b'CLUB SPOTLIGHT LAND ROVER OWNERS CLUB OF VICTORIAGippsland. They are joint affairs between LROCV, thetwo pulleys and so the trunk weighing several tons Range Rover Club and the Pajero clubs.was dragged through 90 degrees off the track. It We all gathered at the Bendoc Parks Victoriatook two moves of the anchor vehicle to enable a offices for a 9:00 oclock start, met by four Rangers.reasonably straight pull off the tree as it changed After signing in and going through the safety briefingposition, but all done after one hour.we divided into three groups dependent on whetherNext it was time for lunch at the Frosty Hollow we wanted to do a strenuous walk up Mount Ellery,camp and picnic spot, and onto the last tree. This a long trip up towards the Ada Divide Track andwas a tangle of large branches across the track, Goolengook, or a technical trip dealing with threewhich just needed a lot of cuts with chainsaws and very large trees in the National Park. I chose themany hands to move the logs. It still took around 50 large trees, along with the winching experts fromminutes.the Pajero club. We headed off toward Errinundra,While the Parks Victoria Ranger, Gary Bellesini clearing a few small trees till we reached the first ofmanaged the day, he stood back and let the Pajero the three trees, which had managed to lay its 30 mClub manage the winching operations. I was length along the track with almost enough room forextremely impressed by their level expertise, a vehicle alongside. The few branches were quicklyequipment, teamwork, planning and safety cleared and it was time for the Pajero winching teamapproach. It all made for a great day out in the bush.to get to work, with the plan of moving the trunkSo with all the main objectives it was back to sideways to the edge of the track. The winchingBendoc for dinner. Bendoc is a tiny little place of vehicle was moved alongside the trunk so that themaybe 50 people, but has a great little community cable could be passed diagonally over the tree,centre, even offering showers to travellers. We through a pulley anchored with a trunk protector towere treated to a dinner, a talk from a local from a convenient tree at one end. This managed to rollGoongerah about the flora and fauna of the the root ball over through half a revolution, whichErrinundra and a film. got it almost to the tracks edge. The other end was ofThe Errinundra is a fascinating place to visit. It is the trunk was much closer to the edge, so the wholeone of last places in Victoria where you can see old trunk was moved sideways by nearly two metresgrowth forest from pre-settlement times. Most of it with a single winch pull. Time taken 30 minutes. is on a plateau so the tracks were relatively easy. Next it was onto the really big one, at least 1.5 metres high, and straight across the track. So the plan was to cut a large chink out of the middle then turn it through 90 degrees and drag it off the track. The first part of the plan was quickly executed with a couple of substantial and sharp chain saws. The next part required a lot of teamwork and two vehicles using a Spanish Burton rig. One vehicle acted as the anchor and the other winched through TRACKWATCH|March 2024 27'