The gleaming snout of the latest Ford F350 Super Duty certainly makes a statement. What that statement means, however, may vary depending on your outlook on life. On the one hand it says you’re a tough off-roading type who likes to haul heavy loads. On the other hand it says you believe in polygamy, that climate change is a communist conspiracy and that the world is only 6000 years old.
Regardless of the redneck image, one thing the big Effie has got in spades is grunt; 440 diesel V8 horses and 1100Nm of torque. Good thing it does; as it can also take a payload of 3.5-tonne and tow a whopping 6804kg on the hook, or 7575kg as a fifth-wheeler (properly braked).
The Super Duty gracing these pages is a Harrison F-truck. These are converted and made compliant for the Australian market by Vehicle Development Corporation (VDC) based in Coolaroo on Melbourne’s northern outskirts. VDC has a strong relationship with Ford in the ’States and is registered with the company’s Export and Growth Division. The connection between VDC and Ford USA also includes QVM Certification, which is generally used for vehicle conversions like limos, hearses and ambulances. In short, QVM means that Ford reckons you’re up to the job of fiddling with their stuff and not making them look too bad.
NEAT JOB
This Aussie-converted F350 Super Duty is quite a neat job. There are only a couple of tell-tale signs of the F-truck’s left-hand drive origins. The first is the key pad for unlocking the driver’s door which remains on the left door. The other hint is the vanity mirror in the driver’s side sun visor. The most obvious sign, however, is the slightly cramped driver’s foot well.
The firewall protrudes marginally to cater for all of the componentry located on the hot side of the engine; not ideal for right-hand drive. The truck is such a behemoth, though, that you’d have to be a pretty big individual for it to be an issue. To help address this, 2015 models will gain an extra 50mm in the footwell. Airbag discharge angles have also been modified to suit right-hand drive. To back it all up, all converted F-trucks have been crash tested to ensure they maintain their crash safety integrity.
BEHIND THE WHEEL
We recently had the keys to a 2014 F350 Super Duty 4×4 for a week. This not only meant spanking a 6.6-metre long 2.2-metre-wide truck off-road, but dealing with it in supermarket car parks, fast food drive-throughs and urban and country roads. You know what? It’s surprisingly easier to manoeuvre than it looks.
The 2014 models have 400hp rather than the 2015 model’s 440hp, however torque remains the same. Most updated features for 2015 revolve around developments in the conversion process that improve functionality.
The 6.7-litre Powerstroke V8 diesel is a Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) unit. This means it uses a Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF), or AdBlue, to satisfy US EPA 13 emissions standards (Australian emission levels are still back at the equivalent of EPA 07). It may look like a rainforest-killing giant, but it runs cleaner than most other diesel vehicles on the Australian market. How much AdBlue you use depends on how hard the truck is working, but the accepted wisdom is around four per cent of diesel burn. SCR engines do their most fuel efficient work at highway speeds when under load. A six-speed torque converter automatic is the only transmission option.
This test truck was a top-of-the-line Platinum model which meant it was climate-controlled, leather-equipped, sat-nav controlled, sun roof fitted and had rather fetching alloy wheels all-round. So when I parked my butt in the driver’s seat and slotted the key into the ignition the big leather couch rolled forward electronically and wedged my man-boobs up against the steering wheel. This was great and meant everything was within reach. It also meant I wasn’t going to have to burn any valuable calories reaching for the radio or climate control buttons.
SNACK ATTACK
The massive centre console appears to have been designed to swallow an entire bucket of chicken, and the cup holders pull out to reveal another cavernous compartment designed to hold two 7-11 Big Gulp cups. No good can come from ingesting that amount of chicken and soft drink. Paradoxically, the glove box is tiny and would be lucky to hold a couple of CDs.
On the road the F350 is akin to driving a bob-tail prime mover. It feels, looks, and is large. The gratifying rumble emanating from the cool dual-chrome exhaust tips puts a hell of a smile on your dial if you plant the foot – you can feel all of that torque tearing at the road and legal speeds are reached quickly. When empty, however, the ride feels very much like the chunky, empty load lugger it is. Some close attention to wheel and tyre specification would probably help out in this department.
A big truck like this is built to carry, or tow, a load. So, we hooked a tandem car trailer up behind the F-Truck and loaded up my beloved Valiant, before heading to the countryside. Given the F-350’s prodigious towing capabilities, hooking a couple of tonne behind it didn’t tax the driveline much at all.
TOWING BIG
Within minutes of leaving home, with my precious cargo in tow, it seemed as if the Effie forgot the load was even there. In fact, it drove better with the trailer on the back. So much so that I had to stop and tie down the Val twice on my 200km trip as the big truck handled the rough country roads with deceptive ease.
The Super Duty plants itself on the road and is very stable at speed. I even overtook a couple of dawdling caravans and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t smiling when I did it.
A tow switch, on the transmission gear selector, adjusts shift points in the Torqshift auto. Most of the time, with such a modest load behind, this didn’t make a great deal of difference. It was very handy, however, when braking as it prompted early down changes which provided some engine braking effect.
