Sixty one tracks to be closed to 4WD use in the Bunyip State Park.

Can you believe this. Well it’s already started happening and going to get a whole lot worse.

Two hardcore tracks about to close are Sunset and Sisters. Now I have been 4WDing for 30 years and Sisters was a regular once a year trip for our club. We would spend the day winching through ruts and bog holes and had an absolute ball.

The Governments own Recreational Framework for Bunyip Public Land states that the two biggest single users of the area in 1998 were 4WDer’s and motor cyclists who represented 42% of all 33,000 users and I’m sure this figure has grown enormously since then.

The problem as I see it is twofold…
1. So many tracks being closed.
With so many tracks being closed either one of two things will happen.
Firstly, if we assume all users will return to the area, there is going to be twice the traffic over half the number of tracks. This is going to cause enormous wear and tear on the remaining few tracks and degradation will be swift.

Secondly, as most of the tracks are being closed it is possible the vast majority of users will avoid the park. If this happens, park visitors could be cut in half. As park funding is linked to the number of visitors, there could be a dramatic fall in funding for the park which will have ramifications for the park and its neighbours.

2. The more challenging tracks being closed.
In every endeavour, we as human beings undertake, there is a choice between easy and hard. We can do it hard when we go to the footy and sit out in the cold, wet windy areas or for those who want it easy, they can opt for the luxurious corporate areas sipping champagne. As canoeists we have the choice of a nice quiet paddle down a slow moving river or the dangerous flight down swift flowing rapids. As a cyclist we can opt for a nice quiet ride along a beach side bike track or come roaring down a steep slippery mountain side.

I could go on and on here, but I think you have the idea. As a 4WDer I like to have great easy going 4WD trips, but sometimes I like to be presented with a challenge.

I feel I am being discriminated against by having these more challenging tracks closed. In every other area of life there are still choices and challenges, so why are we (4WDer’s) being picked on.

Oh, I know they will say the tracks are dangerous, or they need revegitating or something along those lines. But the fact is I have been using these tracks for thirty years and you no what, there is very little difference between now and what they looked like thirty years ago. In thirty years of visiting these tracks, not one of our vehicles has ever been damaged and not one person suffered an injury.

So, if the powers to be shut off these challenging tracks, I can see a lot more vehicles tackling whats left in 2WD just to get some sort of challenge going. What’s this going to do to the remaining tracks? Well you guessed it, they are going to get chewn awfully quick and need a whole heap of money spent to keep them in some sort of condition.

In conclusion, I can see the remaining tracks degrading rapidly from either too much traffic and/or people using 2WD just to add a challenge to their day out. But the biggest problem I see is the blatant discrimination of the biggest group of people using the park.

ngine Bay Protection Placing a tarp across the front of the 4x4 minimizes water entering the engine bay by creating a bow wave, provided forward momentum is maintained. The result is less water for the radiator fan to spray over the ignition system, less chance of water entering the air intake and less likely for the fan to propel its way up to and through the radiator. Diesel 4x4's are usually better for water crossings as you do not have the ignition system to worry about. Water in the ignition system usually results in a stalled engine and not actual engine damage, though this is of little comfort when you find yourself stuck in the middle of a crossing. Depending on the water depth, its advisable to climb out of your window rather than open the door and flood your carpets. To minimize stalling from a wet ignition, it's a good idea to spray all the ignition system with water repellent beforehand.