The Magazine of the Nissan Patrol 4WD Club of NSW & ACT Inc

ON PATROL No 4.

The Magazine of the Nissan Patrol 4WD Club of NSW & ACT Inc.

April 2014

Nissan Patrol 4WD Club General Meetings 2nd Wednesday of each month at the Veteran Car Club 134 Queens Road Five Dock NSW 2046

Club mail can be sent to: Nissan Patrol 4WD Club PO Box 249 FIVE DOCK NSW 2046

The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the Nissan Patrol 4WD Club of NSW & ACT Inc. The Club and its officers do not expect nor invite any person to act or rely on any statement, opinion or advice.

The Nissan Patrol 4WD Club website, www.nissanpatrolclub.org includes a "members only" area with access to details of upcoming trips and other news/information not meant for public consumption. To be issued a user name and password to access the website, please send an e-mail with your name and home phone number to [email protected]. Put "password required" in the subject area of the e-mail. After we have verified your details, you will receive an e-mail with your log-in information.

C O N T E N T S About the Club 3 TR1 - There and Back Again 25 Committee Members 4 TR2 - Yerranderie 29 Editorial 5 TR3 - Barrington Tops 33 President’s Report 6 Bush Computer Terminology 37 2013 Club Awards 7 TR4 - March Working Bee 38 Get to Know... 11 TR5 - Committee Dinner 41 The Scoreboard 13 Tech Talk 42 Driver Training & Working Bees 14 DIY: Fire Starters 49 Club Calendar 15 Photo Competition 50 Trip Leaders & New Trips, Trip Bookings 20 Nature Lover 51 Trip Classification 21 Junior Patrollers 52 Radio Channels 22 Find-a-Word 53 Convoy Procedure 23 Club Noticeboard 54 4WDing Tips for Dummies 24 Camping Checklist 56

Front Cover: Ken S at November 2013 Driver Training. Great wheel spin.

NISSAN PATROL 4WD CLUB OF NSW & ACT INC.

About the Club

The Nissan Patrol 4WD Club was established in 1976 by a group of four-wheel drive enthusiasts from other clubs interested in pursuing common interests and activities in 4WD'ing, and also aiming to give the Nissan Patrol its own identity. Notwithstanding the club's name, the Club welcomes all types of four-wheel drives capable of completing our driver training course.

In 2002, the Club fulfilled a long-held dream and purchased its own property of 94 hectares in the Windellama region near Goulburn. The land is used for Club activities such as bush camping, driver training and social activities. There is also a dam on the property which provides a reliable source of water for bush fire fighting.

In May 2006, our initial idea of a large shelter/shed came into fruition and was finally completed. The shed acts as our bush classroom which allows us to easily host our Driver Training Courses. It is also the place where we have our Xmas In July, Easter and Club Anniversary weekends, and is available for free camping by members at any time.

Front View

Back View

The club atmosphere is, and always has been, to have fun and develop long lasting friendships from a wide variety of people from all over Sydney and the countryside.

The club holds regular driver training days for all members, trips from one day to several weeks' duration (such as outback trips) and a variety of social activities.

Club trips are graded depending on the degree of difficulty to cater for all levels of four-wheel driving. On trips, the traditional “happy hour” and campfire provide a wonderful setting for swapping yarns, having a quiet drink and building solid friendships.

We are strongly committed to “Access for All” (except ratbags) in our National Parks and State Forests, protecting the environment through responsible four-wheel driving and helping to 'Clean- Up Australia' by cleaning up our bushland.

Since 1980, the Club has been hosting varying types of events for the general public to enjoy in their 4WD’s. In past years there were the annual Nissan Trials, which saw inter-club challenges testing the driving skills of both individuals and teams.

In line with current community expectation and demand, the Club is running the Son of Trials Plus on the first weekend of November. These events offer standard road registered vehicle owners, from learner drivers through to experienced 4WD’ers, to participate in a number of challenging courses to fine tune their skills and the chance to win some fantastic prizes.

NISSAN PATROL 4WD CLUB OF NSW & ACT INC. PO Box 249 FIVE DOCK NSW 2046 Club website: www.nissanpatrolclub.org ISSN 1446-0718

2014-2015 COMMITTEE MEMBERS & OFFICE BEARERS

COMMITTEE President Rollanda Vice President Scott Secretary Christopher Treasurer Cindy Membership Secretary Jonathan Trip Organiser Steven Training Co-Ordinator Chris Land Manager Kenneth Communications/Editor Tania Social Convener POSITION VACANT

OFFICE BEARERS Trials Co-Ordinator Charles Assist Trials Co-ordinator POSITION VACANT Trials Secretary Rollanda Publicity Officer POSITION VACANT Webmaster Brett Purchasing Officer POSITION VACANT Technical Officer Iro Equipment Officer Ross Librarian Mark Sergeant-at-Arms POSITION VACANT Assistant Membership POSITION VACANT Assist Training Co-Ordinator Christiaan Assistant Land Manager Stephen Assistant Editor Iro Assist Social Convener Colleen Auditor POSITION VACANT Please contact the President if you would like to join the Committee and have a part in the running of YOUR Club.

From the Editors

Here we are again, but the roles have been reversed - well, in name only. You don't realise how true the above pictures are. I would like to tweak a few pages - add some bits, drop some others - but it all depends on your input.

On the new membership/renewal form, there is a section for those who would like to be sent a printed version of the Magazine. When the renewals close at the end of June, and if all goes well, print and mail out will be ready for the July Magazine.

Please, tell me what you want in this Magazine. Tell me what you like and don't like. All ideas will be seriously considered.

MEET OUR NEW TEAM MEMBER

Name: Ruby Age: Nearly 3 years old. (that's about 26 in dog years). Breed: Miniature Fox Terrier Loves: Her mum (follows me like a shadow) Rides in the car Camping (but not allowed at Club Land). Wearing her Club shirt Hobbies: Sniffing out garden lizards Chasing flies Catching cockroaches Her Job: Early warning system as someone enters the property. Sits beside mum and keeps her calm while she is swearing at the computer.

Keep On Patrolling! Tania, Iro & Ruby

Next magazine due 8 JULY 2014 All articles for the next magazine MUST be sent in a Microsoft Word format and forwarded to [email protected] or mailed to The Editor, NPC, PO Box 249, Five Dock NSW 2046 by 24 June 2014.

The Report from Madam

President

Hi all,

Thank you for electing me President for another term, it is an honour and a privilege to represent you for another year. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the committee members who have stepped down and to welcome the new faces onto the Committee. After many years as Trip Organiser and a year as Vice-President, Mark C has taken the position of Librarian. I am sure that he will bring the same enthusiasm to this role as his previous ones.

After an absence of a few years, Scott D returns to the Committee as Vice President. Scott had held the position of Land Manager a few years ago. I am sure that he will bring his dry wit and cool head to bear. Cindy M has also returned to the committee as Treasurer. She was previously Secretary.

Stephen (Harry) B has taken on the position of Assistant Land Manager. Many members who have attended the movie weekends would have enjoyed his communal dinners. There is more to the role than being a great cook, but Harry is very keen and I am sure that he will be a great asset and support to Ken.

Membership numbers are increasing, which is a great thing. To this end we need more trips on the Calendar. Day trips or weekend trips are in short supply at the moment. There are many places just a short drive from Sydney that would make a great weekend away. The photography weekend is still planned for later this year, as is a first aid weekend.

The next social event at the Land is the June long weekend. This is going to be another great social event as we have a large bonfire planned for Saturday evening and a dinner- dance at the Hall on the Sunday. Chris B will send out more details soon, so please put the dates down (June 7-9) in your diary.

Renewals for the 2014-2015 year are now open and the process has now been automated. It has never been easier to renew either online or at the subsequent general meetings.

See you at the next meeting.

