b'CLUB SPOTLIGHT MILDURA 4X4 CLUBChinwagging at Mopoke Hut. Tree defoliation is verymost unusual for this time of evident making shade very sparse. Photo Glen Sutherland year. Even the notoriously rutted and corrugated Nowingi track was found in good condition. The other major surprise was the huge amount of caterpillar damage to the Mallee trees. Hundreds of hectares of trees have almost been totally defoliated by the hungry little beggars. We have observed this before in other places, including at our clubs NSW campground where the trees are only now slowly recovering. The closer we got to Mopoke the worse the track became with washouts, ruts, bog holes and other water damage encountered, not unusual though as this part of the park has a lot of clay soil and F inally it looks likeand thunderstorm downpourshard pans. After having a good MILDURA look around the Mopoke Hut TRIP NOTES FROM AUSTRALIA DAY and surrounds and a chinwag or two the convoys headed off BY: GLEN SUTHERLAND North with the Rocket Lake campground our next scheduled stop for dinner.EVENING & NIGHT DRIVE TO MURRAY SUNSETWe made the Rocket Lake NATIONAL PARK, MOPOKE HUT & ROCKET LAKE campground in good time and on arrival there was no time wasted in setting up for our evening the club has brokenearlier in the week forced somemeal. And it was a perfect the hoodoo that hashasty changes to Terry andevening for it too, no wind and plagued our trip plansAnnes plans, plus it meantbalmy conditions saw everyone since. too far back to remember.a reconnoitre to check tracksettle in for a very social meal Our Club trip coordinator, Terry,conditions on the day before thetopped off by Jos fresh peaches had flagged back in Decemberdrive. and Dis lamington rolls (paying that he was planning an AustraliaWith Terry and Anne in thehomage to Australia day) for day afternoon-evening-nightlead the convoy, departed thedessert.drive, but whether we went orBig Lizzy Park at Red Cliffs toReluctantly, we gathered up not would ultimately depend oncommence the drive out intoour dining gear in preparation how hot it was going to be on thethe wilds of the Murray Sunsetfor the night drive home. But day. He set a cut off of 32 deg. dayNational Park. Entry into the Parkwhat made our stay at Rocket time temperature. Terry has hitwas made via Midnight Tank,Lake so enjoyable (lack of any oracle status because that wasHenscke and Nowingi Line trackswind) made our drive home more the exact temperature it got to.with Mopoke Hut firmly in ourchallenging with the dust from Clearly a lot of us members weresights for the first stop of the trip.the leading vehicles hanging like experiencing something akin toThe wet year has certainly hadthick fog over the tracks.This cabin fever and jumped at thean impact on the Park tracks withbecame even more annoying chance to go on the drive. But Lamostly firm, relatively smoothafter the absolutely stunning Nina hadnt quiet given up yetsandy conditions encountered,sunset and after dark set in. In 20 TRACKWATCH|Mar |March 2023TRACKW'