Champ Camp 09

[Ryan]

Ha! Beat me to it Tony.

[Richard Coutts-Smith]

Due to the absolute obliteration of Marysville and the surrounding area, due to the fires, Champ Camp has upped stakes and moved to Blores Hill Camp ground near Glenmaggie. Dates remain the same.
Rich

[Richard Coutts-Smith]

Champ Camp 09 has been and gone. All up I think we had 18 Champs and a Series 1 Landy doing some entertaining bush tracks, the odd river crossing and a little bargain hunting.
Also included a smattering of guests from the UK, but it is a long way to come to drown a Champ in a river crossing.
While the Champ is well known for its wading capabilities (6 ft), it has been cunningly designed so that the snorkel in the stowed position will suck up the bow wave in a fairly average crossing. The delights of pumping water out through the sparkplugs, can only be surpassed by finding out that the petrol tank breather also runs into the snorkel: it was amazing how much water was in the filter, pump and carby, when some of the Champs returned to base. A clean out and a litre of Metho into the tank fixed most problems.
Also present was one of 3 known, complete, Civilian Champs, we also saw the reunion the brass ID plates and the Champ they were removed from over 20 years ago, and finding out my Champs ARN finished the week off nicely
Managed to get stuck a few times, purely for the kids benefit, and the veiws were magnificent (Champ after Champ after Champ.....)
My thanks to Malcolm, Peter and Warren (owner of the worlds only Bling Champ) for their outstanding effort in organising Champ Camp 09
Rich

[jim sewell]

It's great to see people having some fun and adventure in their vehicles , good on you.
Jim S.

[S LATHERON (RIP)]

In the first pic of the three posted, did the guy standing up in the Champ have to do this to warn the guy wading ashore if he was about to get eaten by fresh water crocodiles or was he worried about getting his Clothes wet?
Love the pics and apart from the fact you had to move camp because of those terrible fires I guess you all had a great time.
Nice to see trucks doing what they do best play!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Richard Coutts-Smith]

The dry chap in the 1st pic was not worried about the crocks, the sharks had eaten all of them....
Actually he was getting serenaded with "Happy Birthday" at the time,
Here is a few more pics.
Rich

[phoenix]

Great photos Richard. Looks like a good time was had by all!