It’s my daily driver for work, but ultimately we set it up for touring. We used to run a rooftop tent but got sick of having to pack up anytime we wanted to go exploring, so we bought a Lotus Off Grid. We usually set up camp and unload the gear, unhitch and then head off to explore local areas and tackle the hard tracks. We travel with our whole family – myself, my partner and our three kids. When the kids are a bit older we plan to get a Patriot camper. We’ve done trips to the Great Ocean Road, Yorke Peninsula, Flinders Ranges, Murray River, Newcastle area and are currently doing a trip on the Gold Coast.
Mods include a PCOR tray; ARB Baserack; ARB twin air compressor built into the tray; ARB long-range tank; Hayman Reese X-Bar; rear airbags by Airbag Man; AFN bullbar; Stedi light bar; GME XRS; Fabulous Fab snorkel and airbox; KM3 33×12.5 tyres; EGR flares; Munji steering rack drop and wheel alignment brace kit; Dobinson adjustable remote res shocks; and a Blackhawk Ultimate adjustable UCA – Luke Vigh
I trailer this rig all around Australia, mainly visiting the Watagans as that’s local to me. We have been to most 4×4 parks in NSW and Queensland, and Killingsworth is another spot we like to go!
Mods include a 12mm fuel pump; front-mount intercooler; bonnet-entry snorkel; 20g turbo running 35psi; 40-inch Maxxis Treps; 16-inch coilovers; three-inch hydro bump-stops; double triangulated four link; Xlink; 4.88 diff centres; front and rear ARB lockers; 85 per cent transfer reductions gears; 24V Gigglepin winch; 24V alternator; two 1800cca lithium batteries; roof sliders; front and rear bars; 17-inch beadlock rims; rear sway bar; Blackhawk radius arms; GME XRS; and an ARB dual compressor – Brett Gambrill
It’s a Maverick mid-wheelbase with a 351 Windsor V8, GU diffs and a GP100 24V winch. The thing is rough as it has been driven and raced, but it’s a good rig! – Rhyder Kennedy
I’m a Victorian and have been to SA, WA, NSW and Queensland. The Triton has a two-inch Bilstein lift; 31-inch Pirelli tyres; Ironman bull bar, steps, brush bar and rear bar; Safari snorkel; 23Zero rooftop tent; and a custom service body canopy – Kent Arc
It was built in 2022 using parts from my old Cherokee. Interior was stripped and the car stripped right back to have stiffeners welded on and suspension installed. Original mounting points for control arms removed and long arms installed. Sound deadener installed and all 12v wiring for accessories done while interior apart. Rear 12v setup is in the wing of the drawer setup with DC to DC.
Did a trip last year in June to the Kimberley, Gibb River Road through to Kununurra. Has also been up to Red Bluff, Carnarvon; down south to D’Entrecasteaux in Brunswick, as well as Collie and Harvey. Also summer beach runs from Seabird through to Wedge Island and Jurien Bay. Does both the tough tracks and touring towing a camper.
Some mods include six-inch long arm and five-link front lift kit; custom crossover steering with Heim joints; custom front Panhard with drop brackets; upgraded front brakes to twin piston with bigger callipers from a Grand Cherokee; rear diff from a TJ Wrangler, braced with Eaton ELocker and chromoly axles re-geared; transfer case from a TJ Wrangler with slip yoke eliminator; Rancho adjustable shocks front and rear; Bushwacker high clearance wide flares; rear quarter panel armour; rear wheel carrier; Smittybilt front winch bar; chassis has been braced and reinforced front to back with Iron Rock frame stiffeners; slimline Smittybilt rock sliders; 12,000lb winch; MSA drop slide; and plenty more! – Joshua Page
It’s running a two-inch lift on 33-inch muddies and is pretty much stock as a rock except for GME aerial, roof rack and 270-degree awning. The best place I’ve taken it would be Brunswick Junction to have a play in the forest – Jack Northey
What caught our eye is the new Vitrifrigo D30A drawer fridge that is perfect for the 4WD market. Designed to be installed in compact spaces, the D30A drawer fridge is innovative both aesthetically and technologically. The Vitrifrigo 30-litre drawer fridge offers the additional advantage of not releasing cold air even with numerous openings throughout the day. The D30A weighs 17kg with dimensions 440mm W x 721mm L x 250mm H.
