August 2009
SUBARU 4WD NEWS
Meetings of THE SUBARU 4WD CLUB of WESTERN AUSTRALIA INC. are normally held at 7.30pm on the second Tuesday of each month at the Wembley Community Centre (Joan Watters Building) 40 Alexander Street, WEMBLEY W.A.
THIS MONTH AT RANGER OUTDOORS 129 RUSSELL St, MORLEY 7pm Subaru 4WD Web Site: http://www.subaru4wdclubwa.asn.au SUBARU 4WD CLUB of WESTERN AUSTRALIA INC P.O. BOX 434, SOUTH PERTH, W.A. 6951
SUBARU 4WD CLUB NEWS 2009 COMMITTEE PRESIDENT:
John Cahill
(Home Phone) 0439 922 338
president@subaru4wdclubwa.asn.au
SECRETARY:
Robert Griffiths
9250-6270
secretary@subaru4wdclubwa.asn.au
TREASURER:
Tony Richards
9386-7705
treasurer@subaru4wdclubwa.asn.au
SOCIAL ORGANISER:
Keith Wilcox
9344-6830
TRIPS CO-ORDINATOR:
Josan Moss
9341-1446
Jim Wilcox
9306-8222
EDITOR:
editor@subaru4wdclubwa.asn.au
COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
David Peck Keith Low Wendy Griffiths Tom Minto Ian Johnson
9275-5617 9459-3358 9250-6270 9382-4678 9448-5419
MERCHANDISE:
Tony Richards
9386-7705
Karl Boeing
9341-5087
WEB MASTER:
webmaster@subaru4wdclubwa.asn.au
4WD ASSOC DELEGATE: Tony Richards
9386-7705
M’SHIP CO-ORDINATOR: Keith Low
9459-3358
membership@subaru4wdclubwa.asn.au
PROPERTY OFFICER:
Geoff Hayden
9447-5698
Club member of the year 2008: David Peck LIFE MEMBERS Fred Offer, Keith Anderson, Jonel Householder, Ray Stewart, Ian Johnson, Peter Andruszkiw and Ron Caunce. Page 2
SUBARU 4WD CLUB of W.A. INC
Presidents Report August The Annual dinner is approaching rapidly with only just over two months to go for our celebrations in Beverley. So start reflecting upon the trips that we have undertaken through the year, the people that have been on them and what you thought was good about them and put forward some nominations. Our main awards are “Club Member of the Year”, “Trip Leader of the Year” and “Trip of the Year”. To add a bit of additional good humour to the event why not consider some awards for the most humorous or silly thing that happened during the year. Josan has suggested on a number of occasions that we have a silly photo spot within the magazine with an opportunity for members to send in a witty caption to go under it next month. That has not happened yet so why not have a scan through all those digital photos for something funny through the year and bring it along to the dinner for judgement by all the members on the night. We could also have people adding their witty caption(s) at the dinner so we have two awards selected on the night as well. Let me know what you think of the idea. We have had a pretty full year of trips and activities which will be capped off by the Christmas Party at Rob and Wendy Griffith’s home in early December. Rob has bought MORE Christmas lights and promises to cause the city lights to dim whenever they turn on. It has now been confirmed that our August meeting will be at Ranger Outdoors in Morley, 1/129 Russell St, Morley, 6062 (08 9375 5000). We will commence the meeting at the normal time of 7:30pm but why not come along early (7pm on) and browse through the store and introduce yourself to the owner James Jonasson, and Adrian Longwood. There will be demonstrations of products and very significant discounts on a wide range of products for club members in attendance. In addition the WACO fridge representative is expected to be in attendance as well. If you have any speciality products you would like to discuss Adrian will see if the appropriate representative can be in attendance. In September we will be flashing up our brand new projector to show the Simpson travellers exploits so put that one in your diary as well. Cheers, John Cahill Page 3
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TRIP CO-ORDINATOR’S REPORT August Spring is around the corner (yey!). According to DEC it is shaping up to be a very promising wildflower season, so both our August weekend at Western Flora and the September extended long weekend at Lochada should be well worth attending. And who wouldn’t! I am particularly looking forward to visiting Western Flora, where over 60 species of native orchids have been recorded including the spectacular Queen of Sheba, which according to my book has its peak season in August. Good rain also brings more activity in the fauna department, so don’t miss these trips; who knows what we may see! The Mundaring Powerlines excursion was a memorable day for those of us who braved the elements and particularly for one member who wanted to have serious fun in the mud and water to test his car’s underwater capabilities. Thanks to Peter for his expert guidance on some challenging terrain. Our social event calendar is also looking pretty good, so don’t miss out – put your names down. Forthcoming events: Friday 21st- - Sunday 23rd August – Western Flora Wildflowers – Trip Leader, Keith Wilcox Sat 5th Sept – Social – Movie and Dinner - Numbers needed early, see promo Sun 13th Sept – Wandoo Wander – Keith Low, see promo Extended LWE, Thur 24th September – Monday 28th September – Lochada, see promo Sun 11th Oct – Social - Paruna walk – Josan Moss Saturday 17th October – Annual Dinner, Freemasons Tavern, Beverley Sun 1st Nov – Social – Fiddles and Nibbles – thanks again to Jim for offering venue Sun 22nd Nov – Lancelin sand dunes – Peter Andruszkiw If you have an idea for a trip and would like to lead one please do let me know. We will need to start planning for 2010 at the next committee meeting. See you out there! Josan Page 4
