THE FIRST EDITION
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Introducing the Unsealed 4X4 editor, Dan Lewis
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ROOTHY:
THE BEARDED CRUSADER FIGHTS TO UNLOCK AUSTRALIA
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CREDITS Editor Dan Lewis Journalist Sam Purcell Digital Media Manager Eldon De Croos Sales and Marketing Manager Mark Muras Account Manager Allan Goldby
Editorial Art Director Kirsten Nutting Video Editors Melanie Galea and Gavin Rawlings Sales and Promotions Manager James Fox Administration & Advertising Art Director Laura Boshammer
Publisher Pat Callinan Publishing Pty Ltd
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CHOOSE YOUR OWN
ADVENTURE
ISUZUUTE.COM.AU
TAKE WHATEVER, WHEREVER IN THE ISUZU D-MAX OR MU-X. Everyone has a spirit of adventure. For some it might just be taking the family to that favourite camping spot, for others it might mean conquering the most extreme of off-road tracks. Or it might just be that feeling of knowing you have the tools to hitch up the boat or caravan and take off whenever you want. Whatever your sense of adventure, there’s a no-nonsense Isuzu ute or SUV built with all the advanced features you need to get you there and back – safely and in style. Powered by a super-efficient 3.0L turbo diesel engine, and backed by a rock-solid 5 year warranty and a 5-star ANCAP safety rating~, the Isuzu D-MAX & MU-X are ready for any adventure.
Inspire your spirit of adventure at isuzuute.com.au
~5-star ANCAP safety rating on 4x4 D-MAX Crew Cab models built from November 2013 onwards and all MU-X models. ^Whichever occurs first, for eligible customers; excludes accessories and trays.
SHOW SOME EMOTION:
THE NEW NISSAN
NAVARA Check it out! Nissan has revealed what the next version of its flagship ute looks like. The NP300 Navara is the 12th generation of this famous Nissan and will go on sale in Australia in early 2015.
While Nissan has released plenty of photos and videos and motherhood statements about the new vehicle, there are no details yet about engines and transmissions for the Australian market.
Transmission options include a seven-speed automatic and sixspeed manual, it said. As for engines, the “powertrain boasts improved performance, with reduced fuel consumption and emissions. The What Nissan is telling us plenty about new 2.5-litre DOHC in-line 4-cylinder Diesel engine features maximum is the new vehicle’s appearance: power of 140kW and 120kW at “The Nissan design team focused on delivering a sportier and more 3600rpm, maximum torque of emotional expression on the Navara, 450Nm and 403Nm at 2000rpm, and while maintaining Nissan’s distinctive higher boost from a turbocharger design DNA.” with electrical actuator. Fuel economy has been improved by Response to the new look on social as much as 11% over the previous media has ranged from delighted to model.” disappointed. But in a media statement out of Yokohama HQ in Japan, Nissan did reveal more about the NP300.
It remains to be seen if this is what we will get in Australia. Unsealed 4X4 will keep bringing you the latest.
NISSAN NAVARA. THE ULTIMATE PO
The ST-X 550 is built with a class-leading V6 Turbo of torque and phenomenal braked towing capacity. N MOST POWERFUL TRADIE. See it at nissan.com.a
OWER TOOL
diesel, 170kW of power, 550Nm No wonder it’s still AUSTRALIA’S au/navara
Register your interest for the all-new Nissan Navara ARRIVING EARLY 2015
CIVILISA CREEPS UP
THE BITUMEN KEEPS INVADING, BUT
IN WHAT IS STILL ONE OF AUSTRA
STORY BY BRUCE MCMAHON P
ATION P THE CAPE
T GOOGLE MAPS WON’T HELP YOU
ALIA’S GREAT WILD FRONTIERS
PHOTOS BY TOMMY SALMON
WILLIE GORDON FROM GUURRBI TOURS CAN TAKE YOU TO HIS ANCENTRAL HOMELANDS IN THE SANDSTONE RANGES OUTSIDE OF COOKTOWN
CAPE York Peninsula is a big and wild chunk of northern Australia. First seen by Europeans as far back as the 1600s, it remains one of white man’s last frontiers. It’s been a place of big adventure, big mines and big cattle properties. But times are changing as civilisation – and the bitumen – heads further north. Today the track to the Tip remains a robust outing for four-wheel drivers and fisherfolk, well-travelled by many and well-mapped by the likes of Hema. Try for Google directions for those 1000-odd kilometres from Cairns to the top and comes the reply: “Sorry, your search appears to be outside our current coverage area for driving.” This 150,000 square kilometre peninsula, home to less than 20,000 people, is no place for 24/7 internet access. It is no place for the ill-prepared or ill-informed. What it offers is a range of Australian beauty from open scrublands to rainforest-lined beaches and all manner of wildlife. Plus the sense of accomplishment you get from standing on the top of the country.
QUICK FACTS The first car to travel to the tip of Cape York was an Austin driven by two New Zealanders in 1928. They averaged more than six punctures a day and had to build a raft to float across the Jardine River.
Today, off that rough, often rugged and flooded track, there’s also ancient culture, conflicts and changing times. The original inhabitants up this way were some 42 tribes, each with their own language and culture. It’s said the word kangaroo comes from the local Guugu Yimithirr people’s word gangaroo, picked up by Captain Cook and crew while the Endeavour was repaired at Cooktown in 1770. There were early skirmishes between black and white as Europeans moved in, bringing telegraph lines, missions and cattle. A Special Commissioner to the Aborigines in 1895 noted: “Considering the shameful manner in which the aboriginals had been treated over a large area of the peninsula, their forbearance was amazing.” Much history and culture remains with around 70 per cent of Cape York Peninsula’s population indigenous. Many of those original languages are gone, but customs such as Lockhart River art, Arukun basket work and the biennial Laura Dance Festival remain. In the early 20th century many Aboriginal people were shifted into missions and reserves, but these areas were often redrawn again in the name of development, such as the discovery of bauxite at Weipa in 1955. There have been ongoing battles to protect traditional lands from ‘progress’, such as a proposed space port, mooted in the late 1980s. Some of those fights to preserve the peninsula’s wilderness and history have been led by whites. One of the most famous was the 1983-1984 protest and blockade to stop, unsuccessfully, the Cape Tribulation to Bloomfield Road, headed from the Daintree to Cooktown. More than 20 years later it appeared mining applications threatened 12,300ha of wetlands in the Steve Irwin Reserve on the western cape. After the Crocodile Hunter’s death in 2006, the Australian government helped buy 135,000ha as a reserve in his honour, and when mining threatened those wetlands, Save Steve’s Place became a nationwide campaign to preserve the area.
In late 2013 the Queensland government announced the Irwin reserve and the Wenlock River - “a strategic environmental area” - would be protected from open-cut and strip mining. While this move upset bauxite miners, Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney claimed that scrapping the previous government’s Wenlock, Archer, Stewart and Lockhart Basin Wild River declarations would better safeguard the region’s biodiversity while also opening up other opportunities. This announcement coincided with the release of the state’s draft Cape York Regional Plan, designed to foster development and economic growth in the region. Here the state sees potential for more mining and more tourism, both helping address what’s seen as “the economic disadvantage in Cape York, especially in the Indigenous communities”. Seeney says: “We are intent on making every effort to make sure that there is some sort of a normalised economy in Cape York that provides Indigenous communities with an opportunity for jobs ... for home ownership ... for hope and economic growth.” It wants to improve the region’s economic development and diversity while protecting environmental value and reducing “potential land use conflict” to help attract investment in the area. The plan, to be finalised in late 2014, divides Cape York Peninsula into environmental areas where development is limited and general use areas open to grazing and mining. But traditional owners and conservationists claim the draft does not protect pristine areas of wilderness from development, nor guard important cultural sites such as rock art galleries at Laura, believed to be up to 30,000 years old. Entertainment in the Cape doesn’t come to town too often, so when it does, it goes off. The Weipa Rodeo is a good example.
Some pastoralists believe their properties may be compromised and there have been complaints too of a lack of consultation from some quarters. More than 6000 Australians made submissions on the strategy, many with guidance from the Australian Conservation Foundation’s website.
The ACF believes the plan does not provide meaningful protection and leaves most of Cape York’s iconic landscapes vulnerable to mining and other forms of development. Regional Development Australia’s Far North executive officer Sonja Johnson believes Cape York communities understand it’s useful to have a regional plan. But many would like a more community-led plan, an aspirational plan, one not just concerned with land use but also a vision for the economic and social future of the peninsula. Meanwhile there’s $210 million promised in federal funding to help seal the Peninsula Developmental Road the 560km from Lakeland to Weipa. Many Cape Yorkers would welcome more bitumen and bridges, helping transport
across the region and making the area more accessible to more tourists. Now that there’s bitumen into Cooktown, tourist numbers have grown to the point where the little tropical settlement now has peak and off-peak seasons. Johnson says an all-weather surface on the PDR – the Cape’s main artery – would bring economic and social benefits, not only to the peninsula but also the Torres Strait, an area that’s a key component in northern development. A sealed road would also aid tourism, allowing more conventional travellers greater access to the far-flung north. But, she said, there would long remain tracks and byways and fishing spots on Cape York Peninsula accessible only by four-wheel
drives. Sealing that main road would not destroy any of the cape’s natural beauty and wonders. Cape York Sustainable Futures chief executive Trish Butler says it’s time locals had access to some basic rights and needs, such as all-weather roads, that other Australians take for granted. It was most often outsiders, she said, who opposed development opportunities for people such as the Cape’s farmers. Some may argue a strip of bitumen to the Tip, however narrow, may diminish the testing character of one of our last frontiers. Maybe it’s time to get off that beaten track and discover the beauty and culture of Cape York often overlooked on the side tracks.
IT’S THE BEST THING SINCE LOCKING DIFFS. And it’s free.
CAPE CRUSADERS TWO OF THE REGION’S GREAT CHAMPIONS DON’T DESPAIR ABOUT CHANGE, WRITES DAN LEWIS
CAPE YORK THE MOONS Is it really possible to make the epic 4X4 pilgrimage to Cape York so many times you lose count of the number of visits? If you are Ron and Viv Moon it is. Last year the veteran travellers made what they think was their 37th trip to the Cape. Yet the region is so vast and wild they still managed to visit places they hadn’t experienced before. Twenty-eight years ago the Moons published their first Cape York – Travel & Adventure Guide and this year they have brought out the 13th edition of what is an invaluable tool for anybody looking to visit one of Australia’s great bush frontiers. It’s also available as an ebook. But even the Moons confess they can’t keep up with the evolution of the Cape.
A prominent disclaimer at the opening of their latest publication says: “Cape York is changing. Roads are improving, mining companies are opening up new areas and Government departments (National Parks etc) are continually upgrading their facilities. Aboriginal communities are opening their doors to travellers, while asserting more control over their lands. If you find things different to what we say, please don’t blame us – well not too much anyway! We would really appreciate an email, Facebook message or quick note on what you found.” With the bitumen continuing to expand, many pastoral leases being transferred to national parks and traditional owners, and the mining industry booming, some may mourn that the Cape is losing its wild ways. The Moons, however, remain upbeat.
“The times are changing, but even so the vast majority of the Cape remains untouched,” they write. “In many ways the Cape is better now than it was in the past, as cattle properties and Aboriginal communities have opened their doors to tourism and passing travellers. “While many will consider much of the adventure lost as time and change continue, it should be remembered that the Cape is a big place. Rivers still remain unpaddled, spectacular expanses of pristine forest remain untouched and stretches of beach untrodden. “Take your time – sample the beauty and experience the delights and the adventure that the Cape can offer.”
FROM A CAMPSITE IN THE KIMBERLEY TO A BEACH IN BINALONG BAY, TJM HAS THE COUNTRY COVERED FOR GETTING 4WD EQUIPPED. Since 1973, TJM has designed, tested and developed the most comprehensive and innovative range of 4WD equipment available in Australia today. Whether you’re camping or fishing or just picking up the kids from school, get yourself TJM equipped. For anything. TJM bull bars, nudge bars, side bars and steps, alloy and steel, engineered and refined to stringent Australian Safety Standards. Roof rack solutions for all makes of vehicle - heavy duty or lightweight. TJM Airtec snorkels, TJM XGS suspension, TJM recovery gear, TJM winches, TJM Pro Lockers, TJM roof top tents and awnings, dual battery systems and we haven’t even scratched the surface. Our 60+ TJM stores Australia wide have even more choices than you can poke a stick at. To see the complete TJM range of products and more visit your local store. To find your closest store go to:
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FOUR-DO
PROFILING T
(PLUS A FEW
SALES FIGURES SUGGES MOB MIGHT INHER
STORY BY BRU
OOR UTES
THE TOP TEN
W RANDOMS)
ST THIS MULTICULTURAL RIT THE 4X4 EARTH
UCE MCMAHON
R-DOOR UTE
THESE days, the once-humble dual cab ute is a staple in sheds and garages from Cape Byron to the Kimberley. Across Australia, four-wheel drive, four-door utes are used (and sometimes abused) by tradies, fisherfolk, farmers, families and nomads for a swag of jobs and recreational experiences. Sales of four-wheel drive utes were up 11 per cent in 2013, with 140,000 sold last year. And dual cabs accounted for a deal of that number; in the case of Toyota’s HiLux some 85 per cent sold are four-doors. For most manufacturers, dual cabs make up at least 75 per cent of four-wheel drive ute sales. The rampant popularity of these most sensible machines has been driven by a number of factors over the past decade, in particular, more modern designs with passenger car-like features and comfort. There’s also the value equation, with any number today built in ute-crazed Thailand and enjoying free trade benefits, ie no tariff imposts into Australia. Japanese makers with plants there – and that’s all of them – also enjoy cheaper labour costs on building cars and utes. And there are more and more makes and models of dual cab to choose from, especially when compared with a limited number of proper four-wheel drive wagons. Continued growth in Australia’s get-away and touring market with caravan, camper trailers and slide-on camper sales on the rise is yet another factor pushing demand for competent four-wheel drive vehicles. Then, at the end of the day, four-wheel drive dual cabs are most pragmatic vehicles. They’re a work ute through the week and a playmate on weekends. They can be used to take the rubbish to the tip on Saturday morning and the family out for dinner on Saturday evening. They make a great touring wagon for outback adventures, and are well and truly capable of a big trip to Cape York. There’s a tonne (excuse the pun) of uses and a tonne of these machines to choose from in 2014. Most offer decent, if not different, attributes. Here, in alphabetical order, we run a look over 10 dual cabs on offer in a very competitive market segment.
“FROM THE GET-GO THE FORD DOUBLE CAB LOOKS THE PART WITH CLEAN, HANDSOME AND NO-NONSENSE LINES.”
