Heading off-road and hitting the tracks is something we often do. We are either with friends or explore on our own. Going solo can be a little risky, if you don’t know the area you may run into trouble.

Knowing members of the Cockburn 4wd Club we were interested in some of their recent events. The club offers non members the opportunity to participate in two events before becoming a member.

With no plans one Sunday we signed up to the Harvey Hills trip. All the tour information was on their Facebook page. We simply registered our interest, completed an online trip attendance form and we were ready to roll.

Nine 4wds met up in Pinjarra where we did the formal meet and greet. Once everybody was well acquainted we jumped in our vehicles and turned the UHF radio on so we could communicate as the convoy travelled to Harvey Dam.

One snake was spotted on the way. The road was dusty as we headed through the pine plantation to the dam. A reminder that the warmer drier months are almost upon us.

At the dam, we all lowered our tyre pressures to suit the terrain. The kids and I put our feet in the water and cooled down while everyone was getting their 4wds ready.

I got chatting to two ladies who were taking their 4wds out for the day. The ladies told me they often go out together but would avoid tackling big hills when it was just the two of them.

Being with a 4wd club gave them confidence as they could ask for assistance if something went wrong. They often asked for advice from the more experienced drivers in the group who were more than happy to help. It was awesome to see ladies getting out there and giving it go.

And for the record, the ladies did just as well as the men!

The first hill climb we attempted was steep. Our Landcruiser was in 1st gear low range as we climbed the hill. Dixie straddled the ruts on the track, however if it was wet you could easily slip into the ruts.

A call over the radio came to see if anyone wanted to play in some water. The driver of a Triton didn’t hesitate and within moments he was bogged with water running into the car.

The boys whipped into action and in no time he was winched out. However, he was a bit sheepish. The car belonged to his partner, good luck explaining that one!

We mucked around on several tracks close to the dam and then returned to the water for lunch. After a bite to eat we jumped back in the 4wds. We came across a makeshift bridge, after a quick inspection we felt it was safe enough to cross.

The tracks eventually lead us to Lake Brockman. There were many difficult parts to negotiate during the journey but overall the trip wasn’t too hard.

Having nine 4wds in the group meant that things were a little slower. Depending on the difficulty of the terrain I don’t think you would want to have too many more 4wds on a tour.

It was a fun day out and great to meet other people with similar interests.

See you on the tracks!

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