SUBARU 4WD CLUB of W.A. INC
Gold Class Movie & Supper Night – Saturday 5 September Following a vote at the last meeting the movie booked is called ‘The Soloist’ it stars Robert Downey Jnr, Jamie Foxx & Catherine Keener, Directed by: Joe Wright. It is due for release on Sept 3 and not much is known about it yet but it is based on a true story and the promo is as follows: ‘An emotionally soaring drama about the redemptive power of music, journalist Steve Lopez (Downey Jnr) discovers Nathaniel Anthony Ayers (Foxx), a former classical music prodigy, playing his violin on the streets of LA. As Lopez endeavours to help the homeless man find his way back, a unique friendship is formed, one that transforms both their lives’. I have booked the 26 seat cinema with their $49 package which includes the Gold Class movie experience and a supper which they have not yet finalised but is likely to be a something like a gourmet mini burger and pizza with a bottle of water. The time of the movie is 6.30pm so please get there by 6.00pm so we can lounge in the bar having pre-movie drinks to get us in the mood for the evening. You must be over 18 for Gold Class. We will need to fill the entire cinema, so if it is not filled by members by mid August it will be open to friends and relatives to make up the numbers. Please contact me to ensure you are on the list or see me at the August 11 general meeting at ‘Rangers’ Morley. The cinema must be paid for before the day so please bring the full payment to general meeting or send a cheque to reach the Treasurer Tony Richards before August 14. Date: Time: Cost: Where: Contact:
Saturday 5 September 6.00pm for 6.30pm $49 for movie and supper Greater Union cinema complex, Innaloo Keith Wilcox 9344 6830 0413 266 245 Page 5
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TRIP PROMOTIONS / INFORMATION
LOCHADA TRIP Come along and help finish the works at Lochada which we started 5 years ago with such great energy under Reg Wood’s leadership. I have managed to make contact with the DEC representative who will be coming over on the Thursday/Friday at the start of the week to help kick things off. The full program of work is still to be defined and is somewhat dependent upon how the quickly the very full rains from this winter dry out. If sites accessible there will be further sign erection across the station plus internal fence removal to enable free passage of wildlife across the property. The trip will be open to all vehicle makes and types. So if you have a heavy that needs a run bring it along and if you have a trailer you can bring along to facilitate movement of fence materials and or firewood please give me a call. Lochada is about a 40Km crow flight north east of Perenjori on the Mullewa/Wubin Road. There is low octane unleaded petrol and diesel available at Perenjori and high octane ultimate petrol at Morowa if you vehicle needs it. I would recommend taking a 20 litre Jerry can along in case we do lots of kms across the station. There is plenty of water available for washing etc but I recommend you bring a good supply of drinking water. There are sun warmed showers available at the site whilst toilets will be drops away in the bushes. It will be a remote camp so expect to bring everything for the duration of your stay – it is a long way to the nearest shop! I would bring along the usual items to share and food and drink for a minimum of 3 or 4 days. Why not also try bringing along something to entertain your fellow Subaroosters as per Keith Low’s ballad renditions! Should we have a shaggy dog story competition? In addition bring work clothes, tools, gloves, shovels, etc so that we can address a range of needs. The trip will run for a week on site commencing Thursday 24th September through to 30th September and will commence from Ginger’s Roadhouse on Great Northern Highway at 9:00 for 9:30 departure. If you can come on Thursday please call or email me to let me know. We will also arrange a similar departure on Saturday 26th for those who cannot come up at the start of the trip. If you need any information please give me a call on 0439 922 338 and I will endeavour to answer soonest. I will update the Promo further as more information comes to hand. Cheers, John Page 6
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Annual Dinner – Saturday 17 October Mark this date in your diary. This year for a change of location we have booked the Freemasons Tavern in Beverley. They have offered us a set meal of Soup, Roast main meal and Dessert, the menu of which will be determined closer to the date. Anyone wanting vegetarian please advise me when booking. A breakfast can be organised for Sunday morning. I believe the Freemasons hotel is now booked out and also the B&B (Ed) David Peck is a member of the Beverley Gliding Club and he has arranged for us to glide or spectate on the Sunday, cost would be around $85 for a half hour flight (normally $150), bookings with David are essential. Date: Cost: Where: Contact:
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Saturday 17 October $28 for dinner. Family room $85, Double $60, Twin $63, Single $36. Freemasons Tavern, corner of Vincent and Forrest Streets, Beverley Keith Wilcox 9344 6830 0413 266 245