Being a condensed drawer fridge/freezer, the Vitrifrigo 30-litre drawer fridge is suitable for small spaces. Designed using specific components for overland applications, the temperature can be set by selecting either the fridge mode, with four temperature set points, or the freezer mode. The temperature ranges from -10 in freezer mode to +10 degrees in fridge mode. Available with a black or white fascia, the fridge has an elegant and refined finish that is suited to any 4WD interior.
The removable external cooling unit offers added volume inside the refrigerator. In addition, it expands the installation possibilities in terms of functionality, efficiency and soundproofing. The compressor can also be relocated up to 1.5m from the drawer fridge. The D30A also comes with four mounting brackets.
The 12/24-volt fridge is controlled by a digital thermostat, ensuring precise control of both temperature settings and optimisation of compressor operation, balancing efficiency and consumption combined with a reduction in compressor noise during the night, thanks to the sleep mode.
Adam Olive, Media and Marketing Manager for Leisure-Tec, told us: “The new Vitrifrigo fridge/freezer range will provide 4WDers with options for when space is limited, as the new Vitrifrigo D30A drawer fridge will keep food and drinks nice and cold and fresh.
“Where space isn’t a problem, the new Vitrifrigo drawer fridge will also compliment those carrying the myCOOLMAN fridge range with added storage for those needing an extra 30 litres of food and drink storage.
In short, it’s a six-pot, DOHC, turbocharged, common rail injected, 3.0L diesel, and it has a strong aftermarket following thanks to our cousins from Europe who have been throwing them into Land Rovers for the past decade or so.
The bottom end features forged rods and is proven to handle up to 1300Nm of torque in stock form. The head is capable of flowing upwards of 260kW with turbo and fuel upgrades. The CP3 high-pressure fuel pump is also found (in slightly different form) on the 6.7L Cummins and 6.6L Duramax engines in the big-boy Chevs and Rams.
Now it’s not all puppy bellies and free seafood, the TD42s and 1HZ engines will still be able to put out as much or more torque due to their larger displacement, but the M57 absolutely kills them on power; 190kW is easily achievable with nothing more than a tune, and you still get a pretty darn impressive 600Nm from the same mod. Tally up how much it’ll cost to get your Nissan or Toyota engine to that level and these things start making a lot of sense. So yeah, pretty much the ideal engine for a lot of us, and there’s no real downside to shot-putting one in the direction of your rig.
Before we start, we should point out that M57 came in a variety of BMWs, from the 5 Series, E60, E90… the list goes on. To keep this yarn to a reasonable length we’ll just focus on the most popular vehicle for the swap, the BMW X5, which can be picked up from as little as $3500.
The M57 first came out in 1998 and stayed more or less the same until 2003. This 137kW model (with a narrow bellhousing) came with a five-speed auto. Some X5s even came with a six-speed manual box, but these are as rare as hen’s teeth and are pretty pricey as a result.
If you’re feeling really sporty you could go for the ZF 8HP which is an eight-speed ’box, but while arguably the best transmission available for the engine it also has a lot more wiring to suss out, and adds about $8k to the conversion total.
The wider bellhousing model M57 arrived in 2004 (M57TÜ or M57N) in the E53 X5 and was available until 2006. This is generally considered to be the easiest engine for conversion and there’s the perceived advantage of its strong iron block, and it’s a single turbo, so straightforward to upgrade if required. From stock these models put out north of 150kW and around 500Nm.
With that said, there are quite a few of these around putting down some serious power and holding up without drama, so don’t be too deterred. They also come with piezo injectors rather than the solenoid injectors of the M57TÜ engines. While the piezo injectors are more reliable and efficient, they’re also unable to be rebuilt and the nozzles can’t be upgraded to produce more power.
They’re more difficult to fit but many prefer the extra power (200kW stock and a bunch more available with just a tune) despite the increased complexity of the installation. For the simplest option with the least headaches, we recommend you grab an ’04 to ’06 E53 X5 diesel with low mileage.
This isn’t as much an M57 problem as an every-modern-diesel issue, but the M57 still can have problems with its emissions countermeasures. We’d tell you to do yourself a favour and ditch the EGR and DPF, but that would be promoting illegal activity which we’d never do. Moving on…
Located in the intake, these are designed to optimise the air-fuel ratio however they are known for failing and dropping their mounting screws into the combustion chamber, causing potential carnage. Delete kits are cheap and one of the first mods to do if your engine has them.