Regards,

Rollanda

6 CLUB AWARDS Presented on 12 February 2014

President's Award

Brett

Tania

Committee Member of the Year

Ken Steven

Club Member of the Year Worn-out Wallet

Stephen Roelof

Trip Leader of the Year Trip Report of the Year

Cindy

Iro

Appreciation Awards

Jean-Pierre Marcel

Steve Iro Michael Chris & Ruth Murray & Family

Appreciation Certificates to Members

Richard Colleen

Antonio

Appreciation Certificates to Sponsors

Chris Hole & Superior Offroad 4WD Mark Pullan & National Tyre Wholesalers

Travis & 4WD Action Magazine Elizabeth, Thierry & Ray's Outdoors

Gordon & Opposite Lock, Rockdale Tony & Sutherland Shire Off Road

THE SCOREBOARD

NRL FOOTY TIPPING COMPETITION

PLACE YOUR Name points TEAM 1 Tania 74

2 John 74

3 Trevor 70

4 Iro 68

5 Romayne 68 6 Chris 64

7 Mark 62

8 Tony 58

9 Margaret 58

10 Eddie 58

11 Susan 58

12 Ken 58

13 David 58 14 Fiona 56

15 David 56 16 Harry 54

17 Matthew 54

18 Belinda 50

19 Peter 50

20 Steven 48

Nrl Table 12 Canterbury Bulldogs 8 St George Illawarra Dragons 12 Manly Sea Eagles 8 Melbourne Storm 12 Gold Coast Titans 8 Parramatta Eels 10 Wests Tigers 6 North Queensland Cowboys 8 Sydney Roosters 6 New Zealand Warriors 8 Brisbane Broncos 6 Canberra Raiders 8 South Sydney Rabbitohs 4 Newcastle Knights 8 Penrith Panthers 4 Cronulla Sharks As at 27 April 2014

DRIVER TRAINING

With Chris Driver Training Co-ordinator

The Nissan Patrol 4WD Club provides free driver training to its members, which is included in your membership fee. The Driver Training Course covers a comprehensive range of topics. Some of these topics are Practical Driving over a variety terrain and obstacles, Basic Recovery Techniques, Advanced Driver Training, Advanced Recovery, and many more. Our Sand Driver Training Course is usually held twice a year at Stockton Beach near Newcastle.

Before you are permitted on a Club Trip, it is a condition of Club Membership that you complete the Club Driver Training Course, regardless of your prior 4WD'ing experience.

The Driver Training Course is conducted on our own land near Goulburn, where a range of purposely built tracks give the course participants a variety of track surfaces. Our Land also has facilities to conduct other educational functions, such as GPS Operation and First Aid. Our Club shop is regularly at Driver Training selling top quality recovery gear, 4WD essentials and Club merchandise at very reasonable prices.

Anyone who wishes to do the Recovery Refresher Course is most welcome to join any driver training Sunday. Our driver trainers are looking forward to all our club members attending and revising the safety and recovery techniques that make our 4WDriving a safer and more enjoyable activity for all.

See the Club Calendar for the next Driver Training weekend.

WORKING BEES With Ken Charles Land Manager Trials Co-ordinator

Working bees sound like they would be a lot of hard work. BUT, our club working bees are a lot of fun, with friendship, good food and usually very little work. Regular working bees are held to help with land maintainence.

At the Land there is the opportunity to help establish new driver training tracks, assist with the shed, tank and toilet/shower facilities, have a chat around the fireplace and an excellent Saturday night dinner at “The Loaded Dog” in Tarago.

At Son of Trials, setting up for this event means searching new places for tracks, helping to create and being able to drive the tracks. As an added bonus, there is the opportunity for camping and talking with friends around the campfire.

Please consider helping out at either site, and contact the organiser to enable them to organise work activities and catering.

See the club Calendar for the next Working Bee weekend.

CLUB CALENDAR

Included are the dates of NSW School Holidays to help with your holiday planning.

May 2014

Tues 6th SON OF TRIALS SUB-COMMITTEE MEETING: 8.00pm at Greenacre Citizens Hall, 202 Waterloo Road, Greenacre. Come along and be a part of the organising team for this major event. All members welcome!

Wed 14th GENERAL MEETING: Visitors Welcome. 7.00pm Start. To be held at Superior Offroad 4WD, 50 O'Connell Street, Smithfield. Bring your own chair.

Sat 17th to NO DRIVER TRAINING THIS MONTH: Sun 18th

Fri 23rd to Hunter Valley Caravan Camping 4WD Show: Sun 25th Maitland Showground - www.ruralscene.com.au/ TO BE CONFIRMED Sat 24th to LAND WORKING BEE: Sun 25th Help is needed with many of the projects happening down on our Land. Great camping and socialising

Sun 25th TLCC Swap Meet – Revesby South Public School, Henry Lawson Drive, Milperra (entrance in Vega St). Gates open 7.30am, entry fee $2 per adult. Come early to get the bargains! www.tlcc.com.au

Wed 28th COMMITTEE MEETING: 8:00pm at Greenacre Citizens Hall, 202 Waterloo Road, Greenacre. All members welcome!

June 2013

Tue 3rd SON OF TRIALS SUB-COMMITTEE MEETING: 8.00pm at Greenacre Citizens Hall, 202 Waterloo Road, Greenacre. Come along and be a part of the organising team for this major event. All members welcome!

Sat 7th to Opposite Lock Challenge: Sun 8th SORRA - www.onall4s.com.au/

Sat 7th to Mon 9th QUEEN'S BIRTHDAY LONG WEEKEND

Sat 7th to CHRISTMAS IN JUNE & CLUB ANNIVERSARY WEEKEND: Mon 9th Come and share a fun weekend with fellow club members or ex- members and checkout the improvements that have been made to the shed and the facilities

Wed 11th GENERAL MEETING: Visitors Welcome! 8:00pm at the Veteran Car Club Hall, 134 Queens Road, Five Dock.

Sat 14th to DRIVER TRAINING: Sun 15th The Club’s free Driver Training is open to all members. You must complete the Driver Training course before going on a Club trip.

TO BE CONFIRMED Sat 21st to LAND WORKING BEE: Sun 22nd Help is needed with many of the projects happening down on our Land. Great camping and socialising

Wed 25th COMMITTEE MEETING: Club Committee Meeting. 8:00pm at Greenacre Citizens Hall, 202 Waterloo Road, Greenacre. All members welcome!

Sat 28 June PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE: The team at Superior are here to give you an afternoon of helpful information on how to prepare your vehicle for a trip. Held at Superior Offroad 4WD, 50 O'Connell Street, Smithfield. Starting at 1.00pm. Bring your own chair.

July 2014

Sat 28th June to NSW School Holidays Sun 13th July

Tues 1st SON OF TRIALS SUB-COMMITTEE MEETING: 8.00pm at Greenacre Citizens Hall, 202 Waterloo Road, Greenacre. Come along and be a part of the organising team for this major event. All members welcome!

Wed 9th GENERAL MEETING: Visitors Welcome! 8:00pm at the Veteran Car Club Hall, 134 Queens Road, Five Dock.

Sat 12th to DRIVER TRAINING: Sun 13th The Club’s free Driver Training is open to all members. You must complete the Driver Training course before going on a Club trip.

TO BE CONFIRMED Sat 19th to LAND WORKING BEE: Sun 20th Help is needed with many of the projects happening down on our Land. Great camping and socialising.

15 Wed 23rd COMMITTEE MEETING: Club Committee Meeting. 8:00pm at Greenacre Citizens Hall, 202 Waterloo Road, Greenacre. All members welcome!

August 2014

Tues 5th SON OF TRIALS SUB-COMMITTEE MEETING: 8.00pm at Greenacre Citizens Hall, 202 Waterloo Road, Greenacre. Come along and be part of the organising team for this major event. All members welcome!

Fri 8th to Mid North Coast Caravan Camping 4WD Show: Sun 10th Wauchope Showground - www.ruralscene.com.au/

Wed 13th GENERAL MEETING: Visitors Welcome! 8:00pm at the Veteran Car Club Hall, 134 Queens Road, Five Dock.

Sat 16th to ADVANCED RECOVERY TRAINING: **All club members are encouraged to attend** Sun 17th This course will be held at The Land to teach advanced recovery techniques. This is an extension of the Club's basic driver training course (Module 5) and is open to all members. TO BE CONFIRMED Sat 23rd to LAND WORKING BEE: Sun 24th Help is needed with many of the projects happening down on our Land. Great camping and socialising.

Wed 27th COMMITTEE MEETING: Club Committee Meeting. 8.00pm at Greenacre Citizens Hall, 202 Waterloo Road, Greenacre. All members welcome.

September 2014

Tues 2nd SON OF TRIALS SUB-COMMITTEE MEETING: 8.00pm at Greenacre Citizens Hall, 202 Waterloo Road, Greenacre. Come along and be part of the organising team for this major event. All members welcome!