SUBARU 4WD CLUB of W.A. INC
Western Flora Caravan & Tourist Park
Western Flora is situated 22 km north of Eneabba, 300km north of Perth on the Brand Highway. It is a 160 acre park and is famous for its diversity of flowering plants which should be at their best at this time of year. They have a daily guided wildflower discovery walk at 4.30 – 7.00pm which we will take on Saturday. The option is to have a meal prepared by them after the walk. Please advise me by 15 August if you wish to book the dinner. They also have two room self contained mud brick chalets, onsite caravans & standard twin rooms, check if they have any left. To make the most of the weekend I will be leaving Friday afternoon others are welcome to join me. If you wish to stay longer please make your own bookings, mention the Subaru Club when booking and advise me of your intentions. Their number is 9955 2030. Visit the Western Flora website for more info: http://members.westnet.com.au/westernflora.tinker/ Date: Friday night 21 to Sunday 23 August Cost:
$21 Unpowered, $24 Powered per night, Guided walk free with nights stay, Dinner $32.50 per person (optional but must be booked in advance)
Contact:
Keith Wilcox 9344 6830, 0413 266 245
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SUBARU 4WD CLUB NEWS
Jarrah & Wandoo Wander – Sunday 13 September As the name suggests, this day trip will wander around through the jarrah and wandoo forests in a generally easterly direction between Kelmscott and York. As well as the beauty of the jarrah forests and wandoo woodlands themselves, there should also be some great wildflowers around to enjoy. The roads will be variable but suitable for drivers (and passengers!) of any level of experience. Depending on time, there may be an opportunity to enjoy a drink at York and then take a choice of returning home via the Lakes and Great Eastern Highway, or Beverley and the Brookton Highway. Where: Meet at the Coles Shopping Centre car park in Gosnells (Eastern side of Albany Hwy opposite the Fremantle Rd intersection) When:
9.00 am for a 9:15 am departure.
Bring:
Clothes for the weather, camera, morning tea and picnic lunch, CB radio (if you don’t have a CB please let me know so we can arrange a club one).
Contact:
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Keith Low
9459 3358
k_low@iprimus.com.au.
SUBARU 4WD CLUB of W.A. INC
Simon & the Camels We were on the Anne Beadell, one of old Len’s desert tracks, And we’d just agreed to motor ‘cos our progress had been lax, When we came across some camels, in fact there was a bunch, And we thought they’d stop us reaching our chosen spot for lunch. Simon was our leader when we chanced upon the herd And he muttered in the mic that they’d ‘given him the bird’ And taken off along the track at quite a healthy pace, But not enough to stop our boss from staying on their case. We heard him on the CB as he wondered out aloud If we’d ever get around them – there really was a crowd! But camels are quite nippy and they raced along the track As we tailed Simon, laughing at their humps above his rack. He was getting lots of tips from the others in the group , But he didn’t seem to like it – he was going round the loop, Till the camels finally tired and wandered off the track, To the joy of our great leader and much mirth down the back. In looking back, I reckon Simon really got it easy, And the thought of a worse result really makes me queasy, For he gave the camels shit as he followed close behind On a bad day they might simply have paid him back in kind! (Keith Low, June 2009)
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TRIP & SOCIAL REPORTS The Simpson Desert Trip. Day One: We were the lucky ones…we got to sleep in. The main group had assembled at Mundaring at 0830. We left Northam some time later to join them at Meckering. It was good to see the other group who had come to see us off Once everyone had checked their fuel and bought snacks we headed off to Merredin. It was a beautiful day and everyone was in good spirits…except possibly Jim and Joy who were forced to head back home for a spare alternator having used the one they were carrying. No problem there, they caught up with the group at Southern Cross where we’d stopped for lunch. A dozen Subarus headed out of town in convoy…what a pretty sight! We decided to get off the road and check out Karalee dam. What a surprise. I thought we’d encountered the ‘Orange People.’ There were about a hundred SES volunteers camping there for the long weekend to hone their skills in ‘Goldfields knowledge.’ It was a well-planned operation with a mess tent and busy people everywhere cooking and setting up mock rescue sites etc. Good to know that these willing volunteers are there when needed. We made camp later that afternoon just outside of Coolgardie where Ian and Nina, who were travelling independently, had lit a fire to welcome us. It didn’t take long for everyone to set up their tents and for Simon and Anne to get started with dinner, a delicious BBQ with heaps of side dishes. Thanks go to Wendy and Ally for the yummy home-baked cakes. They were there with the support group to farewell us and a good time was had by all. It was good to catch up with other members that we hadn’t seen in a long while and we all chatted round a roaring fire until one by one the group dispersed and settled down for the night. Day 2: Up at the crack of dawn thanks as always to Jon. The fire Page 12
