to be tail-end-Charlie. It turned out that the track was a little lumpy and slow, and this
being Brian’s and Margaret’s first Pajero club trip, the position of Charlie might have been a little daunting, but Brian
negotiated the track well and Margaret fulfilled the duties of Charlie admirably. David and Enid dropped back to match
their speed and made sure they weren’t alone. They weren’t in any danger of being left behind but I could have been a little
more sensitive toward them for their first trip. Well done to you both and thank you to David and Enid. The day drew out
a little longer than intended and we returned to camp a little after dark, not something Caravan Capers intends to repeat.
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Vol 34 No. 5 June-July 2017