We’ve all seen the teasers and the final reveal of what The Naked Ute actually is, but before the campaign started, they let 4X4 Australia’s Dave Morley loose in the ute at the Melbourne 4×4 Proving and Training Grounds. Dave reckons that, like VW’s of yore, the stripped-out Amarok would make a great bush buggy.
With Korr’s round lights, light bars and double-stacked light bars bolted to the test Cruiser, we set out to clock up a few kilometres.
Were the lights any good? Yep, they were brilliant.
The distance and span that the lights shined was right up there with the best units we’ve tested. And the large-finned heat-sink aircraft-grade aluminium housing, polycarbonate lens, German-sourced Osram chips and IP69 rating (for the round driving light) provide specs as good as any you’ll find.
Almost every LED light we’ve tested has come with a 50,000-hour ‘promise’. Korr makes this promise, too, but the company also offers a three-year warranty on its range.
Performance-wise, Korr has made some big claims with regards to LUX readings over a long range – 1 LUX at 680m for the XDD680. Another big tick is that the LED bars come with spot and spread reflectors built in.
They provided excellent wide-close vision and a longer casting of light in the centre. Their patented hybrid combo reflector is said to be 94 per cent efficient for light throw, thereby making the most of useable light generation.
There are five offerings in the double row light bars, from the XDD220 (which claims 1 LUX at 220m) to the whopping XDD680 (which claims 1 LUX at 680m). There is also a range of single row and round light options.
In real life driving, these KORR lights certainly offer brilliant coverage and reach, and I’d be hard pressed finding anything on the market that would match their bang for buck, given their relatively cheaper than some other big name brands.
Rated
For more information: www.korrlighting.com.au
Round lights: XDR510: 48W driving light $319 XDR270F: 80W driving light $319
Single row LED bars: XDS310: 18W LED bar $169 XDS340: 36W LED bar $279 XDS440: 54W LED bar $369 XDS500: 71W LED bar $469
Double row LED bars: XDD220: 36W LED bar $159 XDD380: 72W LED bar $249 XDD500: 120W LED bar $399 XDD650: 240W LED bar $699 XDD680: 288W LED bar $829
I am sure we’re all familiar with the old line about early birds and worms.
This notion of first-in, best-dressed is also frequently applied to angling. There’s a widely held belief among fishers and many folks in the broader community that you need to get out of bed well before sparrow’s fart in order to consistently catch fish. I’m here to tell you that this ain’t necessarily so…
Don’t get me wrong. As a passionate recreational angler I’ve seen way more than my fair share of sunrises over the years, and I’ve enjoyed many memorable mornings on or beside the water. Dawn can be a truly remarkable time to be alive and outdoors: a period of rebirth and creation that’s often filled with a glowing promise of great things to come.
However, I’m also on record as having expressed my opinion that – while sunrise is a wonderful and impressive institution – I just wish the powers-that-be could organise to stage this spectacular event a little later in the day… Around nine-ish would be nice.
It may come as a surprise to some of you to learn that, despite being a fanatical fisher, I’m really not a morning person at all. Those nearest and dearest to me know better than to ask me any difficult questions before 8am. “Would you like another coffee?” is about as complex a query as I can field before the sun clears the treetops, and my response is likely to be a monosyllabic grunt.
Interestingly, I’m not alone in this. My mate Kaj “Bushy” Busch – who was a fellow presenter on the Rex Hunt TV show through the 1990s, and with whom I co-designed the Squidgies range of soft plastic lures – is the fisherman I most admire and look up to. The guy is a freak, and I reckon he could catch fish in his own bath water. Yet, Bushy is also no fan of early starts.
Bushy’s idea of the perfect day (and it’s a scenario he repeats with groundhog regularity) is to drive a short distance into town at around 8am and enjoy a leisurely brew at the coffee shop while catching up with news and local gossip. Then it’s home to hook up the boat and off to his chosen waterway to cast a line. He’s typically fishing by what we jokingly refer to as “the crack of 10”, and he’ll usually be off the water and headed for home well before dark.
Despite his preference for these “gentleman’s hours”, Bushy catches more fish and does it with greater regularity than just about anyone else I know. There should be a clear message in that…
Don’t get me wrong: we are pragmatic enough to get up early when we really need to… We’ll do whatever it takes to catch fish! But it’s surprising just how often “whatever it takes” doesn’t include a pre-dawn start. In fact, I’d love a dollar for every time I’ve hit the water at sunrise, but not started hooking fish until mid-morning!
For me, the most common genuine justification for being out of bed early is more often than not weather-related. Dawn is frequently (but not always) a calmer period of light breezes and flat seas. This is especially true along the south-east coast of Australia during late spring and summer, when those cursed north easterlies so often kick in by mid-morning and strengthen through the afternoon.
Making an early start at such times provides respite from the nagging sea breezes: a few hours of gentle grace before the big blow inevitably kicks in.
It pays to be familiar with regional variations. Up around Broome, in Western Australia, the prevailing pattern is almost totally opposite to the one I’ve just described, at least during the Dry Season. First light at this time is regularly accompanied by a stiff (and surprisingly chilly) blast of wind travelling from the arid interior out over the warmer sea.