FORD RANGER FORD’S Ranger is arguably the pick of the current crop of dual cabs for doubling up on work and play. It’s also one of the newest on the market; always an advantage. From the get-go, the Ford Double Cab looks the part with clean, handsome and no-nonsense lines. That style carries over into the cabin where it’s a fairly tidy place, although that centre console is a little too “blue-light disco” for some tastes. But the seats, driving position and forward visibilityare good. Just remember it’s a long and tall ute, so take care when reversing and make allowances out in the scrub when the trees close on the track. The Thai-built Ranger carries a five-star ANCAP rating and will carry five adults at a pinch. The range-topping engine is a five-cylinder, 3.2-litre turbocharged diesel, producing 147kW and 470Nm and driving one of the best chassis in this class. But the six-speed manual transmission can be clunky in the shifts, making the six-speed auto a better mate with this engine. Ford Australia’s engineers were responsible for the quality of the Ranger’s dynamics, and that shows with excellent on-road manners and class-topping abilities in the rough. Heading off road, there’s a centre console dial for four-high or four-low. And here the Ranger boasts a decent 237mm of ground clearance, an 800mm wading depth, locking rear differential and traction control. There’s always plenty of torque available from 1500rpm, and the 3.2 is a great power plant off, and on, the road. The Ford Ranger package makes for a comfortable, competent and settled ute whether crawling over boulders, splashing through muck or cruising down an old bush track.
QUICK FACTS ENGINES 2.2 litre diesel, 110kW/370Nm; 3.2 litre diesel, 147kW/ 470Nm TRANSMISSIONS Six-speed manual or six-speed auto LENGTH/WIDTH/HEIGHT 5359mm/1850mm/1815mm GROUND CLEARANCE 237mm TOWING 3500kg BUILT Thailand PRICE From $42,890
WITH ALL THESE NEW GADGETS AND AN UPGRADED DRIVELINE, HOLDEN’S COLORADO IS DEFINITELY OUT THERE CHASING FAMILY CUSTOMERS THIS SEASON.
HOLDEN COLORADO WITH the Holden Commodore and its stablemates not long for the Aussie production line, the Colorado will soon become our only Holden ute. (Unless there are moves to bring in and rebadge Chevrolet or GMC pickups.) While not as car-like as a Holden Ute, the Colorado range of two- and four-wheel drive load haulers does offer a fair choice of product for work or weekends. With the four-wheel drive Colorado Crew Cabs there are three trim levels, with most of the mechanical package the same – a 147kW, 2.8 litre diesel engine and the choice of six-speed manual or six-speed automatic. For 2014 the turbo diesel gained a little extra grunt, with a wider torque band and torque lifted to a handsome 500Nm when mated to the reworked auto gearbox. This is a different drivetrain to the Colorado’s kissing cousin, the Isuzu D-Max. This one is a little more sporting in its delivery, but all these four-door Holdens still boast a one tonne payload and 3500kg towing capacity. New for the 2014 model year were extra chassis control systems over and above ABS and stability control. Now there’s Trailer Sway Control and Hill Start Assist across the entire Colorado range, plus Descent Control System.
QUICK FACTS ENGINES 2.8 litre diesel, 147kW/500Nm (auto)/440Nm (manual) TRANSMISSIONS Six-speed manual or sixspeed automatic LENGTH/WIDTH/HEIGHT 5083mm/1882mm/1780mm GROUND CLEARANCE 210mm TOWING 3500kg
Also added have been more infotainment features with Holden’s MyLink allowing connection to BlueTooth and access to apps. There are rear parking sensors for pick-up models.
BUILT Thailand
With all these new gadgets and an upgraded driveline, Holden’s Colorado is definitely out there chasing family customers this season.
PRICE From $42,990
It is a comfortable machine and quite capable off-road. The value equation measures up, but some others offer better attention to interior detail.
“WHILE IT’S A QUICK AND REASONABLY COMFORTABLE TOURER, THE D40 CAN DO WITH A BIT OF A LIFT FOR OFF-ROAD WORK.”
NISSAN NAVARA D40 NISSAN launched a top ute in late 2005 – a good-looking and comfortable dual cab powered by willing drivetrains and offering more cabin space than its rivals. Back then, the Navara’s handling, ride and interior detail were class-leading. Touches such as fold-up rear seats and a clever load tie-down system in the ST-X sealed the deal. But the ute world has moved on in the past eight years and the Navara is no longer leader of the pack. It remains a solid performer and, as with Mitsubishi’s Triton, there’s a value equation at play. Plus there’s that hero truck in the top-of-the-tree ST-X 550 with a 170kW V6 diesel. There are three engines - a four-cylinder diesel in two tunes with 126kW or 140kW, and that rip-roaring V6 which also offers 550Nm of torque through a seven-speed automatic. The other Navara D40s can be had with six-speed manual or five-speed auto transmission and both these 2.5 litre diesels are still good workers, if a little noisier than newer rivals. Mid-range torque is excellent. While a quick and reasonably comfortable tourer, the D40 can do with a bit of a lift for off-road work. Axle clearance isn’t bad, but those good on-road dynamics mean lower body bits than others and there’s no rear differential lock. Where the Navara has an advantage right now, with a new version surely not too far away, is in current showroom deals. ST dual cabs, with much the same gear as the previous ST-X, can be found for under $40,000 these days. The ST and ST-X models are built in Spain, and the RX in Thailand. And there’s also the previous Navara D22 dual cab still being sold alongside the D40. It’s cheaper again, but now two generations behind compared with most other Japanese utes.
QUICK FACTS ENGINES 2.5 litre diesel, 126kW/403Nm + 140kW/450Nm; 3.0 litre V6 diesel, 170kW/550Nm TRANSMISSIONS Six-speed manual, five-speed auto, seven-speed auto LENGTH/WIDTH/HEIGHT 5296mm/1848mm/1795mm GROUND CLEARANCE 205mm TOWING 3000kg BUILT Spain and Thailand PRICE Deals from under $40,000
“LAST YEAR IT TOOK FOUR OF THE TOP TEN PLACES IN THE AUSTRALASIAN SAFARI, INCLUDING A FIRST IN THE DIESEL CLASS.”
ISUZU D-MAX ISUZUS now stand on their own four wheels in Australia after years of running around badged as Holden Rodeos. The reputation is well-established, and here Isuzu have maintained that tough truck attitude with the D-Max (and its brother, the MU-X wagon). This Dual Cab D-Max is under-rated in some quarters, and a class-leading champion in others. The D-Max – another Thai-made ute – is a tad more biased toward work than play; it is not as refined, and not as car-like as some rivals. The cabin is comfortable enough but doesn’t go anywhere near plush. Ride and handling on the road are fine, but the D-Max can’t quite match the refined dynamics of Volkswagen’s Amarok or the Ranger. Yet since Isuzu went independent here in 2008, sales have seen steady growth year-onyear, in particular with fleets needing durable four-wheel drive utes. And it outsells, for instance, the much-heralded Amarok. The Isuzu has a five-star ANCAP rating and shares a basic body and chassis with the Holden Colorado. But the D-Max runs an Isuzu 3.0 litre turbo diesel engine ahead of either a fivespeed manual or five-speed automatic. While this combination sounds, and is, a little old-fashioned compared with some onetonne rivals, the Isuzu is one resolute ute. Last year it took four of the top ten places in the Australasian Safari, including a first in the diesel class. There is rarely any doubt about the Isuzu’s tough and honest approach to engineering. The reputation for reliability and durability is these days backed by a five-year warranty. Off-road, the D-Max may not be as calm as others when the going gets tough, but it does the job and always, always, feels unbreakable, unlike some rivals.
QUICK FACTS ENGINES 3.0 litre diesel, 130kW/380Nm TRANSMISSIONS Five-speed manual or fivespeed auto LENGTH/WIDTH/HEIGHT 5190mm/1860mm/1785mm GROUND CLEARANCE 225mm-235mm TOWING 3500kg BUILT Thailand PRICE From $42,000
“JUST 81 LAND ROVER UTES, OF ALL VARIANTS, WERE SOLD IN 2013.”
LAND ROVER DEFENDER IT may not be the best of British and it may not be the biggest of sellers, but the Land Rover Crew Cab deserves recognition as one of the pioneers of this class since the 1980s. It’s also one of the best of off-road utilities in terms of ability. Until the end of 2015 when the current Defender production run ends, the four-door Land Rover ute is available as a 110 or 130 (wheelbase in inches). And it’s all very simple really – there’s a 2.2 litre tubocharged diesel engine with sixspeed manual transmission, dual range transfer box and all-wheel drive.
QUICK FACTS ENGINES 2.2 litre diesel, 90kW/360Nm TRANSMISSIONS Six-speed manual
These British-designed and built utes are very much old-school, and nowhere near as quick and comfortable as Japanese rivals. For stalwarts this is all part of the charm, but just 81 Land Rover utes, of all variants, were sold in 2013.
LENGTH/WIDTH/ HEIGHT(130) 5152mm/1790mm/2060mm
While they are most capable and utilitarian machines, Defenders and their ergonomics can be tiresome over long distances.
GROUND CLEARANCE 314mm
For most drivers, it’s a long reach from the seat to controls and levers, sitting high in the saddle. While there are modern touches such as air conditioning, there’s a lack of niceties to tone down engine and road drone.
TOWING 3500kg
Still, it makes for a practical interior to hose out.
BUILT England
And the 130 Defender can still show younger generations a thing or two about toting a heavy load (it boasts an almost 1.4 tonne payload) through the toughest of conditions. It will also tow 3500kg. Allowing for its bulk, this is a great machine off-road with top marks for traction and ground clearance, and approach and departure angles of 49 and 35 degrees respectively. All that, and just 90kW, means it’s no road racer and past reliability issues plus a dearth of service further out have not helped the Land Rover’s appeal in recent decades.
PRICE From $47,230
THE TRITON’S RIDE AND HANDLING, ONCE AMONG THE BEST, HAVE BEEN OUTDONE AS NEWER UTES ARRIVED.”
MITSUBISHI TRITON THE Triton was one of the first of a generation of dual cabs which shifted the goal posts in this class. Stylish in an all-new way, quick and comfortable, this version of Mitsubishi’s ute arrived in 2006 and was then reworked in 2009 with more power, more safety features and a longer cargo tray. Power went up to 131kW and torque to 400Nm. The tray grew to 1505mm long. More importantly, the Triton became the first in class to offer stability and traction control, plus passenger side and curtain airbags as Mitsubishi realised the attraction of car-like features and safety in dual cabs to give their ute a four-star ANCAP rating. Not much has changed since 2009.
QUICK FACTS ENGINES 2.5 litre diesel, 131kW/400Nm TRANSMISSIONS Five-speed manual or fivespeed auto LENGTH/WIDTH/HEIGHT 5210mm/1800mm/1780mm
The 2.5 litre engine, while willing, is outdone by the Ford/Mazda power plant. The Triton still uses a five-speed manual or five-speed auto gearbox while most rivals have at least six cogs.
GROUND CLEARANCE 205mm
Here the upside is a 10-year warranty on the Mitsubishi power train.
TOWING 3000kg
The Triton’s ride and handling, once among the best, have been outdone as newer utes arrived. It works well enough off the bitumen and is quite comfortable for a hard punt down a long dirt road, but cannot match the composure of the Ford/Mazda or Volkswagen in the rough. Yet sales of four-wheel drive Tritons of all types were up last year, leaping 57 per cent to more than 20,000. Supply was better and so were the prices. The Mitsubishi Double Cab, another built in Thailand, remains a value proposition while others offer more competent dynamics and more comfort. But it looks like there’s an all-new Triton not far away, maybe due inside the next 12 months, and that should give Mitsubishi fresh ammunition.
BUILT Thailand PRICE From $40,990
STARTER AND ADVANCED
GUIDES
Pat Callinan’s 4X4 Starter Guide is your perfect entry into the wonderful world of four-wheel driving. Written by Pat Callinan, producer of Australia’s first nationally broadcast 4WD TV show and editor of Australia’s premium 4WD magazine, this detailed guide covers driving techniques for all types of terrain, and will make your first forays into the bush both safe and enjoyable. Pat Callinan’s 4X4 Advanced Guide is the second book in the 4X4 Guide series. Inside is everything you need to move to the next level of 4X4 techniques and trip planning, and extend your touring enjoyment further. The two books together represent a mini encyclopedia of information garnered from a lifetime of driving off the tarmac and both are designed to fit into your glovebox.
QUICK FACTS
MAZDA and Ford have long had a symbiotic relationship, whether it be Ford Lasers and Mazda 323s or the old Ford Couriers and B-Series utes. Among the longest of the liaisons has been with utes, and until this generation most of the heavy lifting was done by the Mazda engineers. This time around it was Ford’s boffins who took the engineering lead and, as already noted, the Ford folk have done a fine job.
ENGINES 3.2 litre diesel, 147kW/470Nm
So the current BT-50, launched in late 2011, shares the same 3.2 litre diesel and six-speed manual and automatic transmissions as the Ford Ranger. The five-cylinder is a great motor but works best with the auto; like the Ranger, the manual shift can be a bit how’s-yourfather.
TRANSMISSIONS Six-speed manual or sixspeed auto LENGTH/WIDTH/HEIGHT 5365mm/1850mm/1821mm
It also means the Mazda is a great drive for a utility vehicle, with wide-ranging abilities. While Ford did the bulk of the chassis design, Mazda also had engineers here through the ute’s development and tuned the BT-50 with slightly sportier steering and handling than the Ford.
GROUND CLEARANCE 237mm
This sporting approach has not impaired the Mazda’s off-roading skills. Like the Ford it has good ground clearance, good forward visibility and good gearing in low range, plus a rear differential lock, so it offers a very civilised ride in tough conditions.
TOWING 3500kg
This Mazda BT-50 is easily one of the best four-wheel drive dual cabs on today’s market, whether looking for a full-on workhorse or a family vehicle.
BUILT Thailand
The elephant in the room? That provocative style with a big and goofy chromed grin up front and weird tail light design. There are reports Mazda stylists are looking to tone all this down in a mid-life face lift.
PRICE From $42,740
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“IT’S THE TOUGHEST, AND ROUGHEST, OF TODAY’S DUAL CAB UTES AND ABOUT THE ONLY ONE STILL BUILT IN JAPAN.”
TOYOTA LANDCRUISER AUSTRALIA was the first market in the world to score the Double Cab LandCruiser. This Toyota LC79 was driven by demand from mining companies and others looking for a tough four-door ute that’d carry a tonne of gear. It arrived here in mid-2012 in two grades. Both the Workmate and GXL run the 4.5 litre turbocharged diesel V8 with a five-speed manual transmission and part time four-wheel drive with two-speed transfer case. Both have 130-litre fuel tanks, ABS, a snorkel, and an audio system with Bluetooth. The differences are largely in trim levels with the entry-level Workmate on 16-inch split rims and with vinyl cabin trim. The GXL scores alloy wheels, remote central locking, power windows and cloth seats plus differential locks.
QUICK FACTS ENGINES 4.5 litre V8 diesel, 151kW/430Nm TRANSMISSIONS Five-speed manual LENGTH/WIDTH/HEIGHT 5220mm/1790mm/1970mm
But these are not utes for the average or amateur four-wheel driver. It’s a climb up into the cabin of a serious machine with firm ride, big turning circle and a gearbox in need of an overdrive to better settle that V8 diesel at highway cruising speeds.
GROUND CLEARANCE 235mm
The engine produces 151kW at 3400rpm with maximum torque of 430Nm from 1200rpm to 3200rpm, helping minimise gear changes.
TOWING 3500kg
While the LandCruiser Double Cab’s on-road manners are trucklike, the Toyota is ready for anything in the rough and tumble.
BUILT Japan
Differential locks emphasise the serious intent of the machine and enhance the ute’s off-road abilities (though the 151kW Toyota’s different track widths – wider in the front to accommodate the V8 – can be an issue in sand).
PRICE From $63,990
It’s the toughest and roughest of today’s dual cab utes and about the only one still built in Japan. The Toyota LandCruiser Double Cab also commands a premium price, so it’s not going to appeal to a huge audience.
