Warburton - November 2000
Nathan/Mark/Clint:
Toyota Landcruiser
Mark/Michelle/James/Liam/Warren:
Nissan Patrol
Matt/Jocelyn:
Holden Jackeroo
Well, this was my first trip out with other cars since the training trip, and my first trip where things got a little rougher than anticipated.
Though we had the Gladysville topographic map for this area, the actual tracks that we went down are unclear, though in retrospect I think I have them recorded accurately.
From memory, we headed towards Warburton from Melbourne on the Warburton Highway, and turned right down Old Warburton Rd before reaching Warburton. We drove to the site of Old Warburton, and from here headed up Cemetery Track to the top of Mount Tugwell. Cemetery Track was reasonably steep (at least it seemed that way to me then) with regular cross cut- drains. It was also very severely rutted. At the top we turned right onto Justice Creek track and started heading down. This track was overgrown at the start, and we were out with machetes and axes clearing the path a little better. The track got steeper, and on one corner I slid into a rut causing the back bumper of my truck to tap the embankment, popping and breaking the left tail light. Spewing, but this was one of the prophecies given on the driver training course.
We came across a muddy bog hole on this track, which Nathan had to winch out of, and I had to be snatched out of. I had tried to reverse out of it, which proved the end of my splash guard, which cracked when dragged back through the mud. Matt took the soft option and found a way to drive around it, though this posed it's own risk taking him close to the steep drop into the valley. We all would most likely have been able to make it through the bog hole, if it wasn't for the tree root through the middle of it which was too high and slippery to get the wheels over.
We stopped for lunch at a road junction where Justice Creek track continued to the left, and another track headed back to Old Warburton. We then headed up Mount Bride Road and back across Mount Tugwell, where Nathan headed down Justice Creek Track again. I gave it a miss this time, and Matt had already packed up and gone home.
We headed back down Mount Bride Road and waited for Nathan at Old Warburton before heading off back home.
| Track Name | Surface | Travel Time | Average Speed |
| Cemetery Track | Clay 4WD. Steep and rutted with many cross cut drains | Not recorded | Not recorded |
| Justice Creek Track | Hard difficuly. Some overgrown sections. Wet and slippery with some steep descents. Rutted and a couple of bog holes. Recoveries required. | Not recorded | Not recorded |