THE walking trail winds over a low rock rise and then down the edge of a boulder-strewn gully through an open forest of native pine and gum trees.

While much of the grass had dried to a golden sand colour along the creek when we visited – in contrast to the red and black rocks that dominated the scene – a thin strip of green indicated water was still trickling down the brook amongst the surrounding rocks.

The Mulareenya Creek Art Site can be found at the track’s end, on the far side of the creek under an impressive and large rock overhang. A viewing platform gives you easy access and keeps reaching hands away from the delicate ancient art, which not only depicts animal figures, but dancers, hand stencils and hunting tools.

The surrounding creek and gorge area was once a significant Aboriginal ceremonial site, and once you have been there you can easily understand why. In fact, the whole Gundabooka Range, where this gorge and art site can be found, is still a highly significant place to the descendants of the Ngamba and Kurnu-Baakandji people of western NSW, as it would have formed a rich oasis when the surrounding plains would have been wracked with drought.

First seen and noted by Charles Sturt during his 1828 to 1829 expedition, the Gundabooka Range wasn’t taken up by pastoralists until the late 1800s, when it was included in some of the large surrounding pastoral properties.

After WWI, these extensive land holdings were subdivided, and three stations – Ben Lomond, Belah and Mulgowan – were established. In 1996, these sheep properties were taken over by the state government and united to form the Gundabooka National Park.

In 2005, the adjoining Gundabooka State Conservation Area was founded and now links Gundabooka NP with the even newer Toorale NP on the west side of the Darling River. In all, the three parks protect more than 1200km² of outback country watered infrequently by the Darling River and its ephemeral floodplain.

A small camping area is located in the heart of the park at Dry Tank, where among the basic facilities is a five kilometre return walking trail to the top of Little Mountain. The nearby Bennetts Gorge picnic area is a pleasant spot for a barbecue and a wonderful spot for birdwatching.

The Valley of the Eagles walk, which starts here, is a fairly difficult 5.7km return walk exploring the imposing Mount Gundabooka, which rises about 500m above the surrounding area. Our latest journey down the Darling River had started the day before at the historic township of Bourke. This area of western NSW was first seen by Sturt in 1828, but little happened here until Thomas Mitchell saw it in 1835.

By the 1870s, the town was a trade hub for the region and places further north and west, with paddle steamers thrashing their way north along the muddy, often shallow waters of the Darling. The railway arrived in 1885, and in 1892 a young Henry Lawson arrived to get a taste of outback life.

Later bush poets, Harry ‘Breaker’ Morantand William Ogilvie, arrived for the same reason. The town grew its reputation as being on the edge of the outback, and being out ‘the back of Bourke’ was seen as very remote and pretty darn close to the black stump.

Plagued by crime and Aboriginal youth issues, there has been a concentrated effort by many people on both sides of the cultural divide to improve the town of Bourke, and I have to say we enjoyed our latest foray there. The Back O’ Bourke Exhibition Centre is worth a visit, while a trip on the local paddle steamer is always enjoyable.

Just south of the town and accessed via the River Road is Fort Bourke, built by Mitchell back in 1835 when he and his men feared an attack by local Aboriginals. You can visit this site today, but it is accessed via a private track and you need a key to the gate, which is available from the local tourist office.

Louth, a little further south along the River Road from the camping areas in Gundabooka, is a small community of less than 100 people, and that’s including the nearby properties. The town traces its beginnings back to 1859, when a pub was built here to service the passing paddle steamer trade. Today, the pub is still the heart and soul of the place.

The town is famous for its outback races held each year in August, as well as the unique cross-shaped headstone, which reflects the evening sunlight and is now a declared national monument. We threw down our swags on the verdant grass behind the pub, close to the river. Not wanting to stretch ourselves too much, we opted for a few cold beers and a meal in the cool confines of Shindy’s Inn, as the pub is called these days.

The next morning we checked out the free camping on the west side of the river (Louth has one of two bridges across the river between Bourke and Wilcannia), before cruising south where quite a number of red kangaroos watched us from the side of the road, while emus ran around like chickens with their heads cut off.

How one or more of them didn’t end up spread across our bullbar, I’m not sure. We stopped in at the even smaller settlement of Tilpa, where the second bridge across the river gives access to the tin shed of a friendly pub.

South from here, the River Road passes through a section of the Paroo-Darling National Park, withthis section centred on the old Wilga Station. This 1780km² park is disjointed and has only one official campground, that being in the Wilga section at the Coach and Horses Campground, which isn’t far from the old homestead, on the river bank.