Conditions offshore can remain ugly and unpleasant for the first few hours of daylight, until a strengthening sun warms the night-chilled land and eventually creates equilibrium. Early afternoons are often delightfully benign, and represent a wonderful time to be afloat on the ocean blue… It’s the perfect scenario for a self-confessed dawn-o-phobe like me!
So, don’t be sucked into believing that the key to fishing fortune is climbing out of a warm bed in the wee small hours… There’s more to it than that!
Now in its second year under Steve ‘Chippa’ Tjepkema’s stewardship, the Outback Challenge is brighter, bigger and better.
With more than 20 competitive stages of varying duration, culminating in the final 10-hour, 180km-long Mad Max stage that starts and finishes at the iconic Silverton Hotel – it is undoubtedly the toughest and roughest test of crews and four-wheel drive vehicles in Australia; arguably, in the world.
The six days of competition includes terrain varying from the soft-sand ridge country between Menindee and Ivanhoe to the cloying mud of the Darling River overflow and the vicious rocks of the Barrier Ranges. Teams (driver and navigator) must be completely self-sufficient and rely on help only from within the competitor group, to avoid point penalties.
The final Mad Max stage this year also saw the participation of three Ultra4 four-wheel drive buggies and two Polaris RZR (side-by-side) RVs. There is talk of expansion to include more of these types of competition vehicles in future Outback Challenges – maybe even bikes and trucks.
Since its beginning in 1999, when it was fully supported by 4X4 Australia, the Outback Challenge has evolved from a fairly mild club-style competition with some ‘novelty’ stages to a serious and full-on navigation and extreme four-wheel drive endurance race – all thanks to the event’s reintroduction by Chippa in 2014, after a hiatus of three years.
But what happens behind the scenes at an event of this proportion, and how does the Outback Challenge run efficiently? Like most forms of motorsport it relies heavily on a band of volunteer officials, many of whom were involved in the early years of the event as competitors. A few are locals, but many travel as far as the competitors do to participate.
They fulfil roles as varied as marshalling the various special stages, manning check points, guiding spectators, administrating proceedings, feeding throngs of fellow volunteers who support the event, and cleaning up after each special stage.
The people of Broken Hill in far-western New South Wales have always been behind the organisers, as have, in the past couple of years, the good folk of Silverton, just a little farther west.
The event generates plenty of interest among the locals, with the always-popular ‘Show and Shine’ event in town, Friday night’s ‘Stephens Creek’ stage, and the ‘Prologue’ all designed to be spectator friendly.
There is also a huge physical effort put in by Chippa to set up the courses, sometimes with a little help, but he often works alone many months ahead of the event. Small but important things like transporting the water pump for cleaning vehicles after the mud stages, organising the storage of competitors’ gear and car trailers, and setting up communications and a headquarters are some of the pre-event chores.
Many of the officials arrive days (some even up to a week) before the event starts and help finalise the setting up of special local stages, like the traditional Friday-night seeding run in Stephens Creek, and the Sunday prologue; both witnessed by many locals. Being ex-Outback Challenge competitors or competitors in other four-wheel drive events, these officials have the experience to set demanding and entertaining courses.
Importantly, there is also negotiating to be done with the various property owners (of which there are many). It is paramount to have the co-operation of land owners, from Denien Station east of Menindee and Viewmont Station on the Darling to the rugged stations from Nine Mile to Mount Gipps, Poolamacca and Willangee. It is not uncommon to see station staff out and about to watch the action, a change from the daily station life.
Not of least importance is the support of sponsors in the running of the Outback Challenge. In 1999, the event was known as the ‘4X4 Australia, Warn, ARB’ Outback Challenge. Since then, it has had many more sponsors jump on board.
ARB has been there since the start, and this year was joined by Narva, Harrop, Coates Hire, Secondair, Dynamica Rope, Mannell Motors, Redarc, Patrolapart, Dynamic Wheel Co, Road Runner Offroad, Racebred 4WD and Unsealed 4X4.
And what of the cars? They too have evolved from an eclectic mix of makes and configurations in the early years to the specialised CCDA (Cross Country Drivers Association) Challenge Class four-wheel drives used today.
Early OBCs featured (basically) standard vehicles with manufacturer’s seatbelts, slightly modified electric winches and no mandatory helmets (if memory serves, there was only one vehicle in 1999 with a V8 conversion). Tyres with a 35-inch diameter were considered big, and traction aids usually meant aftermarket locking diffs.
The advent of the CCDA has added much needed professionalism to the sport and has brought safety to the fore, with all competing vehicles required to undergo a log-book process and event scrutineering. Properly constructed rollcages, window nets, full harness belts, fire-suppression equipment, helmets and appropriate clothing are now mandatory.
The most popular current choice of vehicle (by far) is the Nissan GQ; often cut from a short- or long-wheelbase wagon to a single cab ute. Running gear (in the way of axles) is generally modified Nissan gear as well, with cross-axle diff locks fitted.
Tyres in the Challenge Class can be up to 37.5 inches in diameter, while suspension (nearly always using coil springs) comes in for special treatment to allow fast travel over extreme terrain. Not surprisingly, a specialised small industry has emerged around the modifying, fitting and tuning of some very sophisticated shock absorber designs.