The Super Duty does have shift-on-the-go-4×4 with a two-speed transfer case. With that grunt it does have the potential to handle itself in the rough stuff. But it’s big and heavy and with a long wheelbase it’s not the most manoeuvrable thing in the bush.
Traction on slippery surfaces including sand and mud is excellent, though. It’s more an Outback cruiser than a rock-hopping bruiser. As a heavy-tow vehicle it’s a cracker and it’ll seat five adults in comfort. While an F-truck mightn’t be cheap, a high spec Land Cruiser is pretty close to the same price – depending on spec. It’s a great option for hauling 5th wheelers, big boats or even buckets of fried chicken.
DOESN’T IT DRINK?
You might think that a truck of this size would have a prohibitive thirst when it comes to fuel. In fact, the glares of contempt I was getting from people driving hybrids started to become very disconcerting. My combined fuel average when empty, however, was 13.8L/100km and only 15.5L/100km when towing. Considering the size of the beast, that compares pretty favourably with a lot of mass-market dual-cab 4x4s on the Aussie market.
Photos by Matt Wood & Andrew Britten
Get the latest info on all things 4X4 Australia by signing up to our newsletter.
It seems like there was a full-on attack on the trailer-hitch industry a few years ago and then… nothing.
There were half a dozen new offerings from all and sundry who attempted the age-old problem of hitching up trailers and caravans to their prime movers. Some were brilliant, some half-hearted, while there were others who kept (secretly) hammering away to come up with an even better and simpler way of achieving a seemingly-simple task.
McHitch was one of the more successful companies back then. It released the UniGlide offroad coupling, of which there have since been minor improvements resulting in the current Platinum Series – which also boasts a plethora of adaptors to engage with Treg, Trigg and AT35 couplings.
Progress a few more years and McHitch has launched the equally impressive, world-first all-terrain Automatic Trailer Coupling (ATC). Yep, that’s right, the process of hitching your trailer, or van, to your tow vehicle is done automatically… to an extent. There are a few manual steps that require you to dismount from your stead.
Attaching the ATC is an easy process. With the removal of the old off-road hitch, the new ATC simply bolted on to the camper trailer. The opposing end was just as simple to bolt on. All that was left to do was reverse into the trailer.
The release lever simply drops into position and you’re ready to go once the jockey wheel is wound up, the electrical plug plugged in, the safety chains attached and the two safety mechanisms of the ATC engaged.
The idea behind this trailer attachment is nothing new. Just look at the trucking industry and you’ll note that pretty much all ‘dog’ and ‘pig’ trailers are hitched via a similar mechanism. What Joe has done successfully is refine the idea to rid all rattles and coarseness and deliver a user-friendly version to the car and 4×4 industries.
There are no sloppy or loose fittings akin to the truck versions, plus Joe has gone the whole hog and had the system ADR-approved. Kits range from two-tonne ($350.00), two-tonne with brake over-ride ($350.00), 3.5-tonne ($395.00), 4.5-tonne and six-tonne ($595.00) for caravans and light trucks. Handbrake kits are also available for most.
With our trial ATC and McHitch handbrake kit installed, we figured it was time for a three-day family camping trip. To test the system, in respect to on-road smoothness, we took things nice and easy and stuck to the blacktop; big ticks here. And yep, we had many double-takes from fellow campers as they wondered past.
Next up we tackled a few off-road obstacles, as well as unhitching and re-hitching the system in awkward positions. It gets a double-thumbs-up from me for ingenuity, ease of hitching and unhitching in all terrains, and also how well it allows the trailer to move unhindered when off-road. In addition, the price is fair compared to most others on the market.
The automatic system will only work if the horizontal pin is within the receiver plate range. When outside that range the user needs to adjust the height of the trailer (via the jockey wheel) and/or the alignment of the trailer to allow proper engagement.
Given you still need to wind the jockey wheel up, plug the electrical leads in, attach the safety chains and connect the two safety mechanisms of the ATC, this, in effect, partially negates the pros of the automatic part of the system. In reality, you can’t reverse, auto hitch and drive away. At the end of the day the system may save a few seconds but, for mine, I’d be happy with a drop-on system more akin to the McHitch Uniglide Platinum system. It has the same universal swivel system via a universal joint, but simply lowers (via the jockey wheel) onto a vertical tow pin.
You also need to be careful, when reversing into the hitch to engage, that you don’t bump your trailer too hard. Make sure the handbrake is fully-engaged and even chock the wheels as a precaution.
The last gripe we have with the ATC is that the handle has the potential to rip skin off your leg. It folds away in one direction, but catching yourself in the opposite direction will end in tears. When we mentioned this to Joe, he informed us of a rubber cover upgrade for the release handle.
For more information visit www.mchitch.com.au
Get the latest info on all things 4X4 Australia by signing up to our newsletter.
Mercedes Benz and Renault-Nissan today announced that the 1-tonne ute that MB recently said it would bring to market by the end of the decade will share some of it architecture with the forthcoming D23/NP300 Nissan ute. This ute will also form the basis of a pick-up from French partner Renault in the coming years and the trio of trucks will be produced in plants across the globe for selected markets.
