Trophy Weekend 2026
16th June 2026
By Trevor Dixon
Trophy Weekend 2026 – Gootchie Creek Escape
If anyone arrived at Gootchie Creek Escape expecting axle-deep mud, winch recoveries and bent bulbars, they were in for a surprise. The toughest challenge of Brisbane 4WD Club Trophy Weekend this year wasn't conquering impossible tracks... it was avoiding cow patties in the dark.
The annual Awards Presentation and Dinner kicked off from 4:00 pm on Saturday, 13 June, with El Presidente Robbie Kerr taking centre stage alongside the ever-organised Brenda Marment. A massive thank you goes to Brenda for the mountain of work behind the scenes that made the weekend run seamlessly. Events like this don;t happen by accident, and her efforts were greatly appreciated by everyone.
A big shout-out also goes to Tred Outdoors for generously donating prizes. But hands down, the true heavy lifters of the weekend were Michelle and Mitch, who laboured away all day preparing a feast worthy of its own trophy.
And what a feast it was.
The rotisserie was loaded with pork, lamb and pastrami, accompanied by American beans, creamed corn and enough sides to test the structural integrity of camp chairs throughout the campground. Then came dessert. Pavlova, chocolate brownies, caramel slice, cake, fruit and cream. If anyone went home hungry, they only had themselves to blame.
Of course, Trophy Weekend is all about recognising the achievements, commitment and memorable moments that make our club what it is.
Leigh picked up the Encouragement Award after throwing his Hilux into plenty of club adventures throughout the year and proving that enthusiasm can sometimes outweigh good judgement.
Helen proudly “won” the infamous Rude Rod. Not because shed actually received it the most times during the year – the award only made a single appearance for any given member at meetings – but because she had managed to attract more nominations than anyone else. Some talents simply cannot be taught.
Then there was the Best Recovery Award.
Traditionally, this prestigious honour goes to someone who has heroically extracted another member from a difficult predicament.
This year? Not quite.
Congratulations to Dazee, whose unforgettable effort on The Guzzler runners’ tracks resulted in her vehicle becoming firmly acquainted with the scenery and requiring a tow out to the nearest road. Sometimes being “the” recovery is just as memorable as performing one.
Several members also celebrated significant milestones with 10 and 20-year service badges recognising their dedication to the club. Robbie Kerr and “Troopy” John took home the coveted Clubman and Clubwoman awards respectively. My apologies to the recipients of the other awards handed out during the evening – after the amount of food consumed, the finer details may have disappeared somewhere beneath a layer of pavlova and caramel slice.
As night fell, the campfires came to life. In fact, it took an entire ute load of timber to keep four barrel fires burning. A few extra umbrellas would have been handy as passing showers attempted to dampen spirits, but good luck overcoming the combined powers of smoked meats, desserts and great company.
Later in the evening, members found themselves negotiating cattle landmines on midnight walks to the amenities and chasing particularly bold bovine visitors away from the food tent whenever they decided to conduct their own culinary inspections.
It was another fantastic Brisbane 4WD Club gathering filled with laughs, stories, recognition and friendship. Thank you to everyone who helped organise, cook, contribute and simply turn up to make the weekend such a success.
Here’s to another year of adventures, recoveries, questionable decision-making and memories that get better every time they’re retold.
Bring on Trophy Day next year. We can’t wait.