We know this section of the park very well, having hunted pigs on it for many years before it became a park, but access is well-restricted these days to the camping area. So not wanting to be disappointed and preferring to remember it as it once was, we pushed on.

At the outback town of Wilcannia, we filled up with fuel, bought a few things from the poorly-stocked store, checked out a couple of the old historic buildings that line the main street, and then continued south, sticking again to the east side of the river.

The gravel and graded road was much the same as before and it only rarely degenerated into a well-used and narrower track. It can be corrugated and chopped-up in some areas, depending on what the weather has done and when the graders were out last.

We pulled up for the night on the edge of Menindee Lakes, finding ourselves a camp not far from where the Burke and Wills expedition had set up a major camp back in the 1860s. Water was pouring into the lakes from the Darling, bringing life-giving succour to these huge man-made, or at least modified, pools that act as a vast shallow reservoir for Broken Hill, less than 100km away.

The next morning, we went exploring to see how many of the lakes were filling (it is all controlled by weirs and gates these days) and we were pleasantly surprised at how much water had already flooded into the system. Herons and pelicans paddled around in the stirred-up waters, waiting to feed on any stunned fish below each of the weirs.

Copi Hollow, one of 10 lakes that flood from the Darling and probably the smallest of the lot, has long been the holiday destination of choice for many Broken Hill residents. It was brimming with water and, even without any more inflows; the lakes will have water in them for a number of years, which is great news for locals and visitors.

Four of the lakes a little further south-west are included in the expansive Kinchega NP that takes in the old Kinchega Station, which once covered one million acres and ran 143,000 sheep. We wandered the back roads of this outback park, checking out the impressive woolshed that has seen more than six million sheep lose their wool here over its 97-year history. The shed was once twice the size it is now and handled 64 shearers.

There are a couple of campgrounds in the park – one on the edge of Lake Cawndilla, which is a delight when there is water in the lakes, and another camp is closer to town on the edge of the Darling River where it pours into Lake Menindee. Still, we preferred our camp on the edge of Lake Pamamaroo outside the national park.

The next stop on our River Run was at the small town of Pooncarie, where the Pooncarie Hotel has been a long-time favourite for a cold beer and a meal. Nearby, there’s a variety of spots to throw down the swag or pull up the camper, while the segregated cemetery is worthy of a wander.

The following day we drove into Wentworth, where the Darling joins the mighty Murray. The town, the biggest we had seen since leaving Bourke, owes its existence to being an important camp on the overland route for droving cattle between NSW and Adelaide back in the 1830s and 1840s.

First known as Hawdon’s Ford, it was later called Darling Junction before taking on its Wentworth moniker in 1859, by which time it was the most important paddle steamer port on the two rivers.

This is where our river-run down the Darling ended, but it was one we enjoyed so much it probably won’t be the last. Give it a go: it’s a great outback trip, whether you have done it many times before or it’s your first excursion to Bourke and the Black Stump.

CONTACTS Farm and station stays with camping and/or accommodation options include: Warrawong Station: www.warrawongonthedarling.com.au Kallara Station: www.kallarastation.com.au Trilby Station: www.trilbystation.com.au Nelia Gaari Station: www.neliagaari.com.au Bindara Station: www.bindarastation.com Mullingar Rural Retreat: www.visitwentworth.com.au/business/mullingar-rural-retreat For the three national parks along this route visit: www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au and search for the required park. Visit and camping fees are required.

IF YOU live in a state that’s still not pretending XXXX counts as beer, then chances are winter has well and truly sunk its teeth into your camping adventures.

There are plenty of ways to keep warm, but if your significant other is looking at you like you just kicked the dog and you’re fresh out of whiskey, you might need to go searching for alternative methods to keep warm.

I found myself in this exact predicament and, with more than a few cold nights spent chattering my teeth in a huge camper trailer, I figured it was about time I started eyeing off camping heaters. You’re generally left with one of two styles when it comes to gas heaters: a direct heat element that goes straight onto a gas bottle; or a fancier unit that does the same thing but with a few extra features.

The downside of both styles is they replace the oxygen in the air with carbon monoxide, which isn’t exactly a good thing when it comes to living. If you’re going to use any gas heater, the most important step is to keep good air flow so oxygen levels don’t get depleted – don’t let yourself become a news article.

The Mr Heater unit has a low-oxygen cut-off, which is what sold it for me; although, I’m not too keen on seeing if it works so I mainly use the heater as a pre-heater – something to knock the edge off a tent’s internal temps before turning it off and climbing in for the night. It’s also a great unit to keep under the camp table on cold, wintery mornings.