Fri 5th to Penrith Caravan Camping 4WD Show: Sun 7th Penrith Panthers - www.penrith.supershow.com.au/

Wed 10th GENERAL MEETING: Visitors Welcome! 8:00pm at the Veteran Car Club Hall, 134 Queens Road, Five Dock.

Sat 13th to DRIVER TRAINING: Sun 14th The Club’s free Driver Training is open to all members. You must complete the Driver Training course before going on a Club trip.

Fri 19th to Orana Caravan Camping 4WD Show: Sun 21st Dubbo Showground - www.ruralscene.com.au/

Sat 20th to NSW School Holidays Sun 5th Oct

16 TO BE CONFIRMED Sat 20th to LAND WORKING BEE: Sun 21st Help is needed with many of the projects happening down on our Land. Great camping and socialising.

Sun 21st Land Rover Club Expo: Castle Hill Showground - www.landroverexpo.com.au/

Wed 24th COMMITTEE MEETING: Club Committee Meeting. 8.00pm at Greenacre Citizens Hall, 202 Waterloo Road, Greenacre. All members welcome.

October 2014

Sat 4th to Labour Day Weekend Mon 6th

Sat 4th to Willowglen 4x4 Challenge Mon 6th Tarago near Goulburn - www.tlcc.com.au

Tue 7th SON OF TRIALS SUB-COMMITTEE MEETING: 8.00pm at Greenacre Citizens Hall, 202 Waterloo Road, Greenacre. Come along and be part of the organising team for this major event. All members welcome!

Wed 8th GENERAL MEETING: Visitors Welcome! 8:00pm at the Veteran Car Club Hall, 134 Queens Road, Five Dock.

Sat 11th to DRIVER TRAINING: Sun 12th The Club’s free Driver Training is open to all members. You must complete the Driver Training course before going on a Club trip.

Fri 17th to 4WD & Adventure Show: Sun 19th Sydney Dragway, Eastern Creek - www.4wdshow.com.au/ TO BE CONFIRMED Sat 18th to LAND WORKING BEE: Sun 19th Help is needed with many of the projects happening down on our Land. Great camping and socialising.

Wed 22nd COMMITTEE MEETING: Club Committee Meeting. 8.00pm at Greenacre Citizens Hall, 202 Waterloo Road, Greenacre. All members welcome.

November 2014

Sat 1st to SON OF TRIALS PLUS! It's the Son of Trials...with a little bit more! Sun 2nd This event requires the maximum number of club members to make it a success. See the website for more details

Tues 4th SON OF TRIALS SUB-COMMITTEE MEETING: 8.00pm at Greenacre Citizens Hall, 202 Waterloo Road, Greenacre. Come along and be part of the organising team for this major event. All members welcome!

Fri 7th to South Coast Caravan Camping & Holiday Expo: Sun 9th McKay Park, Batemans Bay - www.southcoast.supershow.com.au/

Wed 12th GENERAL MEETING: Visitors Welcome! 8:00pm at the Veteran Car Club Hall, 134 Queens Road, Five Dock.

Sat 15th to DRIVER TRAINING: Sun 16th The Club’s free Driver Training is open to all members. You must complete the Driver Training course before going on a Club trip.

TO BE CONFIRMED Sat 22nd to LAND WORKING BEE: Sun 23rd Help is needed with many of the projects happening down on our Land. Great camping and socialising.

Wed 26th COMMITTEE MEETING: Club Committee Meeting. 8.00pm at Greenacre Citizens Hall, 202 Waterloo Road, Greenacre. All members welcome.

Sat 29th to CLUB CHRISTMAS PARTY: Sun 30th A fun family weekend. Venue to be advised.

December 2014

Tues 2nd SON OF TRIALS SUB-COMMITTEE MEETING: 8.00pm at Greenacre Citizens Hall, 202 Waterloo Road, Greenacre. Come along and be part of the organising team for this major event. All members welcome!

Wed 10th GENERAL MEETING: Visitors Welcome! 8:00pm at the Veteran Car Club Hall, 134 Queens Road, Five Dock. A short meeting followed by a social Xmas get together. Bring a plate for supper.

Thur 18h to Tue 27th Jan NSW School Holidays

TRIP LEADERS and NEW TRIPS

4WD trips are the heart of our Club and we need more trips and more Trip Leaders. Trips can be for a day, weekend or even longer.

If you've found a special place with great tracks, views, natural features, walks or a terrific camping spot then why not share it with like-minded friends from the Nissan Patrol 4WD Club who enjoy getting out into the bush as much as you do.

Alternatively, you could organise a non-4WD event such as a winery tour, river cruise, scenic walks around Sydney or to places of historic interest.

If you would like to lead a trip, please contact the Trip Organiser

Cheers,

Steven Trip Co-ordinator

Nissan Patrol 4WD Club of NSW & ACT Inc.

BOOKING ON A CLUB TRIP

 You are required to book in on any Club trip you wish to attend by contacting the Trip Leader.

 Introduce yourself and discuss with them your vehicle capabilities and level of driving skills.

 Leave a contact number.

 You must reconfirm your participation in the trip a few days before departure.

 If you must cancel, contact the trip leader at the earliest possible time, so reserves can take your place and no-one is waiting for you where mobile phones don’t work.

TRIP CLASSIFICATION

This class of trip is considered to be extremely difficult. Participants will have to be experienced at travelling over difficult terrain. Winching and/or towing will almost definitely be required. Participants will be A required to bring along a certain amount of recovery equipment. The trip leader will have the right to reject a request from someone who is considered under-experienced.

This type of trip is considered a moderate to difficult trip. Some winching and/or towing will almost certainly be required. Under extreme weather B conditions this trip could develop into a Class “A” trip.

This classification is considered a moderate trip. Various sections of this trip will require cautious driving in order to negotiate it, but in most C circumstances, winching should not be necessary. Under extreme weather conditions this trip could develop into a Class “B” trip.

This trip is considered a relatively easy trip. It is unlikely that any winching and/or towing will be required. D

This trip is considered very easy with little or no four-wheel driving involved. This type of trip will usually consist of either an easy-to-get-to E base camp or a series of scenic tours.

Definitely, the most hideous of all trip classification, where you actually need to get out of your vehicle and walk to the desired destination. W

UHF CB RADIO CHANNEL ALLOCATION

USED FOR CHANNEL/S COMMENTS

Calling 11 To call or locate another station. Parties then switch to (Established by law) a conversation channel.

9 Conversations 12-17 Used for conversation between stations. 19-21 24-30 39

Highway 40 Mainly used by truck drivers and other highway users. Communications

Caravaners, 18 Holiday Maker's communication channel. (eg when in Campers convoy)

4WDrivers 10 Used by 4WD enthusiasts, clubs, convoys and in national parks.

Emergency Calling 5 Can be used by anyone in an emergency situation (Established by law) only.

Repeaters 1-8 In duplex mode repeaters need two channels to work. 31-38 Receives on channels 1-8. Transmits on channels 31- 38 automatically. When within range of a repeater, it will increase the communication difference. Operation in simplex mode on these channels is not permitted when in range of a repeater.

Data Transmissions 22, 23 No voice transmissions allowed on these two (Established by law) channels.

21 CONVOY

PROCEDURE

For the benefit of new members and as a reminder to old members, convoy procedure on any NISSAN CLUB outing is as follows:

 The trip leader will ensure that the group on the outing is self-sufficient and should only call on outside bodies for assistance with recovery as a last resort.

 No driver will drive in a manner - or at a speed - that could endanger himself or any other person or vehicle.

 In hazardous areas it is the responsibility of the following driver to ensure that the previous vehicle has passed through the hazard before proceeding.

 It is the responsibility of all drivers to maintain (visual) contact with the following vehicle, especially at intersections.

 Persons leaving the convoy must notify the Trip Leader and, if possible, give details of their intentions.

 On trips including two or more vehicles, each vehicle will remain in a designated position in the convoy and not overtake the vehicle in front unless the driver of that vehicle slows down and signals the overtaking vehicle to pass.

 It is the responsibility of the Trip Leader to ensure that all drivers of all vehicles in the convoy are aware of any deviations in the route.

 No driver will park or drive in the reverse direction to the hazard of other vehicles.