“THESE UTES HAVE AN ENVIABLE REPUTATION, BASED NOT JUST AROUND TOYOTA’S MUCH-TOUTED RELIABILITY BUT ALSO NOTED FOR SERVICE AND BACK-UP IN FARFLUNG PLACES.”
TOYOTA HILUX TOYOTA’S venerable HiLux ute remains one of Australia’s most popular vehicles of all types. In 2013 the HiLux, across a number of variants, finished third on the year’s sales charts; since arriving here in 1980 more than 440,000 four-wheel drive HiLuxes have been sold across the country. These utes have an enviable reputation, based not just around Toyota’s much-touted reliability but also noted for service and back-up in far-flung places. The current version of the HiLux arrived here in 2005, just ahead of the Nissan D40 and Mitsubishi’s Triton. At the time both those rivals were that little more family-friendly, better dynamically, and a little more comfortable as a tourer. Since then there’s been increased competition from the likes of the Volkswagen Amarok and the Ford Ranger. Now the HiLux Double Cab isn’t quite as refined on the road or as relaxed in slow and rough off-roading as the Ranger or Amarok, but it gets the job done with confidence. Its bush track ride is very good. The Toyota also can’t match that class-leading pair in cabin space and comfort, either. Taller drivers are left perched a little too high. Yet with a few mechanical and style tweaks plus some price re-adjustments over eight years, the HiLux continues to top the charts.
QUICK FACTS ENGINES 3 litre diesel, 126kW/343Nm; 4 litre petrol, 175kW/376Nm TRANSMISSIONS Five-speed manual, five-speed auto LENGTH/WIDTH/HEIGHT 5260mm/1835m/1860mm GROUND CLEARANCE 217mm TOWING 2500kg
Upgrades have meant better ride and handling, excellent NVH (noise, vibration, harshness) levels for this class and extra comfort and convenience gadgets.
BUILT Thailand
In the latest updates there’s now just SR and SR5 trim levels, plus a five-star ANCAP rating with stability and traction control, brake assist and electronic brakeforce distribution systems now standard across all HiLux Double Cabs.
PRICE From $42,490
And, not before time, the diesel versions now have a five-speed automatic option. This mates well with the 126kW, 3.0 litre turbo diesel, making it a quieter and smoother powertrain even if newer rivals outpoint it in power and torque.
“THE AMAROK IS A DUAL CAB CLASS-LEADER IN TERMS OF DYNAMICS. IT IS MOST COMFORTABLE AND VERY CAPABLE.” VOLKSWAGEN AMAROK HERE is arguably the smartest and smoothest of four-wheel drive dual cabs on the market; a multi-award winner since landing here in 2011. It rides and handles good and bad roads with the manners of a well-sorted SUV, yet, with dual range, part-time four-wheel drive, or single range four-wheel drive, can match most utes in the rough. It has a big, smart and comfortable cabin, if a tad dour. Some of that excellent highway comfort and ride for this type of machine is down to the Amarok’s rear leaf springs mounted outside and alongside the chassis rails; conventionally these springs are fitted under chassis rails. This helps smooth out the VW’s back end ride, especially when there’s no load. Then there’s the ute’s refined drivetrain with a 2.0 litre diesel engine stirred along by a pair of turbochargers. This is a smooth operator, even if only developing 120kW of power for the six-speed manual, there’s 400Nm of torque from 1500rpm to get the Amarok on the move. With the eight-speed auto there’s 132kW and 420Nm.
QUICK FACTS ENGINES 2 litre diesel, 120kW/400Nm; 132kW/420Nm TRANSMISSIONS Six-speed manual or eightspeed auto LENGTH/WIDTH/HEIGHT 5254mm/1954mm/1834mm GROUND CLEARANCE 230mm
The manual ute has the choice of part-time and dual range four-wheel drive or full-time, single range four-wheel drive. The auto comes with the single range 4Motion system.
TOWING 3000kg
With the aid of sophisticated traction systems, a locking rear differential and skid plates for the Amarok’s underbelly, both are good off-road workers, though those road-biased tyres could be a limiting factor in some situations.
BUILT Argentina
And that high-tech engine and drivetrain will no doubt need on-time and spot-on service from qualified technicians.
PRICE From $41,490
The Amarok is a dual cab class-leader in terms of dynamics. It is most comfortable and very capable. Yet despite its many awards it hasn’t taken this segment by storm on the sales charts; maybe there remains some wariness about such sophisticated engineering bearing up under local conditions.
THE OTHERS
THERE are a handful of other dual cabs out there now including the Chinese-made Great Wall and Foton, the Korean Ssangyong and the Indian-built Tata and Mahindra. All have some virtues, most based around price points below the Japanese and European products. All have been praised by some buyers, most have also been reviled by some customers. Experience with both the Korean Ssanyong Actyon and the Chinese-made Foton Tunland would suggest there is little wrong with their basics. Indeed the Foton boasts a Cummins diesel engine, Getrag gearbox and Dana rear end. Yet Great Wall saw sales fall away dramatically last year, so perhaps the niche for cheap utes has dried up. The issues at this end of the market lie with both the quality of the product and the backup. Is there an agent in Alice? Are there parts in the Pilbara? How long to wait in Wagga Wagga? So maybe these are best left to rural folk chasing a farm truck or city-based managers looking for a cheap fleet.
“THE ISSUES AT THIS END OF THE MARKET LIE WITH BOTH THE QUALITY OF THE PRODUCT AND THE BACKUP.�
OUR 4X4
WHAT’S IN LAND ROVER’S CONCEPTS TODAY TRANSPARENT BONNETS AREN’T THE ON
STORY BY RO
FUTURE?
Y WILL BE IN THE VEHICLES OF TOMORROW. NLY THING THAT WILL BLOW YOUR MIND!
OBERT PEPPER
Well, ok, maybe these things won’t be in your 4X4 tomorrow, but certainly in a few years. In the last couple of decades Land Rover have invented Hill Descent Control, popularised traction control and were first out of the blocks with Terrain Response, an adaptive system that sets up the vehicle for different terrain. These technologies are now standard in some form on pretty much every new vehicle, but not all of the inventions have been successful first time out, most notably deleting the manually lockable centre diff in the Discovery 2. That’s the nature of innovation – some you win, some you lose. What’s going on beneath your 4WD? Land Rover’s “invisible bonnet” was a huge talking point at the New York motor show.
And you lose some customers too, as this focus on technology has the anorak-wearing, rivet-counting, leafspring driving Green Oval faithful spewing old-world expletives into their instant coffee, but the fact is that Land Rover have decided they will be the ones to lead the way in off-road innovation, and that old guard is never going to buy anything more electric than a 15 amp fuse. Land Rover have a long and proud 4X4 history, but they’ll only make it another 60 years if they lead the charge for technically advanced vehicles. So now they’ve released the Discovery Vision Concept, which is like looking through a portal into the future. In the “had to happen sometime” category there’s Remote Control Drive, where you ‘drive’ a Discovery from outside the vehicle using your smartphone. For reference, check what your kids are doing on their PlayStations. Land Rover say this will be handy for negotiating tough terrain, and it’s hard to disagree there as it’s the ultimate spotter – none of this “oh, sorry, THAT left” business, or if there is, it’s all your own fault. You could also use it to drive the car through open gates without getting back in, or to hook up trailers, or to slot into tight parking bays. And if you’re incapacitated in the bush you could drive out just using your fingers, although the system works only at very slow speeds. I expect in the future the car’s many cameras could relay their pictures to your smartphone so you can see things from the car’s perspective as you control it.
Laser beams won’t just be in sci-fi films – they will be used by your 4X4 to map the terrain ahead and help you prepare for what’s coming.
A related technology is All Terrain Progress Control, which is simply the car crawling along using Laser Terrain Scanning to create a 3D map of what’s in front, reconfiguring and driving itself according to what it finds. Toyota already have this in the form of Crawl Control, albeit without the scanning. I’m speculating here, but maybe in the future deployable drones and information from other cars ahead will provide more information for the car. If you the driver prefer to be involved there’s All Terrain Coach which has the car give you recommendations on system setup, and Enhanced All Terrain Coach which projects a path over the terrain in front for you to follow with specific reference points – place your wheel right there – using something called Laser Referencing.
Inside the steering wheel looks clean compared to today’s button-heavy designs, but note the two tiny screens. Ahead is the computer display instrument panel, and the lack of buttons and switches is because everything is touch-screen and/or gesture or voice controlled. The drive dial to the right only rises up when the driver’s hand comes close.
In the “didn’t see that coming” basket – but not literally - is the transparent bonnet. Yes, you look through the bonnet at the ground, so you can see where the wheels are and what you’re driving over. The benefits of this are obvious – much, much easier wheel placement off-road. But the car doesn’t really have a transparent bonnet, it’s actually just a clever camera simulation which makes the bonnet appear transparent by projecting the camera image onto the windscreen, which is made of “smart glass”. This smart glass can do more than just project images or data for a heads-up display of information like speed, revs and the like, similar to what military fighter jets have been using for some time now as it’s better to keep the driver/pilots eyes up, looking ahead. The smart glass can even darken or lighten according to what it senses or what the car wants to do. If all that isn’t enough of a change then you’ll also need to get used to how you control the car too. There aren’t any steering column stalks for things like lights and indicators, because mostly the car will auto-sense when they’re needed based on what it thinks or what you’re doing, and when you do want to take control you’ll use your voice or gestures. Gesture and voice control is by no means new. The basic technology has been around for decades, and many cars have voice control already, but it’s never really taken off because people don’t feel comfortable talking to objects. Word recognition is unreliable as well as slow, there’s the potential for confusion and overall it’s just quicker and easier to simply press a button. But as with all technology, voice and gesture recognition will improve, our attitude to it will soften and one day it’ll become the norm. I’m sure when telephones were invented people felt uncomfortable using them, and now look at us, permanently hunched over smartphones. But in the meantime, does anyone else see inadvertently exciting times if gestures or words are misunderstood?
Aside from the completely new designs, some existing technologies have been refined, notably Land Rover’s Terrain Response system which was a world-first, introduced on the Discovery 3 back in 2005. This system reconfigures the car’s systems to suit one of five terrain types – grass/ gravel/snow, mud/ruts, sand, rocks and normal mode for on-road driving. The driver simply selects the appropriate program and the traction control, throttle response, auto gearshift points, suspension, stability control and other systems are subtly modified for best effect on the terrain in question. For example in sand there’d be late up and downshifts for power, whereas for grass/ gravel/snow the gearshifts would be early to avoid wheel spin. Over the years Terrain Response has been continuously tweaked and improved. For example, in the MY2014 Discovery 4 the system recognises when wheels are in the air and automatically increases the sensitivity of the traction control to suit. And in the current Range Rover there’s Automatic Terrain Response which senses the terrain and auto-picks the best mode for the car. This concept is extended further now to Adaptive Terrain Response which, in conjunction with the Laser Terrain Scanning, configures the car before it gets to the terrain. Finally, this removes a long-standing problem of all electronic systems which is that they are reactive, needing to wait for a problem before they do anything. More speculation on my part, but imagine the car knowing a wheel is about to hit a drop-off and extending the suspension down into the hole, or conversely at speed realising one wheel is about to hit a bump and relaxing the suspension just in time, on that wheel only, or proactively locking the differential just before a wheel lifts. The improvement in offroad capability would be immense.
Land Rover are experimenting with purely electric driven vehicles such as this Defender, as the days of the pure internalcombustion engine are numbered.
The Discovery Vision Concept. The final car is likely to look like this, but toned down a touch (and hopefully not with 23in rims). The clamshell bonnet is there, as are the lights from the current Range Rover, but the Discovery stepped roofline has been lost.
The innovations keep on coming inside the vehicle too. All seven seats are individually moveable and configurable, including conversion to tables, and Land Rover have emphasised that the third row is just as important and well catered for as the first and second. Of course, the seats are electric, so with a wave of your hand you could change the interior layout of the car – handy if you’re approaching with children in tow – and in future perhaps it’ll sense you’re approaching and pre-emptively set itself up in your preferred configuration.
Once inside, Land Rover are keen to save you every little bit of inconvenience, so if you want to talk to someone in a different seat row the in-car video conferencing system will let you see their face without the trouble of needing to turn around to actually look them in the eye. Feels wrong to you, but your kids will accept it as normal. It’s how they talk to their friends now anyway. Maybe those cameras can keep an eye on the kids fighting in the back seats and automatically administer justice from time to time; perhaps ten seconds with no Internet access or something. The concept also shows a vehicle with what’s known as suicide doors, which are rear doors that open backwards, not forwards, like on the Toyota FJ Cruiser and Mazda RX-8. The name comes from the fact that the doors aren’t automatically closed under acceleration or by the wind at speed, which is why they’re always designed so that the front doors must be opened before the rears can be opened. However, that constraint doesn’t make sense for the Discovery with its familypractical focus, so my guess is the real car will either have conventional rear doors, or there’ll be some sort of electronic interlock that prevents the rear doors opening at speed. Once you depart the car you can take your gear with you as built-in to the vehicle will be Detachable Door Cases – luggage storage systems with wheels. No word yet on how many snatch straps or shackles will fit inside them.
The Discovery concept is designed to be a family base vehicle, so there’s electrically operated fold-out door sills (doubt they’ll be rock sliders) on the sides, with LED lights that automatically illuminate ground so you can see what you’re about to step on. At the rear a gesture will see an Event Platform (think flat board on the rear like a ute tailgate) extend on which you can stand, or carry things like bicycles. So there’s a lot of new technology on the way, and Land Rover also say that this is “just the beginning”. The company’s mission statement is clearly to be the leader in premium all-terrain vehicles, which means on-road/off-road and modern versatility. It’s also safe to say that with their recent run of year-on-year record sales and ongoing investment from megacorp parent Tata Group they will be well poised to continue amazing us with innovations. But is all this tech what we want, or need? Here opinion will be divided. Land Rover say that “by enabling better vision and decision-making, they aim to provide the driver with more of the right information at the right time, helping progress through seemingly impassable terrain, and leading to more confidence, security and enjoyment on any terrain.” That’s true, unless you are the sort of person who actually enjoys meeting the challenge of driving on difficult terrain in which case it’ll be less, rather than more fun. But that’s me, and probably you. There are many others who don’t care how they get to their destination so long as they get there, and if the car does the driving that’s just fine as there’s more time to do something else such as, well, update Facebook I suppose. I think those two camps will never be reconciled, and it is clear which one Land Rover belongs to. But don’t be hating Land Rover, as you can rest assured the other manufacturers will be moving in that direction too. Change is inevitable, and technology can’t be uninvented.
Because you’ve heroically chosen to download your copy of Unsealed 4X4, you can’t see what’s on this page. But trust us - it’s well worth looking at. To see it in all its glory go to unsealed4X4.com.au
HOW I
$58,000 O WHILE TRAVELLING 200
SOURCING CHEAP FUEL FROM TAKEAWAY FO WORDS: BRUCE MCMAHON
I SAVED
ON DIESEL 00,000KM AROUND OZ
OOD JOINTS WAS AN ACT OF DEEP-FRIED GENIUS PHOTOGRAPHS: NATHAN DUFF
CROSS-COUNTRY travellers Ernie and Yvonne have in recent years been flitting around this big brown land – from top to bottom and side to side – on the smell of fish and chips.
