b"Sept 2022 Trackwatch.qxp_Trackwatch Layout 111/09/20228:32 pmPage 9 4x4 DestinationHeathcoteA group from the Subaru 4WD Club of Victoria and the Toyota 4WD Club of Victoria visited Heathcote on the weekend of 29th April to 1st May.The participants were: so that those who walked just made it unscathed except for one (unnamed)Subaru 4WD Club of Victoria: back before it started to rain consis- driver who approached one of theMatt Eggleston (Subaru Forester) tently while overnight it rained heavily. humps too fast (and possibly at theTom Morley (Subaru Forester) Most of us lay blissfully in our vans wrong angle) and scraped the bottomLes & Deb Ralph (Isuzu) falling asleep to the (loud) patter of of his Isuzu.Angela Bombardieri (Subaru Forester) the rain on our vans. Unfortunately for We then all headed back into townBev Davison (Subaru Forester) Les, the solastic in the large window (Heathcote) to pick up supplies forStewart & Gabrielle Southam (Subaru of his new van leaked making for a the evening's BBQ and then out to theOutback) rather soggy night. Idavue winery where we spent aToyota 4WD Club of Victoria: The remaining participants arrived pleasant hour and emptied our walletsClive Edmead (Toyota Prado) early on the Saturday morning. After on some Heathcote shiraz's.Gerard Faucheur (Nissan Patrol) they'd arrived those who hadn't made After the winery, we went to theLorraine Wright & John Hoppe their lunches went into town to buy Astronomical Society of Victoria (ASV)(Toyota Prado) something before we headed up to site for some optical and radioStewart & Gabrielle Southam (Subaru the Viewing rock (pictured above) for observingand a BBQ dinner (withOutback) a picnic lunch. The Viewing rock some Idavue wine). Before the BBQ,Visitor: Lauren Vallance (Renault) provides a panoramic view of the group was informed about theHeathcote andsurrounds. 8.5m radio dish and some otherMost of the participants arrived and We discovered that most visitors to instruments by Phil Costigan (ASV)set themselves up at the Queen the Viewing rock go up and back the and, after the BBQ, they were shownMeadow caravan park on the Friday same way (from/to the north). This a number of objects (various nebulae,and, on the Friday night, headed for road is quite suitable for 2WDs. On stars, star clusters, other galaxiesthe Commercial Hotel in High Street. the way back we decided to go down etc.) by Steve Thurm and othersFor any AFL fans the only football they a different way (to the south). This through the ASV 40 Newtonian tele-would get to see on the weekend was road turned out to be strictly scope and through other smallerthe first half of the WCE vs Richmond AWD/4WD with humps, rocky 'scopes. Just before 9:00pm thegame on Sky TV. At the time we left sections, steep grades and a few clouds built up so we decided to callthe pub it was just starting to drizzle large puddles. All cars got through it a night and head back to the QueenMeadow. Naturally, the cloudscleared away as we all pulled into thecaravan park.TRACKWATCHSEPTEMBER 2022 7TRACKWATCHJUNE 2022 7"