Despite being simple in design, the Mr Heater unit pumps out plenty of heat (up to 9000BTU on high). In reality, it’s a little underpowered for large camper trailers, but smaller units or standalone tents should find it packs plenty of punch. Just be aware and expect to burn through at least one canister of gas per night. Safety pundits will be relieved to know it’ll switch itself off if it knocks over or takes a hit.

With a purchase price of just $179, it shouldn’t be compared to diesel heaters which can cost 20 times the amount. However, for a budget unit, it packs plenty of punch to take the edge off on colder trips and keep the kids happy.

AVAILABLE FROM: www.bcf.com RRP: $179 WE SAY: Versatile heater, multiple fuel options, plenty of heat.

Mercedes-Benz Australia has confirmed the price and availability of the G300 Professional Wagon which we tested a few months ago.

The G300 CDI Professional wagon will list at $109,900 alongside the other Professional model, the G300 CDI Professional cab-chassis which is $119,900 (without a tray)

The model we tested was fitted with the optional PUR package with adds $9,990 to the price. The PUR package includes a walk-on bonnet, electric door mirrors, a solid roof rack, heat-insulated tinted windows, side steps, towbar, headlamp cleaning system, heated leather seats and a radio/CD player. These options, and others, are also available separately.

Both the wagon and cab-chassis variants of the G-Professional are powered by a 2987cc V6 diesel making 135kW and 400Nm, and are backed by a five-speed automatic transmission with full-time 4×4 and a 50:50 drive split. They each feature coil sprung live axles front and rear and triple, driver-activated differential locks.

The Professional G-Wagens are based on the G461 platform shared with the vehicles used by the Australian Defence Forces, while luxury G-Class models such as the G350d and G63AMG ride on the 463 platform. Australia is the only market in the world to get the heavy duty G-professional 461 models for civilian use.

Coinciding with the launch of the G-Professional Wagon, Mercedes-Benz has announced that the towing capacity of the G-Pro cab-chassis has been raised to 3200kg max for a braked trailer; 750kg unbraked; on a 150kg towball down load. This is up from the 2210kg it was previously and makes it more competitive with its competition. The cab-chassis maintains its 4490kg GVM giving it a two-tonne-plus payload, eclipsing any competitors’ ute.

The G-Pro wagon has a 3560kg GVM for a 975kg payload and 3140kg braked towing capacity.

Both the Mercedes-Benz G-Professional models are available from Benz dealers now.

THE Bushranger Seal 9.5TH offers the second lowest horsepower motor, slightly higher than the TJM Torq Winch unit.

Given its higher speed final ratios, it sits about midfield with the final overall speeds of 3.45 metres per minute, taking six pulls of 60 seconds to complete the 20m sled pull task.

The constant distance recording for each pull remained very steady at three metres (give or take a bit), suggesting it is a well-balanced winch when it comes to power outputs, gearing and current usage.

Moderate to high-end amperage draw and good low temperatures (up until pull number five) put the Seal in good stead. However, pull number six saw motor temperatures shoot up to 101 degrees, albeit the gearbox remained low at a comfortable 34.

A unique aluminium control box sets the Bushranger apart from the field, as does the one-of-a-kind remote-wired hand control. It features a pair of thermal overload warning LEDs that run green during normal winch use and red when overloaded or overheated.

We kept a keen eye on the LEDs while monitoring both motor and gearbox temps and, during the fourth pull, they switched to red.

Interestingly, we only measured temperatures of 45 and 33 degrees for motor and gearbox. Even after we waited the standard 10-minute cool-down period and recorded a slightly lower 40 and 27 degrees at the start of the next pull, the lights remained red.

We pushed on regardless. The LEDs stayed red for the remainder of the test; although, the winch showed no sign of stalling or untoward electrical or mechanical problems.

The handpiece symbols are simple, with both directional arrows and “in/out” wording to make it obvious which way you should push the toggle-style button.

As opposed to most clutch-engaging levers, the Bushranger opts for a T-piece grip over the common L-shape – neither here nor there, just different.

Bushranger is one of the few to offer a duty-cycle winch time and rest time, while most others glossed over the actual numbers and only suggested users “do not exceed duty cycle” in the warnings.

The hook-end of the black rope includes a protection sheath, while the drum-end is coloured red as a warning for minimum rope rolls left on the drum.

As per most other thimbles around the clevis pin of the hook, it deformed under load in the same manner.