Engine and transmission combinations include anything from stock six-cylinder diesel and petrol units (sometimes with forced induction) with manual or auto shift, to large capacity (also sometimes with forced induction) petrol V8s.
Winches are another highly modified item, with the Outback Challenge demanding plenty of use out of them. Winches are often the most expensive single item on a Challenge car and can even cost more than some engines.
The Warn high-mount configuration forms the basis for most electric winches, but performance is greatly enhanced by the addition of extra motors and stronger gearboxes, by running higher (24V) voltage and by using remote-free spooling and engagement under the control of the driver. Again, a small specialised industry serves to manufacture and supply the modified parts to build these winches.
Then there are the real winch specials. The victorious car this year used a highly modified 12,000lb Warn low-mount hydraulic winch. Powered by a variable displacement transmission pump from an excavator and controlled by a joystick in the cabin making it fully variable, it consumed up to 35hp and ran at speeds of 110 metres per minute under full load.
It needs to be said that all crews who enter the Outback Challenge are winners, whether or not they make it to the end. The preparation, the stress of hard yakka, the team work required (including remaining calm under stress), the disappointment at a breakdown turning to elation when re-joining the field, and, particularly, the camaraderie experienced by the competitors as a group, makes them all champions.
Yet at the end of the tough and challenging week, it was the well versed pairing of Chris Hummer and Neil Cooper who held the winner’s trophy high. This was the second year running that Hummer and Coops have won it after many years of competing in the OBC and always finishing second. We’ll bet that they’ll be back to defend their title again in 2016.
Keep an eye out for the 2015 OBC DVD that should be available around the time this goes to print. It’s the next best thing to being there yourself, without the dust, heat and flies.
Some people are scared out of their brains at the site of any snake – venomous or not.
Some people shy away from snakes. Clever folk leave them alone. Not-so-clever folk pick up a shovel and attempt to whack them, figuring, ‘the only good snake is a dead one’.
That’s exactly why Tony Harrison – from Gold Coast-based business Reptile Relocation and Awareness – started helping neighbours catch and remove snakes and other reptiles from backyards, roof cavities and inside homes. Tony figured saving these few snakes was the right thing to do, given his love of all things reptilian.
Fast forward some 20 years and those initial ‘good deeds’ have turned into a full-time job that keeps Tony and his fairer half, Brooke, busy catching and relocating reptiles. They even take reptile awareness bookings for shows at schools, chains of hardware stores and kids’ parties.
Tony has been playing with reptiles since his junior years but, not one to do things half-heartedly, he is now fully qualified for his slithery relocation profession (he has a Damage Mitigation Permit) and is even certified to keep crocs up to a certain length.
Getting back to those junior years, Tony’s family backyard swimming pool was quite different from most pools. For a start, there was no water in it. Rather, it was filled with sand, dirt, logs and grass, and was used as a gigantic cage for keeping unusual pets including blue-tongue lizards, bearded dragons and frill-necked lizards, which would regularly get taken to school for ‘show and tell’.
These days, Tony is also in high demand supplying reptiles to movie directors and stars (who want reptiles featured in their flicks), advertising agents, models and other organisations that want to include something with scales in their promotional photos and videos.
He recently spent time with Rebecca Gibney on the Queensland set of the new mini-series Wanted, and has been interviewed various times for current affairs and news programs.
Funny moments? Yep. Tony says he has been called out many times to catch snakes that have turned out to be rubber toys. Then there was the time he was called to catch a radiator hose, a rolled-up towel and, wait for it, a long dog poo – oh well, better to be safe than sorry, eh!
TWIN PATROLS Well, they’re not really twin Patrols. Tony’s GU is a 3.0-litre diesel; Brooke’s GU is a 4.5-litre petrol guzzler. Tony uses his Patrol to catch and release wild animals, while Brooke uses hers for transporting their ‘captive’ reptiles to and from shows and movie sets. This helps prevent any unwanted diseases from being transmitted from wild animals to captive ones.
Neither Patrol features bucketloads of aftermarket gear, but they have just enough to allow them to get to the bush locations where captured animals are released.
They are also equipped for a bit of weekend play in the mud and rocks, and Tony and Brooke recently completed a long-distance work trip through north-west Queensland in Brooke’s Patrol – so they do tour quite a bit to transport reptiles around the country.
Tony is happy to admit that Brooke’s Patrol is a little more capable than his in the rougher stuff. Hers has ARB air lockers, raised Tough Dog suspension, a Tough Dog adjustable steering stabiliser, a snorkel and an electric winch.
But he figures he gets at least one tick in his favour – his has taller 35-inch Mickey Thompson Baja MTZs, while Brooke’s has 33-inchers.
Brooke’s tougher-looking Patrol also sports a steel ARB bullbar and side rails as well as a rear, twin wheel carrier and a Uniden RM770 remote mic UHF radio.
Both Patrols run LED aftermarket lighting, with Brooke’s choice being a pair of rounds on the front bar and a smaller round pair on a telescopic pole attached to the rear wheel carrier.
Tony opted for the huge LED bar perched up high on the roof. These are backed up by a pair of halogens and a few smaller LED bars on the front bar. Amusingly, Tony’s Patrol features a custom stainless-steel swinging mount for holding his rear LED reversing light.
