WATAGANS NIGHT DRIVE 12TH JULY 2008
Trip Leaders: Charles & Brett
Followers: Dave Brock, Edward Emery, Colin Bicknell
We all met up at the designated 3pm meeting time the Twin Caltex Servos’ on the F3 at Wyong. With only 4 trucks in total it was hopefully going to be a fairly quick and hassle free trip.
Heading off up the freeway we took the Sparkes Road exit and then turned left onto Hue Hue Rd. About 4km down this road we turned right at Jilliby Cemetary onto Jilliby Rd and followed it along to Dooralong. Charles eventually indicted a left hand turn and we drove up the familiar gravel and dirt road known as Whitemans Lane.
After airing down in the semi dried mud ruts, we locked hubs, engaged 4wd and headed off. The track had changed somewhat from the last time we were here and the first large rut we came across (the one where Tapper laid his 80 on it’s side for those who were there last time) was pretty much undriveable due to its acute depth. An alternate short bypass track off to the left and through the trees had been made by some previous folk so we used this to find our way around. A few back and fills and some fairly decent side angles saw us all through and eager for the next challenge.
Before we could line up for a crack at the first big rock step, we had to negotiate a very large boulder that had rolled down (or been pushed down) from where it used to sit next to the rock step. It’s not in the best position, sitting just to the left of centre of the track and being pretty much immovable. Driving our trucks around it proved to be rather ‘sketchy’ as you had to drive the right hand side of your truck up a small embankment whilst you brushed passed the boulder with your left rear quarter only having a hairs width gap..!
We all drove the rest of Whitemans without a drama except for Edward as his truck had started to make some really loud grinding noises. A quick under truck inspection by Colin found the problem to be the front drive shaft rubbing on the bash plate as the suspension flexed over the rocks. With Colin making short work with a hammer and shifter we were under way again.
We decided the next track to drive down would be ZigZag (not the Lithgow one!) and up Hell Hill or Skull and Cross Bones as some call it. Driving down ZigZag was a lot slower than we had anticipated. The track had rutted out and washed away a lot since last time and combined with the darkness only being lit up with our torches, head lamps and driving lights, we all required guidance to drive down most of the track. We all opted to have a strap on each of our trucks as we dropped off one or two steeply angles rock steps just to be on the safe side and Charles did an excellent job of guiding us all down with only a hand held UHF in one hand and a Narva light in the other..!
It was now about 8:30pm so we decided that we’d drive up Hell Hill and call it a night. The track up to the base of Hell Hill was exciting and a little challenging in itself as, once again, large sections had been rutted away and washed out since last time we were thru. As we surveyed the hill with Charles’ Lighforce’s illuminating the rock steps and trees, the track looked very nice and very steep..!
At the same time we all hear Edward’s truck struggling up the approach hill behind us and making even louder grinding noises then before. Over the radio Colin says he’s going to have a look at it when they stop behind us. Charles then chose to head off up the hill and makes it to the top with no dramas. This allowed us at the bottom room to move up so Edward and Colin could check their truck on sort of level ground. We decide I should drive up next seeing I’m the only one with a winch and we may need to use it on this last steep section of track. Myself and Dave both make it up with no issues.
With Edward & Colin the last to come up, Colin announces over the radio that Edwards’s done an engine mount and truck is not running the best – hence all the grinding noises. We turned my truck around, lined it up to face down the hill, chained it off to a tree, got out the winch extension and block and winched Edward’s truck up the hill. With a few adjustments of the cable and strap, and Edward driving as much as he could, we managed to winch the truck nearly to the top. A final yank with a snatch strap had it back on level ground. The last 20min dirt road meander out to Martinsville Rd finished of the evenings night drive.
Brett