Winches & Waterfalls 4WD Event Cache. Slaty Creek, Victoria, Australia
By embi on 15-Aug-04. Waypoint GCHQ73

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After a late start due to not noticing the departure time had changed during the week I originally printed the page, we eventually met up with everyone at "Ha Ha you're kidding"
We met a great group of people and it's great to put faces with names. We had a terrific day and we would like to thank Embi for organising the day. (If there's another one, I'll be sure to check any departure time changes closer to the event )
Regards, Andrew, Clare, Karen & Brendan "team da bugs"

Good Weather, Good Fun, Good People!

Thanks Embi for a perfect excuse to get out of the house and activate the "mud magnet" on the Red Dwarf, AND to meet some decent people at the same time.

See you all at the next one.

Dicko, Sue, Stephanie and Ashleigh

A great day for a quite drive in the country Another great opportunity to catch up with old friends and make some new ones.

Thanks to EMBI for organizing the event and to NutCache and Geofreak for setting all the new caches in the area to keep us busy during the day.

Looking forward to the next outing

Came, Saw, Caught up with friends, Got Muddy and... Oh Yeah, also found some caches!. Thanks to the organisers and attendees for making a great day out.

Thanks Embi for the work in organising, and thanks to all who attended!
I have now got DSL up again at home (after a Telstra Upgrade!. Here is a link to a simple Dotnet app I built last night to show the photos from the day. Just click on the thumbs for the full version (beware, the full versions are 4-5Mbytes). After loading the full version, you can right click and select save picture to get a local copy.

(visit link)
Below is a low Res version of the group photo. The full version is available from the list of all photos above. The group photo has some lens distortion at the extreme edges of the picture because of the wide angle lens used. Sorry about that
(visit link)

Attended event but never logged it
so doing it now

We really enjoyed this event. Our 2nd event day! We travelled with Embi and J. helping them try out the new XTrail. Good to meet some new Cachers too. Thanks to all who placed the caches and to Embi for organisation.
Ogwo and Wacky

First event my brother and I have been to and we both enjoyed it. We are both hooked on the game now and will continue to go looking for other caches whenever we get the chance. look out for the 'STABILO' Hi-lighters in a cache near you. you'll know we've been there for a look!

This was the first cache that we have found for ages. Thanks embi for the organisation and to those who placed caches along the route. Joe and I both had an excellent time,

Peter

What an excellent day, good weather, great people, great scenery & good mud
It was great to meet up with so many people.

Thanks to Embi for organising such a great day !!
Thanks to Geofreak and Nutcache for the new caches !!

I'm with pprass, I also vote for a "4WD Event Cache" as an annual event

cheers Darren
The ELTHAM Mob

Thanks Embi for another chance to get my wheels dirty. I have not been game to wash the mud off yet, I am afraid of what may be underneath.
Great to see everyone again, till next time................

What a great day - after all the discussion on the forum as to whether the trip would be too difficult or not difficult enough, whether vehicles would or wouldn't make it, we ended up satisfying all requirements. We got some reasonably difficult 4wding in by going up the "man" track rather than the "mouse" track and also driving up to Shelob's Lair, which damaged (minor) a couple of vehicles along the way. A great bunch of people and of course thanks to embi, Geofreak and Nutcache. I vote for embi to make this an annual event

Arrived at the Co-ords to find quite a few 4x4 vehicles ahead of me. Upon asking "has anyone here got a GPS" I knew I had found the right group.

Thanks Embi for organising a great day.

Regards

Ian & Penny

Thanks to the generosity of Juzmac, I was offered a seat in their new toy to attend this event. Not that I can really see the fun in crawling slowly down very steep and bumpy trails - but it was great to catch up with so many teams at each break. Somehow I don't think I'll be returning to do the other caches in my little Barina - maybe the Juzmac or Maccamob 4WDs will head that way another day?!

Thanks embi and geofreak for all the pre-planning and organising!

What a fantastic day!!! I for one was sorry we had to leave early but was glad at the same time that we had a chance to meet so many fellow cachers on the day and give the new Navara a bit of a run in on some tracks!!!

A fantastic effort by Embi all around - a very well organised day!

Thankyou!
Justin & Tania

A fantastic day made that way by those who placed the caches (Geofreak and Nutcache <- THANK YOU) and by all those who attended. I'd almost say it was the biggest turn out at a VIC event so far.

I had a great time and it was good to catch up with everyone and meet new faces.