INCLUDED Wired hand remote control; alloy hawse fairlead; open hook with spring-loaded safety catch and removable clevis pin; safety strap; overload warning LED lights on handpiece; sheath protection for hook-end of rope.

MARK and Jane Roots love camping. They used to drive a 4×4 wagon and, although the vehicle itself was set up for touring, it meant their overnight digs required a tent.

This article was originally published in the May 2014 issue of 4×4 Australia

Nothing wrong with camping in a tent, but as the years go by it can be nice to enjoy the great outdoors in comfort.

“We had a Patrol before and when we travelled we used to tent it,” Mark said.

“Long story short, I’ve got arthritis in both knees, so I’m buggered after about a week of sleeping in a tent. So we looked for a slide-on camper. We looked at trailers and different set-ups, but we decided to go with the slide-on and that’s why we bought the ute.”

That ute is a 2011 79 Series Land Cruiser GX, which Mark and Jane purchased new once they had chosen their Outback Camper. Obviously, the Cruiser needed some significant upgrading to handle the weight of the camper, so Mark headed to his nearest ARB outlet and selected the appropriate gear from the Old Man Emu catalogue.

He opted for a two-inch suspension lift using new coils and leaves, new shocks, a sway bar in the rear and a steering damper up front. “I’ve had it on my last two Patrols and I’ve never had any trouble,” Mark said of the OME gear.

At this stage, the Cruiser’s 4.5-litre turbo-diesel V8 is standard, and Mark reckons it’s got plenty of grunt to haul the camper and all their gear. “Years ago the 60 Series had around 89kW of power. My last Patrol had a 4.2 with 114kW and 360Nm of torque… this thing’s got 151kW and 430Nm. What do I want to build, a drag car or something?” he said.

That said, a larger-diameter mandrel-bent exhaust system is on his wish list, along with a chip tune. “It runs beautifully at around the 80 to 90km/h mark but once you start to push to 110 it starts sucking the juice down,” he said.

As for the running gear, the Cruiser has the standard open diff at the front and LSD in the rear; diff locks are also on Mark’s wish list. To keep water out, he’s fitted Piranha breathers to the front and rear diffs, as well as to the gearbox and the transfer case.

While the 79 Series comes standard with a snorkel, Mark fitted a Safari snorkel because the original had “…a join halfway up the guts where it comes out of the mudguard and it turns to go up the A-pillar.”

“I looked at the join and thought if it’s not sealed, the inside of it is not going to be sealed… so rather than try and seal that up – you’re talking about a motor that’s 12 grand or so to replace – 400 bucks (for a Safari snorkel) is cheap insurance. Now it’s a fully sealed unit. Even the drain in the air box is sealed.” Mark said.

The final protection barrier against water is a Water Watch fuel and water separator. The Water Watch separator works by detecting water in the vehicle’s fuel supply prior to it entering the fuel system and, if water is detected, there’s an alarm as well as a light on the dash to warn you. Mark looked at various systems but the alarm feature convinced him Water Watch was the way to go.

As for the tyres, they’re Cooper S/T Maxx all-terrains, and to say Mark is impressed is an understatement.

“They’ve been really good. They’ve done the [Simpson] desert twice and all the roads in between, including a trip to Birdsville and back. The tyres aren’t showing that much wear and tear at all, virtually no sign of chipping. You can see some wear in them, but they’ve done 25,000km or so.

“They work really well too. I haven’t had them in really wet conditions yet, but in sand, gravel and tarmac, there’s no problem.”

Keeping a close eye on tyre pressures is a Tyredog TPMS. This wireless tyre-pressure monitoring system allows Mark to view the pressures or temperatures in all four tyres simultaneously, and it’s great insurance against a blowout.

The Cruiser sports an ARB Deluxe bar up front – a pair of IPF driving lights (one spot and one spread) and a Warn 9.5xp winch running a steel cable are mounted on it. Under the bar are a couple of heavy-duty recovery points.

Hidden by the black box beneath the tray is a spare wheel, a 60-litre water tank and a standard 90-litre fuel tank. Adding to touring range is a Brown Davis 170-litre auxiliary fuel tank, beneath the cab. “It gives a good range and makes life easier. You can drive past places where fuel is really expensive and fill up somewhere cheaper,” he said.

The modifications to this Cruiser continue inside the cab. “I fitted Recaro seats thanks to a ruptured disc in my back,” he said. “They’re just so supportive. I baulked at the price of them when we bought them but they are really good.”