He loaded it up with a 14-foot Quintrex runabout plus a home-made, three-wheeler motorcycle and added extra fuel tanks – enough to last 12,000 kilometres.
The ever-pragmatic Ernie has the family truck, with nine metres of living quarters in tow, running on secondhand oil from hamburger joints and fish and chipperies.
The pair collected supermarket dockets, bought up big at discounted prices and stored the fuel in his farm shed. Trouble was, even when diesel was discounted from less than 90c a litre in the early 2000s, that was a lot of dollars.
He pays a nominal $100 for 1000L of used canola oil; that’ll fire the rig right across the “I said if we’re going to keep doing this country from east coast to west. That’s 5000 we need to find something cheaper kilometres on $100 worth of oil. than diesel to run on. Otherwise we could only go every four years at those Ernie started his working life as an prices,” says Ernie. apprentice mechanic and was a diesel fitter and truck driver before setting On long drives and during quiet up his own mechanical workshop. He ruminations on his milk crate in his was self-taught and hard-working while busy shed, Ernie started thinking about helping raise a family of four in southalternative, and cheaper, fuels. east Queensland. “We only had three “I thought, everybody’s making this bioholidays in 40 years,” chips in Yvonne. diesel, why can’t you run on (vegetable) When it came time to retire, Ernie oil. I read a little bit and a bloke over and Yvonne had a lot of country to in America reckoned there were three explore and so Ernie built a nine-metre ways you could go – bio-diesel, mix the gooseneck trailer to be towed by the oil with kerosene or use straight oil and nine-tonne UD truck he then owned. that was the worst one.
THE GOOD OIL ON LEGALITIES ERNIE’S oil-burning truck is most uncommon in Australia. As such, there appears to be few rules and regulations governing the use of second-hand canola oil to power a road vehicle. The question of excise, a fuel tax, should not arise. The Australian Tax Office says excise duty applies to biodiesel or biodiesel blended with other excisable goods including diesel. “Biodiesel is a fuel manufactured by chemically altering vegetable oils or animal fats (including recycled oils from these sources) to form mono-alkyl esters,” according to the ATO. “It can be used on its own or blended with other excisable goods. If you are a biodiesel manufacturer, excise duty is payable on the biodiesel you manufacture.” The ATO cannot talk about specific cases, but Ernie is not manufacturing fuel or any biodiesel, merely using a waste product. He is not on-selling the oil, he is not about to onsell his fuel system or build another one. The Australian Automobile Association suggests there should be no concerns as long as he has satisfied himself about the roadworthiness of his UD truck, pays his registration fees and understands any warranty implications. And if a fish and chip shop started selling used cooking oil to a number of customers there may come a question of “fuel quality standards”. Manufacturers such as Toyota Australia says there would not necessarily be issues with oil-burning unless there was a warranty claim which arose from using an irregular fuel.
“So what’d I do? I took the worst one.” Now Ernie’s got a new UD that’s done 230,000 kilometres – some 200,000 kilometres on canola oil – in 14 years. Ernie hasn’t noticed any drop-off in power or torque. He warns it won’t work with common rail diesels, a more sophisticated fuel system than the direct in-line injectors on Ernie’s truck. “For this, common rails are a waste of time, cost big bikkies to do up and most of them have sensors on now and won’t accept it (canola oil),” he says. “Everything works on such close tolerances.” But about two years ago Ernie and Yvonne’s little truck with the Mack bulldog on the bullbar, fried an injector pump.
“We took the injectors and the pump into Perth and it cost us $5100 and a few cents to fix it. “We sat down and worked it out and we reckon in that period of time we would’ve spent $58,000 on diesel (if not using oil) – $5100 isn’t a big percentage in the scheme of things, is it?” Ernie’s careful about what the authorities might think of his excisefree travelling and he’s not about to go into the business of building frying oil fuel systems for others. (That’s why we haven’t used his surname.) And his best advice about trying to negate fuel costs as a cross-country traveller? “If you’ve got a job and you can work overtime, do your overtime and buy diesel.”
A GUID
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FE'S SCOTT AMON
CHARACTERISTICS There are three main bream species that are of significant importance to recreational anglers in Australia. One of the most popular and widely distributed is the eastern yellowfin bream, also known as silver bream (Acanthopagrus australis). There is also a western yellowfin bream (A. latus). The eastern yellowfin bream has been reported to an impressive 66cm and 4.5kg. The southern black bream, also known simply as black bream (Acanthopagrus butcheri), is another of our most common and widely occurring bream species. It is distinguishable from the yellowfin bream by more opaque (less translucent) and often darker anal and ventral fins. The black bream has been recorded to attain sizes of 60cm and 4kg, however juveniles weighing up to 1.5kg are more commonly caught. The third main species is the pikey bream, also known as black bream or northern bream or pikeys (Acanthopagrus berda). It can be differentiated from the other bream species by its lack of yellow fin colouration, charcoal tinge and generally deeper and more stout body shape. There is also a north-west black bream (A. palmaris). Pikeys have been reported to about 3kg, but are far more commonly encountered at 300g-1kg.
Scott Amon is the publisher of FishLife, the Australian anglers' journal.
GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT Yellowfin bream inhabit both coastal and estuarine waters of Eastern Australia between the Townsville area in northern Queensland and Lakes Entrance in Victoria. The yellowfin enjoys a wide-ranging habitat from offshore reefs to the inter-tidal washes of islands, headlands and beaches. It also relishes our rivers and estuary systems and will venture into fresh water at times. Black bream are almost exclusively found in estuarine systems from about Mallacoota in Victoria through South Australia and Tasmania to Shark Bay in Western Australia. This species is rarely found in offshore waters, preferring the estuaries and tidal (and sometimes land-locked) coastal lakes. They are regularly found in pure fresh water. Pikey bream are our tropical bream, found across the top of Australia in estuarine and inshore coastal waters from about Rockhampton in Queensland to Exmouth in Western Australia. Their habitat preference is for estuarine environs from the upper tidal and non-tidal limits of estuaries to the shallow coastal waters. This fish is very structure-oriented and often gather and hold on submerged fallen trees and rocky areas.
TACKLE REQUIREMENTS A few decades back most Aussie bream probably fell to handlines, and many still do. But these days estuary breamers mainly prefer light to medium weight rods of around 1.8-2.3m, matched to threadline reels in the 1000-2500 sizes. Anglers specifically using lures tend toward braided main lines of 1-3kg, but use nylon monofilaments of similar breaking strains for some lure applications. Bait fishers often prefer nylon monofilament main lines. Nylon or fluorocarbon leaders are mostly used when braided main lines are employed. Beach- and rock-based anglers use longer rods than their estuary counterparts. Standard rock and beach fishing bream tackle would be medium weight 2-4m rods, usually with threadline or Alvey style centre pin reels attached and loaded with 3-6kg nylon monofilament line. Fresh and live baits such as pink nippers, prawns, cut fish flesh, shrimp, crabs, cunji, beach, blood and squirt worms as well as various molluscs are all superb bream baits. They are best collected at your fishing location. Prepared baits such as pudding mixes, dough, bread, chicken gut and fillet steak will also account for the scavenging bream. Fine gauge, sharp hooks should be sized to suit baits and use the least amount of lead (sinker) that conditions will allow. While there are many good bream rigs available, the running ball sinker rig (allowed to run right through to the hook) is a great allrounder. A good range (style, size and colour) of soft plastic, hard-bodied minnows, vibrating bladed and surface lures should all be carried by the hard-core bream luring enthusiasts because they can be quite finicky feeders and approaches often need to be varied and fine-tuned to the conditions and the many moods of the bream.
METHODS OF CAPTURE While bream will free-range, they are more likely to be found in or near structures, so concentrate efforts around areas such as snags, oyster racks, rocky outcrops and bars, drop-offs, weed beds and sand banks on flooding tides. Small, soft, plastic lure presentations on as light a jig head as conditions will allow can be a very effective way to target bream. Like all other lures they should be either trolled or cast around the above-mentioned structure. Small to medium-sized hard-bodied minnows work very well on bream. Retrieve speeds and styles should be varied until a successful recipe is found for that time and place. The new semi-transparent high-quality Japanese manufactured minnows are fooling the more educated bream. Bream will quite readily accept a surface lure, most often during the warmer, high insect activity months. Small poppers, fizzers and saltwater flies can prove highly effective at these times. If bait fishing for bream, present the bait in the most natural manner possible by using tide, water movement and limited sinker weights to your advantage. Allowing a locally, naturally occurring bait to float around in a rocky headland wash or sudsy beach gutter are good examples.
EATING QUALITIES All bream species offer good to excellent table qualities. They are a member of the same family as our gastronomically renowned southern snapper. For best table results they should dispatched (by brain spiking or spinal severing) immediately, bled and stored on ice. Many bream anglers practice catch and release methods, which suit this hardy little fish.
After learning to catch Bream, young Barry was more popular with the ladies
THE PIONEERS
AUSTRALIA DID NOT BECOME THE 4X4 CAPITAL OF THE PLANET BY ACCIDENT. IT TOOK THE HARD WORK AND GENIUS OF PIONEERS. UNSEALED 4X4 IS HONOURING THOSE PIONEERS WITH AN A-Z SERIES
WRITTEN BY A BIT OF A PIONEER HIMSELF, IAN GLOVER.
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In 1964, two stock and station agents working in the Riverina quit their jobs to see what wilder Australia had to offer, filming their adventures along the way. Malcolm Douglas and David Oldmeadow produced the documentary Across the Top, still the best rating doco seen on Australian TV. Malcolm fell in love with the north, staying on in a number of jobs, including croc shooter. He was a pretty good one, too – French fashion firm Hermes was just one client for his skins. One day he realised that if he and others continued the way they were, Australian crocodiles would be shot out, and he became an ardent wildlife conservationist, opening the Broome Crocodile Park in 1983. Throughout his life, Malcolm continued to make docos, receiving sponsorship from a number of firms including Toyota. His conservationist bent never waned. He vehemently opposed proposals to mine the Kimberley, and at the end of his life was involved in a breeding campaign to restock bilby numbers in the Great Sandy Desert. (Recent scientific news says that their numbers are now on the increase.) Malcolm was killed early in the morning of September 23, 2010, when he became trapped between the door of his LandCruiser and a tree. His family continues to run the Wildlife Park and does everything possible to perpetuate his memory.
HE VEHEMENTLY OPPOSED PROPOSALS TO MINE THE KIMBERLEY, AND AT THE END OF HIS LIFE WAS INVOLVED IN A BREEDING CAMPAIGN TO RESTOCK BILBY NUMBERS IN THE GREAT SANDY DESERT.
RICHARD ASQUITH
Shortly after he arrived here from the UK, Richard Asquith was working at a sand mining site in southern Sydney. One day a sandstorm blew up, making it very difficult to extract his Morris Minor to get home. He realised he both needed and wanted a 4X4, and in 1969, bought himself a SWB Cruiser. Then, private four-wheel driving was in its infancy – incredible though it seems now, Cruiser owners actually waved to one another. With the exception of the Land Rover Owners’ Club, there were no such things as 4X4 clubs (again, unlike today; now there are more clubs than at a cannibals’ convention). As a very early member of the newly formed Toyota Land Cruiser Club, Richard went away on many club weekends. On one trip in mountainous country, one of the convoy put his passenger side wheels over the edge of the road. The drop was a long, steep one. To Richard’s amazement, someone in a Range Rover drove off the side of the road, drove down the mountain, turned and climbed back in front of the teetering Cruiser, and managed to pull him back onto the road. ‘Gotta have one of them’, Richard thought, and a lifelong love affair with Rangies began. He later sold them from his own sales outlet in Homebush. Richard has more 4WD adventures to talk about than it’s possible to relate here. One was being camped with wife Rosemary and some mates at Mungo Brush north of Stockton Beach on May 26 1974. ‘It was deadly still, and we noticed all the sea birds were clustered on the beach.’ The storm hit around four in the morning, not only driving the Norwegian bulk carrier Sygna onto Stockton, but completely submerging Richard’s Range Rover in sand on one side, blasting all the paint off a roof that was polished aluminium in the morning light. Richard has retired now, and lives with Rosemary in the wilds of southern Tasmania. Besides being a brilliant four-wheel driver, he has a razor-keen sense of humour – a great bloke to sit around the campfire with talking about the good old days.
To use these links please visit Unsealed4X4.com.au and view the interactive version of this issue
LEN BEADELL
There couldn’t possibly be anyone reading this who hasn’t heard of Len Beadell. We all know Len for giving us some legendary remote area desert tracks to explore. From behind the wheel of a Land Rover, Len supervised the surveying and construction of the Gunbarrel Highway (named so because he wanted it where possible to be straight as a gun barrel), the Connie Sue Highway (named after his daughter), Gary Highway and Gary Junction Road (after his son), Anne Beadell Highway (his wife), and Jackie Junction (his youngest daughter). Len’s interest in surveying began in the Scouts, and after finishing school at Sydney Grammar, his first job was as a surveyor in northern NSW, working for the Water Board. When he was 18, he joined up for WWII in 1941, initially seeing service with the Army Service Corps in Bathurst, where he drove three-tonne trucks. Eventually the Army saw his worth as a surveyor, and he was sent to New Guinea. After the war, still in the Army, Len was tasked to find a suitable site in the desert for rocket launches. It became Woomera. He also chose the site for the British atom bomb test – Emu Plain (now Emu Junction), and decided on the location for Giles Meteorological Station. Len died on May 12, 1995, and his ashes (originally buried way out in the desert), were relocated to Woomera Cemetery in 2000, to make it easier for family, friends and fans to ‘visit’ him. A great Australian to whom we all owe an immense debt.
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THE STYLE GUIDE A DOZEN EASY WAYS TO GET YOURSELF KICKED OUT Â OF A FAIR DINKUM COUNTRY PUB
1 if there is pear cider on tap 2 Ask Fail to honour a shout 3 with the locals Mention that you work for a coal 4 or gas company looking to start Plonk your 4X4 where the publican usually parks
up an operation in the area
5 Ask if there are any organic 6 vegan options on the bar menu Have a loud mobile ringtone featuring a crass rap song
7 Wear a Manly 8 or Collingwood jersey Complain loudly about 9 the lack of local sushi/espresso/ Wear a cravat
day spa options
10 how long the red wine 11 Ask has been left to breathe Tell the locals their pub is OK, 12 but not as good as ...
Treat the person behind the bar as anything less than your equal
COLD COMFORT
WINTER IS HERE, SO UNSEALED 4X4’S TIM STANNERS AND DAN LEWIS LIST THEIR FIVE FAVOURITE BITS OF GEAR FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR.
TIM STANNERS
BALACLAVA
Not recommended for wearing into a bank, but always packed alongside my winter camping kit. Wear it rolled up as a beanie, pulled down as a neck warmer or, when the temp really drops, pull it down over your face and neck.
CAMP OVEN
On a winter night, what’s more satisfying than a belly full of hot and hearty food, cooked fresh in your camp oven? A camp oven seems to add an extra ‘secret ingredient’ and a flavour that can’t be repeated in other styles of cooking. I use a couple of antique cast iron ovens and my most recent acquisition was a 12-inch Camp Chef – plenty big enough to cook a roast for two families. A clever trick is flipping the lid over in the morning to use as a hotplate to cook bacon and eggs on.
www.glind.com.au
Ph: +617 3408 6226 | E: info@glind.com.au
DAN LEWIS
OILSKIN VEST
I love the seasonal ritual of digging out my tired oilskin and bringing it back to life with scented beeswax to protect my torso from cold wind and rain. My wool-lined model is made by Aussie company Bushskins.