Cant wait to see the pics.

had a top day and not too muddy and no panel damage

An great day out guys, i hope to be attending another day like this sometime in the future, Thanks EMBI from Matt and also a thanks to Team Rabbitto for leatting me join in for the day .

A great day out. Thanks to Embi for organising, to Geofreak and Nutcache for the extra caches and to anyone else who had an organisational hand in the day. Thanks also to Engles, without whose generousity on letting us ride along today we would have had to sit this one out.

Great to meet and catch up with so many other cachers today in such beautiful surroundings. We have seen so many caches appear in this area recently and needed the excuse to get out here. The only down side is that for every one we logged today, we had another printed that we didn't get to and as many again unprinted. We will be back.

All day long I was mentally rating tracks as -
1. The Manga could go up this track or
2. The Manga could go up this track if it was dry or
3. Yeah, we could walk that one easy enough

Good Weather, Good Fun, Good People!

Thanks Embi for a perfect excuse to get out of the house and activate the "mud magnet" on the Red Dwarf, AND to meet some decent people at the same time.

See you all at the next one.

Dicko, Sue, Stephanie and Ashleigh

I hope it's not too late to state our intention to come, but Joe wasn't sure that he would be able to get away until today. I have tried to call embi and check this, but I can't get through, so decided to log here without his ok. Will try again to contact him later tonight.

Will all of the rain that we have had today have changed the condition of the tracks/river crossings/etc that this trip requires?

Hope to catch up with everyone tomorrow. It will be good to get back into some geocaching action. Kate and I are currently organising our wedding and unfortunately this combined with our study is taking up more than every moment of free time we would otherwise have. I have hardly found a cache in the last 4 or 5 months! It will be good to see embi and Pyrenees Kid particularly, because it is looking fairly certain that Kate and I will be moving to Ballarat in December this year for work next year.

Thanks for the trip - looking forward to it. I hope that this is not too late,

Peter

Confirming Rabbitto's attendance tomorrow. It is fairly probable that we will also have a second vehicle attending with some friends who have heard all about geocaching and about this event and are keen to experience it.

Team "da bugs" are looking forward to being there but I'm thinking that a boat may be more applicable than a 4x4
Regards Andrew "da big bug"

Count me in, not in my car though lol. I;ll be coming with team rabbitto

We are sorry to say that we (Team Crackers and I) cannot make it. Team Crackers is preparing for a trip north and needs all the time he can muster to prepare the Crackerwagon.

Just updated the waypoint file and added a GPX file for GSAK

A late starter!
just the event to get back into the game of geocache.
A top excuse to test out the new GPSr and to get some mud into the bloodstream at the same time.
Judjing by todays rain there should be enough mud to go round![^]

I have just approved a heap of caches that geofreak and nutcache have been working on for us in the area of our event. Make sure you get the details of them and we can go find them. Thanks to the guys for placing them....should make our day very full.

here are the URL's for the new ones an some exisiting ones.

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=06f36336-1b66-4789-b818-e7b2eb72f5c1

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=4183f2fe-76a7-4693-8e27-5b7f34ff3484

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=ceee3dee-c6d5-427f-ad44-bb014f35529e

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=7eac45ee-e20c-484f-921a-a0cc2e5b57ef

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=159f2d57-b63f-4947-9c7d-7f8635a982f4

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=61006d0b-c808-4b3c-8dbc-5f019172c724

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=05610ba5-7181-4141-b1e1-ab31979d2849

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=7a16667d-9c21-454e-ba7b-cfe47d2b51c1

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=82b1d017-6a4d-47d5-a632-965e8a9544e0

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=0f2f829b-baac-4324-9015-419586a8ddf1

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=6c6ebb29-a4d8-4daa-a11b-62616246eaff

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=9599a8c6-5965-4da4-8965-08f861f07868

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=5be894f0-7744-45cc-96e0-be925fb3a3a8

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=e6d72928-74e5-48e9-b91c-b3393841503d

Mr.Coffee is unable to attend due to work comitments this weekend. Hope all who go will have a great day, wish it was the following weekend (weekend off work). would have loved to test out the new cable on the winch. put me down for next time.
Regards Mr.Coffee Ian.

coords changed to update trip.

I suggest everyone brings there own lunch as we will be stopping at Starlings Gap for lunch.

Apparently there are bbq facilities etc available.

As you sit and have lunch see if you can work out why the new "super highway" that isn't in use. They built it over 2 years ago and still havn't opened it!????