We have to expect that the trucks wearing the European badges will utilise the D23’s class-unique, coil spring rear suspension to give them the Euro ride and dynamics expected of the brands and will employ engine from the specific marques. We also expect the Benz ute to visually differ more from the Nissan ute that launches in Australia in May, than the Renault unit.
Watch the video for the manufacturer’s announcement.
Get the latest info on all things 4X4 Australia by signing up to our newsletter.
The cranky-sounding V8 engine rumbles through the stripped-out and roll-caged cabin. As the sequential gear lever slams into first gear, one could be excused for thinking they were about to hit the track in a V8 Supercar. That’s because we’re firmly strapped in to a Holden Commodore that’s using a Aussie-made Holinger gearbox – the same ’box that the top-tier touring cars ran up until recently.
The 6.0-litre engine up front is based on the production LS3 GM V8 and it’s good for around 500hp (373kW), but this V8 Supercar is built for tougher tracks than Mount Panorama, Phillip Island or any other road circuit that the popular tin tops have ever taken on.
Australian Safari veteran Steve Riley built this 4WD V8 Holden ute to tackle the most demanding off-road tracks and races on the planet. It debuted at the 2014 Australasian Safari and Steve was leading for most of the event before faltering on the penultimate day to finish third overall. It’s built to full FIA specifications and Steve now has his eye on the world’s toughest motorsport event, held in South America.
“Dakar would be the ultimate goal but it requires a huge investment of both time and money. I’d also like to do some of the smaller FIA rallies like the Pharaons Rally in Egypt,” Steve says.
Steve is no stranger to tough motorsport. He says he’s lost count of how many Australian Safaris he has competed in – records show that it’s around 20 including the very first one (12 times on a motorcycle, alongside three wins in a 4×4). He has also competed in the Dakar twice, co-driving with fellow Australian’s Geoff Olholm in 2011 and Adrian Di Lallo in 2013, and finishing in both attempts – no small feat.
Both of these drivers were racing in Dakar 2015 and Steve would have loved to have been there with them. A testament to the toughness of the Dakar, neither of these teams finished the 2015 race, with Olholm ending up in hospital with a broken back.
“I learnt a lot from those rallies,” Steve says. “That first time with the Rally Raid team, the cars were unreliable and unprepared. They only had one mechanic to service the car and when you come in to camp at 3am with a broken gearbox, one mechanic isn’t enough. Luckily Geoff took his own mechanics as well so we were able to get the car to the finish.”
Steve enjoys building race cars as much as racing them, so when it came to planning a car that could take on the world’s best, he thought it might as well be Australian. And what’s more Australian than a Holden ute home-built in a farm shed in Victoria? Steve’s a dairy farmer and did all the design and construction on this world-class racer himself.
“Everyone has Japanese or European rally cars, I wanted to build something Australian. The ute creates a lot of interest and I wanted a ute as it’s easier to work on [than a wagon] and has less body panels.”
The ute retains much of the body style that it left the Holden factory with – the cabin and doors are original steel but the front and rear panels are replicated in a lightweight composite material. The shell conceals a tube chassis that incorporates a roll-cage and uses a pair of King competition shocks at each corner. The coil-overs are the same length all around so one spare fits all corners, in the same way that the fabricated wishbones are the same on the left and right hand sides.
The drivetrain starts with the 6.0-litre V8 engine which has been kept simple for reliability and only benefits from a hotter camshaft than standard and some mild headwork. Likewise, the Hollinger ’box was chosen for durability having proven its strength in the previous generation V8 Supercars.
While all-wheel-drive Holden utes were available in earlier models, the VE series never had this feature. The race car’s 4WD transfer case comes from a Pajero and offers full-time, part-time and 4WD low range selection. The diffs too are from Mitsubishi and are mounted high in the chassis for ground clearance. Steve reckons this drivetrain is well proven in high horsepower cross-country rally vehicles. Similar combinations could also be found under a handful of cars at the most recent Safari.
A benefit of the Mitsubishi transfer case is its ability to run in all-wheel drive while still having a differential. Steve runs it in this full-time 4WD mode for most of the racing, only locking the centre diff if the going gets real tough.
This is a high speed 4WD sport after all – quite a contrast to rock crawling and scenic touring.
DRIVE TIME
Despite being a purpose-built cross-country rally car, the ute can be an easy car to drive. Still wearing its battle scars from the 2014 Safari in Western Australia, we got to sample the beast on a private track in Victoria. After a quick lap of the paddock with Steve, to show us the way around, he let us take it for a spin.Aside from the sequential shift of the gearbox, driving this car is as simple as any other V8 ute. Select first gear, bring up the revs, let the clutch out and off you go. It puts out a raucous sound as the engine barks and stones flick up in to the unprotected wheel arches.
The shove in the back and roar of the V8 leaves no doubt this ute has some serious performance available. The King suspension soaks up bumps and holes in the track that would otherwise slow a production 4WD to a crawl. The grunt really shows its value when the track narrows and winds through the scrub – the ute leaps out of corners and bounds for the next one before the massive AP Racing brakes slow it down again.
