Mt Dom Dom – Narbethong

Saturday morning, the day before the trip only 2 other vehicles were coming out to play on Sunday. It is strange how things can change, after doing my duty in helping not to choose the next government. Munchie called me asking to come along and bring Damian. A text message from Terry and it was all most full. A bit later talking to Shane he said if “I change my tyres i will be there”. Well I guess the rain put a dampener on his motivation.

I had to service the cruiser before the trip, upon opening the bonnet I discovered one of the fanbelts had exploded and its partner was about to go. Trying to put the spares on the locking bolt for the alternator would not undo and the head was striped and getting worst. I could not get it so off I went to see an expert. On the way to Andy’s place I watched the volt metre dropping down. Andy and Phillip were working hard on getting the 60 series up to the mark for the next day’s run. Luckily Andy can work magic on anything mechanical and I was soon up and running.

Sunday Morning, loading up the family and hitting the road about 8am, after filling up in Healesville we arrived at the Mt Dom Dom Saddle car park (top of the Black Spur) about 9:30 and put on the kettle. Very soon Munchie and Damian arrived closely followed by Terry and Joan. Unfortunately Andy’s hard work was in vain the alternator had failed and he was not going to make it. Phil, Vicky, Tiani and Tanika arrived and it was time to air down the tyres and go and play.

The Mt Dom Dom Rd starts out as gravel but quickly turned to sloppy clay around the logging area. A tip for everyone with manual hubs, lock them in when to drop you tyre pressure that way you don’t have to stop the convoy to do it. The trees closed in to form an arch as we drove down the back of the mountain. The amount of rain we have had was showing as the wheel ruts where flowing like a river.

Narelle and I were discussing the amount of water flowing down in the wheel rut and what would we find ahead as we turned to continue along the Mt Dom Dom Rd we found a large puddle / lake. As I made my way through the water my bonnet dipped down so half of it disappeared under the muddy water. I planted the right boot turn left and popped back up. I warned the rest of the convoy and we headed further down the mountain.

As we headed along through a few small bog holes, I was on the lookout for a deeper one that I encountered years back. It is amazing how much a hole can be chewed out in a few years. And then we found it. We stoped to have a better look. Poking it with a stick it looked like it would be ok. I thought I had better setup to winch, Munchie said have faith and have a go. 

I should have known Munchie just wanted a good photo. I know to have my recovery gear in a place easy to get to. I do, in the back, I just have to open the door and there it is. But what to do when the water is above the doors? Lucky and a big thank you to Damian for the use of his tree trunk protector and thank you to Munchie for retrieving the winch line.

Winching out the muddy water was coming in the doors. My girl were getting a bit worried “daddy there is water coming in the big truck”. Once I was out Narelle and the girls walk down the track looked at the next bog hole and reported the next one look bad.  So I snached Damien through so I had some back up if need. I turned out to be fine, So the convoy was snached through and we continued on. We turned back up towards the saddle for the climb back up, it was very slippery clay which made for some fun keeping momentum in some of the steeper sections.

After stopping for lunch at the saddle we headed back down Mt Dom Dom creek track and out to Narbethong. Yes I missed the turn, So a quick run along the road and we came upon the track I was looking for from the other end. We came up to a section the last time I was there was quite a challenge. While it was very sloppy it was not to bad with a bit of momentum, something Terry lacked when starting in.  So Terry was the second to use a winch for the day.

We had got through all the tracks I had explored so it was now time to explorer some more, while we were heading up Mt Dom Dom creek Track we spotted a side track that looked good. Looks can be deceiving, it turned out to be an easy track that met up with the main road. Having a look at the map (that didn’t crash) we spotted Nissan Hut about 2 – 3 KM off a track we had been down. I should have known a Nissan would cause trouble. So the convoy reversed direction and order with Munchie taking the lead and me as Charlie.

The track down the Nissan Hut was full of steep step downs in the ruts. Not far down Terry popped a bead on a front tyre, with only a highway terrain tyre as spare and the going getting a bit hard the fun was about to start. After the tyre change and about 1 ½ KMS we caught up with the rest of the convoy who had stopped at a clearing when Nissan Hut was suppose to be.

Munchie took the lead to help Terry with the climb out. We gave them a couple of minute to get a head start. Not even ½ KM before the trouble started. Phil caught the edge of a log on the side of the track with the front wheel pushing him into the wheel rut. Even at a low speed the force was enough to pop the bead and, as we would later find out bend the steering arm.

As we started to get Phil going again, a message from Terry came over the radio was he had done another bead. After some running repairs to his Hi-lift and digging out the wheel nuts from the 20cm of mud inside the rim, Phil soon had the spare on (Not a HT). When we caught up to Terry and Munchie they had re-seated the tyre Terry had remove earlier. After a bit of help from Munchie in placing the bottle jack, Terry had more practice in changing tyres.

What should of taken an hour end up taking three. But we all got back up to the Saddle car park and started to pump up out tyres and check out the damage. Phil remove the steering arm by the head lights of Terry and Munchie’ vehicles. The steering arm looked like a boomerang and the only way to fix it was to be creative. An idea to use a winch was hatched, so the steering arm was bow shackled to Munchie bulbar and Phil’s winch line was hooked to the centre of the arm. With Damian and I on a couple on large shifter to stop the arm spinning, the precision winching straight the steering arm better the new (Phils words after reinstalling and a quick test).

It never ceases to amaze me the support and expertise that members are willing to share and how quick the right tool for the job can be found. But a tap and die set, what doesn’t Munchie have in the back of his truck?

Even though we had flooded floors, mud in headlights (I am not going to have fun getting it out), three broken bead, a bent steering arm and a few new scratches from tree branches it was a great day out and I am looking forward to heading back into the area again. The one thing I will not do is go looking for Nissan Hut.

Trip Report by:

Brett Ainge