Be sure to walk up the track past the toilets and check out the old steam engines - about 100 meters.
Across the road from the picnic area (over the "Super highway") is the old sawdust pile from the "Old Ada" mill.

If you need a winch to check out, look on Big Creek Rd between Horner track & Dowey spur rd on the down hill side (sign board next to it).

Sorry I can't come

Enjoy your day People

Thanks for all the offers for the ride guys, but I have made some other big plans for the day. Have fun..

I will be going along and if xfking is able, he and his party are more than welcome to ride with me.

I think the idea of trying to make Starlings Gap the ara for lunch is a good one. There is plenty of space there for both parking and room to kick a footy. There are good little fireplaces for a BBQ and if someone brings an axe, there are many areas that have lots of timber felling debri for firewood.

Jedi4

I have been looking closely at the latest road closures. All is good for us and we dont have closures.

It looks like we will have about 11 vehicles attending.

I am considering reversing the direction of the trip so we end up at Starling Gap for lunch.

I think this would be better as we can use the facilities there. It will also mean a shorter distance to the starting point and its on the same stretch of road so we dont have to deviate too much.

What is everyones feelings on this??

Please let me know so I can make changes to the cache page.

Xf King. There may be someone who could offer a seat to you. I would but my parents have taken the last seats in my vehicle....anyone willing?

Wish I had a 4wd, lol if only a XF falcon with an LSD would do the job... anyways, hope you will all have fun, I should be out and about doing other caches..

It was all going well and then the phone rang.

Rostering officer: Can you work an afternoon shift saturday or a day or an afternoon shift sunday of next weekend?
djcache: Oh bugger. Yeah I spose so. Afternoon shift both days rather than the day shift. Don't like short changeovers (all the time swearing to self)

Sorry guys. It's all double time and the credit card balance takes precedence. Trouble with buying toys is you gotta pay for them later....

I'm staying in Shep this weekend (7th/8th) while Lynne goes to Melbourne in the hope that I get offered overtime, if that eventuates I may still make it, but if it doesn't I am now working next weekend.

How frustrating.

djcache

Things are working out well and there is a 99% chance Vombatus and our selves will be there. Looking forward to it.

On a last minute talk to Rabbitto's extended family, we may be attending also. Will post later to confirm.

Jedi4 Would Love to come. I hope the entire faimily can make it, but we'll have to see.
What should we bring?

I hope we can make it, still not sure what state I will be in. Will most likley have Vombatus with us as well. Will have a definate answer in the next week.

Hmmm. Sounds good. Lots of thick red lines on the NRE maps though... not many dotted lines. Maybe lots of waterfalls and not so much winch??

Will investigate the logistics, discuss it with the family event coordinator and explore the probability of a bed or two in Healesville the night before....

I'll get back to you

djcache

Anyone else taking their junior cachers along?? Mine is 4 y/o and loves the 4wd. The more mud the better in her opinion - maybe not in Mum's!

The ELTHAM Mob will be there, looking forward to it.
If the weather on the 17th/18th July was anything to go by we may need toboggans
Will be taking a 3yo and 7yo; will be staying in the area (Warbuton?) on the Saturday night as we will tobogganing Sat

[This entry was edited by dcr on Friday, July 23, 2004 at 6:03:46 AM.]

Ian & Penny will be there.

Was at end of Geary fire brake the other day and I'm sure the gate is closed for winter as are a lot of other tracks in the area.

If I'm free I may be out to say hello (even to Biggles Bear (see Mt Doom))

21/7
Doh! already booked to take muggles to the snow. Another time may be.

[This entry was edited by Geoƒ on Tuesday, July 20, 2004 at 6:34:06 PM.]

It's in the diary. We'll see you there. But which vehicle?

Count in team "Da Bugs" (I don't know how many of them) I've got juuuuuust the track to try out your new Xtrail Embi and it's very close to Powelltown as well.
Have a look at Geary firebreak, it goes straight up south of Powelltown and I do mean straaaaiiiigggghhht up.
I did it a few years ago in my Patrol, when some landrover guys wimped out and said it was too steep for them. It was summer so traction was good and when I got to the top at Bunyip Rd the same guys met me there and gave me a standing ovation. It's the steepest track I've been up from memory.
Hmmmm, pity, it looks like your safe it'll be closed for seasonal closure during winter.
Regards Andrew "da big bug"

Yes we will be there along with GeoJo on to test out the new car!