If you’re chasing north of 225kW, the valve springs will need upgrading. They’re quite soft and can cause problems, especially with worked engines.
Not an issue really; in fact there are many 500,000km engines getting around on stock chains, but if you’re pulling your over-300,000km M57 out anyway, throwing new chains at it is good preventative maintenance.
On the M57TÜ BMW went for a stainless exhaust manifold which is known to crack. Replacement with a cast manifold is the fix.
Again, as preventative maintenance the glow plugs and glow plug module are common causes of faults. They’re easier to swap out on the stand than in the vehicle.
The sump, rear main seal, valve cover, oil filter housing and injector washers and seals should all be swapped out when the engine is out. They’re not really known problem areas, but you’d be nuts not to do them on a 15+ year old engine while it’s all easily accessible.
Before breaking out the torque wrench and oxy torch, there are a few things you’re going to need (other than the engine, ancillaries and transmission, duh) to make your conversion go smoothly. Ash from Fusion Fab gave us the rundown:
Chasing big power from an M57 is definitely possible, but when you can net a fairly easy 220-260kW from an M57N2 twin-turbo, not many folks bother looking for more as fuel use and reliability inevitably take a hit.
However, if we had to break it down by the usual means of making diesels sing, it’d go a bit like this:
Getting a tune should be first and foremost as it’s the easiest way to grab a sneaky 20-30 per cent more power and torque without affecting reliability or fuel use. Keep in mind that any injector, turbo or pump mods will require an updated tune to make the most of them.
The piezo injectors are good for around 335kW, so no real joy there. The solenoid injectors can have larger nozzles from a 535D fitted but even then you need a turbo upgrade to get it working properly.
Much over 220kW and the single turbos start becoming a little lacklustre. A popular upgrade is the Garret GTD2872VR which can handle up to around the 300kW mark. Bigger turbos can provide more, but then you’re looking at serious porting and strengthening work of the internals.
Chasing more than 220kW? The stock valve springs will need upgrading.
Curiously, the M57N2 came with the smaller R70 (1600 bar rail pressure) pump while the M57N came with the larger R90 (2000 bar rail pressure). If more power is required from your M57N2 an R90 upgrade can be beneficial.
Just a reminder, these CP3 pumps came out in Duramaxes and 6BTs, so they’re no slouches. With that said, twin pump kits are available if you want to do your best to destroy the dyno.
The larger the better, really. You can’t freeze your intake charge. Fun fact: Gale Banks ran straight nitrous-oxide rather than an intercooler in his drag Duramax. Different engine, but the point is the same; the cooler (aka denser, aka more oxygen-rich) the intake charge the better it is for your available power output.
Cams and head studs can be fitted without removing the head, although once again, this is for race-spec builds trying to get every last ounce of power out of a rig rather than for people who want enough under the right boot to comfortably get across the Simpson without worrying about getting up the taller dunes. Horses for courses, folks.
A short (only 700mm or so long) straight six that’s torquey, has enough power for pretty much anything and won’t be a Chuck Norris roundhouse to the wallet every time you hit the servo. The M57 is also matched to one of the nicest six-speeds in the game (same ZF box as in the Barra turbo), or an eight-speed which is arguably the ideal 4X4 transmission.
Entire conversions have been completed for less than $10k, which is roughly what a 3.8L Commodore V6 used to cost 20 years ago, so the value is right up there. Could this be the next big thing in hot-rodded diesels? We reckon it could be, yeah.
Big thanks to Ash and the Fusion Fab Industries team for their expert knowledge and help with this article.
Fusion Fab Industries: www.fusionfabindustries.com.au [↗️]
McKinnon’s Cruisers: www.mckinnonscruisers.com [↗️]
House of Torque (UK): www.house-of-torque.com [↗️]
This bull bar has been designed specifically for the new 70 Series LandCruiser, providing unparalleled off-road protection and a sleek, modern design. With a durable steel construction, the Summit MKII ensures maximum protection and incorporates ARB’s renowned multi-fold upswept and tapered wing design for optimum strength and approach angles. The registered design of styling components provides a unique look that will turn heads.
Advanced design elements include a 30mm radius on the wings and centre section, 60.3mm outer frames and centre cross-tube and press-formed top pan and aluminium (powder-coated matt black) winch cover panel. The split pan design offers maximum strength and airflow while the robot welds on the bar’s front face, highlighting ARB’s excellence in sheet metal fabrication.
