b'CLUB SPOTLIGHT AMAROK CLUB OF VICTORIAE ach year The Amarok Club of Victoria, ABERFELDY TRACK MAINTENANCE TRIP 14BY: MAT MASONalong with other 4WD Clubs, venture into the Aberfeldy region to help maintain thehundred plus historical sites that make up the Aberfeldy Track historic touring route on behalf of West Gippsland Relic Mining and Heritage Protection Inc and DEECA. This year, the trip ran over the first weekend of December hoping for some fine weather. Unfortunately, those hopes were dashed.The trip up to Aberfeldy was a testament to the power of nature as the Walhalla area was pummeled with nearly 300mm of rain and wild winds since Tuesday. We passed dozens of minor land slips, some just filling the roadside gutters while others covered the road. This little tree fern found itself upright, by the side of the road after sliding down the hill, theAnybody silly enough to brave it however, would Eucalypt sapling not so lucky. A few kilometers uphave been booked for breaking the speed limit the road, the mud had covered the road completelythrough the town.and was dragged for hundreds of metres by vehiclesMichael, Mohamed and I met in Walhalla and plowing their way through. Trees were down atmade our way to The Springs campground, cleaning regular intervals but thankfully, DEECA had beenup a couple of historical sites on the way to save us through the day before and cut a path for us.from having to back-track too far in the morning. It The Thompson River at the Walhalla Bridge hashad been raining most of the way there but offered often provided river crossing practice as we canus a brief respite for some of our setup time. The normally drive through and along its length. Thiscampground is a little over 1000m in elevation, and trip, the river was somewhat more feisty. Stringerswell into the clouds, so we pulled into an eerily still Creek, usually a trickle that runs through Walhallaand quiet camp. and into the Thompson, was a grade 3 rapid. 18 TRACKWATCH|March 2024'