That’s a nice way of saying it has been fitted in a dodgy way – but it does have the advantage of folding out of the way when scraping over large rock boulders.
Inside, the Patrols’ rears don’t have fancy all-inclusive kitchens or roll-out drawer systems; rather, both have cargo barriers and the relevant boxes and compartments to house snakes and other reptiles.
Another useful extra on Tony’s roof rack is a water tank, as he finds he regularly needs to have a quick wash after capturing reptiles.
Tony and Brooke have devoted their lives to helping save reptiles. They are on call 24 hours a day and are adamant that snakes shouldn’t be killed just because people are scared of them.
Both are heavily involved in the education of all things scaly, they are avid photographers and are always snapping pics and videos of their animals. Take a moment to check out their website: www.goldcoastsnakecatcher.com.au
Oh, and what better way is there to show to the public their commitment than with custom number plates: ‘5NAKE5’ and ‘REPTILE’?
Venomous or dangerous?
Tony and Brooke informed us that most snakes’ fangs are short and, provided you’re wearing tough footwear and thick, long pants, the chances of being poisoned by one of Australia’s highly venomous snakes are low. I reckon hiking boots and jeans have probably saved hundreds of lives – the good-old double pluggers aren’t the smartest choice of footwear sometimes.
Tony also told us the best thing to do when you come across a snake is to leave it alone, as Australia has some of the most deadly snakes in the world. Don’t be a hero and try to pick it up – while the experts make it look easy, there are tricks to the trade. Next, don’t go chucking stones at it and definitely don’t set off on a beheading mission with the shovel. You might get lucky with your first swipe, but if you miss, chances are, the snake will be quicker than you and you’ll end up wrapping a bandage around a snake bite.
Oh, you don’t carry one of those? You should. When applied correctly, bandages are proven to save lives by slowing the movement of venom in your body’s lymphatic system – the fat layer just under your skin. The pressure bandage grants life-saving time to get help. The more you wail and flop around, the more the venom will flow through your body, making it harder for someone to save your life.
Tony said, if you are bitten, there is no need to catch or kill the snake to identify it. The best thing to do is to mark the bite area with a pen or marker (just in case you pass out and can’t assist), apply the compression bandage, keep calm and get help on the double. Once the doctors have swabbed the bite area, they can determine the type of snake and provide the relevant anti-venom to get you back on your feet.
As for Tony’s list of most venomous snakes in Australia, at number five is the Death Adder, followed by the tiger snake, the coastal taipan and the common brown snake. The most venomous is the western taipan.
“Don’t be confused about most deadly and most venomous,” Tony said. “While the western taipan is the most venomous land animal on the planet, it has very short fangs, lives in remote areas and is relatively well behaved.”
“Meanwhile, the common brown snake,” Tony said, “is found from the bottom end of Australia right up to the top and covers every type of landscape in eastern Australia. It strikes 12 times in two seconds and has the second most powerful venom and the shortest fuse of them all. Because of this they are considered the most dangerous.”
Tony also told us that the red-belly and eastern brown are the most commonly encountered venomous snakes, while most bites are courtesy of the eastern brown, due to its “highly strung personality”.
There’s one last point Tony wanted to make clear: “Brown snakes aren’t always brown in colour. They vary in colour and pattern, making them hard to identify for non-experts.”
Tony’s website (goldcoastsnakecatcher.com.au) is the culmination of over 20 years’ experience and features a huge array of snakes as well as heaps of other great info.
No matter how good your vehicle, experience or training is, chances are you will eventually become stuck when driving off road.
Soft sand is probably the most common cause, closely followed by mud. If tyre pressure adjustment, shoveling or using recovery boards (such as MaxTrax) don’t help, a snatch strap is the next step. The snatch strap operates by absorbing and releasing energy in a controlled manner, so it’s a quick and easy way to get out of trouble when you’re stuck in the mud – or sand. However, snatching is also incredibly dangerous and has proven to be fatal.
The force generated whilst snatching can overwhelm hardware on the vehicle (e.g. inadequate attachment points or rusty bolts) and has caused several snatch strap fatalities and injuries. Consider this a warning and heed the advice of those more experienced.
The snatch strap should be matched to the situation. Its rating must be around two to three times the GVM (Gross Vehicle Mass) of the lightest vehicle in the recovery.
For a typical dual-cab or mid-sized wagon (weighing around 2750kg GVM), use an 8000kg strap – 8000kg is within the range of 5500 and 8250kg. A strap that is too light will over-extend and may break, and a heavier strap will not stretch adequately and will shock-load the vehicle resulting in possible damage to both cars.
In front of and behind both vehicles are danger zones, so all passengers and bystanders must be one and half times the length of the strap (in other words at least three car lengths) away from the vehicle to the sides.
Shackles are usually required and always use, as a minimum, 3.5-tonne working load shackles. Position the strap through the shackles’ ring and insert pins through the recovery points.
If either vehicle has two recovery points, spread the load with a bridle strap – it’s safer. Make sure all shackle pins are backed-off a quarter-turn from tight to prevent thread-bind.
Rig the stricken vehicle first, then bring the recovering vehicle as close to in-line as possible. If more reach is required, use a winch extension strap (or two) with the snatch strap. Never use a second snatch strap.