The Summit MKII bull bar is crafted to elevate your MY24 LandCruiser’s performance and aesthetic. Engineered for resilience and designed for modernity, this bull bar adds approximately 45mm to the overall length of your 4WD. Finished in a matte black powder coat and treated with Metaprep primer for additional corrosion resistance, the Summit MKII stands the test of time and terrain.
The Summit MKII includes enhanced functionality with twin ARB Jack or Hi-Lift jacking points located on the lower pan, two aerial brackets located on the centre frame, and optional winch fit and winch hawse spacer kits. It can accommodate Warn, Bushranger, Smittybilt low mount electric winches up to 12,000lb, and it has the provision to accommodate ARB Intensity V2, IQ, Solis and Bushranger driving lights.
However, dive a little deeper and you’ll notice things like the throaty straight-six exhaust note, the non-Toyota shifter in the console, and the BMW badge on the engine cover. What the… ?!
Yep, this particular bus belongs to Max Ratzlaff, and not only does it have an engine conversion that’s bordering on sacrilegious to Yota purists, but it’s also the first of its type in the country. Not bad considering Max bought this as his first ever 4x.
Easy to work on and modify, the big hundreds are well-known as being basically bulletproof, and a fantastic baseline on which to build the ideal rig. The 4.5-litre unleaded engines are also way more affordable to buy than the same model diesels, which suited 19 year old Max to a tee.
That was back in 2020. Fast forward a few years and we had Covid, which punted the price of stock turbo-diesel Cruiser motors to the moon (think $20k for the engine alone), and the price of fuel hasn’t exactly gone in the right direction either – so a diesel swap that was torquey, reliable and relatively cheap was put on the front burner.
Which led Max directly to BMW’s finest: the mighty M57. But we’ll get to that in a sec…
Southern Cross Fabrication provided the heavy-duty steel sliders that have been Raptor coated for maximum cool points, while up top an aluminium Cane Toad Equipment flat rack provides somewhere for the space case, 23Zero shower tent and Bushwakka Extreme Darkness 270 awning to live.
Out front, an Ironman 4X4 commercial deluxe steel bar has been bolted to the rails along with a set of Roadsafe recovery points and an arsenal of Stedi LED lighting. The bar also houses a cheapy 12,000lb winch, which Max is in the process of replacing with a Runva 11XP with air free-spool.
Most people would call that good and send it, but Max apparently likes to do things properly as he also added some Blackhawk radius arms, Roadsafe heavy duty uppers and 11mm-longer lowers out back, and a Tough Dog adjustable Panhard to ensure his geometry is set to “better than good”.
He also extended the brake lines, swaybar links and bump stops, and went ahead and braced both diff housings. All work was done by himself with the help of a few mates.
Speaking of the diffs, there’s an ARB Air Locker (along with the all-important solid pinion spacer that makes Toyota diffs a bunch stronger) out back and a set of 285/75R16 Maxxis RAZRs on 16×8 steelies.
The inside has the standard LandCruiser 50th Anniversary seats with MSA 4X4 seat covers, while engine internals are monitored with VDO boost and EGT gauges. A Kenwood stereo keeps Slim Dusty sounding crisp while the GME UHF lets the weird trucker conspiracy theories flow thick and fast.
The cargo area has been upgraded with a custom The Drawer Company setup, with added pantry wing storage drawer and a stainless steel table that clips onto the swing-away jerry can holder.
The rear section of the system houses the Redarc BC-DC charger and Amptron 100Ah Lithium battery that’s overseen by a simple shunt screen mounted within easy sight. The middle row seats were also yeeted in favour of a storage platform that was custom made by Max.
These engines are just about perfect for use in a 4X4; they’re reliable, cheap to source, put out around 200hp from stock and with a few mods can easily be bumped up to around the 350hp mark (or beyond).
M57s also come mated to the beautiful ZF 6-speed auto, which Max reckons is simply a joy to drive off-road. With a nice low first gear ratio which allows for decent engine braking, and the torque converter locking almost immediately (unlike the Aisin autos found in Toyotas), it’s almost like it was made for wheeling.
Max says he can have the turbo off in about 10 minutes and that the engine weighs around 50kg less than the 1FZ it replaces. Almost like it’s meant to be.