Our drive of Steve’s ute came shortly after we competed in the Australian Safari behind the wheel of the production class Jeep Rubicon. The two vehicles are worlds apart. The corner-to-corner blast of acceleration of Steve’s ute was the real revelation of the ute’s performance potential. Well, that and knowing that Steve was hurtling along the fence lines in Western Australia at upwards of 170km/h, whereas our Jeep was bouncing along at half the pace. This unlimited Holden is nothing like our production-spec vehicle!
We even approached a hump in the track, where Steve had been getting some air for the cameras, and kept the boot buried in an attempt to do the same. Even without the speed Steve was carrying, the ute cleared the rise and the long travel suspension soaked up the landing like it wasn’t there. After seeing the way the car landed sideways on Steve’s earlier jumps, we were content to take it slower and have a smoother landing.
While the ute is relatively straightforward to drive, it still needs to be man-handled. It likes direct steering inputs; at the first sharp right-hander we ran wide into the scrub. A more aggressive turn-in is needed to get the nose pointed, then it’s back hard on the gas to wag the tail and shoot rooster tails of sand up from the rally tyres before blasting to the next corner to do it all again. While it’s a thrilling experience over this short blast, keeping up the pace over five days at an event like the Safari – or the two weeks of the Dakar – would be something else again.
With no sponsor stepping up to back a Dakar bid at this point, and no Australian Safari being run in 2015, Steve was prepping the car for something different as we went to print. “We’re going to lower the car and give it a bit more horsepower and take it to the Race to the Sky in New Zealand,” he told us with a hint of excitement. And the ute will be exciting, with a 900hp (671kW) supercharged 7.0-litre engine being built specifically for the unique hill climb on NZ’s South Island in April.
Like the Dakar, the Race to the Sky attracts the best racers from around the world and Steve finished second there in a previous attempt driving a home-made buggy. The supercharged V8 ute should add a distinct Australian flavour to the race in 2015 and will be a sight and sound to behold.
Get the latest info on all things 4X4 Australia by signing up to our newsletter.
Not many details were shared in the brief press release but we think it’ll follow the standard models offering 4×2 and 4×4, single and double-cab styles and plenty of variants.Our guess is that it will be built at one of the company’s South American plants or even the US plant alongside the the brand’s other SUVs.The Benz ute will be an interesting addition to the segment alongside products from other European brands, VW and Renault, plus the regulars Toyota, Nissan, Ford, Mazda and Mitsubishi.In the meantime, we’d just like more access to Benz’s other ute – the mighty G-Professional.
Get the latest info on all things 4X4 Australia by signing up to our newsletter.
For osteopath Jessica Weatherall, four-wheel driving was the solution to her itchy feet. The self-confessed nature lover had limited experience in the off-road world, but jumped at the opportunity to spend more time in the great outdoors.
Little did Jessica know, this would soon develop into a love affair with her Land Cruiser 78 Series Troop Carrier V8, affectionately known as Maggie.
IT BEGAN IN THE MIDDLE
For Jessica it all started with weekend trips away from the city and a yearning to explore dirt side-roads.
“I love being in nature. I tried to spend at least one day a week getting out of the city, so I’d go to the beach or the mountains for a hike. Eventually I found myself out in the bush, looking down these little tracks wondering where they went,” she said.
After years of sitting around with her housemate planning imaginary camping trips and joking about finding “a man with all the gear”, it was a trip to Darwin to visit a friend that turned Jessica away from her city-dwelling Peugeot and toward her Troopy.
“After a couple of days in Darwin to visit my housemate’s brother, I hired a 4WD and went to Kakadu on my own. I had so much fun and I thought, ‘screw this, we don’t need a guy for these things,’” she said.
“When I got back from Darwin, I started researching vehicles. I was pretty sure I wanted a Troopy because I needed something safe that I could sleep in.
“Up until that point, I knew nothing about 4WDing. The only advice I had been given was to put it in 4WD and don’t stop in sand. In hindsight, it wasn’t all that safe!”
Eventually, she found ‘Maggie’ (see breakout) and after a mechanic’s maintenance course, she began planning a big trip up the centre of Australia – but not without a bit more training.
CRASH COURSE
Jessica quickly learnt how to drive through slippery slopes and over rutted tracks, but that didn’t come without its terrifying moments.
“As soon as I bought my Troopy, I went to the High Country with a friend from work. It was great; he would tell me when to put it in low range and what gear to use. I remember wondering where he was taking me. It was very nerve-wracking.
“On one track, which was a bit wet, he went silent. I figured if he wasn’t saying anything it wasn’t going to be a challenge. It was pretty slippery. When we got to the bottom he told me he didn’t let me know it was a tricky track so I wouldn’t get nervous and he wanted to see how I would cope. I was thrown in the deep end but it was good – I got to learn the capability of my car.
“I love my car and I don’t ever want to damage it, so that’s where most of the anxiety comes from.”
IT’S TIME
Plans eventually fell into place for Jessica’s eight-week trip to Australia’s top end. Travelling from Melbourne to Adelaide, Jessica and Maggie travelled up the red centre to Alice Springs, through the Tanami Desert and then across to Broome from Falls Creek.