Essential Courses
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HEAD TORCH
The days are shorter, the nights are longer, so a good light source is invaluable. You can buy a head torch for bugger all these days, but I opted for the Rolls Royce, the awardwinning Black Diamond Icon. It’s sturdy, waterproof, has great battery life and throws a powerful beam a very long way.
Ph: 1300 660 320
GNA GNARA
WOWS AND WIPEOUTS! T IS THE PERFECT WEEK
WORDS AND IMAG
ARLY RALOO
THIS WEST COAST IDYLL K AWAY FROM PERTH
GES TOM HAYNES
OUR PATH LEADS US ENDLESSLY NORTH, SLICING THROUGH A SEA OF SPINIFEX BEFORE MELTING INTO A DISTANT SHIMMER. THE OCEAN ON OUR LEFT LAPS AT THE DESERT PLAINS.
The rumble of our Mitsubishi Overlander floating across corrugations is punctuated by rocks flinging against its underbody; clangs protesting our intrusion on the desert silence. It is approaching 16 hours since we three mates – Tom (that’s me), Tim (the Aussie Tahitian) and Dave (O.G) – flew in from the east coast to Perth Airport chasing solitude and adventure. In the 1100km drive since, our bearing North has changed little and we have seen the sun set, and rise again. It is a sun which shows no regard for winter, beating through the windscreen; a glaring compass guiding our way. Our journey has mostly been spent on Highway One, shared with road trains and trucks servicing the mining hubs of Geraldton, Carnarvon and Karratha. Shortly after stocking up at Carnarvon, the announcement of our adventure arrives as a giant sign: “King Waves Kill” – either an ominous warning or a reason to grin. It is the waves that have brought us here. Well, the wave, specifically.
SHARK BAIT With small waves for the next few days, we spend our time exploring the coastal tracks weaving through the desert. Whale sightings are common, as are emus, kangaroos and an abundance of goats. The jagged rocky landscape is hostile to four-wheel drives, potential punctures camouflaged against sandy trails that lead to secret bays teeming with fish. One such bay named Turtles offers everything we need: good waves and great spearfishing. We are spoilt for choice with plenty of spangled emperor, wahoo, coral trout and Spanish mackerel on offer.
However, with an abundant local shark population we soon have company; their senses finely tuned to the vibrations of our catch which now dangles precariously from our float. A 2.5m tiger shark swims lazily by while a school of around six 2m bronze whalers circle, lurking in the shadow. They want to eat fish not human, though they’ll happily take the latter if we get in their way. A large Spanish mackerel enquires as to our presence and O.G unloads his gun. The mackerel writhes in panic, stirring up the bronzies who twitch and jolt. I finish off the mackeral with a second spear, attempting to put out the fire, however the dinner gong has been rung and the bronzies are buzzing.
Just twelve monthly doses of Unsealed 4X4 will cure you of the following common ailments: à Traffic congestionitis à Red Dirt Deficiency Disease (RDDS) à Transfer-case-itis à Low Range Deficiency Disorder à Sunset Deficiency Influenza à Work / Life Balance Disorder
One darts at the mackerel with a brutal display of speed and agility. Tim fends it off with a jab of his spear, bayonet-style, and it skitters away. O.G secures the mackerel to the float and we can put some distance between us and the bait. It is time to go. Back on the beach the sand never felt so good. Tim and O.G are frothing with excitement while I’m in a state of shock. I watch in a daze as a decent-sized wave grinds across the Turtles reef.
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TOMBSTONES
The next morning the Tombstones car park is littered with four-wheel drives which have appeared overnight along with a solid swell. A small crowd stares through the dawn at a metallic sea. I follow their gaze and see a surfer paddling hard for a wave being caressed by the offshore wind. Suddenly the wave jacks, pulled by some unseen force, and the surfer pin-drops into its belly, his board following him shortly after. The wave grinds on unridden, spitting, stepping and warped by the reef below. We cannot get into our wetsuits fast enough.
We surf all day. Arms find energy in stoke and adrenalin. Legs turn to jelly from waves that seemingly never end. Voices are hoarse from hooting and screaming. Faces ache from grins wider than the barrels that create them. We float in at dusk and drive back to camp in silence. Sleep comes fast and deep. The next few days are a repeat as the swell slowly recedes along with the crowds. Soon we have “fun-sized� Tombstones to ourselves. On our last night we head to Gnaraloo Bay with a six-pack and watch the sun melt into the ocean. Sunburnt, aching and dehydrated we stare at the sea which has given so much on this desert adventure.
TO DO
World class waves, excellent fishing, snorkelling, diving, whale watching, windsurfing in summer, sandboarding and coastal 4X4 exploration. Further afield, Red Bluff (70km south) is another world class wave, while back past Carnarvon, Shark Bay is a World Heritage Site. Further north you can dive with Whale sharks at Ningaloo Reef and party with backpackers in Exmouth.
GETTING THERE
From Perth follow Highway 1 north through Geraldton and Carnarvon (where you should stock up on food and water). 25km later turn left onto Blowholes Rd and drive 48km to the coast and the King Waves Kill sign. Turn left onto Gnaraloo Rd and hit the dirt for 77km until you arrive – this road requires 4X4 after rain.
THREE MILE CAMP
Three Mile Camp is on the coast and 2km from Tombstones. Three Mile Lagoon is metres away and offers safe swimming, snorkelling and the ability to launch a small boat (bigger boats can be launched at nearby Gnaraloo Bay). There is bore water feeding hot showers and flushing toilets but no drinking water while a simple shop offers minimal supplies. Fires are permitted but the collection of wood is not. Bring plenty or pay plenty at the shop. Dogs on leads are permitted. Prices range from $18 – $25 per adult per night depending on the season. Accommodation at the homestead varies. www.gnaraloo.com
SO SHE SAYS
KIRSTY HOBBS IS OUR RESIDENT UNSEALED 4X4 FEMALE COLUMNIST. SHE HAS NO FIXED ADDRESS, JUST FINISHED A BIG ADVENTURE AROUND AUSTRALIA AND IS CURRENTLY DRIVING THE BACK ROADS UP THROUGH EASTERN AFRICA IN HER TRUSTY OLD LANDCRUISER.
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About a decade ago the idea of being a writer for a hot new 4X4 magazine would have been laughable. I was the chick who hadn’t serviced her little Holden Astra for “Oh, six-orso-years”. A puddle of oil would form under it and I would dodge letters from my building’s strata manager telling me to clean up the mess. I purchased that poor car for $10,000 and sold it for $500 10 years later to a scrap dealer. It’s true – I have never loved cars. But damn I have always loved travel. Like many others out there, I don’t feel like travel is an option; it’s an essential. It isn’t a ‘bug’ we have caught. And it’s not something we can shake. It’s far more reaching than that. The best way I can describe it, in others and myself, is this: travel is lifeblood. And when the desire to move and shift and shape is that entrenched we find new ways to see the world.
So how does the 4X4 thing fit in? Well, my story goes like this: When I was 23 years old pottering around Africa, I made a friend who was travelling around in a Land Rover Defender and I jumped in. The idea of travelling like a turtle with all your belongings on your back was appealing. I’d tolerated grubby backpacker joints – but this thing of having your bed, bag and kitchen sink with you wherever you went? To not be restrained by train timetables or tourist routes? Well holyfr!ggen-sh!t-balls-Batman, the entire world opened up as a new adventure. As a traveller, I love that we can reach places in a 4X4 that are unachievable to most. We become explorers, cloud watchers, cooks, photographers, daydreamers, figure-outers. We watch sunsets from places where it feels as if no-one else has ever sat. Being able to park your “house on wheels” wherever you go it is a pretty incredible thing, too. I’ve woken up lakeside, beachside and mountainside. I’ve slept under millions of stars, and through thunderstorms and lightning strikes. I have also come to believe that it is the best way to travel the world, especially because it gets you away
from the tourist traps and into local communities where you can witness the way things really are in a country. For example, just last week my fiancé Gareth and I were parked in a local fishing village and we walked down to the lake to watch the sun set. It was a relatively cool afternoon in Malawi and the paths had a vibrant feel. We were joined on the beach by group of young boys keen to know everything about us mzungus (the local word for white people). Soon enough the lake shore became a classroom and the sand a chalkboard. Sitting on the sand we had about 10 little bodies pushed up against us and they were craning their necks to see what we were drawing. A little fellow slung his arm around my partner Gareth in the most honest show of affection and I could immediately see the smile spread across both their faces. It’s these little experiences that don’t necessarily make the big headlines when you report back to family about a trip, but they are the little day-to-day happenings that really make travel for me. And we would have never got there if it weren’t for the 4X4.
Follow Kirsty on www.aussieoverlanders.com.au
LEADERS O
WHERE WOULD THE WOR THESE TECHNOLOGICA
BY TIM ST
As the late Steve Jobs of Apple once put it: “Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.” Here at Unsealed 4X4 we love innovators and their cool new products. What’s more, we want to recognise and reward those innovators and their innovations. Help us out by sending in nominations for the Unsealed 4X4 Innovation Award to the editor, Dan Lewis (dan@unsealed4x4.com.au), so we can profile the innovation leaders in the 4X4/outdoor lifestyle sector and come up with a worthy winner.
OF THE PACK
RLD OF 4X4 BE WITHOUT AL BREAKTHROUGHS?
TANNERS
The Range Rover Classic was by no means the first 4X4 to hit the market, but it certainly was the first luxurious 4X4 product offering, particularly in terms of ride comfort. First released in 1970 as a three-door estate version, the Range Rover was the first 4X4 to offer coil springs and disc brakes all ’round. Combined with a V8 engine, full-time 4X4 and a luxurious interior, the Range Rover was famed for offering comfort and capability both on- and off-road, and created a completely new market segment.
Standard vehicle differentials, as their name suggests, are designed to allow each of the wheels on an axle to spin at different speeds. On the road, this feature is fantastic. Off-road however, a standard differential will direct power to the wheel which is easiest to spin (ie the one with the least resistance). Locking diffs, diff lockers or quite simply locker, are terms which refer to a lockable variation of the standard differential, which effectively forces both wheels on an axle to turn at the same speed, regardless of traction. For a 4X4, this provides significant benefit in situations where traction can be an issue, ensuring the wheel with grip gets just as much power as the wheel with slip.
On a similar playing field, and to complement the role that differentials play, electronic traction control systems provide a vital role in most modern vehicles. They are designed to limit the amount of wheelspin by applying a safe braking pressure to the wheel without traction, thereby allowing more power to be directed to the wheel with grip. Over the years, manufacturers have increasingly included various forms of electronic traction control systems into their vehicles, and they generally come standard in one form or another in most new 4X4s today.
From its humble origin in the early 1960’s, the modern LED or light emitting diode has come a long way. Originally only available in red, LEDs have been transformed through the colour spectrum until the first white LEDs were produced in the mid 1990s. Today, high-powered LEDs are used in everything from vehicle headlights to torches. With high light intensity and low power consumption, the benefits of LED lighting are indeed great.
How many of us stop to consider that less than 20 years ago, we had no choice but to use paper-based mapping to get us from point A to point B. Nowadays, we take it for granted that the spacebased GPS satellite navigation system will simply point us in the right direction. At any given time of day or night, we can know exactly where we are. Overlay a street or track mapping app on your phone or tablet device and tad-ah! But remember – modern technology has been known to fail, so it’s always a good idea to have a paper-based backup, particularly if you’re heading bush!
Radial ply tyre technology, as an alternative to the original bias ply tyre, was first developed back in the 1940s after it was discovered that radial ply (the plies are laid at 90 degrees to the direction of tyre travel as opposed to alternating 60 degree bias plies) actually allowed independent sidewall flex without impacting upon the tread footprint. This in turn gave the tyre better flexibility, improved fuel economy and a longer service life. Add to this the addition of steel belts in the tread and sidewalls and we suddenly had tyres that not only drove longer, but performed Oh, and how about all the aftermarket admirably in a wide range of driving gear we’d all love to get our hands conditions – perfect for the 4X4 market. on? Everything from portable fridge technology, battery systems to run them and flexible solar power setups to keep them going. There’s a large and varied pool of recovery gear to get us out of trouble and vehicle storage systems to keep all that gear safe in the back of our 4X4s. Underneath, we have a selection of suspension options to make our ride even more enjoyable, Transforming the old sluggish, smoke and in the cabin, we can chat via UHF stack diesel engines of yesteryear radios or satellite phones. into clean, efficient, high-performing diesel vehicles is largely the result So, back to the original scenario... of the high-pressure common rail What would you do in such a situation? diesel injection system. Developed in Would you choose a Willys Jeep? For the 1960s but not largely taken up in me, I’d be going a stack of recovery production vehicles until the 1990s, gear, diff lockers and probably some common rail diesel injection uses a traction control with a couple of highhigh-pressure pump and fuel rail to powered LED torches thrown in. feed individual valves, all controlled by a central electronic control unit There’s been plenty of innovations which with as many as five individual fuel have changed the face of four-wheel injections per stroke. This results in driving. What other innovative ideas significantly increased power and have you seen or used for your 4X4? efficiency, reduced engine noise levels and much lower emissions. dan@unsealed4x4.com.au
DIY CENTRAL
SWAP YOUR
BOUNCY BITS! CHANGING YOUR OWN SHOCK ABSORBERS IS EASIER THAN YOU MIGHT THINK
If you’re new to this whole “touring the country” caper, you could be forgiven for asking yourself, “why would I need to know how to change a shock absorber – I have a mechanic for that!” Believe us when we tell you, there are some seriously heavy duty corrugations out there between you and some of the country’s best bits, and sometimes it doesn’t matter how good your gear is, failures can happen. The simple fact is that roadside service doesn’t cover you once you’re out of your local metropolis, and knowing how to do a few basics like swapping shockies yourself will not only save a few bucks, it may well save your bacon if you’re stuck with a totalled shock halfway between between Bourke & Broome! Let’s get stuck in then, shall we?
WORDS & IMAGES BY RICK O’BRIEN
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To use these links please visit Unsealed4X4.com.au and view the interactive version of this issue
STRUTS AND OTHER TRICKY BUGGERS
Of course all of this is well and good if you own a 4WD with a fairly basic or traditional suspension configuration like most older Suzukis, LandCruisers or Patrols, but what if you’re the owner of a late model dual-cab ute, Prado or other 4WD that features a strut or coil-over shock arrangement? This is where things can get decidedly tricky!
Coil compressors are a specialty tool that need to be treated with respect.
Make no bones about it, changing out a shock absorber in a 4WD with a strut front end is a tough job in a fully equipped workshop, let alone on the side of the track in the scrub. The truth is, this is not a job that should really be attempted unless you have advanced mechanical skills and most importantly, the right equipment. In a lot of cases (the Amarok is a great example), the entire suspension and steering system needs to be removed in order to just remove the strut assembly! Things like coil compressors can be used, but they are a very dangerous piece of equipment that have killed more than one budding DIY’er over the years. Our advice? If your shock has failed to the point where the vehicle can’t be limped to the nearest town for expert repairs, at the very least make an attempt to get a professional to come to you. It may not be cheap, but you’ll live to tell the tale!
