Angorowa Swamp Trip.
Saturday 16th June 2018
We billed it as ‘the shortest trip of year’, for the (almost) shortest day of year’. The second part was right but somehow the trip took a little longer than anticipated….
Now read on!
Saturday 16th dawned bright and sunny and everyone met on time and at the right place – namely MacQuarie Park at Windsor on the banks of the Hawkesbury River. (Memo to other trip Leaders – this is a great meeting spot for future trips that are going either to the West over Bells Line of Road, or North-West up the Putty (Singleton) Road.)
Participants:
* Neil Flower and 3 Grandsons Riley, Tate and Asher, L/R Disco 2. Trip Leader
* Ron Owen, Suzuki Grand Vitara. Asst. Trip Leader
* Matt Smith and William, LR Disco 2
* Alex Ralston and friend Linda, Toyota Prado
* Rob Drummond and Alex, Sophie, Lilly & Kira, Nissan Patrol
* Rob Kelly and Jacqui, Mitsu Pajero Sport
* Paul Batt, Nissan Patrol
* Francois Da Costa and Jack, Toyota Hi-Lux
*Shane Beatson and Kylie, Isabel, Joel & Olivia, Mitsubishi Pajero
* Neil Kitchener and Megan, Nissan Patrol
10 vehicles and 26 people.
A good start, no hold ups and at Colo Hts. we left the Putty Rd for the Angorowa track.
Morning tea was near a side track largely overgrown which we looked at briefly and decided to come to in the future and see if it could be reopened. At this point the young ‘TRAXIONEEERS’ went ahead on foot with their slashers, machetes, hackers, clippers and assorted scrub clearing devices to help widen the track for the newer vehicles (to avoid unwanted ‘pin striping’ as this track (except for our ‘Recce’ 2 weeks previous) had not been used probably since the last TRAX trip along here back in 2012.
Thank you young people, you did a great job!
Sadly though, we had only gone about 4kms in from the Putty Rd when the Alternator on Matt’s Disco decided to stop working and short out most of the electricals which meant that the Disco could no longer proceed. Neil then handed over the leadership to Ron Owen (thanks mate) while he towed Matt out to a friend’s workshop on the Putty Rd at Colo Hts. where the NRMA could be contacted and a tilt tray truck sent out to retrieve Matt and vehicle.
“Meanwhile, back on the track”! – Ron and the gang had got so engrossed in track clearing that not a lot of progress was being made.
Meanwhile, Neil (and grandsons) having made sure that the NRMA was coming for Matt headed off to meet the rest of the crew by coming in from the other end of the track. And so he came, and came, and came – expecting allt the time to meet the rest of the crew. But no! Finall y he reached the ‘Swamp’ (now bone dry because of the drought) and found only Paul and his vehicle there.
“Where are the others?” the obvoius question was asked.
“Not sure, they were behind me but they have not come along”.
Well, Neil and Co, along with Paul, had lunch. Still no sign of Ron and the rest. Neil, by now begins to think that there will now be another towing job and was just about to go back further when the rest of the vehicles began to arrive. By now it was after 2:30pm and already the sun was nearing the top of the ridge above.
Lunch for the others became a hurried affair with Neil ‘cracking the whip’ because he wanted everyone up the rock steps and gnarly bits before it got too dark.
That was achieved without any dramas. No driver (or vehicle) broke anything on the way out of the valley and no one got stuck or hung up on the rocks.
At the Putty road we had Afternoon Tea, with some awards for good hard work given to the young people for all their labours. 4:45pm and we were all mobile again and headed for home.
Postscript: Matt got home safely on the ‘Tilt Tray Truck’ (that has a good ring to it doesn’t it?) and the Disco is now fitted with a repaired and functioning Alternator.
Thanks to all for making it such a great day in spite of some difficulties.