Vehicle-to-vehicle comms are via a GME Electrophone TX3400 UHF, which Mark has used in three vehicles previously and has only ever had to replace the aerial.

A Hema Navigator is mounted prominently on the dash. If they need more detail, Mark also has a Magellan Xplorist 600 that’s loaded up with 1:25k topo maps. “All the maps are backed up on a laptop that.”

Travelling long distances in a single-cab, you soon realise there’s not a hell of a lot of space, so everything needs to go in a predetermined spot.

Helping the cause is a decent storage hole beneath a lift up lid in the centre console, a couple of cup-holders and another open storage binnacle.

“To the front of that, I’ve fitted a two-plug 12 volt outlet that’s hooked up to the second battery in the vehicle,” Mark said.

Finally, up on the roof, there’s an Outback Interiors roof console. There’s plenty of storage space in the camper, but Mark usually fits an ARB roof rack to carry a second spare tyre and provide additional storage for longer trips.

“We’ve got a Pelican case we can put up there with bits and pieces we don’t use that often, but still need, like hoses and fan belts. Or if we don’t need the additional space we just leave it free and put a bit of firewood up there.”

With a decent amount of cash invested in the Cruiser, Mark and Jane like to keep it in the best nick possible so they’ve wrapped it in plastic. “It’s got that vinyl wrap on it, it’s clear and it protects it from stones and bits and pieces,” Mark said.

“We’ve actually got a scratch on the door, but it’s only the plastic that has been scratched. It was wrapped by Altapac, who are based in Kotara (New South Wales).

“It’s only about a thousand bucks, or 1500, and scratches come out with a hair dryer.”

So what’s next for Mark and Jane’s Toyota 79 Series Land Cruiser GX? Well, a solar panel to be attached to the roof of the camper is on the list along with the new exhaust and a chip. With all the mods, they believe they have a touring rig that suits them just fine.

OUTBACK CAMPER

There are plenty of slide-on campers on the market but the simplicity of the Outback Camper design was what attracted Mark and Jane.

“We looked at the Outback Camper and a few others and it just seemed to be the most simple set-up,” Mark said. “It’s got good storage for the kitchen, fridge and other bits and pieces, and basically it was a simple design. It offers a permanent bed arrangement and it’s easy to set up.

“There’s only the two of us and we think it’s a great camper for a couple. Set-up is a matter of four latches; you stick the roof up and you can get inside it. It’s got a tensioning pole inside that holds the back of it out and then you’re basically done.”

The first time they used it, Mark was amazed by how quickly he could pack it away and be on the road. “The first time we packed it up… from the full set-up, with the awning out and everything, it took just eight minutes.”

If Mark and Jane get the urge for a quick cuppa on the side of the road they can extend the awning without having to set up the whole camper. And accessing the stove and other items to get a brew going is easy.

“Basically, it’s got eight storage draws beneath the bed, and below that there’s a slide-out draw system with a gas connection, a two-burner gas stove and a sink connected to a water pump. A couple of containers in the back of the slide-out section have coffee, tea and sugar etc.”

The ARB (Engel) 39-litre fridge is mounted on a slide that drops down as it extends to assist in accessing cold items and there’s room for a couple of gas bottles on the other side.

As for power, the camper has its own 120Ah deep-cycle battery that is connected to the ARB dual-battery set-up in the vehicle. There’s a Ctek battery charger conveniently located in the camper and there’s a heap of space for general luggage, first aid kit, recovery gear and tools on the driver’s side.

WE’VE trawled the aftermarket catalogues to bring you the best 4×4 accessories to land on shelves this month.

RHINO-RACK PIONEER SHOVEL MOUNTING BRACKET Rhino-Rack’s new pioneer shovel mounting bracket makes it easy to take this handy recovery/camping implement with you. The bracket mounts directly to the company’s Vortex crossbars or to any of its Pioneer load systems (racks and trays). Multiple fitment positions – thanks to the fact the bracket can be inverted – allows you to secure the shovel above or below the tray and well away from the roof.

Add in a hinged design that means you can fit different shovel handles, plus the tough powdercoated steel construction, and you have no excuse to leave it behind. Fitment of the bracket takes around five minutes, and when you’re stuck in sand, snow or mud and need to dig deep to aid vehicle recovery, you’ll be glad your shovel can be easily accessed. The mounting bracket comes with a three-year warranty. RRP: $79

Website: www.rhinorack.com.au

VICTORINOX SWISS ARMY KNIFE: CYBERTOOL S The latest addition to the famous Swiss Army Knife collection, the Cybertool S, includes 27 separate functions in its compact (91mm long) and lightweight (95g) format. Based on the company’s traditional Officer knife, functions include an integrated wrench (with different bit) and a fold-out bit case that includes two Pozidriv Phillips head bits (plus a standard Phillips bit), three Torx bits, a bit-wrench, a female 5mm Hex drive and a female 4mm Hex drive, plus a standard Hex 4 bit.

