The great gathering of the dusted, returned to Nana Glen for the 15th Annual Camp Coffs. Jeepers from all over Australia descended on the wilderness around Coffs Harbour for a long weekend of trail triumphs and campfire shenanigans.
Hosted by Jeep Action Magazine, Camp Coffs is an event we always look forward to. This year we were one of the major sponsors… and we decided to make the most of it.
THURSDAY
The Chief Products WK2 was loaded up and ready for adventure, but this year it was relegated to the role of support vehicle. After 2 months wrenching in the garage, the HELLHAWK was finally ready for its first trip off the bitumen. No one outside of the Chief Products team (and a handful of top-notch sponsors) had seen it in-person. We were excited to see what pushing 500hp into 33” x 12.50” rubber would accomplish out on the trails.
On the way down we stopped in for the traditional Maccas breaky, but the whurr of off-road tyres reminded us we weren’t heading off on a normal weekend camping trip. This was all about throwing dirt and powering up rocky hill-climbs during the day… and then sharing beers and tales of adventure around the campfire at night with 300 other like minded gear heads and adventure seekers.
We parked the Jeeps, built camp, grabbed a few beers from the fridge and threw our steaks on the fire. We’d arrived.
FRIDAY
Friday was all about the HELLHAWK. We rolled out of camp in the morning freshly polished and returned looking ready-for-dinner. After an epic day on the trails - we provide this feast of engineering and photographic excellence for your peepers.
Through a haze of dust and dirt we caught a glimmer of where we’re headed. Straight ahead (faster than feels right) and then deep down into the corner… the whole car sliding… sideways… a cloud of dust against the sun… then back on the power… rocks flying; the grumble of the 500hp Hemi as we accelerate. Then we watched as a cloud of dust enveloped our photographer (Daniel Snare). “Run it again”, we’d hear across the UHF. The occupants in the car grinning from ear-to-ear at the thought.
The crushing allure of pure acceleration... we decided to chase it down.
SATURDAY
If anyone is wondering… this; this is how you grab the undivided attention of a group of Jeep hooligans. Authentic Smokehouse BBQ and Beer. The Chief Products crew decided to skip the trails on Saturday and instead woke up before the sun to load the BBQ Smoker with St Louis Cut Pork Ribs, Wagyu Briskets and Boston Butt Pork Shoulders. They cooked low & slow all day (12-14 hours) while we drank Whisky and Beer. Last year we successfully tested the concept with 20-30 of our closest hermanos. This year we cooked 4 times as much… and it ran out just as fast.
Smoked BBQ Pork Ribs, 14 Hour Pulled Pork, XXX BBQ Sauce, Melt-In-Your-Mouth Wagyu Brisket, Potato Salad and Cold Beer. It was all free. Our contribution to the Camp Coffs experience. At the end of a long day, it felt great to expand our circle of friends and share our rumbling appetite for adventure with like minded Jeep aficionados.
SUNDAY
Jeeps loaded, fridges packed, UHFs on, convoy assembled... let's roll. On Sunday, we threw our lot in with a motley crew of Jeepers ready to tackle the trails around Coffs Harbour. Old military Jeeps and full-size Chiefs, together with a collection of modern Grands and Wranglers - we set out to get amongst it. Each major obstacle on the trail drew a crowd as curious gear heads stopped to see how the HELLHAWK would perform. After all, it’s not every day you see a 500hp Jeep SRT out on the trails. Big muddy ruts and off camber hill climbs, the V8 grumbled and she walked through everything we threw at her.
Back at camp, we huddled around the Jeeps and answered questions about the soon-to-be-released WK2 Rock Rails, WK2 Rear Tie-Downs and Fairlead Surround. Customers got to see all the products in-person, and those who joined our trail group got to see them in-action. The WK2 Rock Rails were by far the most popular and it was great to hear all the positive feedback, especially the enthusiasm for the 2 tread plate designs.
As the sun hit the horizon and the sky began to fill with colour, we followed the crowd over to the big tent and listened as each group shared the days adventures. They announced the trail heroes, handed out awards and then up-shifted to what many had been waiting for all weekend. The raffle. This year we contributed a WK2 Nudge Bar (Mirror Polished) to the list of prizes. We all smiled when the nudge bar was won by a Grand owner, that just the night before at the BBQ, was telling us how much she wanted one for her next grand adventure.
FIN
This was our kind of event, each day we put dirt under our tyres and each evening found ourselves drinking beer and meeting new friends around the campfire. A huge applause and a firm handshake to Jeep Action Magazine and the Coffs Coast Jeepers for organising such an epic event. We had a damned good time and brought home a lot of good memories.