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was lit and the billy boiled in no time. Simon and Anne had breakfast set up …a pleasant change from the DIY that we usually have. We broke camp and said our goodbyes to the other group who were heading into Kalgoorlie for the weekend. Once on the road we did a radio check and found that at least two cars were experiencing problems with the antennas. Someone had a brainwave and suggested we look up members, Marianne and Bill in Boulder and see if they had spares. No luck there but it was nice to catch up for a chat. Right in the heart of town we encountered some of the other group who were standing around wondering if they would catch a glimpse of us as we drove through town. They certainly got more than that and we managed to get their spare radio and aerials. More chatter and fond farewells and we were off again. First stop was at the old ‘two-up’ school which is now dilapidated. We had a delicious morning tea there. Quick comfort stop and we’re off again with hordes of cyclists coming toward us, part of a race. We made a brief stop at Menzies, noting that the caravan park had been relocated to the other side of the road. Lunch at Gwalia was great with our FTL (fearless team leader) and his wife setting up a table under the trees and covering it with piles of food ready for us to make our own sandwiches. We had a look around the old historic village before wandering off to have a look at the working mine site and museum there. Our next stop was Leonora and this time there was the ‘Golden Mile’ foot race which was held in the main street. Good time to stop for and ice-cream. Laverton as we suspected was dead as a doornail being Sunday, Just as well we had all filled up at the Leonora service station. Heading out of town, we turned right at the Coober Pedy road sign .A real ‘Kodak moment’ for some of us. It felt that we were really starting our big adventure now. We found a nice camp site nearby and pitched our tents after gathering firewood. Dinner that night was a delicious seafood curry which we all agreed was ‘out of this world.’ A few drinks and a chat around the fire and we were soon ready to turn in after a really great day. Val and Jon Hunter. Page 13
SUBARU 4WD CLUB NEWS 01-Jun beyond Laverton to Double hill 218 km, 4.6 hrs, 46 kph avg, 10.6 lt/100km It felt cooler than the 11 ° due to the breeze and we had a bit of drizzle after breakfast. We headed down a recently graded section of the road and made good time then stopped at a green looking gnamma hole which had a couple of camel skeletons nearby. The track got more corrugated and rocky and we stopped for morning tea at the ruins of Yamarna station homestead which is also the intersection of the White Cliffs road, Minnnie Creek & the Anne Beadell highway. As we started on the “highway” it got smaller and rougher – more of a track than what we had been on. We had our first encounter with a camel when Simon came head to head with one on the track. It moved off into the scrub and we all had to stop & take a photo of it. Lunch was at Yeo Lake homestead which is now a nature reserve with the homestead consisting of two rooms’ approx 3m x 3m. An old water tank outside was converted into a shower by the use of a bucket with holes in the bottom of it that you pull up with a rope and pulley. Simon, Karl & Jeanette made use of this luxury after filling the bucket from the well. Further east the country had various breakaways with impressive coloured cliffs, there was also a mesa a short way off the track and we made a detour to look at it. John had heard a funny noise Page 14
SUBARU 4WD CLUB of W.A. INC on his Brumby and found a split CV boot. While a few of the group decided to climb the mesa a decision was made to have an early camp and by the time the rest of us got there the Brumby was jacked up and in bits. I had a look at mine and found a split steering boot and jokingly asked Jim if he had a spare and of course he did so I set about changing it (which was pretty easy). We were all finished before sundown and by the time we were packed away and cleaned up Keith W & Karl had honey mustard chicken ready for the hungry crowds. Karl had emptied 1Kg of honey into the pot (with various others offering advice) but Keith had it all in hand and used a full bottle of mustard so the ratio was just right. The evening was still and clear like the day had been, and John & I had a sacrificial ‘burning of the boots’ at “boot camp”. 02-Jun Double hill to plane wreck 266 km, 6.4 hrs, 41 kph avg, 11.5 lt/100km All up early again and had breakfast with a beautiful sunrise. Simon had said there was no real rush so of course we were all ready to go early! We stopped to take photos of “Bishop Riley’s Pulpit” (another mesa), and a bull camel by a water filled soak (where Tony did a great impersonation of “The Great White Hunter” as he tip-toed out of the car to get a photo of it). At Neale Junction (which is the intersection of the Anne Beadell and Connie Sue highways) we stopped and signed the visitors book and took more photos then realised we had only covered 30 km in two hours. Simon picked up the pace a bit only to meet the rear end of a mob of camels which would not get off the track. ( read Keith’s poem earlier in the mag) After a few km we were able to get past only to have it happen again. The countryside had changed to vegetated dunes about 5m high running parallel to the track and about 100m apart. By the side of the road there was the wreck of a caravan and soon after that we mad a 10km detour to view the wreck of a Page 15