There are two blades (large and small), a can opener, 6mm screwdriver, wire stripper, 6mm and 3mm screwdrivers, can opener (very important), pressurised ballpoint pen and loads more. On top of all these features, you cop Victorinox’s sterling reputation for building innovative and tough gear. Win, win. RRP: $145 Website: www.victorinox.com

COP-LOCK Car thieves are now able to gain entry to even the most technically advanced 4x4s via immobiliser modules and programs that can duplicate the encryption on your vehicle’s key. COP-LOCK, developed by a retired police officer and police prosecutor, steps back in time to the days of manual locking devices in a bid to discourage vehicle thieves.

This simple mechanical locking set-up attaches to a vehicle’s brake or clutch pedal via its hardened steel ratchet system and lock – short of it being cut by an oxy-torch (or similar steel-cutting device), it’s close to indestructible. The COP-LOCK’s visibility from outside the vehicle can also potentially deter thieves who may view it as too difficult to break. For a small monetary outlay, the COP-LOCK offers great bang for your insurance bucks. Website: www.coplock.com.au

MSA 4X4 EXPLORER STORAGE DRAWER SYSTEM This aluminium drawer system is claimed to be one of the lightest on the market, and it also offers more internal storage space than similar-sized units. MSA 4×4 has patented this new storage drawer system, as it uses a bunch of new tech for optimum durability, top-notch build quality and ease-of-use. The system’s patented Pro-Glide technology provides smooth opening for load weights of up to 250kg per pair of drawers. It allows full access to the entire storage area.

The open-stay block keeps the drawers open, while the locks ensure the drawers can’t be leveraged open by thieves. It’s got a cool LED strip light that sits flush. A raft of accessories (fridge slides, drop slides, fridge barriers) are available and it’s ADR compliant and covered by MSA 4×4’s Lifetime Guarantee. Website: www.msa4x4.com.au

TJM AIRTEC SNORKEL – VW AMAROK The revised Amarok has arrived, and TJM has wasted no time in producing an Airtec snorkel for the facelifted model’s TDV6 and TD4 engines. The snorkel is made from top-notch UV-resistant polyethylene that contains unique additives and a strong bonding process to ensure high levels of impact resistance – it’s fitted via stainless steel hardware.

The Airtec snorkel retains its colour due to a process where the colour pigment is fused into the resin before the snorkel, which means the polymer is evenly saturated with the colour pigment. Not only upping water-crossing insurance, the snorkel disperses rain water via drain holes in the base of the air-ram section of the snorkel. RRP: $413.60 (excluding freight and fitment) Website: www.tjm.com.au

BEND Motorsport Park, an hours’ drive southeast of Adelaide at Tailem Bend, is on track for an early 2018 opening.

This isn’t just any motorsport park, though, as it’s also relevant to four-wheelers who prefers dirt instead of tarmac. How? Well, the park will feature a permanent 4×4 Adventure Park and off-road facility.

The 80-hectare 4×4 Adventure Park will run through an existing quarry and will utilise already-present undulating tracks including rock obstacles, steep inclines and descents, camber sections, water obstacles, and sand trails. 4WD training will also be provided.

Speaking to MOTOR magazine, development manager at Tailem Bend Motorsport Park, Paul Trengove, said a January 2018 completion date is expected for the 4WD Park.

In December, 2016, construction was announced for a 7.7km racing circuit to be installed at the park, a site that was formerly the home of Mitsubishi Australia’s test track.

Expected to be a tourist drawcard, the project received a $7.5 million injection from the SA State Government.

SA’s Premier Jay Weatherill said at the time: “An independent economic study has shown that once fully developed, The Bend is projected to create 1631 full-time jobs and its economic impact to the state is likely to be $236 million in Gross State Product annually, attracting 339,000 extra visitors to the region.”

In addition to the 4WD facilities, Bend Motorsport Park will feature a pit building, hotel and conference facilities, a purpose-built drift and karting circuit, an international Group 1 dragway, driver training facilities and, of course, the 7.7km racing circuit.

THE Thunder 9500 sports a macho-looking textured coating, and the blue rope makes it a great-looking bit of kit.

