8th Dutch Treffen 2016

[heinkeljb]

Wednesday 4th May 2016 saw me loading up Lurch in the evening as I was at work until 5:30pm. So lots of things got loaded into the back, inside the nice new MK2 green house I have made. The standed stuff like tent, cooker, food, clothes, camp bed etc. There was of course various spare parts and tools that also get included. My friend Stephen turned up with his gear to add to the pile. We got everything ready and made firm plans to leave at 12:30. So off to bed nice and early with the alarm set for 12:00.

One of the nice things about Lurch is I have upgraded the front lights to HID's so driving at night is not so much of trial. The journey to Dover took us about two and a half hours so we arrived in time for our 4:00 o'clock ferry. For the first time ever, we were searched on the way out. Having said that they were searching every vehicle getting on the ferry.

A couple of hours later the ferry arrived in Dunkirk and we had another first, Lurch did not require a push start! The Sat-Nav finally found the European map and allowed us the program the route to Gulpen in the Nertherlands. We drove until Lurch required petrol. Full tank from Lewes to our first petrol stop at an average of 29mpg. So on towards Gulpen only to notice the the Sat-Nav was going to route us through Brussels. Quick look on a paper map gave us another town name we could use to make the route go south of Brussels.

Eight and a half hours after setting off from Dunkirk, various detours due to roads works and Sat-Nav miss routing saw us arrive at the campsite. We booked in and found our allocated spot of grass upon which to erect our tent. The obligatory cup of coffee was brewed and then it was off on a tour of the campsite to see who else was there. On one side of our plot was one of the organisers and next to him one of the German contingents. A bit further down was another of our hosts and so it turns out that even though we had a “sort of group booking”, it was in name only as we were spread out all over the campsite. Not that it made any difference, we were all capable of walking around to find those we wanted to talk to. So after a while and having discovered we were going to be setting off on the road run in the morning quite early, I went to put in petrol. This fill meant the journey was done at an average of 32MPG.

Our road run the next morning, involved a fair amount of waiting for every one of the 19 Haflingers and 1 Pinzgauger to catch up from road junctions, traffic lights, etc. The attraction we visited just before our provided picnic lunch was to what was once a sandstone mine. Quite why it was a tunnelled mine as opposed to an open cast mine I do not know, but if the dates on some of the charcoal drawings inside are to be believed. Then the tunnels date back the 1700's. The guide proceeded to show us various parts, like the section which was used as a church and which apparently married 4 couples last year... He also took great delight in getting us to stand in one place in complete darkness and proceeded to tell us about two lads in a neighbouring area with a similar mine who lost their lives because they couldn't find their was out even by keeping one hand on a wall at all time because they went round a column! They were found about 40 metres from an exit. So we were all suitably chastened by this story and made sure we followed the guide!

More road run in the afternoon through some lovely hilly countryside. Oh yes, did I mention this is the only bit of the Netherlands which has hills? Well it has, we went up and down and around a large number of them. Back to the campsite and time to get ready for the evening meal. Evening meal was a set menu which went down well as either there was not enough of it or it was nice! Every plate was empty.

Next day was similar in layout, road run in the morning to an attraction. This was actually the point where Holland/Germany/Belgium meet. Lunch was an picnic affair which works really well. Then more road run slowly back to the campsite. Various off road sections of public roads meant plenty of dust which gets everywhere!

So there were 20 Haflinger's and 1Pinzgauger which made for a very long convoy. Going through junctions and traffic lights was fun trying to keep the group together.

Journey home on Sunday was uneventful other than the odd diversion which threw a spanner in the works as far as the Sat-Nav was concerned. Lurch developed a new noise on the way home which did not seem to affect the way the Haf drove. Having arrived home with roughly the same time frame as going out, I didn't bother to do anything other than empty all the camping gear until a couple of days later, when I worked out what the new noise was..... Broken pre-heat pipe on the Carb manifold.

Lots of dismantling this weekend then!

Till next year or another rally which demands a write up.

John (and Lurch) and Stephen

[AustHaflinger]

Another great run - glad to hear all went well. Thanks for sharing but you know the trip did not happen if there are no pics posted.

Garry

[Julian B]

Impressive fuel economy figures! I take my hat off to you for driving all that way in your Haflinger - I fear that had I done so I'd be wanting to sell the thing as soon as I arrived, let alone got back home

[Techmogogy]

Thanks
Great write up!

[jhon]

Well done on the completion of another long journey John - I admire your tenacity! Even though it's something I will probably never do myself, it's great to see these vehicles doing the distance.

I echo Julian's thoughts!

Regards,

John

[heinkeljb]

Photo's to prove it happened!

A herd of Haflingers

Inside the sandstone mine, picture done by candle light / fire light. Wall covered in charcoal and then scratched through to the sandstone for the white.

The point at which Holland / Germany / Belgium meet.
Left hand side is Germany, central section towards the camera is Holland and the far right hand side is Belgium.

John

[AustHaflinger]

Photo's to prove it happened!

John

So it did happen - thanks

Garry