 If a driver is trying to contact the rest of the group he will turn on his headlights. This is the signal for the rest of the drivers to stop.

 All gates must be left in the manner in which they are found. The second vehicle in the convoy must pull over and wait for all vehicles to pass and then rejoin the convoy after ensuring that the gate is left as it was found.

 When any form of recovery is in progress all those not directly involved in the rescue operations must keep well clear and at a safe distance. Parents are particularly asked to keep their children at a safe distance.

 The use of radio transmitters does not replace convoy procedure.

The trip leader will remind all drivers that convoy procedure should be followed before moving off.

22 4WD'ing Tips

for Dummies

Part Three

STALLING &

STARTING

 On some awkward or emergency circumstances on hills, deliberate stalling is a safe and accepted practice.  In steep terrain, stalls may be either deliberate or unwanted. Learn how to deal with them.  When stalling and turning the ignition key off, only turn it back to "Accessories" not to "Lock", or you will find yourself with the steering locked on some 4WDs.

______

23 There and back again ..... and again (Or a trip to the land or 2)

Adventurers for the trip are: Harry (that’s me) Glen Brett

It all started one day when I was sitting with my back against a tree reading my favourite book when along came Gandalf and asked me, if me and my mates could come on a journey with him to the land of ….. No …….!!!! Wait up a minute; I think that was the movie I was watching.

This is how it really started. I was lounging in my camp chair in the back yard around the fire with a few mates and a few brewskis, when all of a sudden a mate of mine came up with a great idea….. Why don’t we go on a 4wd adventure down to the land this weekend? I almost dropped my brew and fell out of my chair. What a champion idea. Jeez I have some top mates.

Now the planning begins for our trip and I’m thinking that we should do some wood hunting while we are there as well; as wood is good, more wood is (don’t have anything that rhymes here so I will just go with) even more good. So now a trailer would come in handy for this adventure, but where to get one on short notice.

Then bang; it hit me like a bolt of lightning from Gandalf’s staff (damn it, I really should stop watching those movies). Why don’t I get Ken (Champion Land manger) on the phone to ask for a lend of the club trailer for the weekend. Ken soon puts me in contact with Ross (Champion Equipment officer) who tells me no problem; I can come and collect the trailer from his place.

Now I may be wrong here, but I think some of our Committee members must be telepathic because Ross knew exactly what I wanted the trailer for and he even half-filled it (well maybe three quarters) with wood for us. WOOHOO. The wood hunting part of our trip is over and we haven’t even left yet. A big thank you to Ross (He is our champion equipment officer after all).

So now with our main job out of the way we are free to do whatever we want when we get there. First job is to tune in the bush telly. Don’t care what channel it’s on just as long as it’s orange and glowing. Once we have good reception it’s time to set up our camp. And what better place to set up our camp site than the W Hilton I ask you. (That’s the shed). So the rest of the night is spent around the telly sipping a few brews and planning our adventures for tomorrow; Saturday.

Da Da Daaa Saturday has arrived.

Our plans for today involve a trip to Braidwood as there is always plenty to see and do there. The markets are on this weekend; every 4thSaturday of the month. So that means in most months, it’s the weekend after driver training. Lots of interesting stalls at this market, selling all kinds of knick knacks, even some selling old antique collectable items.

One stall that did get a laugh out of me was the one selling doggie power bar snacks. Now I don’t know about you but at the gym I sometimes go to, I have never seen a dog or a cat working out on the treadmill or doing weights or aerobics, so what’s the go with the power bars. A couple of Schmackos does my dog just fine.

We had to stop at the bakery there as well for bread and lunch. Just love those Braidwood pies and cakes. We also dropped into the outdoor shop there. This place is like Ray's Outdoors on roids. It’s only a small shop but these guys know their stuff.

And we just had to stop at the lolly shop there as well. What more can I say except I like candy. Think there is a song in there somewhere.

So now all our adventuring in Braidwood is done we are on our way back to our campsite when you wouldn’t believe what happened …… My Patrol, it just stopped. I could not believe what was happening. Here we are stopped in the middle of nowhere at a place called Tarago outside this big brick building called The Loaded Dog.

Well with nothing else to do we thought to ourselves we ought to check this place out. What a top spot to break down (although I think my mate who was driving at the time just wasn’t being honest about the patrol breaking down. But it's ok, we all went along with it). There was plenty of cool refreshing ale’s and larger inside this place. But none for the driver. Hahahaha. Think this place might have been a PUB.

So now after we have freshened up a bit at this oasis called the Loaded Dog and the Patrol wants to go again we are on our way back to our camp at the W Hilton and getting all our gear together for our cook up over the fire for dinner. And what a banquet it was, chicken, bacon, pasta and veg plus a few brews to wash it all down with aaaaahhhhhh ….!!!!!

Content now we sit around the telly (fire) contemplating our days’ adventure when I remember something I heard Richard (Champion Trip Organiser) and Mark (Champion Club Member) say about there being Panthers in the Blue Mountains. Well, we are not anywhere near the Blue Mountains, but let’s do a night drive hunt around the land just in case any of those pesky cats are in our area. We drove around the land for hours in the dark and I think I even found a few tracks that no one knows about ….. Or we were lost (think we were lost mostly).

We even drove through the wombat holes a few times just in case they were hiding there, but not a trace of them there either. They might be called holes in the day but by night they look like freaking holes rite down to the bowls of the Earth. So now I can say with a little bit of certainty that we do not have a problem with Panthers.

We might have loads of Kangaroos, Wombats, Possums and other critters but nothing that will jump on you and give you a hug claws and all…!!! That last part is dependent on who you go camping with as well.

Damn it’s Sunday. Time to pack up and go home. But the Adventure is not over till I reach home and there is still plenty to see and do till then. After the big clean up at the W Hilton in the morning and make sure the bush telly is off and unplugged, it’s time to leave.

Time to get on the road home. But the road home is full of even more adventures. Have to make the stop at Johnno's for a Hamburger and chips and then later on up the road if you want some fresh milk from the dairy. Then keep a look out for that sign that says Honey & eggs. Best Honey ever mmmmmmmm.

Then the trip home gets a little boring once we hit that road called a highway. We know that we are now travelling back to reality and that weekly recreation killer called work, but the whole time we are thinking about and planning our next adventure.

So this is where our little adventure ends for us, but we’ll be back again with a couple of extra adventurers to join our little band of explorers on our next adventure to the land, as this trip was titled a trip to the land or 2. But that’s another story for the next issue.

Cheers for now.. Harry

W Hilton

Now Stocking

27 YERRANDERIE 26 – 28 February 2014.

Attendees:- Rick H (Trip Leader) and Brenda Duong 2007 GU Patrol Ute John S and Kris F 2001 100 Series Landcruiser Hugh H and Lydia B 2009 Pajero Beau T and Zoie GQ Patrol Trevor and Eve W GU Patrol Steve (Harry) B GU Patrol Ron K GU Patrol

Day 1. It was some years since I had been to Yerranderie and so it was with high expectations Lydia and I met up with the others at Hartley Court House. Rick outlined the trip and we set off in sunny weather before lunching at the Cox’s River, having enjoyed a short walk upstream to try out the suspension bridge. This is the crossing on The Six Foot Track, leading east across the Kanimbla Valley towards Blackheath.

Ron caught us up here, having had a late start. After some steep trails, where a couple of cars failed to proceed on the first attempt, the views from Gibraltar Rock made it all worthwhile. By then the weather had started to cloud over, so we hit the road again, eventually popping out onto the Jenolan Road at the delightful camping site provided by Forests NSW. The pine trees there must be amongst the oldest in the country. Although Lydia would have liked to camp on a river, the rain during the night partly made up for the lack of running water.

Day 2. The new day dawned warm and sunny, though it was not to last. After winding down into the spectacular Jenolan valley and through the Grand Arch, a flat white coffee at Caves House was very welcome.

Next stop was to be Kanangra Walls Lookout, but as our little convoy travelled south along the Boyd Plateau, things got murkier and murkier till it was “headlights on” and low speed due to the mist and light drizzle coming in from the south east.

In fact on arrival at Kanangra (at least I think that’s where we were!), the mist was so bad it was completely pointless trying to see the view. Still, it's always great to be out in the bush, even if things didn’t work out in quite the way Rick planned.