SUBARU 4WD CLUB NEWS
CLUB CALENDAR August 2009 S M
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S Sun 2nd: Nanga 4WD heritage trail Tue 4th: Committee Meeting 30 31 1 Tues 11: General Meeting 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Sat 22nd –Sun 23rd: Wildflower trip See page 9 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29
September 2009 S M
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Tues 1 Committee Meeting 1 2 3 4 5 Tue 8 General Meeting Sat 5th Movie and supper. See page 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Sun 13th Wandoo wander See page 10 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Sat 26th-28th Lochada See page 6 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
October 2009 S M
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S Tue 6th Committee Meeting 1 2 3 Sun 11th: Day trip Tue 13 General Meeting 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Sat 17 ANNUAL DINNER see page 8 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 28 30 31 Page 16
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November 2009 S M
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S Sun 1st: Fiddles and Nibbles 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Tue 3rd Committee Meeting Tue 10 Annual general meeting 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 13,14,15th 4WD show 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22nd Lancelin 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
December 2009 S M
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Tues 1 Committee Meeting Sat 5th: Xmas party and lights Tue 8 General Meeting
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SCHOOL AND PUBLIC HOLIDAYS School Holidays: Sept 25-Oct 12th Dec 17-Feb 1st Public holidays: Sept 28th Potential members are most welcome to come along on any Club activities before joining. Please phone the Trip Leader for further information. Register with the trip leader if you are wanting to join a trip or social. Also contact the trip leader if you have to cancel, as we don’t want to wait for someone who does not turn up! Some trips are ideas only and may be subject to change. Some of the later trips need trip leaders – volunteers please.
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SUBARU 4WD CLUB NEWS Cessna 310 which crashed in 1993 after a dual engine failure at low altitude. To get there we had to cross the dunes which gave us our first taste of real 4WDing as the other roads, whilst corrugated & occasionally rocky could have been done in a 2WD.We decided to camp at the plane wreck as others had done as it was one of the best clearings in the Spinifex for a while to allow nine tents to be put up. Spaghetti bolognaise was on the menu and there was great debate over dinner about what time zone we were in as it was dark by 5:15. We decided to advance our watches by one hour and then even greater confusion as Simon said he wanted to start one hour earlier in the morning. Most decided to get up when he starts banging pots together! Another lovely day with high clouds and 19°. David Peck
Anne Beadell/Simpson Desert/Flinders Ranges Day 5 (Wednesday 3 June) 2009 Day 5 already – time sure flies when you are enjoying yourself, even if that does require a 7.00am (central time) departure! To achieve that departure time, we arose at 5.30, in the dark, with the temperature hovering at barely 3 degrees. Still, we had gone to bed early and managed a good night’s sleep. I lead the way out of the car park, heading back along the light plane access track 9kms to the Anne Beadell. The going was good, as the sand was firm and damp and the mandatory corrugations were not too bad. Page 18
SUBARU 4WD CLUB of W.A. INC Once back on the main track, a reasonable pace was maintained as we headed towards Ilkurlka Roadhouse (59kms) for fuel and showers! On the way, we spotted some dingoes and stopped to take photos. While we had seen quite a few camels, sightings of other wildlife were few and far between. We stopped again to take photos of a burnt out area. When a fire goes through bush in the desert, nothing is spared but soon after, remarkably, mother nature lends a hand and it all starts to regenerate pretty quickly. Further on, we stopped yet again. This time at No. 1 Campsite, where we took on water from a relatively new tank and some members of the group “inspected� the long drop. There are a number of these camps on the Anne Beadell (comprising shelter, water tank and toilet) and they all seem to be pretty new. Great idea. We arrived at Ilkurlka at 8.50. Two hours to cover 60 kms, with stops. Once there, it was not long before all the cars were re-fuelled with Opal fuel using a hand pump connected to 200 litre drums. Cost was $2.50 a litre! Very soon after that, the chip heater at the shower had been fired up and hot water was steaming out of the shower head and showers were enjoyed by all!