The transfer case was mated to the transmission thanks to a Fusion Fab adapter, which clocked the transfer and necessitated a double cardan front driveshaft be installed to suit, but nothing too arduous. It really was as close to bolt-in as it gets. Max even reckons the stock Cruiser radiator (fitted with BA Falcon thermos fans) very nearly lines up with factory hoses.
A custom pedal bracket was fabricated to adapt a GU Series 4 pedal into the 105 to handle the change from throttle cable to drive-by-wire, while PDI supplied the airbox, intercooler and transmission cooler, designed for a 1HD-FTE 100 Series, which bolted right in.
A 3-inch exhaust with cat and a single resonator provides a healthy bark when under throttle while maintaining comfortable highway cruising, and custom stainless intercooler pipes were made up along with the AC lines and heater hoses to top things off.
Similar output figures from the 1HD-FTE Max initially wanted to put in requires a turbo and injector upgrade along with a few other mods to get close.
The result? Max tells us his 3.5-tonne Cruiser drives steep highway hills and sand without a single worry, while consistently seeing 11-12L/100km on the bitumen. A fair bit of an improvement over the 25L/100km-plus the old petrol engine consumed on the same trips.
He also says it’s revvy and incredibly responsive, with 25psi showing on the boost gauge almost instantly once the foot goes down. It also makes for a much less tiring drive on longer trips, which you can’t be mad at.
And he wants to upgrade the stereo, but mainly he’s just keen to get out and use it.
With a Simpson Desert trip this year, and with nearly 10,000km on the dial and a bunch of High Country trips since the M57 went in, it’s safe to say he’s stoked with how it all turned out. We can’t imagine anyone who wouldn’t be.
At the heart of the new range is a Covert black chrome appearance that boasts a striking visual impact and boosts light clarity, helping you see further down the road at night. High-power OSRAM LEDs generate a natural white light at 5700°K. Available in seven-inch (1 lux at 680 metres) and nine-inch (1 lux at 790 metres) options.
Another feature of the Covert range is the prominent Dynamic Position Light, providing additional vehicle visibility to other road users. The position light is dual-colour, allowing the user to choose between white or amber output; although, the amber is for off-road use only as isn’t ADR-approved.
The Covert range was designed to be resilient in Australia’s tough conditions, with the lamps featuring robust construction and virtually unbreakable polycarbonate lenses. They’re also fully sealed and weatherproofed to IP67 and come with heavy-duty stainless-steel brackets (with three-bolt mounting) and mounting hardware. An integrated and sealed DT connector is also included. For added protection when not used, the lamps feature blacked-out polycarbonate lens protectors, while the included ‘plug and play’ wiring harness makes installation simple.
Big Red Gear Product Manager, Jake Smith, said the brand’s latest release provided buyers with a well-balanced range that combined strong lighting performance with attractive aesthetics at a cost-effective price point.
“The new Covert LED driving lights from Big Red Gear showcase a stealthy black chrome reflector design that projects an impressive light output from the OSRAM LEDs, dramatically boosting visibility across a variety of conditions,” Jake said. “With this release, Big Red Gear has again made quality lighting accessible to recreational enthusiasts, proving that performance and great looks don’t have to cost the world.”
The LEDs can be purchased for $449 (seven-inch pair) and $599 (nine-inch pair) including shipping. You will also receive a plug-and-play wiring harness, HB3 and H4 beam adaptors, 12V 40A relay, 12V rocker switch and fitting instructions. A three-year warranty backs Big Red Gear’s new Covert LED driving lights.
Development of the mirrors for the new Fords took a bit longer than the team at MSA would have liked, and it wasn’t until April 2024 when they were finally released. Perfect timing for our Everest!
Like the other MSA mirrors we’ve loved using in the past, these are bigger than the OEM Ford units and can pivot and extend outwards for rearward visibility when towing or to view around a large service body. The large rectangular mirror sits vertically in its regular position, but rotating it 90° moves it to a horizontal position for a better rearward view.
This would have been a great feature on our Ranger as the Trig Point service body did poke out a bit at the sides, and wider mirrors would have helped with vision. The real clever part of this is that when you rotate the mirror, the electric adjustment still operates the same way when you want to tilt it up, down, inwards or out. Nifty!
Most aftermarket towing mirrors are ugly and ungainly when stuck on the side of your car, but the MSA mirrors have an OEM look to them when they are in their standard position. If and when you need a wider view for towing, they can be extended outwards on a slide mechanism to a second position further out from the door to give a wider frame of view.
