see you at easter.jackaroo4wdclub.org.au

Easter 2013 – Thurs 28th March to Tues 2nd April.

NEWSLETTER NO.3

Welcome to our third newsletter. The planning committee has been up in the Pyrenees once a month during winter, and we are working on finalising all the many things that make up a tri-state gathering. We plan to send out further details with the Registration Forms in late November.

Trips

We plan on having 4WD trips that range from difficult to easy, plus some social and historical trips, a winery trip and a walking trip. We will supply directions for a number of DIY trips to surrounding attractions, such as the underground caves at Seppelt’s Great Western Winery, where the sparkling wine is stored in three kilometres of tunnels, or Aradale, the 1867 historic former Ararat Lunatic Asylum (yes, they will probably let you go at the end!)

Another trip planned is a Fossickers Trip. The Victorian Club will obtain a fossickers’ Group Licence that will enable us to take out groups along 4WD tracks to look for Pyrenees gold. We will supply training and some metal detectors, but if you have your own, please bring it along.

Gold! Gold! Gold!

Moonambel was first settled in 1844, and gold was discovered there in 1860. Signs of the mining years are still to be found in the bush, with some deep mine shafts for the unwary walker. At some places in the bush you might even stumble upon a Chinese oven. Modern day prospectors using gold detectors can uncover coins and other artefacts from places as far apart as China and England. The transportable lockup used on the Moonambel Goldfields can still be seen behind the old police station. Much of the gold mining was alluvial but there were many deep mines.

Today, Moonambel’s population is about 270, but in 1866 there was a moving population of about 30,000 living in tents near the mines, but many more permanent buildings were also established. Moonambel had five hotels, butchers, general stores, at least one blacksmith, a local newspaper, a police station and a court house.

Saturday Night Entertainment

Weather permitting, we plan to have a big campfire for everyone to sit around, and a barbecue. A local bush poet and teller of tall tales will entertain us.

Sunday Dinner and Theme

The theme for Sunday night is ‘GOLD’, so put your imagination to work and create something clever. We have contracted a group of local caterers to provide Sunday evening’s meal in the main pavilion and verandah at the recreation reserve. Please BYO drinks. (You might like to buy some wine from one of the 15 nearby wineries).

To register your interest and join our mailing list for future newsletters,

send an email to: easter2013@jackaroo4wdclub.org.au

Easter 2013 – Thurs 28th March to Tues 2nd April. NEWSLETTER NO.2

The Victorian Jackaroo 4WD Club invites you to join us for a Pyrenees Parade!

Welcome to our second newsletter. The tri-state committee has been hard at work checking out the Pyrenees 4WD tracks and developing local contacts for next Easter’s event. This newsletter gives you some background on the region.

Our venue

Rising nearly 800 metres, the Pyrenees Ranges consist of box-ironbark forests on the foothills, changing to mixed species stringybark higher up. In Spring, native wildflowers abound and the wattle trees make spectacular viewing. Over 200 species of plants and 100 species of birds have been recorded in the forest. The ranges are mainly sandstone with many granite intrusions, which make spectacular formations. The Pyrenees have a dissected surface with moderate to steep slopes and many gullies and narrow to medium valleys – ideal for 4WD exploration.

Trips

So far, we have planned a medium to difficult 4WD trip through the Pyrenees State forest to the south and west of Moonambel; an easy to medium 4WD trip north to the St Arnaud National Park with spectacular lookouts; a “Ladies’ trip” to Castlemaine/Creswick and surrounds; a Goldfields and Ghost Towns 4WD historical trip, and a wine tasting trip with lunch at a winery restaurant. Given the popularity of the walking trip at Whyalla, we are working on two trips with a bushwalking component. One of these travels through private property to some ancient Aboriginal rock art sites. And more to come……

A little bit of history

The Pyrenees and St Arnaud Ranges were inhabited by Aboriginal people from at least 13,000 years ago. Most of the native occupants were driven out or died from the effects of grazing and the gold rush which began in 1851. Resettlement in the 1870’s then reduced the native population to almost none.

The explorer Thomas Mitchell travelled through the district on his 1836 journey of exploration. The ranges reminded him of the Pyrenees in Spain where he had served as an army officer. He found the area more temperate in climate and better watered than inland New South Wales, and he encouraged settlers to take up land in the region

he described as "Australia Felix". Mitchell’s glowing report on the grazing land in the Western District resulted in squatters from Sydney travelling south using his wheel tracks as a guide, and squatters from Tasmania came via Geelong looking for new pastures.

