Border Track Trip Report

After the success of our last desert trip Paul and I decided to run another trip incorporating some tracks that were on the last trip, plus also adding a few new ones such as the Border Track.

Ten 4WD’s joined us for this trip and we all couldn’t wipe the smiles from our faces.

Day 1 Thursday 9th May

Paul, Keith, Lachlan and I meet Chris H, Geoff I and Narelle W at the Bridgewater service station, then departed at 5pm to head to Western beach. Just before getting to Charlton it started to rain which resulted in us receiving showers of rain for the rest of night.

We stopped off at 6:30pm at Birchip for tea. By 7pm we left Birchip for Rainbow, reaching Rainbow we all refuelled then headed the last few kilometres up the road to Western Beach pulling into camp at 8:30pm. Along the way we received a text from Tim to say he was stopping off at Birchip and will meet up with us in the morning.

The rain stopped long enough for us to set up camp, As the rain started again we all gathered under our awing enjoying a drink and a catch up.

With all the rain about it brought out the big goat moths, they where attracted to the awing light and where all over our swags and us. Lachlan was having fun catching them, then releasing them. As the boys where heading off to bed they had to be extra quick so none enter there swags.

About 9pm Shannon C rolled in, then about half a hour later Jim E arrived and then at 10:40 we heard a troopy coming down the road and Dale P rolled into camp. We had a couple more drinks and went to bed about 12am.

Day 2 Friday 10th May

The next morning Tim K arrived. We had all started to pack up when we heard Geoff yelling out fire, we all turned to discover that there was a small fire in the back of Dales troopy (a plastic bag had blown onto his cooker), the fire was quickly extinguished and packing up continued. All that was damaged was Dale’s pride, his melted clinkers and some BBQ chips.

I went down to where Don F and Geoff P where camped as we couldn’t find them the night before. (They arrived at 4pm the day before and it was to cold for them to get out of bed to answer our radio call) Once they where packed up they regrouped with us.

About 8:50am Russell T, Naomi G and her 2 sons (Connor and Leo) arrived.

Once everyone had aired down we headed off (9am) turning left from camp then right onto Kumbrunin rd, driving a short distance then right onto Milmed rock track. We started to have some fun in the wet sand and mud.

Finding a stop on the side of the track we stopped for smoko (10:30). This where we discovered a small leak in Tim’s radiator, we placed some black pepper in the radiator to stop the leak. By 11am we got back traveling along the track, we stopped at Milmed rock for some photos then continued on having fun in the sand.

Connor took the wrong line up a small sand dune so Naomi had to take the drivers seat to get through this section of track.

Once back on the Murrayville track we drove for a few kms and arrived at a lookout sand dune where we had some lunch. (1pm).

Then some of the group had a play on the dune Shannon, Dale, Tim, Geoff (then got stuck but a quick recovery got him out), Narelle and Russell made it to the top.

Naomi and Paul also had a attempt but didn’t make it to the top.

Back on Murrayville track (2pm), then onto cactus bore track where we started to drive over a few sand dunes, with a couple vehicles getting stuck, but they just needed to back down and try a new line.

Then we turned left into Coburn track and arriving in at red gum camp at about 3:30pm. Once the wind dropped we had a nice night around the fire with lots of laughs.

Day 3 Saturday 11th May

Saturday we had a very excited group waiting to hit the border track and the big sand dunes. We departed camp at 9am we took Coburns track then firebreak track arriving at the Border track sign, at the intersection everyone took a photo of the sign and then we all stopped and rechecked tyre pressure and headed off.

Reaching the park gate I opened it and the convey went through with Jim closing the gate, our phones then started jumping from South Australia time to Victoria time. We headed through a paddock, finally hitting the sand we bounced our way through the wombat holes. We got to Hensley Lookout for morning smoko (11am) and some nice photos from the lookout. The excitement was still building especially when we told them there was more large sand dunes to come.

On arriving at our first big sand dune we had multiple options to choose from we choose the hard line because of the sand being wet. We all did this expect Dale who choose another track. Tim, Shannon (the look of disappointment on Shannons face was priceless), Don and Geoff couldn’t make it so had to reverse back down and lower there tyre pressures and tried again this time Tim and Shannon made it up.

Don and Geoff decided to choose a different track due to not being able to get up the same spot as everyone else, and with this they made it over.

We all told Dale that he should go back down and try the track the rest of us had done, he didn’t take long to reach the bottom and come up the same track we did. Camera’s at the ready Dale came up the track, bouncing all over the track and nearly taking out a guide post, but made it all the way to the top.

At the next dune Paul choose the hard line again and everyone expect Geoff made it over. He needed to be snatch over, so two snatch straps where found and connected to Geoff’s isuzu and Dale’s troopy and a quick and safe recovery was done. Recovery gear was packed away and we traveled on. By this time it was lunch time so we found a spot on the track for lunch(1:10pm).