If you’re driving with the mirrors extended all the time and you want to keep that OEM look to the arms, you can also get an infill panel that clips on over the extension slide to cover it up. Again, in this position, all the power adjustments operate as normal. All other features of the mirror operate as they are supposed to as well. This includes heated glass, blinkers, blind spot monitoring, and power fold when fitted to the original car.
Something the MSA mirrors don’t retain is the cameras mounted in the Ford mirrors for the 360° views. At the time of writing, MSA was still working on this and it should be available soon, if not already. Not that it worries us with our Everest Ambiente, which has no such fancy camera feature.
We are just happy to have a better view from the bigger mirrors for everyday driving or when we might need to extend them for towing. The image is not only bigger but crystal clear from the quality glass mirror. We’d fit a set of these to every 4×4 we own, if we could!
The range includes the radar-ready Deluxe and Raid bull bar, rear protection tow bar, suspension kits, fender flares and fender flare extensions.
The Deluxe bull bar includes a triple-loop design with bonnet and headlight protection, 50mm tubular steel and robot-welded precision. It is compatible with up to a 12,000lb winch, has a chassis-mounted steel winch cradle and two integrated 5T recovery points. There are two antenna mounts and a provision for driving lights. DRL and LED indicators are included.
The Raid bull bar includes radius edges for soft shackles, two 5T recovery points and uses 16mm steel. It can carry up to a 12,000lb winch on the chassis-mounted steel winch cradle and has a flip-up number plate. The integrated lighting options include up to four fog or cube lights, a 32-inch light bar or top-mounted driving lights. Both the Deluxe and Raid bull bars are compatible with all Mitsubishi safety features including front cross-traffic radar and airbags.
The Ironman 4×4 Rear Protection Tow Bar offers a combined 3500kg tow rating and 180-degree protection which includes high-lift jacking points and integrated recovery points. The fender flares are designed to follow the contours of the MV Triton and provide additional coverage for users who want to fit wider offsets and more aggressive tyres, with no drilling required to fit them.
There is also a large range of Ironman 4×4 suspension packages available for the MV Triton including Foam Cell Pro and Nitro Gas options in light, medium, heavy or extra heavy and lift kits.
“Our core focus when designing any 4×4 accessory is practicality, reliability, and affordability. When it comes to bull bars, there are the obvious additions of cosmetics and safety,” said Mark Berger, Ironman 4×4 General Manager of Marketing.
“We felt the new Triton lent itself to a bull bar design which complemented the squared look of the new headlight design. Additionally, once we became aware of the Australian-specific safety standards, such as the cross-traffic radars, we needed to design the bull bar to accommodate.”
We’d been camping overnight at Farina and could see the queue growing at the bakery’s door well before it opened. Over the years, Farina’s bakery has become a real institution that only opens for eight weeks each year around May to July.
Hearing people come from far and wide simply to visit the bakery, you know it’s going to be good. The fact we walked out with a few sweet lip-smacking treats, pies, and some bread, there was no way we were going to go hungry on this trip. The bakery can sell out early, so get in quick because, as they say, first in, best dressed.
Most of these tracks start and finish at the southern entry point by Farina with one loop accessed from the northern end by Marree. The area’s diversity is one of the biggest reserve drawcards; besides the pastoral and geological history, you’ll find two old Ghan railway lines pass right through the Witchelina reserve, so there are plenty of things to see and experience.
This Witchelina visit was going to be our second, and we chose the Marree loop around the Old Mount Nor-West station area this time around. We’d picked up our gate key and mud map from the Marree Hotel the day before and were now ready to roll. Out on the blacktop, we hightailed it 20km towards Marree and took the signposted turnoff to the Witchelina Track.
Almost 20 years after Eyre’s visit, surveyor Samuel Parry mapped much of the region and south to the Flinders Ranges in 1858. A year later, George Goyder, who was SA’s Surveyor General at the time, then continued where Parry left off.
As far as pastoral history goes, Witchelina truly kicked off for pastoral use around the 1870s with sheep and cattle being grazed for the next 130 years, although pastoralists soon found sheep were better suited to the conditions as they could cope with the saltier water.
When the property was put on the market again just over 15 years ago, it was picked up by the South Australian not-for-profit organisation, Nature Foundation.
Since coming under their ownership, the foundation has de-stocked and removed feral animals. They’ve also put in programs to help restore the land and its diverse habitats.