THANKS TO
Tough Dog Suspension www.toughdog.com.au (02) 9672 8899
Your strut front end is not a place for amateur mechanics.
FREE ENGEL SPOTTERS PACK! VALUED AT ALMOST $350!
During May, June and July 2014, when you buy any fridge-freezer from the Engel MT series, you get a free Engel Spotters Pack!* Valued at almost $350, the pack contains an Engel backpack plus your very own pair of Engel branded Spotters Fury sunglasses & a Spotters cap!
5
OF
THE BEST
BLUE MOUNTAINS BEAUTIES
MOUNT HAY ROAD
Mount Hay has been a beacon to the adventurous since the earliest days of white settlement. Its 945m basalt-capped dome summit is a distinctive feature when you gaze westward from Sydney. In 1789 a party led by Lieutenant William Dawes crossed the Nepean River with orders from Governor Arthur Phillip to reach Mount Hay. They didn’t get very far. Drive to the end of Mount Hay Road today and look east, back towards Sydney, and you still see the wild country that defeated Dawes and so many others who tried to cross these mountains. Look north and west and you are peering into the cliff-lined official wilderness of the mighty Grose Valley. Mount Hay Road extends about 20km north from the village of Leura and was constructed as a fire trail in 1959. It is such a spectacular stretch of unsealed road that Mazda shot its BT50 ute ad there a few years ago. I love mountain biking and hiking there. The walks range from short and easy (Flat Top, Butterbox Point) to more challenging (Lockleys Pylon, into the Grose Valley, the summit of Mount Hay). Mount Hay Road is also a gateway to two popular canyons – Fortress and Butterbox.
MT HAY HAS BEEN A BEACON FOR ADVENTURERS SINCE THE EARLY DAYS OF WHITE SETTLEMENT AND NOTHING HAS CHANGED IN
MORE THAN 200 YEARS.
SIX FOOT TRACK
This 45km trail between Katoomba and Jenolan Caves started life in 1884 as a bridal track that was six feet wide so that two horses could safely pass each other. These days, 20km of the track between Coxs River and Jenolan Caves Road is also a dirt road accessible to 4WDs. There’s a good camping ground beside the Coxs - named after William Cox, who supervised construction of that first road over the mountains. Charles Darwin sat beside this same river in 1836 watching platypus – an experience that inspired him to write in his diary that day, for the very first time, the first glimpse of what was to become his famous theory, On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection. About a kilometre upstream from the camping area there’s a narrow, steel, Indiana Jones-style swing bridge strung high across this gorgeous river that never fails to thrill. Highlights of the drive include three crossings of Little River (a good trout fishing stream) and the long, steep climb to the top of Cronje Mountain (named after a notorious wild stallion that was in turn named after a cunning Boer War general). Once you are back on the bitumen, be sure to visit Jenolan Caves, the oldest on earth.
Wombats aplenty around the Blue Mountains - kid heaven!
WOLGAN VALLEY
Newnes was a big town in its day - now the bush is starting to take over again
Thanks to the ultra-exclusive Wolgan Valley Resort, there’s not as much unsealed road in the valley as there used to be. It’s still a beautiful drive on dirt beside the Wolgan River to the old shale mining town of Newnes, nestled beneath towering sandstone cliffs. There’s great camping near the old Newnes pub (unlicensed these days) or inside Wollemi National Park. The ruins of the shale mining complex (one of Australia’s more ambitious industrial projects) are fascinating, while for those feeling more adventurous there’s canyons and the walk over Pipeline Pass into the neighbouring Capertee Valley. This is also a great place for spotting wildlife, particularly wombats.
NEWNES PLATEAU
Not far from Lithgow, turn off the bitumen where the now closed Zig Zag Railway is to hit a network of unsealed roads that lead to great bushwalks, canyons, camping areas, Aboriginal art and the famous Glow Worm Tunnel. The tunnel, several hundred metres long, was built more than a century ago as part of the railway line to serve the shale works at Newnes. When the steam trains moved out, the glow worms moved in.
This was the country of the Wiradjuri people, and at Deep Pass and Black Fellows Hand Cave, some of their ancient artwork can be seen.
KINGS TABLELAND
Turn into Tablelands Road at Wentworth Falls and you will soon find yourself on an unsealed road that snakes more than 20km to McMahons Lookout. There you will be rewarded with spectacular views over the southern Blue Mountains and the backwaters of Lake Burragorang. The road sits on top of Kings Tableland, an ancient sandstone ridge that was a superhighway for the Gundungurra people travelling between the Burragorang and lower Coxs valleys to the ridge tops of the upper Blue Mountains. On Kings Tableland you can visit tool sharpening grooves and a rock shelter where the oldest known Aboriginal occupation of the mountains has been dated back 22,000 years. For the white settlers of the lower Coxs River, whose farms are now drowned by Lake Burragorang, Kings Tableland was also their access to civilisation. To get their pigs to market in Sydney they would walk them along the ridge to the railway station at Wentworth Falls, enticed by cobs of corn laid out in front of them. From Kings Tableland you can branch off to Ingar swimming hole and camp ground, the mighty Wentworth Falls, awesome downhill mountain biking on the Andersons fire trail, bushwalking to the Kedumba River and Mount Solitary via precipitous Kedumba Pass, or take in a golden sunset over the Jamison Valley from Lincolns Rock, named after the Australian mountaineer Lincoln Hall of Everest fame, who lived nearby.
On April 7 I spent the day with my next-door neighbour and passionate photographer Gary Moloney so we could capture images of the beautiful Blue Mountains for the first edition of Unsealed 4X4. We had a great time together, but at the end of that day Gary never made it home. He died of a heart attack as we were hiking out from the bottom of a canyon. This photograph of me abseiling down a waterfall is one of the last he took after 67 good years on this Earth. At Gary’s funeral, I quoted from his hero, the great American photographer of nature Ansel Adams: “A true photograph need not be explained, nor can it be contained in words.” The same applied, I said, to a true friend like Gary Moloney. Rest in peace, old mate. I miss you very much.
Unsealed 4X4 editor Dan Lewis
ROOTHY:
THE BEARDED CRUSADER FIGHTS TO UNLOCK AUSTRALIA FROM 4X4 JOURNALISM TO POLITICS AND LOBBYING, THE PASSIONATE JOHN ROOTH LOVES GETTING INTO LOW GEAR FOR EXTRA GRUNT
Who is John Rooth? One time engineering student, high school history teacher, miner, bush mechanic, harvester driver and most of all traveller. Lousy on the mouth organ. First job in journalism was testing motorcycles. Tell us about Unlock Australia. ULA is a not-for-profit organisation formed by people concerned about the state of the bush and the constantly restricted access to our public lands. How long have you been involved in this cause and why are you so passionate about it? I’ve always wanted more access to the bush, but after my first Simpson trip in four years a couple of years ago (I used to be a regular there as a tour guide) I was shocked by the damage
done by a cat invasion. Pigs have ruined vast tracts of the Cape. There’s been goats in the Pilliga and massive bushfires in the Blue Mountains and High Country because the current management lacks common sense! Tells us a little about the other key members of the Unlock Australia team? The board consists of Slav Stefanuik (the bloke who kicked off TJM Megastores amongst other things), who is a very concerned grey nomad and sees the free camping restrictions first hand; Toni Challinor, an accountant and a mum worried about the future; David Luke, off-road journalist and event organiser; Phil Johns, finance industry advocate and lobbyist when he’s not camping and exploring the bush; and Jamie Hazelden, bush traveller, 12-volt expert and businessman.
Stockton Beach the way Roothy likes it.
What is your support like? What do you have in the way of members and donations? Currently in excess of 14,000 members in the first nine months, and over 15,000 people attended out first rally in Newcastle. There is money in the fighting fund thanks to our supporters. Support has been massive, everywhere from the Cattlemen’s Association to free camping organisations. What other organisations and businesses support Unlock Australia? If they’re involved in outdoor recreation, they’re almost guaranteed to support ULA. If they don’t, they’re lazy, crazy and probably going to go out of business. Unlock Australia recently organised a very successful event at Stockton Beach in NSW. Tell us about it. Apart from the 10,000-plus people who showed up, the biggest surprise was the support from the local press. Free camping and access to public lands is a big issue for a lot of people from grey nomads to campers to trail bike riders to 4X4 enthusiasts and anyone who loves time in the bush. What else has Unlock Australia achieved? We’re restructuring to take advantage of all the offers of assistance and volunteer effort right now. We’re getting our compliance and legal requirements in perfect order - we even have lawyers and barristers doing pro-bono work because they believe in the cause. The awareness campaign is growing and there’s been a lot of lobbying of governments at all levels.
Where are the major flash points over track access in Australia? Put a pin in the map and you’ll probably find somewhere that’s been closed recently not far away! Where have 4X4s been locked out of recently and where are they threatened with being locked out? Brindabellas near Canberra has been the latest public area to host a rash of gates. The threat is everywhere! Are there areas that have been re-opened to 4X4s recently? How was that achieved? Lots of pressure has seen a few areas ‘opening’ but usually in restricted form. What is Unlock Australia putting most of its energy into at the moment? Getting the legs to support a massive movement – because that’s what it’s going to take. Why have you changed the name from Don’t Lock Up Australia to Unlock Australia? Once we got DLUA going we realised it was too late – we needed to Unlock Australia. And everybody called it that anyway. The reason often given for locking access roads is damage done by irresponsible 4X4 owners. What is the solution to this problem? Every problem has a better solution than gates. ULA sees education as paramount, possibly bush access licences and cameraoperated boom gates if there’s a need to check vehicle access.
Most of the closures in NSW, for example, are caused by rubbish being dumped, yet thanks to the Environment Protection Authority it costs $160 to take a trailer of rubbish to the tip. We’d like to see tips made free and a bottle/ container deposit scheme similar to SA’s across the country. If you could unlock the gates to just one place in Australia, what would it be and why? Not good enough. All our public land belongs to all of us – we need to teach people to love it and look after it. Why did you decide to stand as a Senate candidate in Queensland for the Outdoor Recreation Party (Stop the Greens) at the last federal election? I was asked by the ORP who covered everything and made it easy. They didn’t want me to win – thank heavens – they just wanted to gauge the size of the anti-green sentiment and direct votes away from the greens. What are the party’s key policies? The ORP is about outdoor recreation and all that entails – including access, which is my primary concern. How did you fund your campaign? Stickers via the web went out to supporters in return for small donations. The support was massive, thanks! How successful was your campaign? It helped channel votes away from the greens, helped – through the preference system – get a Liberal Democratic Party member into the
Senate and almost shocked me by being about 6700 primary votes away from me going to Canberra ... I guess awareness was the biggest single gain. How did the party’s other candidates fair? Similarly but possibly not as well. Queensland is really over the green alliance that’s almost ruined our state’s finances. Are you going to run at future elections? I’m not really keen on going to Canberra! I’m too impatient and not compromising enough to be a politician. The Greens have been responsible for getting vast natural areas of Australia protected for public use – areas that could have otherwise been damaged or alienated by logging, dams, agriculture, mining and development. Why do you dislike them so much? Could you ever see yourself working with The Greens to achieve some of your goals given your shared love of the natural environment? I was a Green when Bob Brown was saving the Franklin, but the movement has gone from making a point to ruling the entire outdoors with bureaucratic support and academic knowledge. Practical common sense is what’s needed to manage the bush. You cannot close it off and “leave it to Mother Nature” – it’s too late for that, and it has been since the big white canoe landed 240 years ago. You believe public land has been mismanaged. What should happen to improve the management of this land, particularly national parks?
Regular cool burn offs, allow people to access it, camp in it, keep the tracks open and – in season, with licences and restrictions – hunt feral animals, too. Bush lovers are the greatest resource the bush has, yet the various parks departments – green inspired – can’t see the sense in finding ways to utilise this resource. Ricky Muir from the Australian Motoring Enthusiast Party was elected as a Victorian Senator at the last federal election and will help control the balance of power in the Senate when he takes his seat on July 1. He is a 4X4 enthusiast but has said very little since being elected about what he will seek to achieve in parliament. Do you know him? Why has he been so reclusive? What can people expect from him when it comes to issues dear to the hearts of the 4X4 community and Unlock Australia supporters? I don’t know Ricky. I assume he’s a bit sensitive to publicity and the likelihood that the press will play their natural game and make him look foolish. There are other 4X4/countrymen/bush lovers like David Leyonhejlm [of the Liberal Democratic Party] with terrific ideas and a great head for the issues and he’s heading into this Senate too. If Ricky can work with David, we’ll all be better off, and Australia will too. How long did you work at 4WD Action magazine and why did you leave there recently? Probably about fifteen years – three times longer than I’ve worked anywhere else ever! I loved the work but times change and I need to get some other things – like Unlock – done properly too.
What next for John Rooth? Are you going to keep working as a journalist or are you going to put all your energy into politics and the Unlock Australia cause? Is Pat offering me a job? It’s been almost a decade since we travelled together! Definitely not the politics in terms of being one, but yes, unlocking Australia is a passion and something I view as essential work. It doesn’t pay though, so sooner or later, as a family man with two kids still at school, I’ll be looking for some work. I’ll never stop writing – took me too long to learn to spell. For more information about the issues raised in this Q&A go to: Outdoor Recreation Party – orp.org.au John Rooth – www.roothy.com.au Unlock Australia – unlockaustralia.com.au
GOSPEL, COUNTRY, ROCK
AND BIG RED A PERFECT PARTY: JOE CAMILLERI AND THE BLACK SORROWS
You’d think he’d take it easy now that he’s recorded 45 albums, been inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame, enjoyed hits like Harley and Rose, sold more than two million records, and had John Denver and Elvis Costello record covers of his music. Yet even though 2014 sees him notch up 50 years in the rock industry, Joe Camilleri is working harder than ever. His new album with The Black Sorrows, Certified Blue, has won rave reviews from the critics. The Sydney Morning Herald said: “If The Black Sorrows were a dog with which you shared a house, rather than a band you wish was soundtracking your life, it would be a bitser. Bits of soul, bits of rock, bits of country, bits of gospel … you get the point. Actually, the point is it’s just like one perfect party here ... Joe Camilleri comes across like an Antipodean Elvis Costello.” Camilleri is also touring extensively on the back of the new album (see joecamilleri.com.au for dates). His most spectacular gig is the one on top of the towering Big Red sand dune in the Simpson Desert west of Birdsville. Camilleri will be performing there with fellow Aussie rock legends Ross Wilson, Daryl Braithwaite and James Reyne as part of a super group at the Big Red Bash (July 9-10), which is proudly supported by Unsealed 4X4 and raises money to fight diabetes. Get yourself out there!
ď ˜ To use these links please visit Unsealed4X4.com. au and view the interactive version of this issue
ď ˜
IMA THE IMAGE MAKER A HUNTING TRIP TURNED BAD MADE MICHAEL ELLEM PICK UP A CAMERA INSTEAD OF A GUN TO SHOOT WILDLIFE. NOW 4X4 PHOTOGRAPHY IS HIS PASSION.
AGE
IMA WHO IS MICHAEL ELLEM? Michael is a man who has been making his full-time living photographing the 4X4 world since 1999. His editorial work has been published in all the leading 4X4 magazines and he also does a heap of 4X4 commercial work, particularly for ARB. Michael was born in 1965 and grew up in Hornsby Heights, on Sydney’s northern edge. He spent much of his youth hanging out on the northern beaches of Sydney and honed his photographic skills shooting water sports. He now operates his business, Offroad Images, out of Menai on Sydney’s southern edge. He has a wife and three kids who somehow tolerate his photographic obsession.
