ARB Winch Challange. Round 3 The Springs 4×4 Park.

This weekend we decided to join our friends at a 4wd winch compition which was being held at The Springs 4×4 Park between Warwick and Stanthorpe.

So Friday we got away from the coast at about 12:30, met up with Andre’ and Andrea and headed off.  We arrived at the springs at 3:30 and found Micheal and Fiona already set up. We went about setting up, got some wood, got the fire going and settled into some beer and dinner.  About 7 Shawn turned up and not long after Troy and Kirstin. Once every one was set up we sat around the camp fire before retiring about to bed about 10pm.

Saturday morning I awoke to find Jason and his mate Corn, who are marshalling at the event, and Jason’s young bloke, Laughlin, had arrived at some stage in the night.

So we had breakfast and made our way onto the tracks to find where the event was, we just kept driving till we form the group, which didn’t take long.

We wondered down into the gully to find a spot out of the sun to watch some action. A few cars had already being through, but we arrived to see this 60s cruiser end up on his roof, unfortunately the start of a bad weekend for him. He righted himself and kept going. Sunday morning his left rear axle slide out then got smashed on a tree and bent it. He kept going, and also completed later stages also, only as a 3 wheel drive.

So that stage over we all drove to the next stage. Watched that one, then we decided to go back for some lunch at camp. By this stage Micheal and Fiona turned up at camp after they had gone to stanthorpe for a look around and get some 2 stroke for my saw, after I forgot to fill it. Der!!

So after lunch we headed back to find the comp, but sort of got side tracked on a few hill climbs and other tracks that we saw. As we were fooling about Jason came on our channel on the uhf saying everyone was heading to the main camp for the next stage, so we jumped on to the back of that line,

again diverting our route via a dry creek and a hill climb, and back on to the main track. Down here they were holding 2 stages that were run together with some great action being viewed. This was the end of the action for today, with the park owners then opening up “beer o clock” hill. A few people tried it including Shawn who made it. Not such good news for Troy, who broke a cv in his attempt. Anyway, while this was happening, Lyndall and I took turns in the shower, to get rid of the day’s dust. Back at camp we got some wood and got dinner going.  Big day was had as we were all up early, with some of us asleep in our chairs, with mates looking after them, by putting a chair over my head so the dew wouldn’t get on me in the morning. Thanks guys, and to my wife, for suggesting it.

Sunday morning we had a quick breakfast, went and watched some more action, went back to camp, packed up, then watched a bit more of the comp as we were leaving.we hit the rd at about 12, stopping in warwick for lunch, and then for home. Great weekend was had by everyone.