At about 1:40pm we continued on we soon arrived at the turn off for camp but being early enough Paul put a call out over the radio and ask if anyone wish to go and look at the bog holes further down the track everyone was very excited about this so we continued on.

We headed over another sand dune, Paul attempted it but need to reverse down and try again, while he did this Russell took another track and loved the drop off the other side. Paul had another attempt and this time he got over, everyone else choose a track and got through. With everyone over we went to the bog holes arriving there Paul stopped and Russell pulled up along side of us at a big bog hole and told us he will attempt that one, we got out to take a look, then I got ready to film him go through. I called him through and he went through with no troubles. Paul was next up with the encouragement of Lachlan and Keith I got ready to film again and Paul started to head through but once reaching the bottom he got stuck, a crowd started to gather and Russell had to turn around to recover him, Jim set up the snatch strap between the two cruisers and another safe recovery was done, straps where disconnected and we all continued on play in the mud holes. After about half an hour of having fun playing in the bog holes we decided to head off to found camp.

We got back to the sand dune that they we all successfully got over before. Paul tried one of the steeper tracks but didn’t get over so he went back on the track we had taken earlier, everyone had made it over expect Geoff who after a few attempts took one of the chicken tracks. Don and Geoff who also got stuck, so Jim had to go up the sand dune and recover them. While this was happening Russell, Dale and Shannon went to collect some firewood and head off to camp.

Not long later we all rolled in to the Red Bluff camp ground (4:30pm) and saw a Wedge tail eagle flying around, we set up camp and got the fire going. With tea consumed, we sat around the fire enjoying each other’s company and another night fill of laughs.

Marshmallows where also cooked, once there where all cooked I throw some mystical fire into the fire pit and some coloured flames where enjoyed by all.

Lachlan was having fun playing with the wood off cuts the Shannon brought along. While Keith was digging a nice hole near his chair. (It was covered in when he went to bed for everyone’s safety).

Another late night was had as everyone was still excited about the day we had just had.

Day 4 Sunday 12th May

Mother’s Day was a wet misty morning

I woke to Paul cooking me a lovely Mother’s Day breakfast (sorry about the nice smell going through camp) which I enjoyed around the camp fire. After breakfast we started packing up camp. Everyone else where slowly working up and packing up camp.

We left camp at 8:45 and went along Red bluff track, this track consisted of some nice views, and with us being trip leader we saw heaps of Kangaroos, a mob of 30 or so of Emus and a small mob of goats.

Turning left we where back on the Murrayville track, we stopped at Chinamans well lookout for smoko (10:30am). Shannon had several attempts to make it up to the lookout but couldn’t reach the top even with a set of maxtrax’s layed down in the tough section. Dale decided to have a go and with maxtraxs still in place he made it all the way to to the top and back down the other side. Maxtrax now removed Dale tried it again with Shannon in the passenger seat but they couldn’t reach the top. No one else want to try so we moved on. (11:10am)

Moving on we went right along Chinamans well track once we arrived at the well we had lunch (12:30pm) then had a group photo then continued on Pella track all the way back to Westerns beach (2:10pm). We lined all the 4wds up and all got some photos then Dale, Don and Geoff, Shannon, Naomi,Connor,Leo, Jim and Geoff all aired up and headed for home (3pm).

Russell, Narelle, Chris, Tim, Paul, Keith, Lachlan and I headed over to the camp ground and set up camp. A light shower of rain passed through camp followed by a nice rainbow. We enjoyed a few quite drinks around the fire, heading off to bed around 11pm.

Day 5 Monday 13th May

Everyone took it easy this morning and slowly packed up camp and enjoy the morning camp fire. By 8:50am Tim left to head home.

The rest of us extinguish the fire and by 9am we where on the tracks again, we followed Purra track around Lake Albacutya (it last filled with water in 1974). The start of the track was nice and sandy and was a bit softer then what we had been driving through.

Back out on the dirt roads to went back to 2wd enjoying the small amounts of water laying across the track. As we driving along we saw a few Kangaroos and a couple Emus. We turned left then right into O.T.I.T campground. More photos where taken then we headed back out of the campground back out to the bitumen (Park road).

We arrived at Wyperfield national park and drove into Wonga campground we all had a look around and then pulled up beside the hut for another photo, and morning smoko (10:30am).

We all aired up and by 11:15am we back on the road to Hopetoun founding a pub, Russell and I went in asked if there where doing meals and they said they weren’t, so we went and told the others and then jumped back in our 4wds and continued on. I rang through to Birchip pub but they where also closed. We then pulled in to Beaulah we found a pub there, which was open and had a meal there.

After our meal we found a service station and refuelled for the trip home. Pulling out of Beulah (1:45) we headed to Birchip, Wycheproof then down the Calder highway. On arriving in Inglewood (3:30pm) we stopped and said our goodbyes.