Lunch on the Kowmung, with some tall tales of other vehicles being washed off the crossing we were about to attempt, had us on our toes before the long climb up to Mt. Werong and on to Yerranderie.

Interestingly, we came across a ranger in a Cruiser ute fitted with spraying gear, including towing a quad bike on a trailer, in this section. Great to see the weed eradication efforts being made. Fuel was an issue, but we all seemed to manage OK. Once above 1000m up in the ranges, we found ourselves in cloud and rain again, pottering along carefully at 25-45 km per hour.

On arrival in the restored village of Yerranderie, still in rain and fog, quite understandably a couple of us decided to take advantage of the warmth and beds available in the Lodge for a modest extra fee.

Yerranderie is one of Sydney’s “Must See” 4WD destinations and a browse on their website www.yerranderie.com is strongly recommended. Unfortunately, due to the weather, we only saw a little of the old mines, tramways and workings that are to be found here. The Lodge and Shop had quite a collection of books, pamphlets and other memorabilia – very different from the time I first visited, having walked in from Kanangra back in 1962. It would be great to spend more time there, perhaps having accessed the area via the W4 around Lake Burragorang.

Day 3. Once again the sun was just a memory as we retraced our steps to the north west, past the gated Limeburners Track (God knows why NPWS has closed it), before morning tea at Mt Werong camp near the abandoned Ruby Creek Mines. Then south, along easy roads to finish the trip at Wombeyan Caves where we all thanked Rick for his carefully planned, mid-week escape into the bush.

Report by Hugh H Photos by Eve W

______

BARRINGTON TOPS 10-17 MARCH 2014

Trip Leader: Geoff and Sealand Nissan Patrol GU 4.5 petrol Rick and Brenda Nissan Patrol GU 3lt diesel John and Kris Toyota Landcruiser 100 series 4.2 diesel

Monday: We all turned up at Dungog on Monday, 10th March on time. Only three vehicles which was a little disappointing considering the few trips available. We were all keen to make a start so off we set through the lush green hills of Dungog towards our first area to explore in the western side of the Barrington Tops NP.

We headed north through Salisbury into Williams Top and Mount Allyn State Forest. We tried a track to get to Mt Allyn lookout, this proved a dead end, so backtracked and found our way along the Allyn River and up the ridge from the other side. We found the lookout but shame about the trees blocking the view. Back down the ridge and through Boot Hill – a population of lost souls - a local landmark so the obligatory photos were taken. On our travels we noticed some good looking tracks but as this part was only a look and see for later we continued on to Frying Pan Camp in the Chichester State Forest, our home for the next 2 days. It was a very picturesque camp area on a river with lots of bird and animal life as Geoff and Sealand would find out. A campfire, a few refreshments and good company was the first of seven great nights under the stars.

Tuesday: We woke to a beautiful morning and started to get ready for the days adventures. Geoff and Sealand were annoyed that a possum had got into their truck and eaten fruit and muesli bars. We set off for a short run up the Middle Ridge Road to Wangat Trail to Jerusalem Creek and Falls. A walk was undertaken to the falls, however John turned back after a short time and had an interesting talk to the National Parks Rangers that were ‘felling’ trees. They pointed out a track just 100 metres from our parked trucks across the Creek - said it was rugged and rutted mainly used by trail bikes. Track! sounded good to us so off we ventured. It turned out to be one of the best tracks any of us had done in a very long time. Steep climbs, mud holes, ruts/washaways, fallen trees and vines. It had it all! In and out of vehicles, checking water depths, bogged vehicles, max trax were worth their weight in gold. One fallen tree had brought down 10mts of vines and other bush, we debated whether to turn back but decided to push on. We cut our way through but it was very overgrown from then on, as only bikes had been up that far. It was more bogs, ruts and steep climbs through dense rainforest type growth.

It was getting late and we had to get over to the other ridge to get back, our maps were not as accurate as we would have liked and we went down a couple of wrong trails, resulting in multi ’10 point turns. Eventually we found our way out - 13kms in five hours. The grins were huge at the end of that day!!!!

Wednesday:

To start the day Geoff and Sealand called us over to show us some more damage the Possum had caused. More food eaten and a chewed rear door panel. It left something behind and it was pretty obvious that the possum was a bush rat who had taken up residence in their truck. While they stripped everything out looking for the rat, Rick, Brenda, Kris and John headed back to yesterday’s track.

The track on Tuesday had caused a few headaches for Rick. The overgrowth ripped the zipper open on the rooftop tent and he lost a sidewall bag and a hold down clamp on the tray so we redid the ‘track’ in reverse to locate the bits. We found the bag just up from where we cut our way through. It was just as much fun in reverse - a good way to start the day.

Geoff and Sealand caught up with us (no luck finding the rat). After backtracking we took a very scenic drive around some easier tracks. We wound down to the Karuah River and visited the logging museum. Camp was Frying Pan Creek for the third night of tranquillity.

Thursday : We left Frying Pan and again followed a very scenic route, the Mountaineer Trail down to Karuah River, Terribly Billy Road, Avon River State Forest to Spring Creek Road into Gloucester to fuel up before heading east to the Cells area, through Tapin Tops NP, Knorrit SF, Doyles River SF and Bulga SF. Oh! Geoff bought a rat trap.

On the way we stopped at the Blue Knob Lookout, climbed the fire tower and admired the amazing views. We continued on through Doyle River State Forest to camp at Maxwell Flat for two nights. Another great spot. Geoff baited the trap with peanut butter, it went off some time later but no rat.

Friday:

Today we set off for the Cells area. Some great tracks around here and we made our way down the steep decent to the creek where we found an old gold mine. We had lunch and explored the area, ventured in some old mining tunnels where bats and glow worms greeted us but no gold.

We made our way up some long steep climbs, we had to rest the 4.5, as it developed a bit of a cough, but with a rest and a few harsh words we climbed out of the valley and made our way back to camp. That evening Sealand went rat hunting and after removing a rear cover saw some beady red eyes. You can imagine the reaction.

Saturday:

We left Maxwell Flat camp and passed through Bulga SF and Tapin Tops National Park. Morning Tea was at Red Cedar camping ground then along Bakers Creek Road and back into Gloucester for lunch and top up with fuel. We headed north again stoping at Kia Ora Lookout.

On again to Copeland Tops SCA and Barrington Tops NP. We climbed up Thunderbolt Way and along the river at Cobark before climbing Thunderbolt Trail 1265m. Camp was at Manning River near Henry Bridge. Rock formations were amazing.

Sunday: We set off along Peasant Creek Road into Bullock Brush trail, Gummi Ford Camp area. Overnight rain had made the trails muddy. Tugalow Trail and Devils Hole Camp ground led us to Thunderbolt Lookout and Devils Hole Lookout for a tea break and of course photos.

The day‘s drive was fairly average. We had high hopes but the National Parks had locked gates everywhere so only choice was the same road back out. We covered the Myall Heritage Trail, Polblue Trail and Campground and Stewart Brook Dingo Fence lookout. Rick and Brenda headed home from here and managed to avoid the downpour, with thunder and lightning we got on arriving back at camp. It didn’t hang around long and we still enjoyed a campfire with full moon. John went walkabout and discovered a wombat.

Monday:

Today saw us packing up at 7.45am in six degree temperature – colder than a winter’s night in the Gong. We drove home through magnificent mountain farming country, all lush green farming country. The views were awesome.

To our trip leaders, Geoff and Sealand , many thanks for organising the trip. Six out of the seven days drives were very special and the 7th was a good day out. A trip very hard to beat. It’s a shame more members weren’t along to enjoy it.

Terrific tracks, good weather and great company, you can’t beat that.

Cheers John and Kris

______

HiTech 4x4 Specialists have the experience and equipment to cater for everything 4WD. Proprietors Chris and Ben Murphy live, breathe and dream 4X4 vehicles.

Unit 1/29 Coombes Drive, PENRITH NSW 2750 Tel: 02 4721 7783 Fax: 02 4721 7784 Email: [email protected] www.hitech4x4

For our Webmaster

AUSTRALIAN BUSH COMPUTER TERMINOLOGY

LOG ON: Adding a log to the campfire to make it warmer. LOG OFF: Not adding any more logs to the campfire. MONITOR: Keeping an eye on the campfire. DOWNLOAD: Getting the firewood off the ute. HARD DRIVE: Making the trip back home without any cold tinnies. KEYBOARD: Where you hang the ute keys. WINDOW: What you shut when the weather is cold.

