Stockton Beach Cleanup

Eight member’s vehicles met at the Hawkesbury Ambulance station on an overcast Sunday for a 7.30am start of a quick trip up the freeway to Lavis Lane at Stockton Beach for the annual clean up of the white man’s middens – rubbish left from people who enjoy the beach and leave their rubbish behind, and in some cases flotsam washed ashore from passing ships.

Waiting at Lavis Lane were John in his work defender, Matt W, Rob & Marisse who brought along Rob’s parents in their Pajero with Marisse’s parents visiting from Auckland, and a lapsed member Jonathan who now lives at Newcastle. We registered and collected our sample bags each containing gloves, rubbish bags and maps as well as drink bottles, red T-shirts and red hats. The theme again this year was ‘See Red Over Rubbish’.

After lowering tyre pressures, John led the convoy through the sandhills and onto the beach and it wasn’t long before we found our first collection of rubbish – numerous plastic bottle caps, bottles, the odd thong (surely you would know if you lost one thong!) and Keith came upon a ‘white mans’ midden with dozens of spent firework shells buried in the sand.

After stopping at several more areas, morning tea was declared which gave everyone a chance to socialize over a drink and a biscuit, and then it was back to the task at hand. It seemed that the number of  4WD’s participating this year was down in numbers but the amount of  rubbish lying around on the sand and half buried, was certainly up and  we managed to fill our quota of bags. Matt found a half 44 gallon drum  and towed it around as a sled to put rubbish in and that and the bags  were left in a conspicuous area for collection by the rangers as we  have done in previous years.

Soon after mid-day Rob and Marisse took the lead and led us over the  dunes and with some success and a few second (and third) attempts  we scrambled up the sand hills towards the Lavis Lane registration  point where BBQ sausages and drinks were ready and supplied by  NPWS, Boral and Port Stephens Council. Following the food, a raffle was held where registration forms were drawn and local businesses had donated the 60 prizes awarded.

Successful members were Rob, John, Bill, Jonathan, Andy, and Bruce who were lucky recipients of prizes which included CD’s, beach passes, cosmetics and a fishing rod.

Following the structured part of the day, some members turned back to the beach and decided to drive up to Anna Bay while the others inflated the tyres and headed for home.

While Sydney was battening down the hatches for the rain storms that cancelled many events and caused flooding, Stockton was dry with light cloud cover and no wind. It was a perfect day to be on the greatest 4WDriving beach in Australia and thanks to our 25 RRC members and friends who could make it for the 14th year of our Club’s involvement.

Official numbers for the day were more than 400 volunteers and that included 25 4WD clubs from Sydney and Hunter Valley areas who collected more than 10 tonnes of rubbish in the brief 4 hours. Rubbish collected included the usual household rubbish, bottles, and plastic bags. An entire car body and a plane wing that were recently unearthed (unsanded?) by wind and moving sand were also found. We look forward to Sunday 17 October 2010, when we can do it again with an even bigger group of RRC members. No Range Rover Club members’ vehicles were harmed in any way during the running of this event.