Ensure the strap is not twisted and lay-out a one metre wide ‘Z’ on the ground, where the stricken vehicle’s driver can see it, so the tow vehicle can gain speed before the snatch comes into play.
Communication is critical and radios are the best method. The stricken vehicle should be in a gear higher (e.g. 3rd Low) than the recovering vehicle (e.g. 2nd Low) to reduce drag when its tyres find traction.
Once the stricken vehicle is on firm ground (or for any critical situation that may occur) its driver should sound the horn to stop the recovery, rather than the radio. You’re less likely to miss a horn blast over loud revving engines.
After use, clean your strap by gently hosing with fresh water before drying. Don’t use a pressure washer as it can embed grit.
Replace your strap if it’s damaged by nicks or cuts – or after 20 uses. It may even be used just once but it’s $80 well spent.
Six rules for safe snatching
1. NEVER use a tow ball to snatch (or flat-tow) a vehicle. It can create a 350km/h cannon ball that will pierce windscreens and panels with potentially deadly consequences.
2. Do not mistake your vehicle’s tie-down loops for its properly rated recovery points. Ensure you know BEFORE you venture off road; ask a pro shop if necessary.
3. ALWAYS ensure everybody except the driver is out of the vehicle and safely to the side of the vehicles. This includes sleeping babies, cranky wives/husbands and teenage kids with headphones on. No ifs, buts or exceptions.
4. Older vehicles, especially those used near the coast, may have rusty towing hardware or bolts. CHECK before hitching the strap and substitute another vehicle if there is evidence of corrosion.
5. ALWAYS use a firmly-applied dampener on the strap. If there is no purpose-made one available to use, substitute a blanket (or something similar) as an air-brake in case of failure.
6. A one metre wide ‘Z’ shaped run-up is all that is required. If the first tug doesn’t work, re-set and repeat with a little more throttle and effort from the tow vehicle. Do NOT use a bigger run-up.
For more information and tips on Gear, check out our page here.
Is it a Colorado, an Amarok, a Ranger, a Navara? 4X4 Australia will be getting inside The Naked Ute soon. Stay tuned to see how a true no-fills beast goes.
Revealed last Sunday the Naked ute was a stripped down Volkswagen Amarok. Click here to view more info on The Naked Ute.
Subaru’s formerly all-conquering Forester has come off the boil, with the Mazda CX-5 doubling its sales. So a limited-edition tS flagship is coming, with an STi-tuned performance chassis.
This article was originally published in Wheels magazine.
WHAT IS IT? The Forester tS is basically the top-line XT turbo with an STi-tuned chassis and several other mods to improve handling and body control. It is thus a unique proposition in the medium SUV segment, or will be when sales start in May.
WHY WE’RE TESTING IT The Forester has long been regarded as a great all-rounder, avoiding many of the pitfalls of its top-heavy rivals thanks to the low centre of gravity afforded by its boxer drivetrain. But outputs from the big turbo units in Forester XTs (and their GT predecessors) have never quite gelled with the SUV chassis. Can the STi crew help?
MAIN RIVALS Ford Kuga Titanium 2.0T EcoBoost, Mini Countryman JCW ALL4, Volkswagen Tiguan 155 TSI R-Line
THE VERDICT Will we finally see an affordable SUV that truly drives like a hot hatch? The upcoming Forester tS is certainly shaping up to be that car, and the differences between it and the mechanically similar Japan Domestic Market-spec Forester XT were pronounced around a tight bitumen track designed for racing bicycles. We had way less body roll and a whole lot more control than usual. How any of that translates on Australian roads from next May is uncertain, but the basic ingredients suggest a performance crossover worthy of the WRX – if not STi – badge.
PLUS: Less cumbersome than XT, Q-car performance, value for money MINUS: Awkward styling, unappealing interior plastics, predicted hard ride and road noise
THE REVIEW SPEEDY SUVs. Subaru was a pioneer of the sub-genre with the original Forester GT back in the late ‘90s, but a high-riding crossover crossed with a high-output engine can all too often be a fast track to roly poly-ville. Fully sick sums it up perfectly.
Whether Fuji Heavy Industries intended on demonstrating this with a Japan domestic -spec Forester XT, pitching it (literally) against the STi-tuned tS around the 5km long, 2020 Tokyo Olympics bicycle training track, is not known. However, the former felt like a loose handful against the latter’s controlled confidence, suggesting that SUV buyers seeking proper dynamics don’t have to fork out $100K on an Audi SQ5 or Porsche Macan.
Destined for Australia and nowhere else outside Japan before next winter, the tS is what happens when an XT returns from the STi clinic. Among the remedies are a retuned ‘S#’ (Sport Sharp) SI-Drive driving mode function, a 15mm lower ride height, revised stability controls, an adjustable-strut tower brace, a stronger rear subframe, aerofoils beneath the vehicle, Brembo brakes, and BBS-designed 19-inch alloys. The 206kW Japanese edition also gains a revised engine control unit, unique CVT Continuously Variable Transmission settings, and a gearbox oil cooler. Subaru won’t say whether ours will too. Current Oz-bound XTs deliver just 177kW.
