Beaudesert Safari
17-18 February 2001
This year we had two representatives from the Subaru car club front up to mix it with the big boys - myself, Julio and Justin in the Forester; and Dave M and Kathy B In the "Super" Brumby. The weather forecast heading into the event was for showers but the organisers bravely held their nerve and ran the event. The roads used are mainly on private property traversing the mountainous ridges and valleys of the Shire. The format is for groups of up to ten vehicles to follow their leaders on one of two loops. On the next day the routes are reversed. We were pleased to see that this year our leader was again Michael Enright, the accommodating Nissan dealer.
So at 8 am we set off knowing that interesting times would be ahead. Behind Michael's Patrol was Cameron (Patrol), Peter (Patrol), Jeffrey (Frontera), Eddie (Bravo Trayback), Michael Rice (Landcruiser) and Dave (Brumby). We headed north finally entering Harrison's paddocks on terrain that was vaguely familiar (we were actually doing some of last year's event in reverse), The open paddocks we traversed were cut by a creek which started to loom closer and soon we were inspecting our first creek‑crossing. Leader Michael looked hard at It and commented that when surveyed it had no water in it but now was half a metre deep, with a step‑exit.
Ours was the first group to arrive at this obstacle and Michael tentatively eased the Patrol across the short span of water. However, it refused to climb the steep bank and no amount of manoeuvering would budge it. With no one across the bank we could not snatch it forward and snatching back was impossible due to its position. Eventually, Dave and I produced our shovels and we reduced the steepness of the bank allowing the Patrol to escape. Jeffrey then crossed In the Frontera with no drama. Next was my turn ‑ the first time 1 had tried the BFB mud terrains in actual mud. I got up a few revs, dropped the clutch and shot forward. The next two seconds were one of the biggest shocks of my motoring escapades, ranking in (shock‑value at least) with tipping my 1300 Mazda in the 1973 Warana rally or writing off my mother's Fiat 125 at Redbank Plains in '69. The car was pointed at the opposite bank where we had engineered a nice exit‑ramp.
However, some malevolent underwater force (maybe wheel ruts or a log or something) redirected the Forester towards a tree, a full 30 degrees off line. I sat stunned as the bullbar folded back onto the bonnet and front guard, smashing the headlight and generally making it look awfully sick. As I reversed back from under the tree and then drove out over the bank easily, I realised that with so much grip I could have just walked the car through the creek without any momentum at all.
The next crossing was a steep approach and steeper exit with rock steps in the middle. Michael made it look easy in the Patrol, but with a bit of rock infill and Dave Martin directing we crossed and made it okay. Dave as usual made it look just too easy. We then rejoined the tarmac and proceeded to Tamborine to vote and have morning‑tea.
The next phase saw us heading south towards Canungra and eventually via smaller and smaller roads into open paddocks, much hillier this time. In the distance I saw a steep hill with signs of a road heading up which Dave and I agreed looked interesting. The ascent was in two sections: the first deep parallel ruts; then the second deep ruts, a bit steeper and a lot of loose rock. Michael expertly steered the Patrol up the hill followed by Cameron's well. set‑up Patrol.
Next Dave had a go but immediately got stuck in the bottom set of ruts as the Brumby was just too narrow to straddle them. He looked really stuck and up an unsnatchable position but he eventually managed to extricate himself and head to the second tricky kit when he fell into another rut. After a bit more trying he finally made it to the top.
Now anyone who has driven with Dave M knows he doesn't get stuck very often and if he is stuck and you are behind him, then you are in deep trouble. Fortunately the Frontera was ahead of me to give me a breathing space. My worst fears were confirmed as he managed to get stuck on the second part of the ascent for what seemed like hours (probably only twenty minutes) and was finally snatched to the top.
By now, son Justin (who is Dave's number one fan) was strongly exhorting me not to attempt it and to find a chicken track around the bottom of the hill. I had to agree with him and I went to see Michael to tell him I would go around. However, he would have none of it and said gleefully: "You can do it John" So with a dry mouth I started up the first set of ruts and promptly got stuck. Rather than persist I decided to try another line which bypassed the first set of ruts and crossed over the track half way up. I had to keep the revs in the 2000‑3000 rpm zone to get enough power so the car was bouncing like a bull out of control but at least it was still going up. It entered the last set of ruts where everyone was having problems and by some miracle just kept on going to the top. It seemed to have heaps of grip which I can only put down to the SF09 being let down to 20 psi (on Peter G's advice). Michael R in the Cruiser and Peter in the Patrol did it with a minimum of fuss, then came Eddie In the Bravo tray back who was having major traction problems despite having tied two bags of horse‑feed to the back. Finally he made it up and we all set off for the next steep climb. This one was characterised by a narrow track with large, loose boulders. Even the big vehicles were having trouble here but with a bit of direction from Dave, we made it okay.