AGE
AGE WHAT DOES HE DO? Michael proudly calls himself a photographer, though producing beautiful video for his commercial clients takes up a lot of his time these days.
“It’s 50-50 video/stills now. I shoot panoramics, I shoot time-lapses, I shoot video, I shoot slow-mo; I shoot all this stuff … because the media requires it now. Companies aren’t just putting their products into print. They use Facebook and YouTube on a day-to-day basis. To circulate your product, if you are just going to concentrate on print, you are going to miss a whole lot of ground.” HOW FAR DOES HE GO TO GET THE SHOT HE WANTS? Just to set up properly for a sand dune sunrise shot, Michael likes to be on location at least two hours before dawn. He will similarly spend hours using time-lapse technology to capture the night sky moving behind a vehicle, or set up a wire with a radio-controlled camera attached to capture a vehicle moving through grass. To capture the images of working shock absorbers that he wanted, Michael once attached a camera to a radio-controlled car that could do 120km/h so it could follow a 4X4 across rugged terrain.
“I don’t like to do anything standard. I try to create something that’s new, something where people say, ‘Wow, how cool is that?’.” Michael is particularly proud of a video he made for ARB, “A Bullbar is Born,” in which the camera was never held in his hand, it was always attached to a piece of machinery or the metal being worked on. The next big thing he is excited by is using drones. HOW DID HE GET INTO PHOTOGRAPHY? It all started with a hunting trip to his uncle’s farm at Bathurst, NSW. “Dad wanted all the boys to go out there and shoot stuff. I didn’t like it. I had a bit of a bad kill, and dad always taught us that we had to look after what we had done. I had this kangaroo that was a bit of a mess and had to deal with it – had to follow it over a bunch of hills to find where it ended up and … [finish it off]. At the age of 15 it was a big life-changing factor for me. This was not for me, I figured, so the next time we went out to my uncle’s farm I said to my dad: “Can I take a camera instead?” So all my brothers went one way and I went the other way, and I took a camera and they took a gun and I took photos of the animals.”
IMA WHAT CAME NEXT? Photographing water sports. “I got involved in photographing sailboarding, wave jumping and surfing. I’d go out in the waves and pack a camera into an underwater housing with 36 shots … and you would push your way out into the waves and take 36 shots and then you would have to come back in and, while it’s blowing a gale, try to put another roll of film in that camera. So you would pull it all apart, clean all the seals, put another roll of film in there and back out you go to take some more shots. I photographed the sailboarding world speed record being broken down near Wilsons Promontory [in Victoria] and I thought that was going to be the biggest thing I would ever do in photography.” Michael, then in his early twenties, was shooting from the shore and from out on the water, but was also already displaying the innovation that has set him apart from other photographers. He rigged up a radio-controlled camera on a sailboard mast using aluminium fixtures specially made by an engineer so he could get even more intimate shots.
AGE ď ˜
To use these links please visit Unsealed4X4.com.au and view the interactive version of this issue
AGE WHO DOES HE ADMIRE? The American Ansel Adams (1902-1984), arguably the world’s most renowned nature photographer. “He’s an amazing character. What he did with old film technology; I don’t think you can replicate that nowadays.”
ANSEL ADAMS’ WORDS OF WISDOM “Landscape photography is the supreme test of the photographer – and often the supreme disappointment.” “Twelve significant photographs in any one year is a good crop.” “Sometimes I do get to places just when God’s ready to have somebody click the shutter.”
IMA FIRST 4X4? A blue and white Toyota HiLux SR5 with a 2.0 litre engine. “It was bloody awesome. It had these massive tyres and a massive lift on it, which is only small now by comparison. I thought this thing was invincible; it could go anywhere. I had it all resprayed and had all the interior decked out so there were spots for your wetsuits and spots for the camera gear and spots for everything in the back. If you are working from a vehicle, everything has to be exactly where you need it.”
Pat Callinan on Morton Island
WHO HAS BEEN A MAJOR INFLUENCE ON HIS CAREER? Four-wheel drive media figure Pat Callinan. “I was always using a 4X4 to get to the locations that we were shooting on the beach. Back in those days you could drive nearly anywhere, so to get out to a location where you would be photographing these guys on their boards, you could drive out onto the beach. Pat Callinan saw the photos I was doing of the 4X4s that we were using ... and he said: ‘Why are you doing [water sports photography]? You should be shooting [4X4s].’ I went 100 miles an hour forward from there.”
AGE WHAT IS HE DRIVING NOW? A current model Mazda BT50 dual-cab ute. Michael loves what it offers but not the way it looked at the dealer. “I didn’t like the idea of buying a BT50 initially because it’s got this massive smile on its front. I always preferred the look of the Ford Ranger, but the features that are involved in the BT50 – it’s better. I took it straight to ARB and said, ‘I want to get rid of the smile – slap it around a bit if you have to - I have to get rid of that’. So we went with the Sahara [bull bar] … and a couple of decent-sized lights. Along with the winch controller,
those things mean you can’t see the smile anymore. That had to go. The look is important to me. If I’m going to be photographing the thing it’s got to look right.”
Michael also loves the way ARB fitted out his car to make the perfect vehicle for a professional photographer. There’s drawers and compartments to keep every bit of equipment handy and safe. There’s also brilliant inside and outside lighting so he can make sure he hasn’t left an expensive bit of camera gear on a nearby rock when packing up at night.
Michael’s ride, a Mazda BT50 dual-cab ute.
IMA WHAT’S IN HIS CAMERA BAG? When Michael’s Mazda takes off for a job, there is usually well over $100,000 worth of photographic gear on board. “Pretty much the best body that’s out I’ll have, and I’ll have a number of them. At the moment the Canon 1D X is the best that Canon make - a really tough body which can handle the elements. The 1D X for me is definitely the best camera around.”
HE USUALLY HAS TWO BODIES ON EVERY JOB, SOMETIMES THREE. “The type of lenses I use are all professional lenses. I love my fixed lenses. The 14mm is just a beautiful lens. An 85mm is another I really like. The 70-200mm lens is one that gets used a lot. The 24-70 2.8 is an important lens. For all the wildlife stuff I shoot it’s a 400mm 2.8. It’s a big lens and it’s heavy but it’s really fast.
“We take a car into the middle of nowhere, we detail the car, we put studio lighting out – it might be 10 grand worth of lighting. We use one sort of lighting for stills and another sort of lighting for video work. For panoramics we use a thing called a GigaPan. We also use a rail.” Michael uses the same camera gear to shoot video. “The problem with some of the video cameras like the Sonys … is they don’t give you that photographic look that I like.”
FAVOURITE GEAR? His 14mm lens and his Bialetti coffee machine. Both accompany him on every trip. Michael is as passionate about a good cup of coffee as he is about a good photograph. “The 14mm – I tend to overuse it. It’s beautiful, what it produces. It’s heavy, there’s a lot of glass in there and everything is so accurate in the peripheral vision areas [of a panoramic shot]. You are seeing more than what your eyes see.”
AGE To use these links please visit Unsealed4X4.com.au and view the interactive version of this issue
IMA CAN YOU LEARN FROM THIS BLOKE? As well as writing about photography for the quarterly ARB magazine, Michael runs photographic workshops in stunning outback locations like Eldee Station near Broken Hill. “[The workshops] have been really rewarding. For me the most rewarding component is to see the big smiles and their eyes light up when someone just gets it. The first questions you ask when you get together is: ‘Do you understand aperture?’ If I can get their head around aperture then I can take them so much further with their photography.” BEST PHOTOGRAPHIC TIP? “Don’t worry about getting the most expensive gear. Get a camera that’s got a couple of lenses. A basic Canon or Nikon twin lense kit will do. Buy a set-up which is say, $1000, and get out there and start practicing.” PHOTOGRAPHIC PHILOSOPHY? Michael loves the documentary aspect of photography – that each shot catches a moment in time that will never be repeated. He is engaged in a constant game of selfimprovement. “I always try to take an image that’s better than the last one I took. I don’t think there are too many people more excited than me out on a photo shoot. I really want people to create their own style. People who don’t follow their own style I don’t think will succeed. Be true to yourself. People should never underestimate what they can achieve in photography.” FAVOURITE PLACE TO PHOTOGRAPH? The Simpson Desert. “I keep getting drawn back to this particular sand dune. You create an image of something and then the next time you go back you want to try and make it better. There’s this one particular spot 400 metres south of the location where you cross Big Red, and I will go there two hours before sunrise and everything will be set up and I will just watch the light change and the whole landscape start to build with light and it’s amazing. I love it.”
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OUTBACK GOURMET
SURF AND TURF WHILST THE CONCEPT OF THE SURF AND TURF ORIGINATED IN NORTH AMERICA, IT HAS BECOME A FAVOURITE AROUND AUSTRALIAN BARBIES AND CAMPFIRES Serves 4 | Time 20 minutes METHOD Toss the prawns, garlic, olive oil, salt and lemon juice into a large zip-lock bag. Mix everything around until well coated, then seal the bag and place it in the fridge for a few hours to marinate, turning occasionally. Once your prawns are marinated, simply cook your steak on the barbecue until almost done. The prawns will only take a few minutes to cook. Empty the prawns and juices directly onto the hot plate and cook (moving them around every now and then so they absorb the sauce) until they turn pink. Serve your steak on a plate with the hot prawns piled on top. Garnish as desired and serve with a salad.
INGREDIENTS » 1kg of large green prawns » 2 large cloves of garlic (mash well) or a big squeeze of garlic from a tube » 3 tablespoons of good quality olive oil » 1 level teaspoon of salt (omit if preferred) » A splash of fresh lemon juice » 4 thick steaks of your choice » Salad for serving (we chose baby spinach leaves, tomato and artichoke)
DON’T BE THE ODD ONE OUT.
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Q&A Q&A
GARETH WRIGHT AND KIRSTY HOBBS, THE AUSSIE OVERLANDERS, ARE YOUNG ADVENTURERS TRAVELLING THE WORLD IN THEIR 4X4.
Over the past few years they have built their knowledge from the ground up. They don’t pretend to know everything but are happy to share what they have found to work best. Around here that’s what we call an UNSEALED 4X4 expert.
Q: My hubby and I have decided to do a big lap around Australia next year. How do you guys go with your internet and managing to stay connected?
getting online is important to you, then I recommend setting aside a budget for feeding your internet addiction and get on with it. All the best for your trip! Cheers, Kirsty
Barb, Burleigh Heads, QLD A: Barb, you are asking the right person – I love some 3G! What works best for us is a pre-paid SIM card in an iPhone loaded with a data bundle. The iPhone has a function that allows you to broadcast a ‘Personal Hotspot’ – just like your WIFI at home. You can connect multiple devices (for example, an iPad and a computer) and set a password so other campers don’t leech your data. A mobile internet dongle would do the same thing, but I find ours stays in the drawer as the iPhone is always ready to use. However a dongle will be a good idea if you find yourself locked into a provider with lousy reception, because you can insert a pre-paid SIM from a different provider. On our journey around Oz we found Telstra was best – but to be honest we ended up with them out of desperation. We were in a fairly remote West Australian town and Telstra was the only data provider available. Fortunately we found they were much, much better than the guys we had been struggling around Australia with. The downside? The data was also a lot more expensive. But if
Q: Kirsty, I want to know how the hell you survive camping for an entire year! But more importantly, I want to know what’s in your toiletries bag? Claire, Palm Beach, NSW A: Ha! Oh Claire, I get asked this all the time. But mostly from friends who can’t quite believe that we are able to fit everything we need inside a car! They also can’t believe that I have a 20cm x 80cm space to store all my clothes for two years. But I digress. Before I share a few of my favourite lotions and potions, I think it’s worth saying this: Never have I seen more beautiful women than when out
Q: Why did you guys choose a LandCruiser Troop Carrier as your expedition vehicle? Steve, Adelaide, SA
camping! Don’t you agree? Hair runs wild and rosy cheeks break out from behind the plaster of foundation. Women just seem more vibrant and chilled. Somehow less mirrors equals less inhibitions and us dames become more naturally gorgeous. With that said, when I’m outside all the time my skin needs some extra love. Here’s a few rapid-fire recommendations for you, all of which I use regularly. To get rid of a face full of sweat and grime I recommend exfoliating with Dermalogica Skin Resurfacing Cleanser and a Clarisonic (Google it, girl). To inject some serious moisture and minimise pigmentation, pat on some serum from Kiehl’s before you go to bed - their Midnight Recovery Concentrate is a seriously well spent $70. Whenever we park up for a few days and I get time for some ladymaintenance I indulge in a facemask in the hope of soothing the affects of the sun and wind. I choose Sodashi’s Brightening Marine Mineral Mask, and quite frankly it is The Bomb! Gareth also sneaks some out after he has had a shave. Cheers, Kirsty
A: When we first looked at cars for the expedition it was a choice between two: a LandCruiser Troop Carrier or a Land Rover Defender. We eventually weighed up the positives and negatives and decided on a Troopy. The Troopy has a huge space inside which leaves you with plenty of room to design your own interior layout. It also has the bonus of being able open both rear doors. This provides excellent access to the space of your rig and in particular made it easy for us to install a slide-out kitchen. After converting it into a poptop we are very happy with our set up, and enjoy the ‘luxury’ of being able to sit inside the car in bad weather. We chose an older model LandCruiser, which has little to no electrics. This helps a person, even with limited mechanical knowledge (like me), figure out faults if they arise. Having a Toyota also makes it easy to arrange for spare parts if needed. They are everywhere in Africa and Australia. So Steve, it’s for all these reasons we think it is the perfect vehicle to do a trans-Continental overland expedition. Cheers, Gareth Q: I am new to four-wheel driving and I have been looking for a new set of tyres for my 4X4. There seems to be so many options. Can you recommend a brand that might be suitable for my Patrol? Rod, Bankstown, NSW
notice as our rig is loud anyway. I don’t want this answer to sound like a plug for BFGoodrich, but we have been so impressed with their rubber that I would tell anyone who listened to get a set. Spend some time making your decision. A good set of rubber is worth its weight in gold – so we have always treated ours well. We are pretty particular with inflating and deflating when required and believe this has rewarded us with an even longer-lasting set of tyres. Hope that helps, mate. Cheers, Gareth A: Hi Rod, We are also relatively new to four-wheel driving and the Troopy is the first fourbie we have owned. When it comes to tyres there are many respected companies to choose from. Cooper Tyres, BFGoodrich and Michellin to name a few. I can only comment on the rubber we have used on our rig. We run a set of BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain KM2’s. They have been fantastic in all conditions we have faced so far. We have just clicked over 50,000km and all this with not one puncture. This is a testament to the tyre because we have covered some pretty rough ground. We have driven through sand, over rock, gravel, shale, tarmac and almost anything else you could think of. When we reach Europe later in the year we will probably also cross some snow, too. You will have to decide on your tread pattern. AllTerrains will be your most universal tread but if you like mud, then go for a set of Mud-Terrains. Some people comment on the noise of the tread pattern with muddies but we don’t
ASK G + K Want Gareth + Kirsty to give you an A to your Q?