Climate

Autumn is a good time to stay in the Pyrenees. It certainly is not as cold overnight as Tolmie!

Month	Feb	March	April
Av Daily Min Temp °C	13.4	10.6	7.6
Av Daily Max Temp °C	28.8	25.3	20.6
No of rainy days	3.8	4.3	6.6

To register your interest and join our mailing list for future newsletters,

send an email to: easter2013@jackaroo4wdclub.org.au

Easter 2013 – Thurs 28th March to Tues 2nd April. NEWSLETTER NO. 1

The Victorian Jackaroo 4WD Club will be hosting next year’s tri-state gathering.

Join us for a Pyrenees Parade!

The Pyrenees Ranges are located in western Victoria, about 180 kms south of Kerang and 70 km west of Ballarat. Avoca is the main town in the ranges and we will be based just west of it, at Moonambel.

The Pyrenees are a southern extension of the Great Dividing Range, with altitudes from 300 metres to more than 750 metres (980–2460 ft). Main peak is Mount Avoca (747 m). There are numerous excellent 4WD tracks, ranging from easy to challenging and some first-rate lookouts over the surrounding countryside.

Melbourne to Moonambel (via Ballarat) 195 km

Adelaide to Moonambel (via Bordertown & Stawell) 560 km

Sydney to Moonambel (via Deniliquin, Kerang & St Arnaud) 990 km

The Pyrenees are central to several good four wheel driving areas. The St Arnaud Range National Park, an excellent 4WD venue, is about 50 km north of Avoca. Nearby Kooyoora State Park has spectacular granite formations, as does Langi Ghiran State Park, south west of Avoca. South of the Pyrenees are the Grampians Ranges, a striking series of sandstone mountain ranges with good 4WD tracks and stunning scenery. The highest peak is Mount William, 1167 metres (3828 ft).

Other regional attractions include the historic Golden Triangle towns, site of Australia’s richest gold rushes of the 19^th century, plus a renowned local wine region.

Our base will be the Moonambel Recreation Reserve, in a bush setting just outside the town limits. Once a bustling Gold Rush town, Moonambel is now a quiet village with a population of approximately 270 people, a pub and a general store. It is only a 15 minute drive to Avoca, a town with a range of services. We will be camping on and around the football oval. The Moonambel Recreation Reserve has some powered sites and modern facilities, including toilets, showers, a hall/dining room and a commercial kitchen.

To register your interest and join our mailing list for future newsletters,

send an email to: easter2013@jackaroo4wdclub.org.au

Day 1

Margaret Ritchie reports:

With a very grey start to the day, we all set off from the bakery (where else) at Granville and travelled down the highway towards Phillip Island. The day was designed to be very relaxing looking at some of the interesting sights and finding some of the fauna and flora around Phillip Island.
We took a short detour just before San Remo to admire the view from the top of a hill overlooking Westernport Bay. Due to fog and mist, this was a bit of a fizzer, but a good view of Cape Woolamai could be seen. It was then in to the back of San Remo and across the bridge to Newhaven, where we were to pick up our volunteer guide for the day. My daughter Kerri has lived on the Island for some time and was a ranger with the National Park for many years, so she has a good knowledge of the area.
A short trip across the road from the Information Centre is the Chocolate Factory. Too much to choose from and a little pricey, but we had been told their curries are very good. From there we made a quick stop at the Koala Conservation Centre, where Kerri told us a bit of the history of some of the original vegetation still standing there. She also spoke of the koalas on the Island and why their numbers are declining.
Cowes was next and we had a short drive down the main street, then walked out to the end of the jetty.
By then it was time for lunch, so we were on the move again to Red Rocks Beach. This spot is only a short distance from where Kerri lives, so Colin and I know this beach very well. It is a very good picnic area with toilet facilities and amazing views across to the Mornington Peninsula. We had the whole area to ourselves and got the cameras clicking.

After lunch, a walk along the beach was a must. As we were walking, we could hear gunfire from the Naval Training Academy (Cerberus) just across the bay. Luckily, they weren’t pointing our way! Following this very relaxing lunch stop, we headed off towards Swan Lake. This is the only freshwater lake on the Island and abounds with birdlife. While the others walked into the lake, I waited in the information area. Even in that small area, I saw wrens, spinebills, honeyeaters, thornbills, red browed finches and the list goes on. There were birds everywhere.
When the others returned, they reported they had spotted many different birds, including one which required homework as no-one could identify it.
(Later that night, Colin and Kerri and a bird identification book, decided it was a white fronted chat, a bird not usually seen in the area.)