For railway buffs, this is the original Ghan line that was extended from Farina to Marree in 1884. Following the mud map and corresponding trackside signpost, we ran along the nature reserve’s boundary fence line for more than a kilometre.
The relatively new fence has been erected on top of what was the old railway line so it’s not hard to miss. When reaching a turnaround point, it was evident this whole area was situated on a floodplain. Although the region doesn’t receive frequent rainfall, some incredible stone paving had been laid trackside to prevent floodwaters washing out the ballast and undermining the tracks.
Travelling further west, it was hard to ignore a large railway bridge that dominated the landscape ahead. This bridge is part of a newer Ghan line that was put in less than 70 years ago. Unlike the original Ghan line, this newer version utilised standard gauge (4 feet, 8.5 inches).
Back in the day, it was used to freight coal from Leigh Creek to Port Augusta’s power station before the line was extended to Marree. It’s a short walk to the top of the bridge where we found spectacular views in every direction.
The track then leaves the floodplain and passes through some rolling hills. There were numerous dry creek crossings along this section that were either steep or a bit washed out, but nothing serious. We found those first 25km slow going, but not because of the track’s conditions.
There were simply so many attractions that grabbed our attention and had us stopping and out of the vehicle. Here the track passes numerous old wells, plus an assortment of water tanks that vary in age, size and condition.
Further on, walking into Spring Gully Gorge was another highlight. A substantial slate trough about 15m long is located at the gully’s entrance that was once used for watering stock. Finches and budgies flocked to the small waterholes within the gorge which was also a delight to watch. The track then follows a dry Willawalpa Creek for around 13km.
Along this section we passed a large ridge of quartz strata. It’s a natural ridge of rock that rises a few metres above the ground and spans a couple of hundred metres. In reality, it looks so good that you could easily think it’s been man-made.
It’s an impressive landscape where you’re surrounded by towering cliffs and a creek bed full of large rocks. It was a slow crawl in the 79 to criss-cross the creek and roll over the rocks with our camper in tow. A spotter came in handy here when the track disappeared to avoid getting hung up on rocks.
With the afternoon shadows growing longer, it was a good time to pull up stumps for the day. Coincidentally, a campground and drop toilet are located only a few hundred metres from the gorge near the Old Mount Nor’West homestead and surrounding ruins.
Nearby you’ll find the station’s old stockyards that sit alongside the campground. After crossing the creek, the old homestead is just a short distance away. This area was originally part of a separate lease to Witchelina called Old Mount Nor’West Station.
The station was established by pastoralist Henry McConville in 1873, but he didn’t hold the lease for long. As is the case with many pastoral properties, getting water for stock was a costly exercise. Before long, Henry ended up carving off a portion of his land to his Witchelina neighbours later that same year.
With the number of relics and landmarks to explore around Witchelina, there’s no shortage of experiences to be had. Less than a few hundred metres up the track, we were again out of the vehicle. The substantial ruins of what once used to be old stone shearers’ quarters stood before us.
A quick look around and we found a few shearing implements, plus an old bread oven and a couple of coppers for doing laundry. Nearby were the ruins of the station’s woolshed.
There’s plenty to see around the place with old blade shears, shearing combs, kerosene tins, and other bits and pieces to fossick through.
Thinking the best of the track was already behind us, we found it still had a trump card up its sleeve. Ahead of us lay a very impressive 19-span bridge belonging to the standard gauge railway that made for a cracking lunch stop.
While Witchelina and its tracks may not be as well-known as its Oodnadatta Track neighbour up the road, it’s got so much going for it. As well as offering up a real good insight into the region’s pastoral, railway and geological history, it has some of the most diverse and spectacular outback landscapes you’ll find in SA’s far north.
And if you can coincide your visit with the Farina Bakery opening times, then you’re onto a real winner. It might be a big call, but we think the Witchelina Track could be one of the state’s best kept secrets.
Witchelina Nature Reserve is located in South Australia’s north between Farina and Marree. The reserve has five different loop-style tracks that are best suited to 4x4s with high clearance.
The Marree-Old Mount Nor’West Gorge loop starts and ends in Marree. It’s approximately a 138km round trip which includes 70km on dirt.
This area is remote and isolated, so carry food, water and comms. Campfires are only permitted in designated areas on the reserve and BYO firewood. From Farina, fuel is available from Marree to the north (64km) and Lyndhurst (51km to the south).