From there, she travelled to Cape Leveque, through the Kimberley, on to Darwin, and visiting Litchfield, Kakadu, Katherine and Mataranka, before driving the Oodnadatta track south,
“The Tanami was kind of the start for me. It was a real ‘this is it’ moment because I had heard so much about it. For the first 200km, my toes were gripped so tight. It took me a while to relax,” she said. “A lot of the roads had been graded, so some sections of the trip weren’t as difficult as we thought they’d be. It was unusual actually, we were disappointed at how easy it was to get to Mitchell Plateau on the way there, but five days later, on the way back, it was a totally different story.
“The Oodnadatta track was really cool too. It added an extra 100km to the trip but it was so good I don’t know why everyone doesn’t do it! It may take longer but it’s really beautiful.”
WHAT’S NOT TO LOVE?
It’s this seclusion and immersion in nature that has Jessica preparing for her next trip to South Australia and Kangaroo Island. The bigger trips may have to wait, however, with Jessica’s first baby on its way in the near future.
“The 4WDing is fun, but it’s about getting places that I couldn’t get to and exploring parts of nature I couldn’t reach without a 4WD,” she said. “It’s just being out in nature and especially out in the desert. It’s impossible to come back from that not wanting to instil some of that pace into your life.
“I like living in the city, but I feel like there’s a separation from what is truly me, so making an effort to spend time in nature is part of being a better me. I bought the Troopy for that reason and the actual 4WDing came secondary.
“It’s strange coming back to the city. I’d wake up every morning to the sunrise and now I’m in a house and the curtains are drawn and you miss out on all of that. There’s no way I’d willingly get up at sunrise now.”
There’s no doubt Jessica’s itchy feet won’t keep her in one place for too long with plans of another big trip next year.
“My favourite moments were just camping off the side of the road in the middle of nowhere. The places where there was no-one else around, it was completely silent. Sometimes the silence was so loud and the moon was so bright it kept you awake.
“It’s not about the grandness of the location or the beauty of where I was; it was just about the experience of being completely isolated.”
ABOUT THE TROOPY
Jessica bought her 2008 Land Cruiser 78 series Troop Carrier V8 as a stock-standard second-hand vehicle. Affectionately called Maggie, she came with driving lights, a bullbar, a winch and front and rear diff-locks.The first thing Jessica changed was the clutch and then added a towbar. Jessica also fitted Maggie with custom-designed drawers which sit behind the row of forward-facing passenger seats. A custom cargo-barrier doubles as a bed platform when the passenger seats are folded forward.“It takes 20 seconds to convert and it’s absolutely perfect for me. That was the start of the transformation for me,” she said.In the same week, she forked out for the suspension with Koni 82 Series shocks combined with Old Man Emu leaf springs on the back and King Springs on the front, with a two-inch lift in the rear to counter-balance the sag.With a lift and standard tyres Maggie looked out of proportion, so Jessica got her fitted with Mickey Thompson ATZ P3s. On top of that, Maggie carries a roof rack and a side and rear awning.Jessica said there’s plenty more she could add to the set-up, but the Troopy worked so well on her trip away, she’s happy to keep Maggie the same… for now. No doubt with a bub on the way, there will be some more mods to come.
Get the latest info on all things 4X4 Australia by signing up to our newsletter.
Land Rover Australia will order up big on its iconic Defender as the Solihull plant works towards its planned December 2015 shutdown, which comes almost seven decades after the original rolled down the production line in 1948.
Part of the send-off will involve a pair of limited-edition models – the Adventure and Heritage – which go on sale in Australia late in 2015. Land Rover Australia will also pre-order hundreds of Defenders to ensure it can still satisfy the “natural demand” that sees the rugged, boxy off-roader sell hundreds annually with minimal marketing.
“We want to have enough to keep us going for three to four months,” said Tim Krieger, LRA general manager communications and public relations.
Since 2008 the Defender has enjoyed a sales resurgence, typically selling between 400 and 800 per year, with the utilitarian 110 wagon the most popular.
While it has modern technology including Bluetooth and a grunty 2.2-litre turbo diesel engine, the largely aluminium body – and many mechanical components – are for the most part as they’ve always been. An acceptance that so much of the original was right from the outset is no doubt part of its appeal.
Krieger said the Defender – described by the company as the “epitome of capability” and “unmistakably Land Rover” – has been the heart of the Land Rover brand.
It is one of the slowest sellers in the brand’s expanding portfolio; however, he said it’s a model that helps cement the reputation for legendary off-road ability.
An all-new Defender is expected by 2018 or 2019 and is expected to change radically, with more technology and a modern flavour.
The Discovery and Range Rover line-ups will also house a Defender family, with various sizes and a broader price range.
Defender faithfuls will no doubt be queuing to own one of the last of the line; the limited-edition Heritage and Adventure.
Globally, 2654 Heritage models will be available and 2277 Adventures. Krieger is hopeful Australia will get “about 100” of each.
Get the latest info on all things 4X4 Australia by signing up to our newsletter.
Let’s assume for a minute that you’re a well-travelled Landy aficionado with a shed-load of cash and you want a rig to remind yourself of the many global off-road expeditions you’ve completed in years gone by.