A fluted motor end-cap allows extra heat dissipation, while extra tie-rod covers hint at a stiffer, more rigid body structure. It also includes a wireless remote control and separate wireless receiver, making it a good all-round package.

The wired remote features easy to understand ‘in’ and ‘out’ instructions, while the wireless version features arrows that are a little confusing as to which way winches in and which way winches out – depending if you are facing toward or away from the winch.

The hook-end of the rope, which at 26m is the shortest on test, includes a protective sheath, while the drum-end has no warnings or markings regarding amount of line left on the drum, so users must take extra care. Interestingly, the Thunder drum is the only one on test to feature a knurled face of the drum, presumably to help prevent rope slip.

While that is a great idea, unfortunately it doesn’t work given the loads experienced – we had the end of the rope pull free from the aluminium-crimped fitting where it’s attached to the drum, even though we had more than two full layers of rope on the drum. This isn’t the only rope this happened to, so it shouldn’t be seen as a negative.

Winch racing returns at the 2016 Wild Dog Winch Challenge

Another downside was the positioning of the rope’s retaining bolt in the vertical face of the drum. From new, the rope can clearly be seen to deviate around the alloy-crimped end. Without load this isn’t a problem, but it can’t be healthy for the rope to be rubbing on while under strain, potentially chaffing the rope. Some other winches have the rope mounted similarly, so expect the same problem there.

The thimble around the clevis pin of the hook deformed (which we reckon is an industry-wide design problem) in exactly the same manner as most on test.

The Thunder incorporates a thunderous – second largest on test – 6.8 horsepower motor with mid-range (compared to those on test) final gearing ratios.

The drum diameter is the second largest, which also reflects on gearing, loads and winch speeds. This winch returned moderate to high amperage draw and exceptionally low motor and gearbox temperatures – the best on test, and a great asset.

No doubt the fluted, heat-sink-style of the motor end-cap, combined with the gearbox cover design and internal workings, assist in reducing heat creation and retention.

Overall, winch speeds were pretty much middle of the pack, making the Thunder a good all-round winch in this company.

INCLUDED Alloy hawse fairlead; open hook with spring-loaded safety catch and removable clevis pin; safety strap; wireless hand-held remote control and separate wireless receiver; sheath protection for hook-end of rope.

AS Australian buyers continue to be short-changed by ‘dressed up’ special-edition 4×4 utes – all glossy stickers, bright paintjobs and embossed seats – Isuzu UK and Arctic Trucks have just announced the second incarnation of their modified 4×4 ute collaboration: the new generation D-Max Arctic Trucks AT35.

As with the previous model AT35, this latest one – featuring Isuzu’s new Euro-specific 1.9-litre 121kW/360Nm four-cylinder turbo-diesel donk – cops plenty of tweaks from Arctic Trucks, with the focus on enhancing off-road performance.

More specifically, the Icelandic company, renowned for producing beefed-up off-roaders, has focused on the D-Max’s rolling stock and suspension.

Hidden underneath the D-Max’s pumped-out flared guards are Arctic Truck-branded 17×10 black alloys, shod with 35-inch tyres (315/70R17 Nokian Rotiiva rubber, hence the ‘35’ moniker) that combine to offer a wider track and increased ground clearance (a claimed 290mm; last year’s model had 318mm clearance).

Fitment of this wheel/tyre combo is achieved via Arctic Trucks performing a 30mm body lift and 20mm suspension lift using Fox Performance Series dampers. Approach, rampover and departure angles are also significantly increased to 36 degrees, 32 degrees and 28 degrees, respectively.

Surprisingly, the engine has been left stock. However, even allowing for its low(ish) figures – it’s down on both power and torque compared to the Oz-market-specific 130kW/430Nm 3.0-litre TD – it still boasts a 3500kg tow rating and one-tonne payload capacity.

The 1.9-litre oiler meets Euro 6 emission standards (without AdBlue), and buyers have the option of manual or auto six-speed gearboxes.

Stylistically, the D-Max AT35 features a sports rollbar (with optional lights) and hard tray cover, while buyers can opt for either black or silver alloys. The leather interior is styled accordingly, with Arctic Trucks-embossed headrests on the driver and passenger seats, embossed carpet mats and door sills, with more badges adorning the door panels and instrument panel.

The vehicle dash includes push-button start, sat-nav, a seven-inch colour touchscreen, and Apple Play/Android Audio capability.

Isuzu Australia says it has no plans to import this variant to Australia, which is a bloody shame. Being able to flog a ‘special edition’ 4×4 ute that does, in fact, offer more than the stickered-up show-ponies available today would be a great selling point in a market that is crying out for just such a vehicle.

