Pyrenees Gathering 2013 report

Well this year was a bumper year for the ExplorOz Pyrenees gathering. With a healthy contingent from South Oz (including Jan from Prague and Waz from France) and a really healthy contingent from Victoria, there were 67 all up there on the Saturday.

This is the seventh year in a row for this gathering and its really one that people have taken to heart, I know that Imogen looks forward to it all year, you can’t keep Muzbry away with a stick, and Robin and Anne even conscripted Robins brother Terry so we had someone to clean up the prizes!


The SA guys headed off at 0830 (SA time) which is apparently different to Victorian time but I just think Blaze slept in and as using any excuse for his late departure. They found a great track which is featured elsewhere and whoever said a 200series can’t jump just needs to look at the pics on that other thread.

We, the Vics, under the expert directions of our group navigator Miss Lily (ten years old!) managed to find a un-named track that started out rough, then got rougher, and then it really got rough and challenging.
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Our new best mate PeterS found the transition to the bypass track too easy and managed to highside his delightful TDV8 Troopie, just to add the level of difficulty, every slip of the clutch pushed him closer to a tree and we could but listen onto the UHF for news of the progress. Septuagenarian Muzbry snatched him uphill in reverse to gain a more sure footing and progress continued to lunch.


After lunch our trek took up down another track that managed to claim a dent and slight remodelling of the passenger door, on a particularly gnarly section of the homeward bound track. Even Robin Millers showroom clean patrol took it slowly.


Miss Lily ran a competition for the time of arrival back to camp which was won my Member-MadCowz, following Miss Lily’s dismissal of protests, Boards of Inquiry and threatened hissy fits from GeorgeM and Muzbry in Tail End Charlie – Judges Decision is FINAL! She told them, I can still hear Georges laugh ringing in my ears.


The Saturday night Long Dinner was a huge effort feeding 64 (including three vegetarians) hungry explorers a full spit roast, and vegetables, including corn on the cob and delicious gravy. A HUGE vote of thanks to Terry Carpenter and Leanne, and Mrs Bonz for cooking the feast and making the night go so well, and also Skylar and Lily for helping with the serving! What a great feed! I think Matt, of Matt&Julie fame had a couple of helpings such was the deliciousness, and Julie, thankyou for helping clean up, you just can’t stop her helping and our great gratitude goes to her for being her.


We drew the raffle, with great prizes provided by the EO team, thankyou Michele and Adele, and then ran the traditional trivia quiz, mooted to be “Much harder this year” by someone who didn’t win! This was won by Terry Miller and GeorgeM, who tossed a coin to decide who won the major prize, a Lifetime Membership with EO. Guess I should have kept that 50c coin because EO have graciously offered another Lifetime membership for GeorgeM, so congratulations, both for your fairness and your award.Well done.

Sunday the weather turned out a peach and a short steep trek landed us back at camp safe with no more war wounds and a track cleaned up with a handy chainsaw.

Member TrevorDavid kept mentioning that those tracks would be a challenge to go uphill! Maybe next year mate!


A fantastic time was had by all, new attendee Stuarat, at least that’s what his name tag said, of Stuart and Gunny fame commented that everyone he spoke to was fine, upstanding and a great person, but I don’t think he spoke to the Dust Devil.

Thanks to everyone for coming along and pitching in and making the gathering the success it was, it really is the people we meet that makes EO a great starting point for life long friendships. Lets do it all again next year eh?