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SUBARU 4WD CLUB NEWS Morning tea was at Ilkurlka and time was taken to speak to some other travellers (in two vehicles) who were heading west. A brake line on one cars had gone, leaving the car without brakes and it had hit a hole of some sort and two leaves in one of the rear springs had been broken. At about 11.00, we left Ilkurlka. Some time shortly after leaving, we passed two vehicles coming the other way. Apart from the two vehicles temporarily camped at Ilkurlka, these two cars were the only other cars we had seen on the Anne Beadell since we started. Our next stop was at an unnamed dry salt lake. A chance for a leg stretch. I was also invited to take the turbo for a spin on the lake bed, but decided I should decline You never know with dry lake beds whether or not there might be a soft patch lurking somewhere! Then we travelled on to No. 3 Campsite (with facilities) for lunch. After lunch, we set off for No 4 Campsite, hoping to reach it in time to camp, which we succeeded in doing. It was 97 kms from Ilkurlka and 10-12 kms from the SA border. Water on tap and a toilet certainly make life easier when you are out in the bush. That night it was our turn to cook – sausages, baked beans and mash for all. And, as usual, everyone ate heartily and there was still food left over. After dinner, we enjoyed some poetry, courtesy of Keith Low. To bed at 9.00.
Days 6 (Thursday 4 June) 2009 Another cool night. The overnight minimum was 3.7 degrees. Up, breakfasted, packed and away at 8.00. Our first stop for the day Page 20
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Add a caption to the photo. Best ones will be published next month
Here is the first of our photos of Tony at Poeppel corner. Sent in by Keith Lowe
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SUBARU 4WD CLUB of W.A. INC was “Unnamed Conservation Park” on the border. We all had a bit of a chuckle over the name. Fancy naming a Conservation Park “Unnamed”. Well, actually, we were not sure whether it had originally been named “Unnamed” or simply didn’t have a name! As it turns out however, it has now been called Mamungari Conservation Park. At the border, there was a Len Beadell plaque and a “visitors book”. We all signed. From there, it was a short distance to Serpentine Lakes. More dry lake beds. Further down the track, Dave ran into some camels. Well, not literally, but almost. A bunch of them were on the track and, despite Dave’s best efforts, it was some time before they decided discretion was the better part of valour and finally headed for the bush, exhausted and frothing at the mouth! At the lunch stop (at 12.40), we saw some unusual “circular” spinifex. One thing we had noticed, now that we were in SA (and we had been warned of this), was that the corrugations were worse than those on the other side of the order. And we had thought that the corrugations in WA were bad enough! At this point in my handwritten notes, I had scribed “cat spotting in culturally sensitive area” but, apologies, I cannot for the life of me remember what this means. The rest of the afternoon passed by pretty quickly and uneventfully and we had soon selected a camp site for the night. Once we had selected Page 23
SUBARU 4WD CLUB NEWS our actual tent site, we hurried to put up our tent as rain clouds threatened. And we finished just before the rain came. And a decent shower it was too. Mind you, after the shower has passed, you do wonder that you might have been better off to simply wait for the shower to pass before you put up your tent! Dinner was potato and egg bake cooked by Jim and Joy. Good tucker! Tony Richards
The club possesses a number of items that members are welcome to borrow. These larger items listed below are held by Simon. VOLLEYBALL AND NET 2 SANTA SUITS 4 CLUB LOGO BANNERS 2 SAFETY VESTS BOX OF FILES AND PHOTOS BOX OF MAGS, CLUB LIBRARY LARGE FIRST AID KIT LONG ROPE, HEAVY DUTY ROPE, ABSIELING TYPE 2 GAZEBOS 2 THUNDERBOXES 1 HOT WATER URN BOX OF CUPS AND SAUCERS, 38 OF EACH SHIELD, LIFE MEMBERS
DON’T FORGET: THIS AUGUST MEETING IS AT RANGER OUTDOORS IN MORLEY
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SUBARU 4WD CLUB of W.A. INC