SCREEN: What you shut in the mozzie season. BYTE: What mozzies do. MEGABYTE: What Townsville mozzies do. CHIP: A bar snack. MICROCHIP: What's left in the bag after you've eaten the chips. MODEM: What you did to the lawns. LAPTOP: Where the cat sleeps. SOFTWARE: Plastic knives and forks you get at Red Rooster. HARDWARE: Stainless steel knives and forks from Kmart. MOUSE: The small rodent that chews the wiring of your 4x4. MAINFRAME: What holds up the shed.

WEB: What spiders make. WEBSITE: Usually in the shed or under the veranda. SEARCH ENGINE: What you do when the ute won't go. CURSOR: What you say when the ute won't go. YAHOO: What you say when the ute does go.

UPGRADE: Driving the ute up a steep hill. SERVER: The person at the pub that brings the counter lunch. MAIL SERVER: The bloke at the pub that brings the counter lunch. USER: The neighbour who keeps borrowing things. NETWORK: What you do when you need to repair the fishing net.

INTERNET: Where you want the fish to go. NETSCAPE: What the fish do when they discover the hole in the net. ONLINE: Where you hang the washing. OFFLINE: Where the washing ends up when the pegs aren't strong enough.

WEBMASTER: A bloody big spider that, no matter how many times you destroy its web, will have a new web up the next day.

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37 Committee Dinner at Outback Jack's, Greenacre 29 March 2014

Steven & Rollanda Brett & Cindy Scott & Wendy Iro & Tania Ken & Colleen Bruce & Susan Chris Mark Mark

The Committee dinner had come 'round again Suggestions were flying, but where to begin?

We should go here, or we must do that But the organiser had settled on Outback Jack's.

Roberts Road, Greenacre was the place to be A whole section for ourselves, as you can see.

We checked out the menu while drinking a brew And an Entre' was ordered by more than a few. The menu's came back to order the main So much to choose from could send you insane.

Out came steaks an inch thick, chicken, fish or pork The food was so good that no-one would talk.

A dessert was ordered by just three or four While others had a coffee, they couldn't eat any more.

It was a good night, here at Outback Jack's And I vote that one day, we must go back.

TECH TALK

With Iro

A Report on the DAVIES CRAIG EWP150 Alloy & Digital Controller Combo (12V) Part No: 8070

History Late in December 2013, I volunteered to install and test the Davies Craig electric water pump and controller in my Nissan Patrol Y61 GU4 4.2TDI STL. My truck was manufactured in 2005 and has the factory intercooler and turbo.

A Taipan 3 inch exhaust system is fitted underneath to reduce turbo backpressure and allow the system to expel better. A boost controller was fitted and boost pressure was increased from 62 KPA (9PSI) to90KPA (13PSI). The injection pump has also been tickled up just a bit, and the system retuned about a year ago. A digital exhaust temperature gauge from Auber Instruments in the USA (www.auberins.com) is also installed. During initial tuning, the exhaust temperature at top of torque curve reached 623 degrees Celsius briefly!

An Adrad 3 core aluminium radiator was installed a year ago due to cracking in the top tank of the factory radiator. This increased coolant capacity by nearly 3 litres. I have also installed an Autometer water temperature meter in the pillar pod, which reads via a sensor atop the thermostat. This is in the “cold” stream from the radiator to the engine. The problem that prompted me to volunteer was that I was recording an increase in temperature on my aftermarket (A/M) temperature gauge.

The genuine Nissan (OEM-original equipment manufacturer), never seemed to move past half way. I had always worried about its reliability to inform me without a large time lag in its operation. I also installed a low coolant alarm with buzzer. Its sensor was also installed in the cold flow at the thermostat in case of fluid lose without the OEM temp gauge being quick enough to show it. The last thing I needed was a cracked head due to overheating!

This summer was a warm one. The last straw was while out shopping before Christmas on a 35 degree day, I had the air conditioning on and the truck full of shopping going up a steep hill at 70 kms/hr.

The A/M temp gauge rose from a reading of 80 degrees to 96 degrees. This caused me to pull over and turn the A/C off and allow the truck to cool down before proceeding. This was becoming too regular, something had to be done.

A representative of Davies Craig in NSW, Mr Jack Finkestein contacted our club president, Rollanda, to see if a club member who might have been experiencing overheating problems, would like to volunteer to try their electric water pump. I jumped at the chance!

Well, talking to Jack was an absolute pleasure, his knowledge about all things Davies Craig was monumental! We arranged a time and place to meet locally.

At our meeting, Jack gave me the EWP150 Alloy & Digital Controller Combo kit, a thermal switch kit and a water temp sensor adaptor kit, plus a 10 inch thermo fan kit. He was most helpful with suggestions and offered any help I needed.

TEMPERATURE SENSOR ADAPTOR KIT - PART No: 0409 MECHANICAL THERMAL SWITCH - PART No: 0401

The Install Reading the instructions in all the kits before starting work was mandatory. Once I read all the booklets and tried to understand the functions and installation destinations of the wiring harness, I started the install.

First, disconnect the main and auxiliary positive battery leads and cover them. I use old terminal covers from when I buy a new battery.

Removal of the intercooler on the truck is straight forward. Some jubilee clips, 3 vacuum hoses and 4 bolts. I then removed the large rubber hose from the turbo to the intercooler and put a clean rag into the turbo outlet with another rag over it. Electrical tape held it all together. This was in case of "Murphy’s Law" of dropping something down into the turbo and only finding out once the turbo seizes!

I then removed the air cleaner box, second battery and the plastic air chamber from the box to the turbo to allow more working room. I removed the bottom radiator hose and caught the resulting waterfall of coolant in a bucket. The radiator cap was removed and I then flushed the system out with a garden hose. Dispose of the liquids responsibly.

The top hose was removed also. Now to remove my radiator, I had to take out the radiator shroud. This was done by first taking the cooling fan off the hub. 4 bolts, but in a narrow spot. Take your time! Loosen the alternator belt and power steering belt and remove. The fan will come out after a bit of jiggling.

Two nuts hold clamps that lock the radiator in place. Remove them and you can slide the shroud and radiator up and out together.

I found out that the lower third of my radiator was blocked with mud from my Cape York trip last August. So much for my meticulous cleaning! Mud is the bane of mechanics and is the main cause of your over heating problems!

I cleaned it and also spent a half hour with tweezers straightening out the damaged fins in the lower half.

In the water pump instruction booklet, it tells you to remove your existing mechanical water pump and remove the blades from it, as the electric will be doing all the work now. You actually gain a slight increase in power from the engine as it is not pushing water around.

I very carefully removed the blades with a Dremel tool. Then cleaned up the faces and reinstalled the pump with a new gasket. I had to, as the power steering pump and alternator get their drive from the water pump pulley. The pump does nothing now but spin. I then reinstalled the radiator and shroud. All belts were tightened up to specifications. There isn’t a lot of room in my patrol, so this was where I lost time in trying all positions. I found the spot in the lower near side of the radiator to be the best.

I then placed the pump in the required position for optimum air bleeding as the booklet stated. It’s about 40 degrees.

You’ll need to cut your bottom hose and use a hose adapter to blend a Toyota Land Cruiser HJ75 2H Diesel hose (Mackay CH1562) on to get the required shape to the water pump. The top hose was Mackay 198 from a Toyota Lexan.

The thermostat is removed as the controller becomes the thermostat.

The top radiator hose can be installed. I chose to install the water pump sensor in the top hose as I’m out of spots in my thermostat cover. I cut a 17mm slice out of the hose and installed a hose adapter between the two sides with the sensor installed very carefully prior.

Once all hoses are tightened up and the cooling system is correct, it’s time for filling! I used Nulon long life coolant using a ratio of 1:2. I used 7 litres of coolant and 14 litres of demineralised water. 21 litres all up. That’s the complete system including overflow bottle and allowing for a litre and a half in the filling funnel into the top of the radiator. I reinstalled the intercooler and reconnected all hoses and clips.

Don’t forget the rag inside the turbo!