After Swan Lake, it was a short drive down to the famous Nobbies for a stroll along the boardwalk.

Most of the nesting birds had left the area at this time of the year and unfortunately, there were no late chicks left to see. We spent some time in the Nobbies Centre watching the seals out on the rocks via cameras placed out there. Their gift shop also attracted our members.

From the Nobbies, we followed a little known road around the coast that cuts through the old Summerlands Estate. The Government has been gradually buying back these lots for more than twenty years and has finally removed the last house from the penguin colony. The work being done to re-introduce the penguins to the area is obvious, with new nesting boxes and grasses planted everywhere. From the cliff overlooking Summerland Bay, where the penguins come in every night of the year just after sunset, Kerri gave us some information on the Little (or Fairy) penguin. Did you know that they always swim west towards Phillip Bay from Phillip Island? Or that they can stay at sea for up to three weeks and that they mate for life?
There is a count done by the rangers of the penguins as they come ashore each night. The count for the night before was 1,156. The count is done from the minute the first group of five or more penguins crosses the beach and the count lasts for fifty minutes. Why fifty minutes? As Kerri explained, most of the birds come ashore within that time. All across the area, there are many thousands of penguins coming ashore on any night, but only those at the parade stands are counted. From this count, the rangers are able to assess whether there are any problems with the colony.
The view from above the Penguin Parade is quite spectacular. One can look back along the coast towards Cape Woolamai and Pyramid Rock in the distance.

Back on the main road, we passed the famous and very beautiful Phillip Island Grand Prix Motor Racing Track. There were races taking place, but we were unable to stop and watch as it was getting a bit late in the day and tents still had to be erected.
We said our goodbyes for the day at the Newhaven Information Centre and took our guide back to her car.
Wayne, Chris and Tom were all staying at the caravan park in Newhaven, so they didn’t have far to travel. Colin and I headed home to Wonthaggi, about thirty five minutes away.
By the way, if you have ever wondered why some of the dead kangaroos along the side of a road have a pink cross on them, it is to tell others that their pouches have been checked to make sure there are no live young in them. If a young joey is found alive, it is taken to a volunteer wildlife shelter and, hopefully, reared to adulthood whereupon it is released back in the area where it was found.

Day 2

Christine Scholes reports:

Sunday morning started for us at about 5.00am with a huge thunder clap right over the top of us. It was followed by heavy rain. Great! Now we would have a wet tent to pack up. By brekkie time, the rain had eased back to a light drizzle. But we still had a messy pack up, so much so, that we were a bit late for our meeting time.
After meeting the others at Bass, where Michael and Jan Martin joined the trip, the group left at 10.30am, which wasn’t too bad all things considered.
Our morning trip took us to the new desalination plant, then on to Kilcunda Beach, the trestle bridge and finally to the State Coal Mine historic No.20 shaft.
Here, in 1937, thirteen miners were killed in an underground collapse. (After living in the area for many years, this was the first time our trip leader Margaret had been there.)
From there it was on to the Wonthaggi Information Centre and then collected Molly, Colin and Margaret’s dog. She joined us for the afternoon. Our lunch stop was at the State Coal Mine picnic area, a pleasant relaxing stop.
After lunch, we went through the museum, which was most interesting (and free!) and saw the most amazing vegetable garden and chicken run. I wish it was mine! It was then back on the road and off to Eagles Nest to view the coastline from Venus Bay to Inverloch. We left the coast and travelled north through the most beautiful rolling green hills through Kongwak, Glen Alvie and on to Kernot. Here we stopped for afternoon tea among the quaint inhabitants of Gnomesville, Frog Hollow and Fairy Dell.
During our break, Margaret received a phone call from Kerri with the news that a heavy thunder storm was heading our way. We quickly decided to call it a day and head off on our separate ways home. It was a disappointing end to what had been an interesting and great day.

Thanks to Colin, Margaret and Kerri (and Molly) for a well planned trip.