Unsurprisingly, this STi parts-bin raid results in a more hunkered down Forester that’s hungrier for corners, far flatter when driven fast through them, and a whole lot surer in its reactions and responses. Over exactly the same snaking route, the XT seemed floatier.
Questions do remain about how such a well-tied SUV will ride on our rubbish roads, however. At least extra soundproofing helps hush the thing. FHI says the aim is to promote “on-road tough, speed, and class, so drivers at every skill level can enjoy”.
Subaru has also thrown its most luxurious-looking part-leather upholstery and glossiest materials inside for a bit more pizzazz, though the tS we sampled was one of the pre-facelift MY15 versions that sold out in its home market ages ago. The same may happen here. Just 300 examples will come, in either Pearl White or WRX Blue.
Speaking of which, while the tS may not arrive with more power than an XT, improvements to handling, roadholding and refinement point to Australia’s first properly WRX-esque medium SUV.
SPECS Model: Subaru Forester tS Engine: 1998cc 4cyl, dohc, 16v, turbo Max power: 206kW @ 5700rpm ** Max torque: 350Nm @ 2000-5600rpm ** Transmission: 1-speed CVT Weight: 1610kg ** 0-100km/h: 7.0sec (claimed) Fuel economy: 7.6L/100km ** Price: $55,000 (approximately) On sale: May 2016
** Figures are for Japanese market MY16 Forester XT
The sand, firm one minute and soft the next, forced us to make a hurried shift down through the gears to keep the forward momentum going and the engine in the power band.
We had already dropped the tyre pressures to 20psi, but after one long soft section we stopped on a short strip of firmer sand and dropped another few pounds – it’s incredible what a difference this can make.
We’d slipped onto the beach just north of Kingston SE in the south-east of South Australia, heading along the great arc of sand that stretches north to the Murray River mouth. We had already passed one access track at The Granites and were pushing on to the next, some 30km away, which was still more than 80km from the river mouth.
We’d checked with a couple of locals and knew the most northerly of the beach’s access tracks – Tea Tree Crossing – was still flooded with saline water, and we didn’t want to subject our Patrol to that rusting imposition, so we were going to get off the beach before then, but the choices were pretty limited.
Continuing north, we soon arrived at the southern boundary of the Coorong National Park. Camping within the park is restricted to the beach between the high and low water marks and in designated spots behind the fore dune, marked by a wooden post. Once behind the dune, another post marks the centre spot of the camping area and you must park your vehicle within five metres of it. It’s all to do with minimising erosion of the fragile dunes, so do the right thing and we’ll still be allowed to camp in such a place for years to come.
Access is closed north of Tea Tree Crossing between October 24 and December 24 each year to protect nesting seabirds, while a smaller area south of the river mouth is closed during ongoing sand-pumping operations to keep the mouth of the river open to the sea. There is no indication when this closure will be lifted, but hopefully it’ll happen when water flow increases.
The going on this trip was slow, and as evening approached we took one of the rare access tracks that headed inland off the beach and went looking for a spot away from the wind to throw down the swag; it was the middle of spring but the southerly wind was bitingly cold.
The narrow lagoons of the Coorong, fringed by low tough scrub, are located behind the beach and the thin strip of bordering dunes of the Younghusband Peninsula.
At the mouth of the Murray are a few low grassy islands that help separate the sea from the wide expanse of Lake Alexandrina and the smaller Lake Albert. A number of man-made barrages link the islands with the mainland north of the river mouth, and ensure that salt water doesn’t flood into the lakes but still flows into the lagoons of the Coorong.
The local Ngarrindjeri people trace their heritage back 40,000 years; you’ll find the discarded heaps of shells at midden sites all along this wind-swept coast. Today, a number of small Aboriginal settlements and reserves are dotted around the lakes, inland from the Coorong, while a number of the locals act as guides or work as professional fishermen out on the lakes.
Charles Sturt was the first European to venture here, after he and his men sailed a whaleboat down the Murray River in 1830 – and then rowed it back upstream. Goolwa, on the northern and western sides of the river mouth, became Australia’s first inland port 10 years later, developing as a hub for the burgeoning paddle-steamer trade a few years later.
From about the time Adelaide was established in 1836, pioneers wandered the coast between Portland in Victoria and Encounter Bay, south of Adelaide. A stock route came about soon after, and then, during the late 1850s and early ’60s, a flood of hopeful gold seekers and Chinese immigrants walked along this coastal route to the goldfields of Victoria.
A Cobb & Co coach route was established and places including Woods Well, Salt Creek and Chinaman’s Well popped up to service the growing number of travellers; the route was the main land link between Melbourne and Adelaide for many years.
Pastoral development followed and the sea gave up its bounty of fish and other delights. Kingston SE was founded in 1860 and a few years later the first oil rig in Australia, operated by the Coorong Kerosene Company, set about searching for oil near Salt Creek. The oil search continued until 1933 and, while all the wells were unsuccessful, it established the oil industry in Australia that went on to bigger and better things.
The Coorong National Park was established in 1966 and today protects 500km2 of coast, inland lagoons and dunes. Recreational fishermen and dune buggies have been making tracks along the sweep of sand since before the park was established, and more and more people now travel to the Coorong for the fishing, camping and four-wheel driving.
