20th Far East Gippsland Track Clearing & Gate Opening with Parks Victoria
Date and time: 8:30am, Thursday 15th October to 4:00pm Sunday 18th October
Trip Standard: Medium with hard sections. Training required, also see equipment requirements.
Description: 20th Far East Gippsland Track Clearing & Gate Opening with Parks Victoria
Join us for 2, 3 or 4 days.
This is again a wonderful opportunity to work with and support Parks Victoria Rangers in fabulous and remote National Parks, clearing tracks and opening Seasonally Closed gates. You will be exploring old growth forests, cool temperate rainforest and alpine heights.
Clearing walking tracks (with PV supplied equipment or your own chainsaws) in the Errinundra National Park on the Thursday & Friday and 4WD tracks (using your own chainsaws (if accredited) and assisting clearing the tracks on the Saturday and Sunday in the Alpine National Park and Errinundra National Parks with Parks Victoria Rangers.
Tracks will range from Easy to Hard depending on the convoy you travel with. Club Driver Training is a requirement.
Please be self sufficient and carry emergency supplies of food and water with you in the bush. Be prepared for cold and wet conditions. Some convoys will be travelling in Alpine areas. Please bring your own picnic lunch and water each day for lunch in the bush.
Parks Victoria Rangers hold full safety briefings.
The Bendoc Hotel will be open with meals (including take away) available.
The Bendoc Hall with BBQ has been booked for the 3 nights.
Saturday night will be a BBQ dinner organised by Parks Victoria and others. Please BYO drinks. There will be presentations by Parks Victoria Rangers and others celebrating the 20th anniversary of Track Clearing out of the Bendoc PV office.
This event will be jointly held with the Pajero 4WD Club, the Land Rover Owners Club of Vic, the Friends of Errinundra and the INEOS 4X4 Club of Victoria.
Track Clearing will run concurrently with the Friends of Errinundra's Springtime on Errinundra. See another club trip announcement for details which include drives led by botanist David Cameron that some members of your vehicle group may wish to join. Car pooling may be arranged.
No pets or firearms.
We recommend full Ambulance Victoria coverage and RACV Total Care (or similar).
Weather: Alpine environment, potentially cold and wet. We have had wet weather and snow in the past, so please bring clothing, footwear and camping gear suitable for the conditions and keep an eye on the weather forecast for the Alpine area.
Equipment: Below are the recommended vehicle requirements. If you are not sure if your vehicle is suitable for a trip, please have a chat with the trip leader.
All terrain tyres at a minimum, in car UHF radio, front and rear recovery points, 2 rated shackles, chainsaw with all required Personal Protection Equipment for certified chainsaw operators, serviced winch if you have one, leather working gloves, strong work boots, rated drag chain, air compressor and tyre gauge, Maxtrax or similar, axe, hand saw, safety glasses, hand held UHF radio. First Aid kit. All camping and cooking gear, water and food for the weekend. BYO Lunch each day in the bush.
Additional Equipment required: Free camping at Wilsons Hut (Marriot Track 5kms from Bendoc) with DEECA bush toilets, fire pits and picnic tables. If towing a caravan or camper trailer you may wish to travel via Cann River and Bombala. Local accommodation may be available. Showers available next to the Bendoc Hall for a gold coin donation
Clothing for wet and cold conditions. Morning tea and lunches will be in the bush each day – byo simple, “on the move” lunches and morning teas (byo thermos).
No pets or firearms
Maps and Reference Material: Map: Rooftop Maps: Snowy River, McKillops Bridge, Lakes Entrance Cann River, Orbost, Delegate
Fuel: Fuel available in Orbost and Delegate (limited hours) and Bombala in NSW. Please have a full fuel tank at the last available fuel outlet. No supplies are available in Bendoc
Distance: Bendoc is approximately 450 km from Melbourne. The trip distance Bendoc - Bendoc is 300 km of mainly low range driving.
Duration: 2,3 or 4 days
Convoy limit: 10 vehicles
Meeting arrangements: We will meet at Bendoc depot for Parks Victoria (DEECA) at 8:30am each day and aim to finish about 4.00pm.
Club Guest Registration policy: It is club policy in regard to insurance cover that if a member brings any non-members on the trip they must be registered and have paid the required fee as Temporary Members BEFORE the event. i.e. non-members can no longer register on the day with the trip leader.
Temporary Membership information and ways to register can be found at: Temporary (Guest) Membership
Also if a non-member wishes to bring their own vehicle, the member inviting the non-member must contact the trip leader for approval to bring the vehicle. Such approval will take into account skills of the driver, suitability of the vehicle and whether or not a place within the convoy limit is available for a non-member's vehicle.
Trip Leaders: John and Prue Hasler Ph: 0439 890 688