Visit Nature Foundation’s website at www.naturefoundation.org.au [↗️] for more information.
Isuzu has devised a solution: 4WD trips for Isuzu 4x4s called I-Venture Club. Would an ex-4×4 journo like me be able to lock his mental hubs for long enough to report on this three-day I-Venture Club trip in the Flinders Ranges? When I began my 4×4 journalism career, we were still listening to cassettes.
I-Venture Club began almost 10 years ago. This concept is not new, but Isuzu has kept it up much longer than any other manufacturer. Owners get a partly subsidised trip with off-road training and back-up if things go south, while Isuzu gets to showcase its products in the environment they’re designed for.
The 2024 Isuzu I-Venture Flinders Ranges trip started officially at a lunch stop at Hawker, where media and customers met David Wilson, a 4×4 driver trainer who has been leading the I-Venture team for 10 years. The dozen or so customers were driving everything from a 2014 MU-X to an almost factory-fresh 2023 D-MAX. They were a really interesting and easy-going bunch of people.
With our convoy of new friends, we drove the blacktop from Hawker straight to Merna Mora Station. We were aiming for the Station’s Wowee Track, on the western side of the Range. After choking though the billowing dust on the access track we were presented with the Wowee Track ascent. With tyre pressures dropped to 20psi, it was steep but not difficult in low range and no traction control or diff locks were required.
With the setting sun still lighting peaks to the east, the outlook from our vantage point on the highest part of the Wowee Track offered a view that looked like a watercolour painting; one colour bleeding into another daubed on the canvas of the Flinders Ranges. This is just one of the rewards of having a 4×4 to delve into country like this.
We headed back down in the valley and, after airing up, we were ready to head to Wilpena Pound, our base for the next three nights. The combination of high-speed tarmac and dirt didn’t phase the D-MAX, even though the engine has the typical diesel clatter, when revved the ample midrange torque makes it an easy touring companion. Plus it’s quiet sitting at highway speeds.
Here we got to play in the red desert dunes on the corner of the Station, and with a drop in tyre pressures again, we headed onto the sand. Wanting to try this new invention called recovery boards, I worked at getting the D-MAX bogged. Mission accomplished, and with Isuzu PR man Mark Harman instructing yours truly on recovery board operation, I eventually extricated myself. These recovery boards make getting unstuck a whole lot easier in sand than digging a spare wheel and hand winching, or spending half a day shovelling sand.
Day three saw us head to Stokes Hill Lookout, giving a different perspective on the Ranges. From there, we headed for Carey Hill Lookout, via Blinman. The I-Venture Club team had done a recce weeks before to make a track up to Carey Hill, and they loaded up some interesting technical sections for us on the often-rough, washed-out terrain.
And what a climb it was. Step-ups over broken rock and loose stones on the steep climb provided an opportunity to put the new Rough Terrain mode in the D-MAX to work. With just relatively gentle throttle pressure in low-range first, the traction control did its noisy thing containing wheelspin and we were up and over the steep terrain.
Yet another stunning vista from Carey Hill Lookout capped off a tagalong tour that mixed in the fascinating geological history of the Flinders Ranges with a lot of fun four-wheel driving. With only one flat tyre in three days and nothing broken or hopelessly bogged in that time, the Flinders Ranges I-Venture tag-along was a success.
The Toowoomba-based boilermaker says Isuzu vehicles go back a long way in his family: “Dad had a 1999 TF Holden Rodeo in about 2004 and it was the family car back then.”
Stephen and his younger brother Matt grew up with the Rodeo as the family car, and soon after he started driving Stephen would borrow his Dad’s Rodeo for camping weekends and so on. With a RA dual-cab D-MAX he bought in 2009, Stephen’s view of Isuzu reliability for his purposes were cemented. It had 135,000km when he bought it, Stephen adding more than 400,000km to the clock.
Then the modification process began, as Stephen explained: “I had a tray builder in Toowoomba, Ozmac, build the tray with under-tray drawer, the under-tray battery boxes, dual-battery system and an onboard air compressor … then the heavier upgrades happened, like the Fulcrum steering correction kit. Also I had a new two-inch lift suspension fitted, with Bilstein shocks, Kings Springs at the front, and Tough Dog Constant 300s at the rear.”
Stephen hopes his ‘new’ work ute will also get him to some iconic Aussie Outback destinations in his free time, such as Cape York and Cameron Corner.