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For more information visit http://www.fairtrading.qld.gov.au/motor-vehicle-recovery-straps-for-consumers.htm

There are currently three recalls for recovery straps sold in Queensland that do not meet the Queensland mandatory labelling standard for recovery straps. For more information visit:

Anaconda Group Pty Ltd - https://www.recalls.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/986902

Australian Trading Services Pty Ltd (ATS) - https://www.recalls.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/987018

Lion (Australia) Consolidated P/L - https://www.recalls.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/972394

 
Republished from http://www.recalls.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/989054
 

See recalls.gov.au

• 1998 JACUBS73GW7100010 – JACUBS73GW7103492
• 1999 JACUBS73GX7100566 – JACUBS73GX7104876
• 2000 JACUBS73GY7100012 – JACUBS73GY7107235
• 2001 JACUBS73G17101509 – JACUBS73G17102996
• 2002 JACUBS73G27100274 – JACUBS73G27107074

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If you require any further information please contact your nearest Holden Dealer or call the Holden recall and rework assistance line on 1800 632 826. This service operates 8am to 7pm EST Monday to Friday and 9am to 1pm EST Saturdays except National Public Holidays.”

see http://www.recalls.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/1003878 for details.

Participants

• John and Margaret Jackaroo
• Les and Ros Patrol
• Barry and Lynda Prado
• Mark Pathfinder
• Philip and Brenda Jackaroo

On Saturday 13 November dawn broke with heavy rain. As trip leaders, we were aiming to get to KooWeeRup before the rest of the group but the continuing rain required caution and we found two vehicles already there by 8.50 am.
The trip briefing was conducted in the bus shelter at the KooWeeRup bus interchange. We planned to follow the route of the abandoned KooWeeRup – Strzelecki Railway line so some history on the railway was in order to set the scene. Local farmers in the district had campaigned for many years for a railway to access the area around McDonalds track south of Warragul to enable farmers to receive stores and send produce to market. However over the years from the late 1870s the succession of petitions and plans were all somewhat different and it was not until 1914 that the KooWeeRup to McDonalds Track Railway Bill was passed by the state government. This was hardly a propitious time to commence construction (due to the commencement of WW1) and it was not until 1919 that work actually commenced. Light construction techniques were used with horse drawn buckets and bullock drays. The line was placed on the ground without much ballast. The line was finally opened at Strzelecki on 29 June 1922. Before leaving the KooWeeRup car park we noted the area where the engine shed and turntable were located at the end of the car park.

We travelled to Bayles where the only remaining evidence of the station was the weighbridge (right). Bayles was named after the first member of the construction team to have been killed at Gallipoli. The KooWeeRup district was famous for its potatoes, and the notice board adjacent to the weighbridge tells the story.

It was then onto the next station on the route – Catani, which was named after Carlo Catani, the engineer responsible for the major drainage works that made the hitherto swamps in the KooWeeRup district into productive fields for dairy and crops. There was little to identify the next station at Herne Hill on the Western Port Rd just west of the Lang Lang River.

The Railway continued up the river valley to Athlone station which was the site of a saw mill for the local Blackwood timber. We travelled along Clifton Road that for a km or so actually followed the railway bed through a cutting.

With light rain falling our convoy turned south and then east on Lang Lang Park Rd to the Main South Rd where we continued south with the railway route a km or so to the west. The roadbed was clearly visible at the site of Triholm station that is now marked with a farmer’s shed on the raised embankment with a simulated Victorian Railways sign on its side. (Triholm was a Danish settlement with roads named after local Danish families). The railway formation crossed our road route heading east a couple of km further on. We headed east along Waterfall Gully Rd while the railway made two crossings of the road.

The railway was out of sight from the road for this last section of about 5 km as it followed the contour of the adjacent steep hills. Through the rain showers we could barely see much of the lush green paddocks filled with contented cows.
We travelled north on the Warragul Korumburra Rd and turned east into Wild Dog Valley Rd. The farm shed and buildings now mark the site of the old Strzelecki Station. A 100 m or so further east, the pit of the turntable was discernible in the scrub. We had now completed travelling the 48 km route and were about 200 m elevation above KooWeeRup. In viewing the site today we can wonder at the wisdom in placing a station and sidings in such a location on a steep side slope on a hill that apparently required extensive earth works to construct. The farmers would have had to cart all their produce uphill to Strzelecki station but in compensation it was all downhill getting their stores back home!

