Spicers Gap

The recce that became a run 

28 March 1999

 Nicko needed to recce the run that was done some ten or more years ago. It took in the history of the crossing of the Great Dividing Range in South East Queensland. Nicko has a long association with that particular piece of landscape and has fought many a challenge and negotiated with many a government official to ensure that this historical road stays open for all to appreciate.

 To the Club and several others, the Spicer's Gap run was an all day run which was rated medium to hard. Off road magazine writers used to bring vehicles to Spicer's to test drive. We would meet at Aratula to start the run. Morning teas were either the camping ground or the graves. As we were able to drive to the Governor's chair, lunch was at the top. The rest of the afternoon was spent negotiating the western side with a smoko stop at the football field. These days it's a very different story.

 Anyway, to the present. We decided to take the bus for a run and Nicko and Michael came with us. A few others, Bruce, Pam, Mark and Lisa O; Cameron, Brian and Malcolm N and friend Jo; Graeme and Julie L; Arnold and Pat S; Royce, Kay, Zoe and Kay's Dad were all keen to get going. We were to meet at Nicko's at 8am on Sunday morning. It's not often we're late but today was the day. Clint felt happier having the high lift jack strapped on. We'd give a Subaru a hernia if we needed recovering. The idea was to find Hodgson's Gap. Ascend it then view Gorman's Gap from the top. Trouble is there's a lot of haze in ten years of memory and roads have been changed or improved.

 One of the benefits of our driving around in rather large circles was that we found the bottom of Gorman's Gap Road complete with a dedicatory plaque. This was something new and unexpected. It wasn't long after this that Julie swallowed a bug and was quite uncomfortable. She needed to stop to eat something to push it down. We all pulled up at the next corner to wait for others to catch up.

 As we drove along, Nicko would be telling us that Gorman's Gap should be on our right and south of Hodgson's. This country isn't ringing any bells. Wait a minute, we’re too far north. We were on the Flagstone Creek Road, which would take us to Toowoomba, but it was not the way we wanted to go. Somewhere in our many cloverleaves we pulled up for morning tea. Graeme recently fitted the wheels of Royce's old Subaru. They're quite large and with the double shockies there was a conflict of space under the guards. A quick adjustment and things should have been right.

 We backtracked to an intersection that looked promising. Still Graeme's Snow White was having chafing problems. Solution ‑ remove one of the two shockies under each guard. A simple job requiring just a little bit of man power to lift the front of the vehicle at the appropriate time. Bruce had the driver's side one out in quick fashion and the passenger side was giving Graeme some grief. A few whispered words of encouragement and a little more lift from the walking jacks ‑ out came the shockie. By now Graeme had a small thunder cloud hovering above him. The tool box handle broke as the gear was being packed up and that was IT for Graeme.

 We were underway again and headed in the right direction for Hodgson's Gap. Civilisation has moved in here too. The two steep pinches that used to be a scrabble are now bitumen. It only takes a little imagination and a slow vehicle in front to make the ascent a degree or two more difficult.

 At the top of the range we headed north for a short while to find the top camp of Gorman's Gap Road. We checked down one road. No it didn't quite fit the clues. Oh well, drive on. There was a signposted turnoff we just missed and the group turned in where they could while we did a three-­point turn to get around. By now, of course we were about an hour behind our scheduled meeting time with David M. He was meeting up with us on the Warwick side of Spicer's. We didn't have Dave's number to phone him so we waited for him to phone us. Sure enough, we didn't have long to wait. Nicko asked David if he would check out the car park at the top of Cunningham's Gap and time the walk to the look out. Guess what, David's not alone. Big John, Trent B and friends had come along too.

 We still had about an hour to travel to meet up with Dave - pass Nicko's old place …  go through Steele Rudd country  …  leap‑frog Dave …  pull up for late lunch at main Range National Park.

 As we turned in from the highway to the start of Spicer's Gap there is a sign that at the moment doesn't quite make sense. It reads as though the Mt Matheson section of the track is already closed (but it isn't due to close just yet). Then it goes on to say that the gate will be locked and the track closed due to wet weather. Some having an each way bet and hoping to keep people out. Well it didn't work because at the first water crossing we encountered six other vehicles. A couple of them were Subaru Club members who thought we weren't having a club run this day.

 Bruce tried to put on the big splash for the camera but forgot the fan was on and the car choked. Up with the bonnet, spray some dewatering fluid and he was on his way.

 The next challenge was a side by side mud hole. Most of us chose to go around it as best we could but Royce wanted to test out the Defender (no, not snail pellets). Royce took on the deep hole and ended up with mud on his bonnet and lacking forward motion. He backed out and came through the other mud hole.

 Next was Clint's turn for a bit of getting nowhere fast. The OKA wasn't going anywhere in a corner of soft mud. It wasn't too soft and the tyres have reasonable tread but why weren't we moving? The obvious thing to check was that the freewheeling hubs were locked in. The passenger side was but the driver's side wasn't. Apparently Clint was side tracked between turning one and not the other when we were stopped at the bottom of Gorman's Gap.

 Another photo opportunity came when everyone took on the deep sided slooshy mud puddle. This led to a steep washed out incline. By now Royce in the Defender had given me a lift. Clint was up front working out the best way around for T-REX II. The track that wasn't washed out was too narrow and crowded with trees for the bus to use so Clint took on the wash outs. The long travel suspension was put to good use as Clint's desire was to keep the bus as level as possible. Wouldn't like to see it on it side. According to Bruce it was a spectacle to watch the long leaf springs stretch.

 The dilemma for Bruce was which track he should take. He took on the wash outs as well but from a different angle. This put his car in an awkward position of maybe sliding into the deep wash out on the passenger side and resting the side of the car against the embankment. One of the joys of being in the Subaru Club is that when you are travelling with friends there is always someone to help out. Mark and Pam were out of the car, Clint and I turned up the initial intention of taking photos. Instead we were able to push, with the help of mark, Pam and Royce. Bruce needed to tackle the situation with a bit of speed to have the momentum to carry the passenger rear wheel to a point of traction.

 Cameron took much the same line and with a bit of speed was able to clear the wash outs. Graeme and Julie made it look pretty easy and David in Super Brumby made it look ridiculously easy. Royce had no real trouble in the Defender. Arnold wanted to test his vehicle's suspension ravel and locking diffs combination. Unfortunately, there was a loud snap. The result - a broken CV on the passenger side, this time. With a bit of manoeuvering tried a different line the Dyna made it up the incline.

 There were a couple of Hiluxs that caught us up a little ways back. They weren't interested in hanging around while we sorted ourselves out on the incline so they found their own way up the hill. We had passed three other vehicles coming down from the car park. In all there were eleven other vehicles using the track that afternoon. Who says Spicer's isn't a popular track?

 The rest of the track was uneventful but the general consensus was that there was sufficient mud to make it interesting without being too wet to make a mess of the track.

 At the car park Big John, Trent and friends were waiting for us. There was also a couple of clean 4WDs and a Holden station wagon. The track to Aratula is more correctly a well made dirt road these days allowing anyone access to Governor's Chair lookout.

 From what we saw of the 1.6km of track that is subject to the closure, there isn't a great deal left to preserve Unless the authorities are intending to rebuild and recreate the techniques of the past there seems little reason to close the track.

 Thank you to all who made the day out special.

 Clint and Charleen Lovell SC009