Now, it’s time to install the wiring harness for the water pump. Wiring is very simple. There are only six wires to connect up. Four go through the firewall, these are:

1. Sensor plug to the sensor on the thermostat 2. Red to Battery 3. The plug to the water pump 4. Green to thermo fan (the fan is optional, but I had it, so I installed it in front)

The other two are to Earth and ignition.

The only problem I experienced in the wiring installation was due to the earth point I used. It caused a fault to come up on the controller. The fault finding section of the instruction book is excellent! I remedied this, by running the earth directly to the battery.

I placed the controller in the ash tray spot near the hand brake. I made an aluminium plate and used Velcro to hold the controller down. The test lamp was placed next to the controller.

Time to start up! Before starting, I checked every connection, clip, and hose, nut and bolt three times!

I had the radiator cap off and the funnel in the filler filled with coolant. The heater control was on hot. I started the truck and checked that air was gurgling out the funnel and made sure it was always filled with coolant. Eventually all the air bubbles were expelled out of the cooling system.

You could see the electric pump working as it would power on for 10 seconds then off for 10. Coolant was moving around in the surge tank very clearly.

43 I set the controller to 80 degrees Celsius. This was the operating temperature of the removed thermostat and recommended temperature in the Nissan work shop manual.

Here is the working time chart for the pump showing the periods of operation.

I reinstalled the radiator cap and having a large bottle of mixed coolant and with some tools, I went for a test drive.

The Results On the first test drive, I noticed that the operating temperature was around the 65 degree mark. Normally the temperature is at 80. The temperature moved between 65 to 75 degrees Celsius under normal load. The most it rose to is 96 degrees under full power up the hill coming out of Goulburn in fourth gear with the egt gauge hitting 525 degrees Celsius before I backed off on my egt temperature alarm.

The water temperature dropped back to 85 degrees until I topped the hill and then returned to 80 degrees and lower as the load on the truck decreased.

Here is a chart of my results:

electric pump performance 600 525 500 495 486 470 465 480 440 440 435 440 400

300

200

120 128 130 125 130 130 125 117 120 125 100 88 84 85 84 84 84 96 90 68 70 70 64 6582 70 70 65 6681 65 0 Trip 1 Trip 2 Trip 3 Trip 4 Trip 5 Trip 6 Trip 7 Trip 8 Trip 9 Trip 10

Low Egt's Hi Egt's Hi WaterTemp Lo Water Temp

The Red line is my high exhaust gas temperature, 25mm after the turbo exit. The dark blue is the low exhaust gas temperature. The light blue is the maximum temp reached on the A/F water gauge. The orange is the lowest temp reached on the A/F water gauge.

As you can see, when high exhaust temperatures rose, the water temperature also rose. This is normal as the load on the engine has increased dramatically. The cooling system must remove this heat by transferring it into the coolant.

The hot coolant then is transferred from the engine block by the electric or mechanical water pump into the bottom of the radiator, where it rises through the vertical cores. Air that is rushing through the fins via either mechanical or electric fans or the speed of the vehicle cools the cores and returns the coolant to a useable temperature.

Obstructions like mud on the radiator or a build up of mineral deposits in the small and narrow tubing located in the unit’s core, or a faulty thermostat or water pump won’t allow this heat transfer to occur easily. The coolant system will gain more heat than it can get rid of. Eventually resulting in a boiling radiator and/or in severe damage like a leaking head gasket or cracked engine cylinder head.

45 Conclusion I would thoroughly recommend the Davies Craig water pump for those people whose truck is used for towing and suburban and country driving and experience temperature problems.

The stability of the water temperature in the radiator is excellent.

The only problem I encountered is that the “Hot” air from the air conditioning is cool due to the low circulation of hot coolant in the cooling system in the pulsing stages, before the set point temperature is reached and the pump is working continually. This is easily remedied by installing a booster pump into the heater hose which Davies Craig also make for that known problem and for LPG fuelled vehicles needing hot water to eliminate freezing of gas lines.

The only cause for worry is if undertaking long distance driving in the outback. The problem of weird radiator hose matching due to a hose blow out and possible deep water submersion effecting electrics without a mechanical backup is a cause of concern. Spare hoses and a spare pump will sort that out easily, but time lost in repairs is a fact.

I would also recommend to Davies Craig that a sensor hose adapter be available without the sensor thread in it, before sale separately, to allow new hoses be made up without inserting a plug into the adapter. An ingress protection rating of 68 would also be very helpful on the power connection of the pump. The pump casing is very sturdy and very well made and is no cause of concern.

I will continue to monitor the system and give further results to members on request.

Please feel free to ask me to see the system working and ask questions.

I would like to Thank: Rollanda for the opportunity to test the system. Jack Finkestein for his help and generosity in supplying the system. To Sonda, Technical Officer at Davies Craig in Melbourne, who helped me over the phone with questions on the installation and problem faulted.

To Davies Craig in Melbourne, thank you! www.daviescraig.com.au

Regards Iro

TOP TIP: DIY Fire Starters Did you ever think that the lint from the filter of your clothes dryer could be of any use?? Well think again! Collect the lint and stuff into empty toilet rolls. THAT'S IT. Just build up your campfire as you would normally do, and light it up.

PHOTO COMPETITION

Each competition will start and end with each quarterly magazine. The next subject is... " AUTUMN EVENTS "

RULES: 1. Only members of NPC can enter. 2. Limit 2 photos per person. 3. Details of who took the photos, when and where the photos were taken must be included. 4. Members of all ages can enter.

A voucher from Tom Saade's Camera House Parramatta for 10% OFF POSTER PRINTS OR 20% OFF CANVAS PRINTS OR 25 FREE (6"x4") PRINTS will be awarded to the winning entry. Entries must be e-mailed to [email protected] by 24 JUNE 2014. No late entries will be taken. The winner will be notified by e-mail. The winning entry will appear in the next magazine. Judges decision is final. (NOTE: The Judges will be a group of lovely ladies that are not associated with the Club.)

These are some of the lovely ladies SPECIAL THANKS to that pick the winner of Tom Saade's Camera House, the photo competition. Shop 2101, Level 2, Westfield Parramatta, for donating the prize, and to Mark R. for organising it all.

NATURE LOVER

NSW STATE FLOWER The WARATAH Waratah (Telopea) is an is Australian plant of five species of large shrubs or small trees, native to the south eastern parts of Australia (New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania). The most well-known species is Telopea speciosissima which has bright red flowers and is the NSW State emblem.

The waratah is a member of the Proteaceae family. The key Telopea speciosissima feature of Proteaceae is the inflorescence, which is often very large, brightly coloured and showy, consisting of many small flowers densely packed into a compact head or spike ranging from 6–15 cm in diameter with a basal ring of coloured bracts. The leaves are spirally arranged, 10–20 cm long and 2–3 cm broad with entire or serrated margins. The name waratah comes from the Eora Aboriginal people, the original inhabitants of the Sydney area.

They prefer sandy loam soils and are a pyrogenic flowering Telopea oreades species, meaning that they rely on post-fire flowering followed by production and dispersal of non-dormant seeds to take advantage of favourable growing conditions in the altered environment following a fire.

For some time the waratah has had a reputation as difficult plant. It has a complex culture and for many years there have been cases of people trying to establish the plant only to have the attempt fail. Failures can usually be attributed to the effects of unsuitable soil conditions, aspect or climate. Telopea truncata

The waratah is also a slow plant to mature with a flowering period that is short, unpredictable and unreliable. Early issues with cultivation meant that approximately 90% of all waratahs sold at Sydney’s Flemington markets in the early 90s were bush picked. Some progress has been made in the 20 years since then with several cultivars being commercially grown mostly in areas to the North and South of Sydney and in the Dandenong Telopea mongaensis Ranges in Victoria. However, issues with cultivation are still present.

48 Junior Patrollers

TO ALL PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS, If you have children or grandchildren that are aged from 4-12 (primary school), ask them draw a picture (A4 Size) of your 4WD, a favourite camping spot, or something they saw on a trip, and they will recieve the prize pack pictured. There are 2 ways to win.

1. On the back of the picture, write their name, age, and what the picture is about (eg: camping with Pop).

2. If they write a story to go with the picture (on a seperate A4 size), they will recieve this prize pack, PLUS a $10 Gift Card.

Send the picture/story to [email protected] or mail to The Editor, Nissan Patrol 4WD Club PO Box 249 Five Dock NSW 2046

If (when) their picture is chosen for the Magazine, that is when they will recieve their prize. If there are no entries, this page will have to end.

