Introduction
Event Highlights
Plans for 2010 Gathering
More Pictures from Last Time
More Information

Introduction

Over the years, Rangerovers.net has developed into a community of Range Rover enthusiasts who participate in many ways in mutual support. The site and its forums are very much international, with members spread all around the world, but in May 2009 one of our major material contributors and Forum moderators, Ron Becket from Australia, paid a visit to the United States, so we thought it would be a good opportunity to organize a Rangerovers.net get-together for any readers, forum members or moderators who coud make it.

The gathering was held at Rangerovers.net HQ, a scenic working ranch in Northern California that includes ducks, goats and bees dwelling amidst scenic pasture and forest areas that are accessed by miles of ranch roads and logging trails of varying difficulty, with many impassable at certain times of year. The ranch has historical value for Land Rover enthusiasts due to hosting the 1999 Land Rover Trek.

The get-together was attended by about a dozen Rangerovers.net readers, moderators and members (plus spouses and children) who flew or drove in from Sydney, Atlanta, Seattle, and Los Angeles in addition to Range Rover enthusiasts and Land Rover friends from the local area. 

Event Highlights

The official schedule of events (honored mostly in the breach) was roughly as  follows:

Saturday
11 am              Participant arrival and Rover Talk
12-1 pm           Lunch (bring your own) and socializing
1-2:30 pm        4WD Ranch Tour (Including Tree House, Redwoods, Ducks and Ducklings, Goats and kids, Camp Spots etc)
2:30-4 pm        Quality Chainsaw Time: Clearance of fallen trees on the logging trails.
2:30-4 pm        Those not interested in chainsaws can luxuriate, hike, imbibe, conspire and converse)
4-5 pm             Compulsory Afternoon Tea (provided by Rangerovers.net)
5-6 pm             Camp Spot Selection and Set Up, Barbeque Preparation
6-8pm              Barbeque Pot Luck Dinner (Participants to supply snobbish wine selections suitable for Range Rover Owners)

Scenes from Rangerovers.net gathering 2009

Plans for 2010 Gathering

A second Rangerovers.net gathering is planned for the spring of 2010. Based on our experience with the first event, the next one will feature the following differences from the first attempt::

• More time (two nights instead of one -- many participants found the one day format far too short). More detailoed schedule to be posted in early 2010.
  
• Hotel options for those not used to camping (we found last time that many Range Rover owners prefer more luxurious accommodations than a tent or sleep-abouard arrangement).
• More time for a 4WD tour of the ranch, animals, tree house, redwoods and logging roads (an activity greatly abbreviated last time). 
  
• A restaurant dinner one night and a barbeque the other.
• Opportunity to sign the guest register in the new Mercantile Store (aka Shameless Commerce Department) featuring a variety of organic food products from the ranch.
• Fallen tree clearing time optional; arrangements for other activities such as local horse riding, fishing etc if desired, or just hanging out for those not enthusiastic about hainsaw and winch operations.
• Rangerovers.net Forum Moderator's and Member's meeting for those who take all that stuff seriously.
• Strictly no waking up of the Fawlty Towers Management before 8:30 am like last time.

For those Range Rover owners who actually enjoy camping, the available spots are sufficiently scenic and secluded to beat the usual National Parks and campgrounds hands down. If more attendees participate, additional secluded meadows will be opened up to make sure everyone has a private and scenic camp spot. As always, Tread Lightly principles are required to be observed.

If you are interested in participating in the 2010 Rangerovers.net Gathering, please email me.

More Pictures from Last Time:

If you have comments or suggestions, email author John Brabyn