Sounds like a bloody good trip. Hopefully able to make the next one. Good stuff on helping out the other fullas to. Looked like a bit of a mish
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Oooohhhh, intrigue!
I'm really annoyed that I couldn't make it.
There are only three types of people in this world. Those that can count, and those that can't!
Sounds like fun was had......next year boys
It was GM, with a cast of one..
One of the original hut mates that were responsible for the precarious parking of the Mistral, on the first evening of Pengy and myselfs induction into the hut henceforth imbibed reasonably copious quantities of a brown beverage, followed by a volume of a clear sometimes potato based beverage again followed by a quantity of a grain based beverage. Which therefore entailed a night of little sleep for Pengy and myself as the aforementioned individual entered into virtual fights and loud arguments with other individuals in his head on a regular basis for several hours during the night. We are unsure who won, but we lost unfortunately.
Not misleading Gibo, it was pretty damned steep. The vehicle was secured from above by a winch and two straps before anyone worked directly below the car. about an hour or maybe more was spent rigging winch ropes and straps before the recovery was started. Once underway it took 15-20 minutes to winch the rear of the vehicle back up the hill to get it vertical and it was then lowered slowly down on its wheels to the riverbed
I didn't get many photos and even less good ones.
But anyways, I guarantee this will end up being a longwinded write up....
Pengy and Myself and my youngest, Aaron formed our small convoy on Friday morning and headed in, Pulled in at Caves hut around 11.30, and met up with 223nut, who hadn't manage to get out and nab any meat for the camp oven despite having driven in the previous evening. We let him off as he had the billy on within seconds of us pulling up. So intros were made and we were also introduced to the two characters who had been holed up in the hut for several days since crashing their vehicle a further 10-11km up the Valley.
Friday was a bit ratty weather wise but it cleared long enough in the afternoon for a gong and a paper target to be set up on the airstrip. a bit of lead was set free, Pengys 308 with some hand loaded subs, 223nut with his new to him 10-22 and his .17hmr and his 308? were all put on paper, nice groupings on the 308. My boy put a shot or two through Pengys 308 as did I, it shot like a subsonic .22. very smooth.
I plinked away at Pengys gong with my 7.62x39 and my old Stevens single shot .22. It still shoots straight so I was happy, My boy freed some lead with the .22 also then we retired to the hut to natter with our hut mates.
After listening to the long winded version of how they had swerve to miss a deer, etc etc, we casually offered to go have a look the next day in case we could help them out. (Un) luckily 223nut had some nice clean recovery gear on board, so we felt we 'may' be able to help out depending on the seriousness of their predicament. I had unloaded most of my 4wd recovery gear as I wasn't planning to need it so I only had a few recovery straps and a 30 winch extension strap on board. Long story short we secured the vehicle removed a couple of smaller trees to enable us to get the vehicle down the last few metres to the riverbed and started setting up 223nuts winch for a front on pull. The nephew of one of our 'hut mates' and a few other bodies arrived as we were setting up so they were directed to set up on the road above and with their winch so they could drag the rear of the vehicle up the hill vertically while 223nut was set up in the riverbed to pull the front of the vehicle forward across the bank to clear the trees holding it up. All went as planned and the Mistral slowly moved down on the end of the winch cables to sit on all four wheels in the riverbed in no worse shape than when we started. A few body panel modifications were carried out to enable a front wheel to turn then I tied a short piece of string to the front of the Mistral and slowly towed it a km or so back down the riverbed, back onto the road then a quiet 30 minute drive back down to the hut.
While we were away doing our good deed, hut mate number two had arose from his sleep bag, disposed of several of Pengys beers and a decent portion of 223nuts whiskey and had then returned to his slumber until we returned around 2pm from memory. Cups of tea were had and the two hut mates decided to leave the valley with their younger family members and arrange a car trailer to recover their vehicle later in the week, leaving us to then discover that we were missing beverages.
Shearer and his fine partner duly arrived bringing offerings of salmon, and a variety of home brewed beverages which Pengy politely offered to sample. Shearer set to and smoked the salmon onsite and served it warm on crackers, fantastic.
Pengy had thrown a big brew of meat and veg into a camp oven and also set up a small rolled pork roast in another.
So several beverages later a good feed was had and stories were told before a much quieter night ensued in the hut, 223nut eloping back to his tent, and Shearer and Mrs Shearer heading out for a romantic evening stroll in the moonlight before retiring to their accommodation set up on the airstrip.
Sunday morning and its pack up and clean up time, Shearer and Mrs Shearer head off up river taking their rifle for a look about while the remaining crew decide to head out, cross the Branch river and drive up to Greig Hut for a look. A late lunch at the hut then head back out to meet up with Mr and Mrs Shearer at the Branch river ford, goodbyes said and everyone headed their respective ways home.
I enjoyed a quiet lazy weekend away, met a few good buggers and generally had a good time. Aaron (my boy) was asking on the journey home when we would be going out camping with the guys again???
Thanks everyone it was a nice weekend away.
Sorry others couldn't make it, but that's all the more reason to do it again. 223nut has a plan me thinks
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