The region is extremely well-known for its prolific bird life, with more than 200 species recorded in the park; each year, many migratory birds arrive from distant lands. The small isolated islands of Coorong also act as Australia’s major breeding area for the impressive Australian pelican.
Being a well-protected section of water, the Coorong is popular with small boat owners, but the water is shallow and can get rough. Still, on a nice day it’s a great spot to paddle a kayak. The lagoons offer a feed of fish, with the northern section of the Coorong offering a bigger and better choice.
Mind you, in recent years an influx of New Zealand fur seals have invaded the lakes and munched on so many fish that the local mullet industry has almost closed down. The seals have also harassed the pelican colonies, so some people and politicians are now calling for a cull of the furry invaders.
In pursuit of more birds – and to get away from the wind for a day – we headed inland and met up with the manager of the Watervalley Wetlands who showed us around this spectacular conservation property.
This privately funded conservation park covers 260km2 and is centred around a string of shallow lakes – Cortina and Mandena being the biggest – that parallel the coast about 10km inland. These lakes are classed as ‘ephemeral’, though they rarely dry completely.
As such they play host to hundreds if not thousands of waterbirds, and on our short drive through part of the property we saw huge flocks of grey teal and large gatherings of black swans.
Located inland and to the south of the tiny settlement of Salt Creek, the string of properties can be reached via good dirt roads – more than 40km of four-wheel-drive tracks cut through the private park. These tracks are generally pretty easy for a 4WD vehicle, though at times there are some soft, sandy sections. Once farming land, much of the area has been revegetated and work continues to bring the country back to a more natural state.
Importantly for travellers, camping is possible at a number of designated bush sites for a number of months during spring and summer each year. These spots have no facilities other than long-drop toilets, so you need to be self-sufficient to enjoy a few days here. Numbers are strictly controlled, so you’re guaranteed a quiet stay.
There are two lots of accommodation: the shearer’s quarters and the old manager’s quarters. The shearer’s quarters sit on a hill overlooking a small string of lakes. Further north, the old manager’s quarters is located on top of one of the tallest vegetated dunes in the area.
From the front verandah there are inspiring views westward over the calm waters of the Coorong, the dunes of the Younghusband Peninsula and the wilder waters of the Southern Ocean.
Wanting to get to the Murray Mouth after being stymied from accessing it from the south, we headed around the lakes, through Meningie, and took a quick detour to the only inland lighthouse in Australia.
Located on the historic Poltalloch Station, the light overlooks The Narrows between Lake Alexandrina and Lake Albert. Those with a bit more time can cross the stretch of water on a small ferry and head for Narrung and then trace Lake Albert back to Meningie, which is an enjoyable foray.
We took the ferry across the Murray River farther north at Wellington and dodged down through pleasant farming country to Goolwa, which is a bit of a holiday town these days, with coffee shops and surf stores. I grabbed a latte and headed out to the Surf Life Saving Club where a track cuts through the sand hills and onto the beach for the 10km run to the Murray River mouth.
The beach was lightly dotted with 4WD vehicles, with most of the occupants standing patiently for their rods and reels to show some action, while others were just enjoying the beach and surf.
Closer to the Murray Mouth, a marked diversion takes vehicles around where a pipe spews sand across the beach from the nearby dredging operations that keeps the mouth open to the sea. This operation shifts up to a million cubic metres of sand each year and it’s treacherously soft sand, so don’t try and drive through it.
At the mouth itself, more fishermen were trying their luck, while others were boating, kiting, bird-watching or just enjoying the wide expanse of sand. No wonder the South Australians have always loved the Murray Mouth and the Coorong – you will too if you take the time to discover its secrets.
TRAVEL INFO
Located south-east of Adelaide, the Coorong can be reached via major highways either from Adelaide (three hours’ drive) or from Melbourne (seven-eight hours’ drive).
Kingston SE, Meningie and Goolwa have all the facilities a traveller requires.
The Salt Creek store and adjoining caravan park are the closest facilities to the more remote sections of the Coorong. The owner, Adam, knows the area well and can keep you up to date with the latest news regarding access: call (08) 8575 7021 to pick his brains.
The Watervalley Wetlands has a high population of bird and animal life, and also offers good camping, accommodation and four-wheel-drive trails. Get in touch via: www.watervalleywetlands.com.au.
Mundoo Island is a privately owned historic cattle station that takes up a couple of islands just inside the Murray Mouth. It’s a top spot for camping and has other accommodation options as well. See: www.mundooisland.com.au.
Poltalloch Station is a historic property skirting the edge of Lake Alexandrina. It offers cottage accommodation and historic tours and is well worth making the time to visit. See: www.poltalloch.com.au.
Camping permits are required for the Coorong National Park. These are only available online, so don’t leave home without one. See: www.environment.sa.gov.au.
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John Rooth – adventurer, cook, journo, biker and more – has machines and spares stacked and racked in a shed on a little piece of paradise in southern Queensland.
Roothy doesn’t throw much away and he’s pretty self-sufficient when it comes to mechanical, chassis or bodywork. He’s also a bit hooked on the mid-1980s – inside his red shed, there’s only one machine built after that classic decade and it’ll be the first to be shown the roller door.