The Powerlines Caper Trip report for Sunday July 19 Richard and Jack le Serve A good turnout of 14 cars took a chance on the weather for this day in the hills and what a day it turned out to be! A little bit of everything with mud, sweat and tears especially for the car in the last photo. Under the able leadership of Peter Andruszkiw, the cars set off from Flynn Road towards the Powerlines track and turned east about a kilometre down Flynn Road, onto the track proper. It was a bit slippery, as the rain gods had been turning the tap on and off most of the way up to the meeting place. Several places needed a bit of heavy right foot and others a bit of patience to walk the little cars up a track, quite cut up by the rain and probably by the passage of heavy four-wheelers passing that way. After a stop for morning tea we proceeded to make our way through mostly rocky and slippery gravel and mud. A passing cavalcade of quad bikes, two wheel dirt bikes and heavy 4wd vehicles passed both ways and all were quite amiable and pleasant. At one point, the convoy came to a halt as the leadership group tried to work out the best way up a vicious hilly incline with sharp rocks and gulPage 25
SUBARU 4WD CLUB NEWS lies trying to snag unwary drivers as they made their way up a sharp left hander. My own car smelt like burning rubber as I eventually negotiated my way up, with the adrenalin pumping like a Tour de France cyclist’s legs climbing the Pyrenees. Several of the younger members put their cars through their paces and climbed the hard way up in places and were not put off by the terrain. Dane’s L series, one of three on the trip, floated, for a short time, in the deep waterway shown below and was towed out by Adrian’s Forester GT. When the doors were opened, out flowed a torrent of water and various items of kit. After strenuous attempts to get the car running, it was towed back to the Lakes. After a stop for lunch, the group split into two, with masochists revelling in going back for another dose, whilst others took the easy option and headed out via Talbot road back onto the blacktop. It was good to see the younger members involved and a good day was had by all, well nearly all! As usual, good camaraderie and banter persisted throughout the day. The water crossings were particularly interesting.
New club member Tanya and I would like to let those within the club know that we had a boy Lincoln Thomas Snape was born on Friday the 24/07/09 at 10.02pm weighing a healthy 8lb 4.4oz. Mum n' Bub are doing well and the little man has taken to travelling like a duck to water. The soft boxer notes must be soothing. Thanks heaps Daniel Snape
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SUBARU 4WD CLUB of W.A. INC THE SUBARU 4WD CLUB OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA INC. Minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday 14 July 2009 At the Joan Watters Centre, Wembley. Meeting Opened: 19:36 In Attendance: As per attendance book. Apologies: Robert Griffiths, Ian Johnson, Nina McLaren, Peter Andruszkiw, Ray & Glenda Stewart. Visitors: Matt Ward, Adrian Longwood. Previous Minutes: Approved as per magazine copy with amendment in general business to investigate purchase of projector to value of $1100. Moved Rob Hurst, seconded Tom Minto. Business Arrising: Nil. Correspondence in: 1. Toyota Twin Diffs Mag 2.
Qld Subaru Mag
3.
Expo Statement
4.
Membership form and Cheque from Carol Poole.
5. website.
E-mail from Victorian Subaru Club to John Cahill re:
6. E-mail from Kelvin Stephen – car detailing business to Keith Low. Correspondence out: 1.
Advertising renewals sent out to Subaru dealerships.
2. E-mail to Kelvin Stephen confirming club interest in demonstration and ad in mag but no link on web page. Still no response from other Subaru Clubs re e-mail asking for their opinion of the 4WD VSB14 Standard for vehicle modifications. Treasurer’s Report: Reconciled Bank Balance (@31/5/09): Add Petty Cash: TOTAL FUNDS AVAILABLE
$5,065.47 $
26.00 $5,091.74
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SUBARU 4WD CLUB NEWS Reconciled Bank Balance *@30/6/09:
$5,616.12
Add Petty Cash:
$
26.00
TOTAL FUNDS AVAILABLE
$5,642.12
Accounts paid since month end: Nil Accounts Payable: Received/Receivable: Membership – Carol Poole = $50.00 Merchandise: Polo shirts without pocket = $23.00 with pocket = $27.00 (medium and large only). Fleece Jackets = $35.00 and knitted beanies = $11.00. 4WD Association: Tony did not attend May or June meetings. John attended July meeting – details in Mag’s Presidents Report. a) Outdoors WA seeking a person to represent WA 4WD Association to help craft the Outdoor Activities Standard into something the clubs could live with. Interested parties should contact either Tony Richards or John Cahill b) The MOU renewal will be discussed at the next 4WD Association meeting regarding the BlackCocatoo Society Kaarakin property. Tony will discuss possibility of a Subaru Club visit to assist with work required. c) Adrenaline 4x4 off road event promo leaflets distributed by John. d)
4WD Association membership cars available from Tony.