Due to declining rail traffic, increasing road traffic and dubious accounting practices in recording revenue attributed to this branch, the railway was closed in stages. Strzelecki – Triholm closed in 1931 a mere 9 years after opening. Athlone to Triholm closed 10 years later in 1941. The last remaining section to Bayles station closed in 1959. We are left with the thought that perhaps if the railway was constructed 20 years earlier when the residents demanded it, then maybe it might have had a more profitable existence and illustrious history.
From the Strzelecki station site we travelled north and east in mist to Moonlight Picnic Ground in Mt Worth State Park for lunch. Lunch was taken under the picnic shelter with the heavy mist (drizzle) falling around us. A lone member of our group, having finished his lunch, decided to stride off on a walking track to see the giant trees saying that this wouldn’t take long. He took a map of walking tracks in the park area but found that he was going in the wrong direction and returned a few minutes later taking another path while the rest of us finished our luncheon. The rest of us then took the loop track to see the giant trees, ferns and the remains of the many timber mills with their rusting boilers that filled the valleys here.

So with 8 members back at the vehicles at the appointed departure time we were still missing our lone walker who was well past his announced return time. Fearing the worst, the 8 members decided to mount 2 search parties of 2 males each with a CB radio. The ladies remained at the vehicles keeping radio contact with each search party. Unfortunately due to the mountainous terrain radio communication dropped off after about 500 m. It was sobering to note that shouting and the vehicle horns were lost in the bush after about 400 m. The classic Coo-Eees were equally smothered by the wet trees and ferns. The group had asked a few other people in the area whether they had sighted our lone walker but no more information was available. We had set a time of 3 pm before we would start to call for outside assistance. Fortunately, while the two search parties were still out, our lone walker finally returned to the vehicles and admitted to losing his way after searching for his misplaced camera. With the return of the search parties it was time to check for leeches. This required a strip down search to get those little suckers out from remote personal areas!

Now running a couple of hours later than scheduled, we headed off in the mist to Mirboo North from where we then took the Grand Ridge Rd east. The first 15 km was on smooth bitumen along the aptly named route. The views either side of the road would have been magnificent if the weather was more favourable as we had noted on the pre-trip. So here is a view of the Alpacas in the sunshine a week before.

The Mountain Ash Springboard tree was found on the north side of the road. Its height of 163 ft was climbed by J.Pattinson in 1927 using 54 springboards. The remains of the holes for the springboards can still be seen.

Reaching Balook and the Tarra Valley Bulga National Park we took the narrow winding C484 south to the Fernholme Tarra Valley Tourist Park. With the forecast poor weather in the days leading up to the trip, the group had wisely chosen to take the option of sharing a couple of cabins. We gathered in one cabin for drinks and nibbles while we solved the world’s problems. These cabins proved to be snug and comfy particularly during the heavy rain overnight. Thank goodness we hadn’t decided to brave it in tents!!

Note the origin of these two parks. In 1903 the Alberton Shire Council asked State Government to reserve an area of forest with fern gullies near Balook as a public park. Twenty hectares were reserved in 1904 and given the Aboriginal name Bulga, meaning “mountain”. Five years later, 303 hectares of forest within the Tarra Valley were temporarily reserved. This park was named after Charlie Tarra, Count Strzelecki’s Aboriginal guide. In 1986 the two area were joined and enlarged through a land exchange with private industry.

The Sunday morning dawned reasonably fine and we travelled back up the winding road pausing at the Tarra Falls which were more a slide than falls and were somewhat disappointing when seen from the viewing area. Up in the Bulga Park Information Centre we saw examples of the local flora (ferns) and fauna. Also displayed were period photographs of the sawmilling in the area. A 10 minute slideshow showcased some interesting local scenes through various weathers. Then it was on to cross the famed Corrigan suspension bridge across the valley of giant ferns. We then walked down through the valley marvelling at the tree ferns reaching up to the sky while at our feet on the damp valley floor there were many types of fungi. In leaving the Tarra – Bulga National Parks we reflected on the foresight of the local residents and shire councillors who petitioned the government in the early 1900s to retain this natural area as a park for all people to enjoy.
Then we travelled north to Mount Tassie. At 750 m this is the highest point in the Strzelecki ranges and commands a splendid view of the Latrobe valley. Unfortunately the bushfires in the surrounding area, and the subsequent clearing up of the fallen trees, had reduced the magnificent green forest area in some directions to bulldozed rows of downed fire blackened trees. Nevertheless the sky was blue with little wind while we had lunch here beneath the radio towers (with no flies around). After lunch we descended the mountain and drove east through the marked area of giant trees and old sawmill site and then through Calignee – the site of recent horrific bush fires. It was then agreed that rather than visit some other historic sites we would make our way directly back to Melbourne in the fine weather and so we wound up our convoy and entered the Princes Hwy to make our way home.

Philip Johnstone