The star here is the famed Milo – the green and white 45 Series Toyota Land Cruiser that’s rambled and clambered around Australia any number of times. Sharing the shed are a few other four-wheel-drive Toyotas, a grey World War II Jeep, plus a gleaming old Jaguar on the far side.
But to get to these four-wheeled machines you first have to fight past the clutter of motorbikes. There’s a 1959 BMW, originally a 600cc clunker but now with 1000cc BMW twin hanging out either side. That was his first bike, so it’s a keeper.
Alongside is a more modern 1986 Trans-Alp.“That’s my ute,” Roothy says. “It would’ve been the perfect bike when I was opal mining; would’ve been magic to come to town on.”
There’s a 1984 Harley Davidson (plus a spare for bits), a 1942 Indian Scout, a 1952 Matchless 500 and three old Yamaha trials bikes.
The TY Yamahas are part of Roothy’s retirement plan.
“Most people move to golf, I’m going back to trials riding. It’s really slow, it gets you out in the paddocks and there’s still the competition and the camaraderie – but without the pain.”
Next to the two-wheelers is a ’42 Jeep, which was once a rust bucket that ran in Anzac Day parades with star pickets holding the frame rails apart.
As Roothy appreciated, the $7000 Jeep had real history and was a genuine survivor. He balanced and blueprinted the motor, then added a reproduction body. It’s also had a two-inch suspension lift on original springs and now sits on 15-inch wheels. The Jeep is insane to drive and fantastic in the sands of Moreton Island, but it won’t be around forever.
“I’m probably going to sell it at some stage – the fun for me was rebuilding it,” Roothy says.
One mean machine that’s not up for sale is Milo, the Cruiser that in a past life was a bog-standard 45 Series Troopie owned by a scout master who travelled some 200,000km, carting kids on holiday trips.
“I reckon that’s why it had such good karma,” Roothy says of his faithful friend.
The back section was rusted (because it stuck out of the scout master’s carport in a beachside suburb), so Roothy hacked the worst of it off and added a 1967 wagon tailgate. t’s been modified and customised and modified again over the past 20 years.
Early on, Roothy painted it green and soon grew tired of the petrol motor, so in went a 13BT Toyota diesel, used in Japanese trucks.
Originally, the 3.4-litre engine put out 43kW. When balanced it pushed out 54kW and ran like a Swiss watch. With extra fuel delivery, a new turbo and an intercooler, it’s now producing 85kW on 8psi boost.
Roothy wanted durable performance and tonnes of reliability, and has proved Milo has both over some 800,000km and a couple of laps of Australia.
The rebuilt four-speed gearbox has a Marks Adaptor transfer case – 10 per cent higher in high range and 32 per cent less in low. Milo sits at 1900rpm at 100km/h. Beyond that speed, the little truck’s ordinary aerodynamics start sucking fuel.
It has a 60 Series rear end and 60 Series power steering with 17-inch rims and 33-inch Cooper tyres, ventilated disc brakes, plus a roof-mounted snorkel. Electrical wiring runs through the roof, with dash-mounted switches and fuses so Roothy can turn things off before deep water or mud.
Yep, Milo has seen a lot of action. It’s come back from Tasmania with its body mounts all broken. “I knew it was broken because I could see the wheels poking out each side as I went around a corner.”
It’s driven up the Newell Highway with red tape over a Dolphin torch as a makeshift tail-light. It’s returned from the Kimberley on one-wheel drive after it busted a rear pinion and then a front CV joint. “I put the front locking diff on and drove back to Brisbane. It was fantastic, every time you accelerated it went to the right and when you backed off it pulled back in.”
But Milo – bought for $500 and named after Roothy’s favourite drink and a Greek god – always gets the man home.
Yet the truck John Rooth says he’ll keep forever is the yellow 1983 Troopie parked alongside.
He paid $5000 for this, having ‘bargained’ the owner up from his asking price of $3000 because it was a one-owner, very original wagon with 340,000km up and a Fairey overdrive.
The Toyota 2H diesel motor, juiced up with help from Roo Systems, makes 61kW. The trick here is to run a pyrometer off the turbocharger; when pushed hard, temperatures can soar from 350°C to 700°C and maybe melt pistons. Roothy never lets it run beyond 450°C.
This Cruiser boasts refreshed suspension, lockers front and rear, ventilated disc brakes and that trademark roof-mounted snorkel.
“I’ll keep this truck forever, just love it. Love it. There’s something about 1983/1984 machines that works for me.”
He’s not so keen on his V8-engined 76 Series Toyota. Originally a mine manager’s work wagon, it was bought at auction for $44,000 as a test bed for suspension and Opposite Lock and Roo Systems’ gear. It makes a considerable 201kW.
“But it’s also the first one I’ll sell,” he says. “As fast as it is, as good as it is off-road and everything else, there’s things about it I don’t understand.
“I never got into computers from the motoring side of things. The only time this thing has gone wrong I couldn’t fix it. I found it eventually (air flow meter), but it sent me around the twist, ringing people on the side of the road – try this, try that, try the other. Pain in the arse.”
Roothy moves to the last shed bay and takes the covers off his swoopy black Mark V Jaguar. A calm falls over man and beard. His first car was a Jag. He found this one in 1984.