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Scott Trial |
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Sunday 2nd April 2006
Scott Trial - St Arnaud - Photos here
START TIME…. For us somewhat later that the 9.00am start- the last to arrive… hence doing this trip report :-)
Joe and I got off to a bit slower start on Sunday than planned,
Too much celebrating our friends up and coming wedding on the night before!
However we did finally make it up to St Arnaud to arrive to a great turn out of Club members and vehicles, quick brief on the instructions and we were off within a few minutes of arrival!
Just enough time to catch a glimpse of the camp site where a number of members had camped overnight
John Hodgson and John Neighbours and our selves had pre-organised a team during the week, and together took off to find the first of four separate course set out for us, for the day
The first course took our team back out onto the Main Road and heading towards the St Arnaud airstrip, we turned into farm land and followed the course which we had to do as fast as possible, with points off for anyone being towed or not attempting a hazard(this was the objective of all four courses)
We also had to keep an eye out for markers, some of which had words and numbers, to record on our time sheet, just to keep us all on our toes
the track lead us back out onto the main road, back up Speargrass Road and back to Sav who collected our time sheet and just as I was eyeballing the coffee flask, we set off again (apologies to John Auld, my acknowledgement of letting the Public Servant side down at morning tea)
The second course took us further up Speargrass Road to do "Billy's" (Knowles) course which took us up into the hills and to a bog set out with marker pegs, the first bit was a steep drop off ( close eyes, hold breath, hang on) then down and into a bog hole
At this point the our Nissan decided she was going no further, and refused to budge, John & John to the rescue, and oh no she wasn't happy been towed out by just one vehicle
It took two to persuade her to get out
On the first attempt to pull her our trusty tow rope snapped and pinged back at us to take out one of our spot lights, so quick triple granny knot and try another tow
Ping..... Rope snaps again and the other spot light crunched just for good measure!
After completing Billy's Bog we headed further up hill and over the top to some fantastic views of the Mountains and Lake, and back down to the camp via many farm gates, …..which had some how managed to get themselves covered in blue engine grease, both the gate latch and along the top of the gate (very clever really there was no getting the gate open without getting covered in the stuff)
This scandalous act of sabotage was rumoured to the originate at very highest levels of the club’s committee, (I should add I understood that our secretary and president both pleaded not guilty)
So with evidence lacking, this will probably remain an unresolved club mystery along with the amazing wooden structures (logs, stones, tree-stumps) which materialised to block the farm gates in various locations around the course!! (This puzzles me too as I’m sure we where behind the esteemed committee team)
Back to Camp and Sav for quick lunch and off on Course number 3 and 4, both courses well set out, an excellent workout for a vehicle’s suspension!
It was around about 4.30pm when our team returned to Camp, and handed in the completed paperwork, by this time it had started to rain and the decision was made to find somewhere warm and dry to add up the score for day, Joe and I decided we had better head home.
Many thanks to Sav and Crew for organising and running a excellent day, the course was well planned out we had a lot of fun following it around all-sorts of different landscape, so this is an acknowledgement to the time it must have taken to set up
Many thanks also to John and John our team mates, much enjoyed your company and good humour and I understand we didn't do to badly by coming in Second for the day 
Jayne
PS ……a short eulogy to the our now deceased tow rope,
Joe said that Sunday was farewell to one of the first "stretchy" tow ropes in the Club, as he had the rope since the days of the Red Land-Cruiser
(very early days of his 4X4 addiction, closet stunt driving career, ahem..Club membership) so given the period of time the rope has been getting Joe out of all kinds of situations, it has proven a good investment.
The Red Land-Cruiser also had its own adventures in the St Arnuld area, I understand involving; one winter, the local ice pond and the owner doing donuts on thin ice... crack…bang...gurgle. Gurgle... but that’s a story for another time
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Past club trips 