You’d probably just head down to the local Land Rover dealer and pick up a new MY2015 Defender, which is likely to be the last example of this venerable off-roader that can trace its heritage directly to the original Landy of 1948. At least, you would if you didn’t live in the good old US of A, where the Defender hasn’t been sold since 1997.
You might think it’d be easy enough to import a late-model Defender into North America, but this isn’t allowed as the vehicle isn’t compliant with the USA’s safety and emissions standards. In fact, several dodgy characters who’ve tried this recently have been busted, with law-enforcement agencies seizing said vehicles and making a public display of crushing them to discourage potential copycats.
So, what’s a reminiscing Texan rancher to do? Buy an officially-imported 1993 Land Rover NAS (North American Specification) 110, slip an open cheque into the centre console and send it off to Jonathan Ward at ICON with instructions to build it into the ultimate incarnation of a modern Defender.
ICON is better-known for modernising old Ford Broncos and Toyota 40 Series Land Cruisers than it is for fettling Defenders, but now that the company has these production models under control, it’s more than happy to take on one-off jobs like this amazing NAS 110… so long as the customer has sufficient funds in the bank to pay for a hell of a lot of work.
“We started a separate crew to develop one-off vehicles,” explains ICON owner Jonathan Ward. “We call [the vehicles] either derelict or reformers. The basic idea of derelict is an as-found vintage car, usually from the late-30s to the 60s, that we’ll laser scan and re-engineer with the best modern suspension and powertrain and conveniences and comforts, but leave it looking like we did nothing – patina, rough exterior finish – but on the inside it’s engineered, the underside’s all world-class.
“And then the reformers are kind of the counterpoint to the derelicts, where the fit and finish is concours level, and the newer the car the more we re-execute it and the more redesign it entails,” Ward says.
The reason for this, according to Ward, is that car-company bean-counters became too powerful in later years. “What the original designer would have rendered of the primary body form and all of the details, like handles and lighting and all that, generally by the time they made it to production, the more they would water it down and the accounting department would tell them ‘well, we can’t afford these handles, but use these handles off another app, use the lights from another app’ and, at a certain point, you lose the vision of the original design.”
Ward reckons this is the case with earlier-model Defenders, which is why there are so many poor-quality plastic components on them, such as the dashboard and the door handles. And this is why just about every component of the Defender you see on these pages is new, from the engine to the door handles, to the dashboard to the air-conditioning system. And many of these components have been re-manufactured specifically for this one vehicle; that means old plastic components have been scanned and re-manufactured out of CNC’ed aluminium, or they have been replaced by new CAD components, made from various top-quality materials.
Jonathan Ward is somewhat obsessed with design. In fact, he reckons the look of the Defender almost saw his company head that way in terms of its next production vehicle. “I’ve always liked [Land] Rovers,” he explains. “And we were kind of thinking of doing Rovers as our next production model, but given the limitation of legal cars in the US, and the limited availability of all-new body structures, we decided, when Ford called and asked us to develop the Bronco, to do the Bronco instead.
“That being said, I’ve always had a love-hate relationship with the Defenders in that I think their body shape, in a front three-quarter view, is unparalleled in its focused utilitarian beauty… but I really thought that the execution of them left, shall we say, a lot to be desired; use of plastics extensively, the manner in which the body is constructed with the aluminium on steel… and then the use of the archaic [3.5-litre V8] motor… that was leftover 1960’s stuff. Bless GM’s brilliance for finding a customer for it,” he laughs.
Ironically, the engine that now lurks beneath this ICON Defender’s bonnet also has GM roots; it’s a GM “Erod” (emissions certified) 6.2-litre LS3 V8 that makes a claimed 320kW and 575Nm. The LS3 is perfectly suited to Ward’s client who he describes as “a bit of a lead foot”, as is the 2.5-inch custom-built, mandrel-bent, ceramic-coated Magnaflow exhaust system, which gives the Defender a gnarly growl.
Other than having to move the steering pump, Ward says the LS3 V8 fit neatly in the Defender’s engine bay. The new V8 is mated to a GM Supermatic 4L85E electronically-controlled four-speed auto transmission and the stock transfer case is retained, albeit with upgraded internals including a cryogenically hardened mainshaft. Completing the driveline package are new OEM axles modified by Twisted and equipped with ARB Air Lockers.
With a hell of a lot more performance now on offer, ICON replaced the Defender’s standard stoppers with Alcon front and rear disc brakes, a Wilwood master cylinder and a seven-inch dual diaphragm vacuum booster. The brakes not only offer upgraded performance, but the big calipers look the goods when viewed through the attractive five-spoke 18-inch alloys.
As with everything on this Defender, the suspension has been designed to perfectly suit the client’s needs. Ward reckons the client’s brief went something like this: “Okay, I’ve been around the world, I’ve been there, done that, but I’m older now so screw that, this is just to really remind me of those travels, but it’ll be used in Texas, predominantly on-road, on the highway, in canyons, and the only off-road is going to be when I get to my ranch.” Bearing this in mind, the suspension components supplied by Twisted in the UK are conservative, consisting of OEM high-performance springs and custom Bilstein shock absorbers.
