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guys i just spent my arvo out there today some really good beginer tracks but it also has some massive rutted out dips 8O i think some tracks would be unsubaruable there were also a few deep puddles an open dirt patches i just realised i need a lift. and i didnt see any cops an hopefully never will... fingers crossed

It so happens that our Subaru club does monthly Menai Clean-Up days and that means that we go there every month for a trip. All each car has to do is get a bag of rubbish before then going on through the place and be with the club. Simple. I'll check the calendar and get back to you about the next one.. this month I think.

if you join the club can you go out there when ever you want or only on the club 4wd days?

I remember I was out there once after it had rained and I was thinking about driving through the shallow part on one of the puddles. Good thing I didn't, it was actually a pond that would have swallowed my car whole! 8O

i was just out there again today...... I LOVE THAT PLACE!!! so much fun. i got a two minute vid off my camera phone i'll try put it up.. its raining now so im definately goin down tomorrow, i wanna see how deep those puddles get. it rained a little last nite and one puddle came up to my front bumper!!!

be prepared to replace front bearings soon then

and i hope your driveshaft boots aren't split....

boy didnt i learn the hard way.....

yeh i dont plan on doin that again anytime soon.. always check depth before driving through!!! my cv boots are both brand spankers should definately get a subi crew to head out there (with more able cars than mine).

A good question about whether you can go out any time or not once a member of the club. I don't know for certain but I'd presume it's conditional on being a club trip. I'll ask on the club forum and see what response I get.

As for Menai's driving conditions. It's always given a 'hard' rating due to its ruggedness/washouts/puddles etc. I've not done a cleanup day with them yet but plan to at some stage. Thanks to the M7 opening up it's much more accessible than before since I'm in Kellyville (near the Mean Fiddler on Windsor Road).

Keeping Menai in mind, what other places do anyone have in mind for a day trip perhaps? Lithgow? Watagans? Wollemi Nat Park????

For Menai, does that club have a "join the club for the day" sort of thing like the Qld club had apparently for the byb bbq?
Personally not much into "day trips" cause nothings that close to me..except Menai apparently on the cards is a wkend S/W nowra in a week or so...also got in mind a trip to tassie, but not allowed hols atm, and colder months approaching fast - yuk for tassie. It would be cool tho to have a few subes on the boat to tas at the same time tho.

I'm keen for a play in nowra, just depends how soon I can get my lift kit and tyres sorted.

Jordan.

I will be out and about again soon. For now though . . . where's the emoticon for "under the thumb"?

I've spoken to another member and they've told me that you have to be a club member and that the club you're with has to be a 4WD association member (most are) and ours is. Once this is the case then you can go on your own or as part of a group, whatever you want. The only thing left to ask about is a temporary membership for you. I'll await a response from our trip conveners. However, we do have a policy of letting anyone come along before joining on any trip. It's just a matter for Menai whether they are happy for you to go without being a temporary and not a registered member. As far as I can tell it would be for insurance purposes and our club insurance should cover that.

The fellow I was talking to was reminding me of a clubkhana day coming up on a Murder Mystery trip. I'll post more details if you're interested.

Going by the last few posts it seems we're pretty well spread out. How about guys from other forums too? OffroadSubarus tends to have all the newer cars doesn't it?

MUDRAT wrote:

I will be out and about again soon. For now though . . . where's the emoticon for "under the thumb"?

It's the one with the bald head ...

As my previous account had to be deleted the post has gone, but at the meet we organised in Canberra a large portion of the ACT RS Liberty Club came down to say hello - really cool to meet those guys.

As for Off Road Subarus, aren't most of those ex-Ausubaru guys? Isn't there reasons they're ex-Ausubaru?

I don't know about them being ex-Ausubaru fellas. I guess they have less interest in modifying their Subies due to the cost involved (who can blame them). eg. when I toted up the cost of modifying my '02 Outback: Car $45000, lift kit $1500 installed, SubaXtreme front bar and sump guard around $1600, rear bar around $1500, bigger tyres $250 each... holy toledo that was mounting. I soon put that dream on the backburner and sold my Outback for a $3000 L-series (expensive for the mechanical condition it was in but the body and interior was great) and the mechanicals being so much simpler I did was happy to try the work myself... all the support online such as here and on the QLD Subaru club etc.
Anyway, I'm preaching to the converted no doubt. Still, I don't see any of the Offroad Subaru gallery being modified. We've got more modified Outbacks and Foresters in the NSW Subaru club I've been mentioning.

I've got some solid advice regarding the use of Menai for you. The word is that you do have to be a member of a club that is also a member of the 4WD association.

Our NSW Subaru and Recreational 4WD Club (yeah, I know, it's a mouthful ain't it) is one such club. Membership for the year is only $60 which provides you with cover under the club's insurance, a regular magazine that details all trips and lots of other features, access to our forums and lots more. For me, another great reason is that the best 4WD insurance is cheaper and more comprehensive when you're a member of a 4WD club. Once a member, you can go to Menai whenever you like, but you will need to show your membership card and, therefore, you'd represent the clubs impeccable standard of ethics.

In the Menai park you're better of paying a $60 membership than a hefty fine when caught without. Regarding Subarus being able to go through there, one member reflected that he has been through there with both his lifted L-series and both his lifted Brumbys in the past.

The club's calendar shows a planned trip through there this coming Sunday 26th February and again on the 25th March, 2006 if you're interested.

I've got to say, EVERYONE (not just me) in the club would appreciate the company of more Subarus on trips - you can never see enough can you

E-mail the club's membership secretary, John Sury (a top bloke actually) on... secretary@subaruclub.com.au

Sounds like a good club, I have one reservation though: Most of the "Subaru 4WD Clubs" are composed of ex Subaru 4WD owners, ie most of them started out with an old L-Series or a Brumby but now the clubs tend to be populated by Prados and Discoverys.

I'll say right from the start, if I'm going to be involved in any such "Subaru" club, club events will be for Subarus only. Alex didn't bring his BMW to Canberra, and I'm not about to bring my other car to an RS Club jaunt now am I (even though it'd be more at place than my GLF)?

Mudrat, I completely understand where you're coming from. I used to feel the same. However, it's simply a matter of us getting involved in Subaru clubs that makes them populated with them. If we don't get involved then there's nothing else to happen but see them become populated with divorced owners "I used to own one" style clubs as you fear. All the members either own, owned (kids have grown out of the back seeat so need a larger 4by) or own a similar soft-roader type car. The more we get involved the better. I don't know about you but I'm terribly jealous of the WA and QLD clubs images that show an awful lot more Subies.

COME ON SUBIE COME ON COME ON!

I do hear what you're saying, you make some valid points.

I tell ya what, I just can't do anything till after April; but when I'm back in service again let's make a go of restoring the Subaru off road giant-killer off road rep?

i'll try to bring up the suby numbers by going on sunday to see what the club is like.... hopefully not over run by toyotas and rovers
subalex any idea how many people are going to be there??