TUFF IFS LUX
30-07-2009, 05:51 PM
I went camping over the Queens Birthday long weekend to Lake Eildon, an area (arm of the lake) called Gough Bay, and the camp site was Picnic Point. Great spot/area for camping for anyone that wants to go.
We go every Queens Birthday long weekend with the Men of the family (in-laws and the like) and the boys. For some of them its the only time each year they go camping so they really look forward to it.
We've been to Barmah State Forest last 2 years but thought I'd take em here instead. Took my 5 year old daughter for the first time with us to rough it out and she loved. The area is fantastic for 4x4'ing and motorbike riding....I couldnt beleive how many motorbikes and trucks were there that weekend.
The area is a hot spot for everyone that loves the great outdoors. Awesome scenery and some fantastic mountain trails to take either your bike or fourby up to explore.......along the main road going into the place there is heaps of campsite site for you to pitch a tent or whatever and they are serviced by brand new toilets that have been just put in.
On the one side you have huge mountains with awesome mountain trails and on the other side you have an empty lake bottom with a shallow stream running through it.
Heres some pics of the campsite -
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h68/mmaaxx1977/P1000164.jpg
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h68/mmaaxx1977/P1000168.jpg
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h68/mmaaxx1977/P1000167.jpg
My bro-in-laws 2 brothers came this year with their KTM 525's.....mate, awesome bikes....I havent ridden a bike in years and I jumped on and took it for a slow cruise around the campsite, giving it a squirt every now and then and Im seriously considering getting at the very least one of those Cheap Chinese import trail bikes just for weekends away, nothing serious, just something to fang around.
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h68/mmaaxx1977/P1000195.jpg
Me and the bikes went for a cruise up some mountain tracks, I had me bro-in-law in the hilux, his first time 4x4'ing, his 2 boys and me daughter and we followed the bikes up one track, but 3 quarters of the way up, he came off the bike and I had to stop on a ledge......once he moved the bike, the hilux wouldnt take off up the hill again, having lost momentum. I wasnt going to back down 200metres a steep and wet track with kids in the hilux, looking back, I probably shouldn't have attempted it but it didnt look that bad from the bottom. So we took the kids out, I aired down to 15psi, then cracked the front ARB Airlocker on, and gave her another go.
Got some more traction, but the greasy rocks made me really work to get her up the last section of track. She was crab crawling from side to side almost side swipping some trees, but made it up. Then had to walk back down 50 metres and help the bro - in - law walk the kids back up to the hilux. All good fun.
From the top of the mountain tracks, you can get some absolutely stunning views of the scenery, rolling hills with pine plantations on the Gough Bay side.
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h68/mmaaxx1977/P1000201.jpg
Did a couple other tracks with the bikes, was good, not that I expected them to get me out if stuck, but they would fang it down and up the tracks and scout ahead and if they thought it was too difficult or dangerous, they'd come back to let me know.
I did get almost caught out once, i went down a steep rocky and loose track that had quite a few of the mounds the DSE puts in for water to divert off the track into the bushes. I got to the bottom of this downhill section before the bikes could get back to me to tell me to stop as the track further along was way too rutted and would swallow the hilux up they reckoned. I didnt think I could make it up the next bit, there was a decent step half way up and with kids in the hilux I didnt want to risk it. Was bad enough trying to get back up the 60 or so metres I just came down, was one of the most impressive performances the hilux has done so far, even the kids were rapt :lol:
Scrapped both sides of the ARB side steps (which is what they are there for) the bash plate skidded up the mounds, tow bar was digging in hard on exits....but we made it up and out, kids thought it was better than a roller coaster :roll:
Got back to camp and thought we'd hit some of the mud flats near the stream. Heres a pic of the stream just near camp....bout 100 metres away and 40 metres below us.
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h68/mmaaxx1977/P1000179.jpg
We go every Queens Birthday long weekend with the Men of the family (in-laws and the like) and the boys. For some of them its the only time each year they go camping so they really look forward to it.
We've been to Barmah State Forest last 2 years but thought I'd take em here instead. Took my 5 year old daughter for the first time with us to rough it out and she loved. The area is fantastic for 4x4'ing and motorbike riding....I couldnt beleive how many motorbikes and trucks were there that weekend.
The area is a hot spot for everyone that loves the great outdoors. Awesome scenery and some fantastic mountain trails to take either your bike or fourby up to explore.......along the main road going into the place there is heaps of campsite site for you to pitch a tent or whatever and they are serviced by brand new toilets that have been just put in.
On the one side you have huge mountains with awesome mountain trails and on the other side you have an empty lake bottom with a shallow stream running through it.
Heres some pics of the campsite -
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h68/mmaaxx1977/P1000164.jpg
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h68/mmaaxx1977/P1000168.jpg
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h68/mmaaxx1977/P1000167.jpg
My bro-in-laws 2 brothers came this year with their KTM 525's.....mate, awesome bikes....I havent ridden a bike in years and I jumped on and took it for a slow cruise around the campsite, giving it a squirt every now and then and Im seriously considering getting at the very least one of those Cheap Chinese import trail bikes just for weekends away, nothing serious, just something to fang around.
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h68/mmaaxx1977/P1000195.jpg
Me and the bikes went for a cruise up some mountain tracks, I had me bro-in-law in the hilux, his first time 4x4'ing, his 2 boys and me daughter and we followed the bikes up one track, but 3 quarters of the way up, he came off the bike and I had to stop on a ledge......once he moved the bike, the hilux wouldnt take off up the hill again, having lost momentum. I wasnt going to back down 200metres a steep and wet track with kids in the hilux, looking back, I probably shouldn't have attempted it but it didnt look that bad from the bottom. So we took the kids out, I aired down to 15psi, then cracked the front ARB Airlocker on, and gave her another go.
Got some more traction, but the greasy rocks made me really work to get her up the last section of track. She was crab crawling from side to side almost side swipping some trees, but made it up. Then had to walk back down 50 metres and help the bro - in - law walk the kids back up to the hilux. All good fun.
From the top of the mountain tracks, you can get some absolutely stunning views of the scenery, rolling hills with pine plantations on the Gough Bay side.
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h68/mmaaxx1977/P1000201.jpg
Did a couple other tracks with the bikes, was good, not that I expected them to get me out if stuck, but they would fang it down and up the tracks and scout ahead and if they thought it was too difficult or dangerous, they'd come back to let me know.
I did get almost caught out once, i went down a steep rocky and loose track that had quite a few of the mounds the DSE puts in for water to divert off the track into the bushes. I got to the bottom of this downhill section before the bikes could get back to me to tell me to stop as the track further along was way too rutted and would swallow the hilux up they reckoned. I didnt think I could make it up the next bit, there was a decent step half way up and with kids in the hilux I didnt want to risk it. Was bad enough trying to get back up the 60 or so metres I just came down, was one of the most impressive performances the hilux has done so far, even the kids were rapt :lol:
Scrapped both sides of the ARB side steps (which is what they are there for) the bash plate skidded up the mounds, tow bar was digging in hard on exits....but we made it up and out, kids thought it was better than a roller coaster :roll:
Got back to camp and thought we'd hit some of the mud flats near the stream. Heres a pic of the stream just near camp....bout 100 metres away and 40 metres below us.
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h68/mmaaxx1977/P1000179.jpg