The driveline and suspension were completed well before the body went back on the now powder-coated chassis, and other mechanical details were finalised such as the fuel system (a standard tank with an Aeromotive in-tank fuel pump, stainless fuel lines and Aeroquip fittings) and electrical system (an ICON-designed military-spec wiring harness with soldered and triple-sealed connectors).
When it came to working on the exterior, the original body of this Defender threw up some serious challenges, despite it being in reasonable nick. “This truck completed several transcontinental journeys with its previous owner before we got it,” Ward says. “It was in pretty good shape, considering; the largest offences were some silly portholes cut into the roof, and some shoddy wiring and added accessories. We ordered a new roof, fenders and various bits (all OEM), the rest we custom-built or collaborated with our friends at Twisted in the UK.”
The team at ICON, used to working on Toyotas, had to change their thinking with the Defender. “With the FJ [Land Cruisers], even the ones from the 60s, the depth of engineering priority and execution of the design is remarkable,” Ward says. “With the Japanese engineering and tooling and stamping and stuff, there are consistent right angles and consistent forms, versus Rovers, where we spent a lot of money doing laser scanning to map the body in CAD, only to find out that you replace that fender, or you do another vehicle, what is 89.7 degrees on one vehicle might be 91.27 on the next vehicle. That was kind of a unique challenge – we got a little too precise for ourselves and had to throw away some CNC work and change angles off-true to make them match the physical reality of the body.”
As you can see from the photos, the body on the ICON Defender is immaculate, and it’s finished in a spectacular Ferrari-silver paint. Custom-built exterior components include the grille, headlight housings, mirrors, top and side-functional guard vents, door handles, windscreen frame and door hinges. All of these components are CNC’ed aluminium and have been media-blasted and anodised.
ICON also custom-built the front and rear bars (the front houses a Warn winch and the rear features dual carriers) and the side rocker-panel guards, while the external cage was modified and fitted with a custom rack and ladder. Completing the exterior package is a forward-facing Vision-X high-power single-roof LED bar and two spotlights on the back.
The interior of the ICON Defender is a far cry from the plastic-lined atrocity of an early-90s NAS 110. A highlight of the all-new CAD dashboard is its ribbed stainless-steel finish and New Vintage gauges, but look a little closer and you’ll see other intricate details such as the CNC’ed alloy control knobs and air-conditioning vents. Other CNC’ed aluminium components include the door locks, door handles, grab bars and seat handles. The steering wheel is also an ICON part.
The custom seats (four buckets and two jump seats in the cargo area) are similar to those ICON uses in its production models, but they’re covered in very special leather. “We’ve done a couple of vehicles with a brand called Parabellum Collection – that’s a high-end belt and bags brand run by a good friend of mine – that uses American bison hide,” Ward says. “The client really liked that in another project that he saw us do – our Thriftmaster – so he requested the interior and door panels and seating all to be done in the American bison hide.”
While Alcantara is used on the headliner and sun visors, the floors are covered in a top-quality loop-pile carpet. “We Polyurea-coated the underside of the body structure and the inside of the floors while it was still blown apart, and then made the carpet rubber-backed, Dynamat-lined with Hoegaarden German-weave wool rugs,” Ward says. “They’re all removable if you’re really going to get muddy with the truck.”
Additional attention has been paid to keeping noise and vibration levels to a minimum. “We Dynamat-lined the entire body, doors, roof, floors, firewall, the whole nine yards, so it had a more solid feeling,” Ward says. “It lowers NVH significantly and has a more bespoke feeling inside with those higher-quality materials. Everything you touch now is aluminium instead of plastic, down to the seat paddles and all the interior door hardware.”
There are significant mechanical enhancements also designed at improving the feel of the ICON Defender, such as the fitment of an all-new Vintage Air Gen IV in-dash HVAC system, as well as re-manufactured door handles. “We redesigned the way the plungers engage with the latch to make that a more precise feeling,” Ward says. “At the end of the day it is still a [Land] Rover, so the door gaps and alignments, none of them are perfect, but it’s sort of part of the charm.”
So how much money did the ICON Defender cost to build? “Given all the one-offs and scanning and CAD development hours and stuff? Probably in the mid-$300,000s, which is just brutal,” Ward says. “One thing we’re careful to say to people is the way we do what we do is not very cost effective, but if you value the end-result enough, and it makes sense to you, and it transcends what you’ve seen available on the market, then we love doing it.
“Maybe we’re assholes, but we literally try and focus on making every project the ultimate, the best it can be, and the end-result is what it adds up to cost, to do. It’s not like we hired some firm to tell us how much we could squeeze out of each client, it’s just the realistic end-result of our lunacy and detail work.”
Get the latest info on all things 4X4 Australia by signing up to our newsletter.
Vehicles are more reliable than ever before. No matter what you hear about new vehicles being more complicated, statistics show that the chance of a breakdown in a modern vehicle is far less likely.
However, that doesn’t mean nothing ever goes wrong with modern vehicles. While the complex electronics supervising almost all of a vehicle’s functions are usually very reliable, if they do go wrong out bush, you’re more likely to be stuck with fewer ways of diagnosing what is wrong than with an older vehicle less reliant on electronics. Thus, the likelihood of making running repairs also dwindles.