Maybe, one day.

DA-approved four-wheel drive parks are few and far between in New South Wales, so we’re stoked to see the Central West 4WD Park open and already popular with state-based four-wheel drivers.

The 1500-acre property is owned by dedicated off-roaders Jamie and Julie Smith. Jamie is a past contributor to 4X4 Australia and former off-road competitor, driving in events such as Tuff Truck, Woodpecker Gully Challenge, North Coast Woodpecker, Nissan Trials and Willow Glen. He has also been the brains trust behind a number of events.

The park is located at Hill End Road, Avisford/Hargraves, just north of Mudgee and around 3.5 hours from Sydney.

The park contains more than 50 off-road tracks of varying difficulty, catering for everything from standard off-road vehicles (Jamie reckons he can easily drive his stock work Hilux along all these), to rock-crawling buggies, to more challenging tracks for modified tourers – “those with diff locks and stuff like that,” Jamie said.

As well as the numerous tracks, the property has plenty of camping areas including some magic sites right on the banks of the Meroo River – ensure you pack a fishing rod, as you might get lucky and hook a redfin or snare a yabby. In short, it’s pretty close to the perfect weekend away for off-roaders and their families.

The path to gaining Development Application (DA) approval wasn’t easy and required a massive commitment on Jamie and Julie’s part. The couple invested a huge amount of time and effort to ensure the park met all the necessary application requirements and satisfied council regulations, kicking off with their initial application in 2014.

“Basically it was a sheep farm before I bought it,” Jamie said. “There was no DA for recreational use at the time. So first-off, I had to prove [to council] it wasn’t big enough to run sheep. That was the biggest problem: it wasn’t approved at all to be a four-wheel drive park.”

The property’s history as a gold mining area – the sheer number of holes, shafts and mine detritus left behind – was another argument for Jamie to use it as a recreational park. He then had to get an ecological report, sort a new access road (this needed to have a minimum distance of line-of-sight, which meant he had to alter the property entry point) and develop a bushfire plan.

It wasn’t easy and it took a long time, but Jamie was eventually helped along the way by two council representatives who were off-roaders and could see what he was going to achieve. “They thought it would be a great idea,” Jamie said. “But they still went hard on making sure everything was right and did the proper regulation checks… I had to jump over a lot of hurdles.”

It was a big job for approval, but Jamie is stoked he did it the right way. “Really, I know there are other 4WD parks around, but they haven’t been through what I’ve been through to get proper DA approval,” he said. “I did that for insurance purposes as well.”

The park has only been open for just over a month, but the Smiths are already fielding considerable interest from 4WD clubs, families and media. “I have only been promoting it on Facebook and the website for three weeks,” Jamie said, at the time of writing.

The park is only open from Friday to Sunday because Jamie and Julie have full-time jobs in Sydney, and they commute back to the park on Thursday nights to be ready for visitors arriving on Fridays.

If there is interest, the park will also open on school holidays. The park’s already had a number of visitors and more large groups are coming from September onwards, so it seems word of mouth regarding the park’s huge appeal is quickly spreading.

According to Jamie, the best campsites are on the banks of the Meroo River, which can be accessed via crossing the waterway.

The park is an amazing accomplishment that reflects the family’s passion for 4WDing. The couple’s daughters, Jessica and Jacinta (both accomplished drivers and comp winners) have also helped establish the park. Jamie has also had (and is thankful for) assistance from his old 4WD club, On All 4s 4WD Club, as well as Dubbo 4WD Club.

Both these clubs have constructed camping areas on the property and helped with track construction, reflecting both the communal nature of clubs in general and their support for a bloke that has the off-roading community at heart.

“I’ve been 4WDing since I was 18 years of age,” Jamie said. “I have always wanted to own my own 4WD park and I’ve finally done it. I am 51 now, so I just want people to enjoy what I enjoy – the same hobby. There’s not a massive amount of money to be made out of it, to be honest… but I know I will break even or go ahead next year once I get a full year out of it.”

After hearing Jamie’s passion for off-roading, and how he’s worked to construct something incredible that reflects that, it’s hard to not just jump in the 4×4 and head out there now to experience the Central West 4WD Park.

For those keen to check out this amazing property, go to the website where you’ll find all the info on camping rates, day fees and some more of Jamie and his family’s story. While you’re there, ask Jamie about his Land Cruisers – his garage is like a Cruiser museum!

Website: www.centralwest4wdpark.com.au