Another Stockman’s Rally completed for WICEN Victoria. In the afternoon of Saturday 22nd October, a small team from WICEN Victoria headed to the Big River State Forest. The team, delayed slightly by known road closures in the area due to the running of the Tarmac Rally finally made their way to the “married men’s” camp site in the Big River State Forest near Marysville. With the event scheduled for the following day the evening gave the opportunity for the team to discuss the comms plan and other event changes (events are fluid) over a hot meal graciously provided by the event organisers.
WICEN Victoria’s roles was the provision of logistical and emergency communications support for the event. Around 450 motorcycle riders rode one or both loops pre laid out throughout the Victorian high country. This non-competitive event put on by Motor Cycle Racing Club of Victoria (MCRCV) commenced just after 9am on the Sunday morning. This meant radio operators were up early to get to their assigned check points. The last of the riders ended their day around 4pm.
The weather was picture perfect for the Sunday as well as the night before despite all the heavy rain Melbourne and the rest of the state had been experiencing. A WICEN 2M repeater was deployed on Mount Duffy for the event. We also used in UHF CB as the event support crew including sweeps, medics on bikes and recovery teams carried UHF CB radios. 
With WICEN located at strategic locations around the course we were able to relay messages to and from those assets back to race HQ to assist in non and urgent decision making. This included with the assisting of riders who may have not followed the course by having race officials track their whereabouts as well as medical interventions that formed at times rather heavy radio traffic. Fortunately, injuries were minor with only one rider needing transport by Melbourne Ambulance Services. WICEN team members departed their checkpoints back to race HQ for a informal debrief before making the journey back to their respective home QTH’s.
