*Melb*Mon 4th Jan Twenty Ten - Wombat

Anyone interested in going for a trip into and around Wombat Forest on Monday?
Recent rain will have been enough to top of some bog holes and make for some sticky / slippery tracks.

I stayed up at my farm over new years which is surrounded by wombat state forest and your spot on with the rain, it absolutely bucketed down there, should be good fun whoever goes.

SOLID D22 said:

I stayed up at my farm over new years which is surrounded by wombat state forest and your spot on with the rain, it absolutely bucketed down there, should be good fun whoever goes.

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So then.......
No diff yet?

Maybe go for a play around the Bullengarook area mid arvo tomorrow - We have a crook pussy cat that needs veterinary attention tomorrow morn.
All going well though I am still looking to try a few tracks I found out that way a little while ago - some rutted gullies and a creek crossing not yet done - and head back over to the otherside of Blackwood possibly this coming Sat or Sun - Dry and dusty the other day but hold promise for some technical driving in the wet.

Aido said:

So then.......
No diff yet?

Click to expand...

Diff? Yes! Right ratio? No! Thats the standard diff, not the dana.

SOLID D22 said:

Diff? Yes! Right ratio? No! Thats the standard diff, not the dana.

Click to expand...

Depending on Vets and such I am itching to get out there.... It's Anges transport too so I have to pick my times when its available ....So going tomorrow no matter what. I understand some are back at work but what about an arvo / night run?
Solid I can show you some tracks not far from Bullengarook and Gisborne that I found a few weeks ago when I was out solo - now got the winch fitted and appropriate recovery gear so keen as to have a crack And you did say you couldn't find anything challenging out there! 2wd now there's a challenge!

Just got home - 4hrs of fun.
tomorrows 4hrs of fun
Will put up some pics later gotta fire up the bbq

Well left home about 1300. Into the forest 20 mins later. Wandered up an area I had looked at on the map and found a freshly bulldozed track. About a k up it I found the dozer tidying up the track and filling some of the more gnarly bogholes. Good thing really as they are so deep and badly rutted very few vehicles would ever get through. Those that were filled were still particularly sloppy - dirt + water equals ? So there is no doubt the bogholes will return but this is a DSE thing to allow emergency access over the fire season. Got ahead of the dozer after a chat with the driver and his offsider in the assistant vehicle. Photos below are of some of the holes they were filling. Cant remember which one now but one of them was 5 ft deep. After passing the DSE guys I felt I had to continue on no matter what rather than turn around and retreat. All of these bogholes have chicken tracks around them but even then they are almost as bad and tricky to navigate. Lots of getting in and out of the vehicle to look for a safe line and to check depths. Overall though I grew alot of confidence to slowly pick my way through and to find the limits of the nav. Thumped the towbar a few times but didnt get stuck and was very impressed both with myself and the vehicle to make it through some serious sort of stuff.
This track is nothing but a loop track and so returned and found what I had set out to look for, a creek crossing at the bottom of a reasonably steep gully. We had gotten into it from the other side a few weeks ago but since Ange and I were solo and no winch we turned around. Turns out the winch wasn't necessary anyway because after walking it and planning a line in, through and out of it I did it easily. I could see where others had done it badly too with big belly drag marks and bark off trees. Pics in next post.
Onward and out of there with a few tricky bits to navigate on the way back to the main rd - got to use the new chainsaw too!
Up to next track turn off and at the entry off the main rd there was SES baricade tape tied around a tree - I figured it was either a marker for where they had been training or where the had been for a rescue. Headed down it and it was fairly technical once again with some deep holes and some tight spots navigating between trees and staying atop and out of deep ruts. The track terminated for me though at a severe creek crossing that a standard vehicle would never have a hope of crossing (SES required?) The exit out of there looked like a lot of fun with a steep rocky climb but it was the getting to the other side that I couldn't do. Turn it around and head for home.
So that was my afternoon.
Probably do it again tomorrow
Not saying where these tracks are but they are heavily used so they definitely aren't a secret

Climb out of the creek

Gnarly creek crossing - no country for new vehicles















Oh and the Navi / Photographer was at home so only got static pics.

Looks like fun Aido,do you think the taped off area has anything to do with the first article on this site?
FWDV Home Page

No thats not the track......What a crunt of an act.
All around the perimeter of Wombat is lazy bugger dumping territory with all sorts of rubbish. People are shit and thats why I like to get away from them all.

Thats the truth.Watch your dogs out there,Don't stop where there's dead animals.
Great pics by the way.

Awesome pics, looks like you had some fun there!

Good pics, looks like id be able to cope in 2wd on those tracks.
I think an arvo run is spot on as there is heaps of daylight left at that time.
Name a time and il try be there.