This will likely not be as long as my previous posts, as it was just a day trip, but why wouldn’t you want to grab a drink and settle on in for the read anyway! Didn’t take as many photos on this trip.
I have been a part of the Perth FJ Cruisers on FB since purchasing Mallow 3.5yrs ago and been to the Christmas run twice now. Christmas 2022 was Lancelin in the dunes, unfortunately I was running late (literally getting my hair done) so I didn’t get to Lancelin till after lunch, they had already finished in the dunes. We met in town as we were headed to Wedge for the afternoon. I was yet to air down so we headed to the dunes so I could do so.
We run past the dunes in single file with Shane leading the troops and Lorraine as tail end Charlie. Past the dunes out onto the beach, there was 7 of us I think at this point, and we all followed Shane. We got to a few soft spots and one of the guys was having some trouble lining up in the tracks, so a few stops were made and some education was provided. We decided to skip inland for a little bit as just up ahead there were a couple trucks bogged (but had their own help). Once over the dunes the group split, 4 continued on and 3 headed back. We continued along the inland track for a little while before finding out way back to the beach. Turns out the cars that were bogged were Offroad TV in their Y62 and Ram 1500.
The run to Wedge was great, lots of soft sections but we all coasted through them, one slightly boggy bit that took a bit more grunt to get through but we all did well.
We got up to Wedge and headed past the townsite – to a long wide stretch of beach headed further north, and I opened her up, a few bumps before I realised closer to the water was harder and flatter. I didn’t want to hit it too hard as I did only have 15psi in my tyres, but it was fun!
We all caught up and turned the cars around for a good photo opportunity, it was nice to stop and chat about each of our cars, what we paid for them, what we have done to them with modifications etc.
Shortly after, we were joined by the Offroad TV guys and laughed at “what took you so long” haha They had done the ‘bogging’ not for the show or for the channel, I really think they were bogged for real but made it worth while. Had a great chat and a laugh with the guys before they invited us back to their camp for a but of a chill! I hadn’t been further north on this section of beach so that was fun, they were great guys! We got to their camp and they set up, showed us a few of their toys and we chatted about travels and the show and all our cars.
Decided we needed to start headed back before the sun set. We headed back along the track down onto the beach and back through the townsite of Wedge, Ruan hadn’t been before so we took the tour. Back onto bitumen for a couple hundred metres and hen back onto the inland route. Once we headed back to the beach a bit further down, I took the lead, got a good pace up and headed home! I made sure everyone was all good on radio regularly and kept heading south. The sun was starting to set, but we had plenty of time to get back, it was a pretty sunset!
All was going well, got through all the soft sand, and the angled sections of sand and was all good, until one spot, my tyres got away from me in a split second and headed off the ruts I was following, straight towards the incoming tide. I freaked, braked and stopped just higher than the current tide marks.
I lost it, the sand was super soft and wet, and I had seen far too many videos of losing vehicles to the ocean! So the others and I (mostly everyone else) got to trying to get me back to higher ground. Now Mallow isn’t very light and it was on a shocking angle, so it wasn’t easy.
The sun had set, it was getting darker, we had lost the daylight. We tried maxtrax, we tried a winch, we tried snatch straps, one car, 2 cars and nothing was moving me enough to higher ground again. I was starting to stress and I will admit there was tears as I was genuinely worried I wasn’t getting out as nothing seemed to work. I was extremely lucky to have been able to get signal, Optus, and managed to message Sarah from Westcoast 4×4 Recovery – keep them on speed-dial guys 0417 090 373 – to see where they were at this point, as if we couldn’t do this I wanted to know they were aware if we needed them.
Sadly, they were unavailable to help me but they did give me the number of another fella in Lancelin who would/should be able to help. Once again, glad to have gotten enough signal to call Gordie 0408 916 055 and he was about half an hr from Lancelin, so we had another 30 minutes to see if we could get out. He told me to put my hazards on so he could find me easier in the dark.
He made it to us, he was fantastic! I have never felt so calm under such stressfull situation. He was funny, light hearted and knew exactly what to tell me to keep me calm and understanding what my car as going to do and that it was ok. He drove a Nissan Patrol and hooked me up to his winch using a winch block for extra strength. He stood beside my car with his remote and talked me through it, that my front end was going to drop towards the ocean due to the angle I was on and needed to get to. That my car could withstand some water, so don’t stress. And that he was going to get me out! Ha it was a very smooth run, stopping a few times to realign and position his car back again. And I was back on solid higher ground. Gosh I don’t think I have ever been so relieved!
Then it was onto the next one, as the others had moved past me 2 got bogged also, and he managed to get all of us out, Lorraine suffered a little damage but we all got out, without losing our cars to the ocean. by this stage it was a bit after 11pm and we had been ‘recovering’ since about 6.30 when the sunset. We finally arrived back into the north end of the lancelin dunes at about 11.30pm where I texted mum to let her know we made it out and was back on solid ground – I had been texting her during the night, probably not helping that I kept telling her “nope still stuck” for most the night.
As we were leaving the dunes I was very conscious of the fact I was sitting on less than 10psi in my tyres, so as I rolled out onto the road I was only going about 20ks an hr. As we pulled out, the others were ahead of me and there was a Police vehicle at the entry of the dunes on the road. Figuring I hadn’t done anything wrong I indicated and headed onto the bitumen, we were meeting at the ATM to pay Gordie. Not 50m down the road, the flashing lights come on and I pulled to a stop. They got out the car and asked why I was still in the dunes after curfew. Apparently there is a 7pm cut off to be in the dunes. I advised them a) I didn’t know about the cut off and b) it was not by choice but that I had gotten bogged before sunset and had spent this last 4 hrs trying to get it. They were really nice and sympathetic to my issue and let me off with a warning this time. I thanked them and headed to the bank.
The plan was to stay in Lancelin for the night, but at this point I just wanted to get home, I had had enough! So after airing back up again, we hit the road as a convoy again headed for Perth. What a day, by the time I got back to Perth it was 1.30am and I got into bed by 2am. I was absolutely knackered but super grateful I wasn’t alone and for all the help Lorraine, Shane and Ruan gave me, keeping me in good spirits and literally trying everything they could to get me out! Thanks heaps!!
Bouncer & Mallow Adventures 