Black Range State Forest

Type: 4wd'ing + hiking + camping
Location: Black Range State Forest and Toolangi
Dates: 9 Feb 2020
Weather: Fine and 28. Track mostly dry, and few small bog holes.
Crew: Toon, Jax, Sam, Ross, Ella, Alphie, Henry.
Key Tracks Hit: Headed in via Jackson Rd from Woodbourne, then Garlick Tk, Water Wheel, McClure Bk (that was a sick track!), Up old SEC Rd, headed south down Black Range Rd, then took Ures Rd and Ure Spur Tk (that was a good tk), then got lost through narbethong plantation trying to get back onto black range rd, eventually did via little wonder tk, then spur link and spur rd, winch rd, then headed down sylvia creek rd and a littel further crossing myers creek rd to weasell ck rd (that was a nice tk), then headed home to farm.
Vehicles Used: Ford Ranger Wildtrak, Paj
Distance Travelled: 215km
Campsites: N/A
Fishing: n/a
Gear Purchased: Ford Ranger and everything on it.
Gear Review: The ranger is a beast and highly capable off road. Was very pleased with the Wilpeak AT3W tyres on 285/70/r17. Koni lift also was very good.
Food: Hot dogs for lunch stop, and various other snacks in the car.
Report: Awesome, full day. Left at 8:30, finsihed at 4:30. Home from farm after dinner at 8pm. So happy to have gone out finally again, and cant wait for the next trip.
Rating: 10/10

Toolangi State Forest

Type: 4wd'ing + hiking + camping
Location: Toolangi State Forest
Dates: 25th - 27th Jan
Weather: Hot
Crew: Toon, Willo, Ross
Key Tracks Hit: Various. Winter time this place would be insane and you need one seriously hard core lifted truck. Many bog holes and slippery slides!
Vehicles Used: Paj + Pathy
Distance Travelled: 380 km
Campsites: Special One i am not going to tell you about.
Fishing: 1 trout. See https://fishingcrew.blogspot.com/2019/01/murrindindi-river.html
Gear Purchased: Liam gave his old mans funky campfire frypan
Gear Review: Funky frypan is awesome.
Food: Ate like kings again. Fried chicken wings and legs, nachos, lamb souvas, hot dogs, bacon and egg rolls,
Report: Awesome time. Was going to hit up Upper Big River, but a fire started just past Marysville, and so had to come up with a back up plan. Headed to Rubicon, and waited at Buxton to get confirmation from Ross/Willo they were coming. Ditched Rubicon and chose Toolangi. Was super surprised no one was there, maybe because i had to open the track after a tree fell over the road? Either way, site was nice, if only it had a bigger river to do proper fishing in or swimming. Was just a wicked couple of days chillin, kloping, and talking shit.
Rating: 7/10. Would have been better if Ross stayed another night and LJ didnt little jimmy.

Toolangi Recovery

Type: 4wd'ing + hiking + camping
Location: Toolangi State Forest
Dates: Some time in 2014
Weather: Wet, muddy
Crew: Toon, Annaleigh
Key Tracks Hit: Rouch Road
Vehicles Used: Paj
Distance Travelled: Not much
Campsites: N/A
Fishing: N/A
Gear Purchased: Future Winch
Gear Review: Winch would have been handy
Food: Water
Report: Classic. Went to take Annaleigh on a bogan road trip. Shot some clays, then went offroading. Unfortauntely the tracks were a little more slippery than i had imagined. Slid up Rouch rd, then got to a cross roads, and decided to take one down. Not sure if it was Joes Spur Tk or Carson Tk or Rouch Rd? Anyhow, went down and halfway i knew it was game over. No way would i have been able to reverse back up or chuck a u-ey, as it was too slippery, even with the cooper st's (which arent much in this stuff).

As there was little choice, decided to keep going down hill but of course slid straight into the flowoff embankment. With further effort on trying to exit i became deeper en-lodged. Time to get the shovel. That didnt do anything. Made the call the ditch the car and walk to the nearest main road to get dad to help me out (thanks dad!). The plan was to get the car the next morning as it was 6pm and starting to get dark.

Then as Annaleigh was walking back up the hill with the map, she heard a beast of a car come rubling along. Then came Jason in his GQ Partol, classic. "Do you have a winch?" she said as she flagged him down. Obviously he did, as his 150% muddies were protruding out the wings of his car. Then he decided to travel down the same track as i did, but he did it with ease as he hugged the right side. Then turned around at the bottom and proceeded to help winch us out!!

Epic, and saviour!

Rating: 10/10.