Send your questions to questions@unsealed4x4.com.au or follow along with their adventures at facebook.com/aussieoverlanders
GEAR GURU
ALL THE COOL AND QUIRKY STUFF THAT YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT BY UNSEALED 4X4 GEAR EDITOR SAM PURCELL.
ROK ESPRESSO
Once you start drinking good coffee, it’s really hard to take a step back. Starting my normal day with a double espresso, I quickly come to miss that ritual when I leave the comforts of home. Sure, the Bodum plunger I take on trips does a decent job, but it doesn’t hit the spot like a short one does. The Rok Espresso machine will give you that fix, without a single volt in sight. You’ll need to heat your water (and preferably grind your beans), and then press down slowly on those beautiful levers for a slow, thick extraction. Go to www.espressounplugged.com.au for more information.
DASHCAM
Do those idiots that constantly cut in front of you and then hit the brakes give you the heebie jeebies? Having a dashcam installed could provide a legal avenue for reproach if somebody else’s stupidity causes a prang, and it can also do some really cool timelapses of your offroad adventures. Modern ones shoot a great HD image, and are really subtle. They aren’t that expensive, either. There’s a good range available at www.dashcamsaustralia.com.au
SAMSUNG GALAXY S5
Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S5 is their first top-ranger to come with IP-rated water and dust resistance. The unit is completely dust-proof and can cope with a dip into a metre of water for half an hour. But, the appeals for the outdoor-conscious do not end there. It’s got this thing called ‘Ultra Low Power Mode’, which allows the unit to live off 10% battery for over 24 hours with basic functions. You can also jam 128Gb of memory into it via micro-SD cards (so you can fit all the topo maps you want, and keep your Warumpi Band and Redgum on there), and the camera has reputedly the fastest autofocus out there. Go to www.samsung.com.au for more info.
COLEMAN CPX 1000
Looking like it fell off the back of Star Trek’s Starship Enterprise, Coleman’s latest and greatest lantern has a big milestone under its belt: 1000 lumens. That’s plenty of firepower, which is then distributed through the fancylooking reflectors to make a bright ambient light. The CPX costs around $100. For more info, go to www.colemanaustralia.com.au
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BIOLITE STOVE
Did you know you can charge your phone from a fire? The Biolite Stove combines a small fire chamber with a thermo-electric generator that does two things: Firstly, it powers a fan that forces air into the fire, making it run hotter and more efficiently. Secondly, extra energy (which would be otherwise lost) then gets harnessed and directed to a USB plug, which acts as a power source that can charge mobile phones. All from twigs and sticks! The fire can run well enough to boil a litre of water in under five minutes. The Biolite will set you back around $150, depending on exchange rates. Visit www.biolitestove.com for more info.
BAINTECH 12V USB
Having a few USB plugs in your car makes a tonne of sense; most new 4X4s have at least one floating around. Baintech have these small, round panels that can be installed straight into any 12V system to give a 5V, 1 amp output. They’re great for charging your gadgets, and for keeping the abominable wiring clutter at bay. They have units suited to (higher amperage) tablets as well, for charging your big navigators. Expect to pay around $30. For more information, go to www.baintech.com.au
NARVA LED WORKLIGHTS
LED is one of the few advances in technology with literally zero compromise. They’re brighter, they last longer, they draw less, and can be built tougher. Replacing your old work light with an LED just makes sense. Prices start from $69. Go to www.narva.com.au for all the models and specs.
FACTOR 55 FLATLINK
Hailing from Boise, Idaho, is an engineering firm that make some damned cool pieces out of aluminium. Like their Prolink, the Flatlink is made to replace the traditional winch hook. They are cut from billet aluminium, and are marked with a max load of 16,000lbs (7,250kg). Maximum breaking strain is around 40,000lbs, and they weigh bugger all. They take a 4.7 tonne shackle perfectly, eliminating any chance of something coming loose mid-recovery. Go to www.factor55.com for more info.
SCARPA RANGER
I’m a big fan of elastic-sided boots, and I still have some Australian-made Blundstones giving good service, but they do have their limits. If you are looking to put down some decent kays on foot, get some decent boots. These Rangers will give you the correct support and be tough enough for anything out there whilst staying comfortable. They cost around $350. For more info, go to www.outdooragencies.com.au
Just twelve monthly doses of Unsealed 4X4 will cure you of the following common ailments: à Traffic congestionitis à Red Dirt Deficiency Disease (RDDS) à Transfer-case-itis à Low Range Deficiency Disorder à Sunset Deficiency Influenza à Work / Life Balance Disorder
BLACKWOLF BUSHRANGER
If you like the idea of a swag, but you aren’t completely sold on it, then this hybrid might fit the bill. It’s made of 350gsm polycotton canvas, and sets up with three bendy poles. It’s called the ‘Bushranger’ (because Swent sounds horrible), and its blurs the lines between swag and tent more than ever before. It opens up a lot for maximum ventilation and weighs 10kg. For more info, go to www.blackwolf.com.au
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OGDEN CANOE
It may not look like it, but this bad boy is an inflatable canoe. It’s made of a sturdy 600 denier polyester material on the outside, which houses two separate safety air chambers. Where normal canoes take up some serious real estate on your 4X4, you could fit one of these into the back, and have a leisurely paddle after making it to your campsite in the afternoon. Magic! Go to www.paddypallin.com.au
OPTIMUS NOVA +
All of that heavy, clunky and space-filling cookware I take on a trip absolutely peeves me sometimes, especially when it starts rattling as soon as the road changes from perfect-smooth. It’s times like those that I wish I owned a hiker’s cook set like this. It weighs less than half a kilo, and has enough power for good cooking. It teams up well with Optimus’s Terra cook set, which takes up a wonderfully small amount of space. The Nova + has a $250 price tag. For more information, go to www.paddypallin.com.au
LIGHTFORCE VENOM
Here’s a bit of bling-bling for your rig; daytime running lights aren’t exclusive to show-offs in HSVs and Audis anymore. Two small strips of LEDs on each light wire up to your park circuit, for ‘increased visibility and safety’. Yeah sure, they’re purely there to look cool. The lights aren’t all for show, mind you. Fifty-watt HID Osram globes and ballasts cast a 4200k light as bright and far as you could hope for, and the construction and finish of the light overall, including the variable mounting system, is all top notch. We found FNB 4WD selling these for around $800 a pair. Go to www.lightforce.net.au for more information.
STARTER AND ADVANCED
GUIDES
Pat Callinan’s 4X4 Starter Guide is your perfect entry into the wonderful world of four-wheel driving. Written by Pat Callinan, producer of Australia’s first nationally broadcast 4WD TV show and editor of Australia’s premium 4WD magazine, this detailed guide covers driving techniques for all types of terrain, and will make your first forays into the bush both safe and enjoyable. Pat Callinan’s 4X4 Advanced Guide is the second book in the 4X4 Guide series. Inside is everything you need to move to the next level of 4X4 techniques and trip planning, and extend your touring enjoyment further. The two books together represent a mini encyclopedia of information garnered from a lifetime of driving off the tarmac and both are designed to fit into your glovebox.
If you take your cooking at home seriously, you’ll know how important a meat thermometer is for nailing roasts consistently. Why not do it whilst camping? This bad boy is glow-in-the-dark, so you can keep an eagle-eye on that lamb leg in the camp oven, until it gets to that medium-rare perfection. The thermometer costs $10. For more information, go to www.manlaw.com.au
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RAT R ESCAPE
SWAPPING THE SUB FOR THE WILD
WORDS: DAN LEWIS
RACE WAGON
BURBS OF MELBOURNE DS OF THE PILBARA
S IMAGES: TONY KNIGHT
CUSTO
Mark Keogh’s 2011 Series 7 GU Nissan Patrol isn’t just a great touring vehicle, it’s also doubled as a transcontinental removalist’s truck. Mark, 44, decided to bow out of the “rat race” recently and have a “life reset” by moving with his young family from Melbourne to Karratha in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. He loves it there because it’s 4WD heaven and he is spending more time than ever before hitting unsealed roads to adventure in his Patrol. After a ruthless purge of their possessions, Mark, wife Kathryn and the three kids were able to fit everything they owned inside the Patrol and a box trailer for the long drive to their new home. Mark used to be with Nissan Australia in Melbourne but is now the sales manager for Karratha Automotive Group, which sells Holden, Suzuki, Hyundai, Nissan and Toyota vehicles in this booming mining region. The Patrol was his work car when he was employed by Nissan and he loved it so much that he bought it when he left. Additions include a three-inch Redback exhaust, Steinbauer diesel chip, Cross Country intercooler, Pelican space cases full of recovery gear, Maxtrax, ARB side and rear awnings, Lightforce driving lights, ARB front air locker with inbuilt compressor, dual battery system with Redarc Smart Charger, Nissan factory bullbar and snorkel, Warn 9000-pound winch and Brown Davis dual long-range fuel tanks. With those Mark can do 1500 kilometres without filling up and he knows his Patrol holds exactly 231.2 litres because – despite that range – he did manage to run out of juice one day thanks to a faulty fuel gauge.
Inside the wagon there’s a Waeco 65-litre dual zone fridge and a cargo net on the roof for the kids to stash their stuff, while up the front there’s enough electronics to make a fighter pilot jealous. As well as a dual UHF radio system, there’s a screen carrying images from a Waeco rear view camera system with microphone. “It’s very handy when you are reversing because someone can guide you without having to yell at you,” Mark says. “They can just talk normally.” Another screen is a HEMA Navigator HN6 GPS navigation system. The third is an iPad which he also runs HEMA navigation apps on. The two devices let him have a detailed map and a big-picture map open and viewable at the same time. Next thing on the agenda is a back bar with dual wheel carriers. Mark says having two spares is viewed as compulsory in the rugged and sparsely populated Pilbara. His favourite bit of kit in the Patrol is his cleverly engineered draw system installed by Fourby Fitouts in Melbourne. Since moving to Karratha, Mark has become the trip co-ordinator for the local 4X4 club and is working on a big journey to Alice Springs via the Gunbarrel Highway in September. “We are in the 4WD playground at the moment,” he says of his new life in the wild west. “It’s nothing for us now to have the wife set up camp on a Friday afternoon [in nearby Millstream National Park] because I’m only an hour from the camp at the most and I come back in on Saturday morning to work and then go back out. We can travel to Millstream National Park in an hour. It’s pretty good … deep gorges with crystal clear water and the red rocks and dirt. I just love it.”
NEWS & VIEWS
I BOUGHT A JEEP! ADVERTISING GENIUS OR JUST ANNOYING?
You only have to look at the sales figures to see that the long-running “I bought a Jeep!” advertising campaign is still kicking goals. But in the advertising world, they measure themselves by more than just dollars. Parody, not imitation, can be one of the most sincere forms of flattery. Click onto YouTube and you can see that “I bought a Jeep!” has made the magical jump from advertising slogan to popular culture catchphrase and comedy inspiration. One particularly notable YouTube production inspired by “I bought a Jeep” is a short film (creatively
titled I Bought a Jeep), which carries an MA15-plus rating and descends from relationship difficulties to dismemberment almost as fast as you can say “I bought a Jeep!” The entire dialogue of the sevenminute film barely strays from the lines “I bought a Jeep!” and “You bought a Jeep?” Despite that, media and advertising website Mumbrella declared the video – made by the Van Vuuren Bros – to be far less “annoying” than the original ads. That sparked a reply from Sean Cummins, the CEO of CumminsRoss, the agency that dreamed up the Jeep ads.
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“When you enter the vernacular so positively with your brand, it is the high watermark for your advertising,” he said. “Those who suggest otherwise are secretly wishing they had a campaign that did. Not since ‘Which Bank’ and ‘Not happy Jan’ has there been such an allpervasive catch phrase. The difference between ‘I bought a Jeep’ and these other famous lines, is the brand is at the heart of the idiom. I haven’t heard something do that since Clayton’s in the 70′s. Annoyingly overused? I don’t think so. Remember what our role in advertising is: to make brands stand out. And sell that brand. Jeep has gone from a $200 million dollar brand to over $1 billion in the last two years since we started the campaign. To have it reach the pop culture in this way, is pretty awesome, too. Thank you Van Vuuren brothers.” Not everyone agreed with Cummins’ take on the campaign. Meanwhile, Jeeps continue to sell like hotcakes.
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1YEAR SUBSCRIPTION + 1 X SEASON 6 BOX SET. + 1 X MR4X4 KEY RING. + 1 X MR4X4 STICKER. *Only $60.00 + $10.00 p+h for Australian orders only.
ROOM WITH A VIEW
THE PERFECT 4X4 WILL IT EVER EXIST (AND DO YOU REALLY CARE IF IT DOESN’T)
The only “real” job I’ve ever had has been as a 4X4 journalist. So over the years, my driveway has been littered with project cars, long-term test cars and bought 4X4s. So you might think that I’d have a favourite, or perhaps even know of the “perfect” 4X4. Heaven knows, it’s the most common question I get asked at 4X4 shows. Of course, every 4X4 has its good and bad points. Otis, my old project 4X4, started life as a long wheelbase Suzuki Sierra, and then morphed into a little beastie with a 3.8 litre Commodore V6 engine and Turbo 700 auto, HiLux axles and 35-inch Mickey Thompson Claws. It could climb – boy, could it climb. With internal pneumatic bead locks (Secondairs), I used to pull the valves out of the tyres and drive up the side of walls. But was it perfect? Hell no! Even with three batteries fitted, some weird electrical drain meant that the battery was more flat than charged. On the highway, she steered like a drunken sailor, and she wasn’t exactly weatherproof. Then, there was the fully kitted 100 Series LandCruiser. Equipped with every conceivable accessory, 270 litres of juice in the tank, and lifted six inches off the deck, she was a formidable vehicle. And while looking like an amazing rig, what was more amazing was the 26 litres per 100km fuel consumption, and her misbehavior on side slopes. Talk about tippy.
PAT CALLINAN
The Defender 130 dual cab was pretty cool, and despite the unreliable reputation, this Tdi model never missed a beat. But even with the LPG-over-diesel conversion, she was still pretty thirsty when loaded. Not to mention the rear diff was too far forward, so over the Simpson she was a pig root special. In the driveway now is a Unimog, and as 4WDs go, it’s damn near perfect. Oodles of room in the back, 550mm of ground clearance and air-operated lockers as standard – it’s the real deal. Although the sweltering non-air-conditioned cabin, and inability to park in a normal spot, means it’s not the ideal daily driver. The Y61 Patrol I drive these days is as solid as the proverbial brick outhouse, with diffs that could hold up the Harbour Bridge. But is she perfect? Well, perhaps if a 5.0-litre Cummins diesel was bolted up. So the short answer is, there is certainly no perfect 4X4 – yet. The compromises between off- and on-road continue to blur the lines, and when a vehicle inevitably gets upgraded, it’s often marketing gizmos rather than serious engineering that wins the day. But the beaut thing here is that no matter what 4X4 you choose, they all kind of do the same thing. They are your mobile room with a view. Buy with your head, or, better still, buy with your heart (it’s way more fun!), and enjoy the many wonderful places your 4X4 will take you. Places away from the tour buses, and the crowds. Places that are indeed, the real Australia. After all, that’s why you got into this game in the first place, right? Keep the shiny side up! Pat Callinan P.S. I no longer own Otis. I sold it to a wonderful bloke named Harb who, with his wife, continues to drive the rig around the country.