Membership: 51 +7 life members. Magazine: 30 July deadline for items for inclusion in August edition. Trips & Social: - Welcome back to the Simpson Desert trippers. They did approx 8000km with 4000km of that off road. Thanks to Simon and Anne for all the hard work to make the trip enjoyable for all. - Sun 19 Jul, Mundaring Powerlines day trip, details in Mag - Sun 2 August, Nanga 4WD heritage trail day trip, details in Mag - Sat 22 – Sun 23 August, Wildflower trip, details in Mag.
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SUBARU 4WD CLUB of W.A. INC - Sun 13 September, day trip. Keith Low is trip leader more details to follow. - Sat 26 – 28 September and onwards, Locharda, details in Mag. Looking for second trip leader for part of week. Contact John Cahil Sun 11 October, Day trip still requires a trip leader and destination. Josan suggest to anyone who is interested that she will be leaving the car behind and going on a hike if anyone is interested in joining her. Sat 5 September, Gold Class movie The Soloist. Sat 17 October, Annual Dinner, Beverly Freemasons Hotel with optional Gliding on Sunday Sat 5 December, Christmas Lights and BBQ at Rob & Wendy’s more details to follow. General Business: Adrian Longwood a new member who works at Ranger Outdoors in Morley has organised the next general meeting to be held at the Morley store with any purchases on the night receiving a 20% discount. Jim Wilcox presented details on two projectors with significant discounts. Keith Low moved purchase. Seconded Anne Newton. Simon Newton presented a list of club property which is available for use by members. List is to be put on web site. Peter Andreuskiw has smaller club equipment that should go out on each trip. Simon suggested that the Life Members Shield should be brought to each meeting and asked for a volunteer. Tony Richards volunteered. Recreating the Members Area on the web page was raised again. It was suggested that members could use the web page to register for trips. It is relatively easy for Karl to set up the area but the club needs to find uses for the members area and to make sure that it is used. Meeting Closed:
20:47
Post meeting reminder: Anyone who has a funny club photo please send to Jim Wilcox for inclusion in the Mag Post Meeting: Additional mail
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SUBARU 4WD CLUB NEWS
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SUBARU 4WD CLUB of W.A. INC To complete the correspondence in section for the minutes John went and picked up the mail with the following received. 1. Invoice Town of Cambridge Room Hire $48.00 2. Invoice Expo Document Copy Centre $168.30 3. Westpac statement to 29/5/09 Balance $5611.24 4. Subaru Wangara – Cheque $300.00 5. Simon Newton – Invoice/Statement for Simons Swanny Sojourn Bus Hire $221.00 Not sure if payment required – Thought it was all settled on the day. 6. Room hire agreement Town of Cambridge – including bookings through to December. Needs signing and returning along with certificate of currency for insurance – Should we cancel next month? 7. DEC – notice of Draft Management plan for Lane Poole Reserve and Additions x 2 8. DEC – notice of release of Walpole Wilderness and Adjacent Parks and Reserves Management Plan 2008. 9. DEC – Advice that Environment and Conservation News is Going on line - subscribe through www.dec.wa.gov.au/ecn. 10. Department of Commerce – Flyer advising that Associations Inforemation is now available on line at www.asic.gov.au. 11. Toyota Land Cruiser Club of WA – Twin Diffs – July 2009 12. Subaru 4WD of SA Magazine – July 2009 13. Subaru & Recreational 4WD Club Inc – (Victoria) June 09 14. Advertising flyer for the Harvey Dickson’s Country Music Show, Boyup Brook WA 25-27 September 2009 and Rodeo October 3031st - www.harveydickson.com.au 15. Advertising Flyer www.perth-n-pistons.com advertising a web site being developed for all types of vehicle enthusiast.
THE VIEWS EXPRESSED IN THIS MAGAZINE ARE NOT NECESSARILY THOSE HELD BY THE SUBARU 4WD CLUB OF W.A. INC. Please send articles to the Editor by the Thursday before the end of the month (earlier is better). Email: editor@subaru4wdclubwa.asn.au in Word format or plain text; Subaru 4WD Club WA Website: http://www.subaru4wdclubwa.asn.au Page 31