Help the Easter Bunny finds his basket of Easter Eggs. CHICKEN JOKES

Why did the chicken cross the road? To get away from Colonel Sanders.

Why did the chewing gum cross the road? It was stuck to the chicken's foot.

Why did the farmer cross the road? To catch his chickens.

Why did the chicken join a rock band? It had the best drumsticks.

FIND-A-WORD No 8 NSW NATIONAL PARKS A-K: When you find a word from the list below, draw a line through it. Words can be found ACROSS, DOWN, DIAGONAL and BACKWARDS. When all the words are found, there will be 45 letters left over. These letters spell out a sentence. The first correct entry sent to [email protected] wins a "Cooking with Tommo" cook book. Only NPC members can enter. A word has been crossed out to get you started. GOOD LUCK!

C A P O O M P E T A C U L G O A F F U L B O G A B O A G E H C N I K R L K B U N G A W A L B I N E A T L O G I R R O D R Y O U N Y A B S I V R E J T L T A O E G U L A G A D S N D N K O R E E L A H O D A G N D H A R U G P E C D A E D A C S A C R A C R N N E A G J B O Y O R I J B D E U A B D A A T H O B A N P C I A E M C I U A O P I H M E U R K H T C I W G P N G B I R O V S L O N C A N A R R W E A K M A E E N A T R I C E Z U K I I O O N A A A A E E B R R R L O O R A B R K N A W T A K U L I L D H E A R R G A R I G A L A O G K S N I A L P S G N I K N E Y C A T A R A C T G M F O R T I S C R E E K A G J L D O O R A G A N A O B A S K E T S W A M P R N C H A E L U N D I D S R D I T O O B I T O O B A A U B O U D D I R R N P E R Y E J P I M A D N I B W N O I O A R U O E A O T I A O R A K F O B O R I A N T N G R K F D Y B T A G N N B I G O U I M R M D A A D R R L R N E A H W G A X G N V U T A E I B U W N W A E A M U K R A D N G H O E E E N M D W E B A Y A B G C O N J O L A U B E N A M B R A L A R U R B R B U D D E R O O O D K U M B A T I N E L A G R A R G O U R O C K O R E E O O D N I H G I D M O A Y A B Y D W O R C C B A E U R O B O D A L L A N B R I N D A B E L L A Y B O N G I L B O N G I L G N A B O O G E O R G E S R I V E R B O U R N D A

ABERCROMBIE RIVER BOOTI BOOTI CLYDE RIVER EUROBODALLA INDWARRA ARAKWAL BOTANY BAY COCOPARRA FORTIS CREEK JAGUN BAGO BLUFF BOUDDI CONJOLA GANAY JERRAWANGALA BALD ROCK BOURNDA COOLAH TOPS GARDENS OF STONE JERVIS BAY BARAKEE BRINDABELLA COTTAN-BIMBANG GARIGAL KINCHEGA BARGO BROADWATER CROWDY BAY GEORGES RIVER KINGS PLAINS BAROOL BUDAWANG CULGOA GHIN-DOO-EE KOORABAN BASKET SWAMP BUDDEROO CUNNAWARRA GIBRALTAR RANGE KOREELAH BELFORD BUGONG DAPPER GOOBANG KOSCIUSZKO BEN BOYD BUNDJALUNG DEMON GOONENGERRY KUMA BENAMBRA BUNGAWALBIN DEUA GOUROCK KUMBATINE BIAMANGA CAPOOMPETA DHARUG GULAGA KU-RING-GAI CHASE BIMBERAMALA CARRAI DOORAGAN GUNDABOOKA KWIAMBAL BINDAMI CASCADE DORRIGO HAT HEAD BIRRIWAL CATARACT DUNGGIR HEATHCOTE BONGIL BONGIL CHAELUNDI DURAL ILUKA Made by TS

ANSWER:

January Answer: See the Victorian High Country for yourself. January Winner: Colleen.

FOR SALE Item: 2000 Nissan Patrol with 6.5L V8 Chev Diesel Description: 87,600km, 41e80 Auto with lock up torque convertor rebuilt 3000km ago. Steel bull bar, snorkel, rear bar, dual wheel carrier with two 2L gas bottles mounted on spare wheels, heavy duty side steps, Long range fuel tanks (240L), Dual batteries new, Light Force spotties, ORS 3 drawer Storage system with 50L Waeco fridge. Twine hot water system. Cargo barrier w 60L S/Steel water tank. AM & UHF Radios. ARB air compressor. Price: $30,000 Location: TBA Contact: Dave 0419 612 292

FOR SALE Item: 2006 Supreme Getaway Off Road Pop Top Caravan Description: Checker plate steel construction with independent Suspension. Full annex & drivers side awning. East-west bed & 2 seater dinette. Range hood & 4 burner stove with grill. 215L water tanks. 260 amp hour batteries with both 240 volt charger & 30 amp solar power regulator. 80 watt solar panel. Front & rear storage boxes. External hot water/shower. TV/DVD player & radio. 1.5 kva generator. Price: $25,000 Location: TBA Contact: Dave 041

If you would like to place something on the Noticeboard, contact [email protected]

FOR SALE Item: 2000 Toyota Hilux Dual Cab Ute Description: Manual, Turbo diesel, White with ARB canopy. Rego till July 2014, 292,000km air conditioning, power steering, central locking, tinted windows, ARB front locker, ARB rear bar, TJM bull bar, Long range fuel tank, 2 inch lift. Very good condition. Heaps of other extras. Serviced by reputable 4WD mechanic. Price: $15,500 (neg) Location: Kirrawee (Sutherland shire) Contact: Mark 0409 542 685

FOR SALE Item: 2009 Nissan GU Patrol ST Description: Y61, 3.0L, 5 speed Manual, White One owner, 58,000km, full service history As new interior, cruise control, 7 seater, Bull bar, tow bar, trailer brake control, roof bars Bonnet & headlight protectors, custom mats, Weather shields 17 " mag wheels, tyres 275 65 R17 Has done no real work, No longer needed. Price: $35,000 (ono) Location: Dorrigo Contact: Ray (not a club member) 0419 653 090 or 6657 1543

If you would like to place something on the Noticeboard, contact [email protected]

52 CAMPING CHECKLIST SAFETY COLD FOODS COOKING, ETC PERSONAL First Aid kit Water Stove & stand Daywear Torch & Batteries Milk-Powder/long life Gas cylinders (full) Sleepwear Portable Radio Sauces – Tomato, BBQ BBQ plate Swimwear & towel Maps Butter / Margarine BBQ tools Footwear Compass Cold cuts Matches / lighter Rainwear / Jacket EPIRB Meats Frying pan Underwear GPS Vegetables Saucepans & lids Sunglasses Spare Batteries Fruits Plates & Bowls Reading glasses Eggs Mugs / cups Hat Drinks Glasses TENT Cutlery Tents & Poles Vegetable peeler TOILETRIES Pegs & Guy ropes DRY FOOD Can opener Medication Spare pegs / guy ropes Tea, Coffee, Sugar Corkscrew Salt water soap Ground sheet / tarp Salt & Pepper Sharp knife (Sm & L) Tooth brush & paste Tent fly Flour –Plain/Self Raising Mixing bowl Hair brush & Comb Mallet Cooking Oil Tongs / Spatula Deodorant Seam sealer Vegemite Tea towels Shampoo & Conditioner Tent repair kit Peanut Butter Dishwashing liquid Mirror Rake Tin Food Water container Bath towel Broom / dustpan Breakfast Cereal Drink container Face washer Door mat for tent Snacks Flask Shaver Cutting board Shower cap Portable fridge Cosmetics BEDDING MISCELLANEOUS Plate drying rack Sunscreen Sleeping bags Portable toilet Insect repellent Sleep bag inner sheets Portable shower Toilet paper Air Mattress Portable wash machine Tissues Camp beds Laundry detergent Pillows Rechargeable light ENTERTAINMENT Portable clothes line Recharging Cables Pegs Phone FURNITURE Daypack Camera, Film & Batteries Camp table Sewing kit Binoculars Chairs Garbage bags Card games Camp cupboard Duct Tape Books Camp wardrobe Bucket Pens, pencils, paper Kitchen table Small shovel Fishing gear Axe Insect Spray