Soon It was a very steep, loose descent to our lunch‑spot not far from the O'Reilly's road. After lunch we took the road up the valley towards O'Reilly; but instead of heading up to O'Reilly's we stayed in the valley heading upstream.
The road was getting narrower and the creek‑crossings deeper until we came to the penultimate crossing. The Nissans went first and didn't look too bad, but when the Frontera and the two Subarus tried it, it was deep ‑ up to the middle of the headlights in the Forester. The bottoms were firm but very rocky. Dave resorted to a blind and I removed the fan fuses. Those tactics worked well and we survived about five deep crossings like this. By now we were deep In a valley not unlike a box‑canyon with very steep, rainforested sides. When Kathy enquired where we were going next, Michael pointed up what looked like a vertical rainforest. "You're joking!" she said.
True to his word, Michael let us up a most remarkable road. It zig-zagged its way back and forth alternately through rainforest and open fields with spectacular views down to the valley from whence. we came. During the ascent, it started to rain making the black‑soil road greasy, and we were glad when we reached the O'Reillys road. Here we proceeded northwards along the main road then turned left off it abruptly before a very steep descent to Cainbable Road down in the Kerry valley. The grass was a bit wet here but there were no major dramas.
With the descent over, it was back to JC Park for presentations and a sausage sizzle. It was on this "transport stage" that Dave had had an anxious moment. We all stopped to regroup as we entered Beaudesert and Cameron decided to reverse to help unlock his hubs. He looked into his mirrors and saw nothing and so reversed right into Dave's bull‑bar knocking it slightly askew, "I'm not used to four‑wheel driving with such small vehicles," he said sheepishly. But being the major casualty of the day, I received the first consolation prize of a travel‑bag and was the subject of most of the paying‑out.
With Day One over, it was off home for anything but a rest as I had work to do. By 2 am Sunday morning, I crawled into bed with the car looking half reasonable after dismantling, bashing and bogging, and slapping on a bit of white paint. Three and‑a‑half hours later I was out of bed again for the second day's event.
Justin was a bit worried as today we didn't have Dave to help in tight spots. Dave's place in the line was replaced by Rick in the Auto‑Cruiser, Eddie had decided that the horse‑food in the tray of the Bravo was not enough so he added a large suitcase of sand. The weather looked fine and anything but the predicted showers as we motored down the Kerry road and into a farm. We started to follow a fence line up an open ridge and as we ascended, the full beauty of the Beaudesert Shire opened up. After ten inches of rain two weeks earlier, the rolling hills were covered In shades of green with views to the high‑rise buildings in
Brisbane. We travelled up and over ridges and valleys finally ending on Mount Mahomet, one of the more prominent peaks. We walked up to the radio tower on the very peak and stared out at the views just making out the other groups of cars on different parts of the course.
Photos over, it was off westwards and a few interesting descents and creek crossings and finally a brunch spot. By now the showers had started and they were getting heavier so by the time we exited from the Markwell Creek Road onto the Three Mile Lane at Beaudesert, it was raining heavily. After a pit‑stop at the racecourse, we proceeded along the Boonah Road for ten kilometres then turned southwards for some mountainous terrain.
Here we ascended one of the most spectacular ascents along a narrow ridge line. Fortunately the rain had not reached here yet. On one particularly steep, stepped ascent, I got my three passengers to walk up to save the suspension. The car bumped and roared up the rocky steps with the tyres screeching in protest as they came back to earth. Exciting stuff!
When we finally gathered on top to admire the views, the showers really started to come in. Mild panic ensued as we still had to get off the mountain. Steep descents wore now very greasy, and cars were sliding at will. On one bad section we had to drag two large logs to form Armco rails to stop cars sliding off.
Eventually we were all down to our lunch‑spot at 2 pm. After lunch we did a few quick loops around interesting ascents and descents, then It was time to head back to the park for presentations, hamburgers and the odd beer. I felt that the second day was even more interesting than the first.
If you are a 4x4 enthusiast, the $50 a day was excellent value considering the spectacular and unspoilt terrain and the amount of actual four‑wheel driving. My thanks to the organisers for an excellent event and my team mates for their help and companionship
John Shera SC466