Part of the answer to this modern vehicle dilemma is very simple and should be as much a part of the vehicle tool kit as a screwdriver – in fact, it would be a lot more useful than a screwdriver.
We’re talking about the vehicle scan tool.
Scan tools come in a variety of types, but all of them should be able to find and clear fault codes stored in the vehicle’s computer. The key issue is getting the vehicle computer to talk to the scan tool; but not all vehicles do. So, despite legislation to standardise vehicle computer scanning, there are still differences between vehicles.
The reason that not all vehicles can use a scan tool is because of the haphazard way the scanning of vehicle computers developed.
Vehicle manufacturers started to use electronics to manage fuel injection systems from the late 1960s, but it took decades until it was commonplace and before there was any consistency with the way the onboard computer could be accessed.
In the mid-1990s, manufacturers selling vehicles in the USA and Japan were increasingly turning to electronics to help meet increasingly stringent emission requirements, and in 1996 the USA made it a legal requirement that cars used standardised electronic emission control diagnostics. By the early to mid-2000s, Europe and then Australia followed.
This system, known as OBD-II (On Board Diagnostics II) or EOBD (European On Board Diagnostics) followed OBD-I. OBD-I wasn’t entirely successful as it did not have a standardised plug-in point, so there were a variety used.
For example, a GU Patrol pre-2007 won’t work with the common OBD-II code readers, nor will a Land Rover Discovery Td5. While the Land Cruiser TDV8 works with ODBII, many other Toyota models before this do not.
The brain of these electronic systems is a small computer – usually referred to as an Engine Control Unit (ECU) or PCM (Powertrain Control Module) – that runs programs to allow the injection of fuel, ignition timing and so on, according to conditions.
The ECU collects information from various sensors to permit it to run the engine most efficiently. Coolant temperature, air inlet temperature and other information are reported to the ECU via electrical sensors. This allows the ECU to run a richer mixture and higher idle when the engine’s cold, for example, or to adjust the timing when pinging occurs.
The ECU stores fault codes, when components do not run within parameters, to allow technicians to diagnose problems. In cases where the problem may damage the vehicle, the vehicle will revert to limp-home-mode – it will still run, but with reduced power and/or only with set gears working (with automatic transmission). This can be a real problem if you’re off-roading or towing at the time.
OBD-II requires the vehicle to have a standardised D-shaped plug-in point within reach of the driver so as to check the vehicle’s emission controls are functioning properly. Also a warning light (known as a Malfunction Indicator Light or a Check Engine Light) fitted on the dash illuminates when a fault code is stored in the ECU. There are also standardised numbers to describe the fault.
For example, if the engine has a misfire, the event will be recorded in the ECU. Sometimes the misfire (or whatever else is going wrong) has to occur multiple times before the ‘Check Engine Light’ comes on.
WHAT WILL WORK
Very early scanning tools were exclusive in that you could only plug in a scanning tool that vehicle manufacturers sold direct to dealers. However, many early vehicle computer systems – and even those using OBD-I – were so basic that it was just a matter of shorting out the pins of the port with an LED and reading the number of flashes that would then correspond to a fault code. Others would flash the ‘Check Engine Light’ on the dash in a similar fashion.
Clearly, you needed to be very careful doing this because if you got the wrong pins you could easily end up with a dead ECU – not something easy to buy on a 20-year-old 4×4, especially as they are often unique to the vehicle’s VIN. Many vehicle-specific forums will be able to provide guidance here.
Vehicles made until the mid-1990s are unlikely to work with OBD-II scan tools, and it isn’t until the mid-to-late 2000s that you can be reasonably sure that Australian-market models can be scanned. This is where vehicle-specific forums can again be your friend. Search forums to find what others have used.
With the introduction of OBD-II and scan tools, you can now read fault codes and easily clear them. Despite manufacturers using different protocols in their vehicles (there are about seven different ‘standard’ protocols) even the most basic scan tool should be able to read and clear codes.
As vehicle electronics became more complex, the number of computers has increased. The Body Control Module (for ABS, traction control, stability control and central locking) and various modules for airbags, audio, sunroof and other electronic devices in the vehicle are now used. Because OBD-II legislation is all about emissions, most scan tools won’t tell you if there is a problem with these other systems.
Despite the legislation, there are still a number of different protocols used by different manufacturers to run the ECU. So while they all use the same fault codes (for engine emissions at least), not all will have the same operating system. This can be significant when buying a scan tool, because it may not be able to access your vehicle’s ECU.
WHAT DO THEY DO
The most basic scan tool is simply a code reader. It is typically a hand-held unit that plugs into the OBD-II port and reads any trouble codes and will clear them. To understand what the fault code or codes mean, you will need access to a list of explanations. These are readily available on the internet; however that may be no good to you in the middle of nowhere, so getting a print-out and putting it into your vehicle is a good idea.
The next level up is the scan tool that provides not only hard-fault code readings, but also pending codes and live data streaming. This is probably the most common information available in most scan tools, in all their varieties.
The cheapest is the ELM27-based Bluetooth scan tool. It’s about the size of a matchbox and plugs into the OBD-II port. You then need a laptop, Android or smartphone with Bluetooth and the appropriate software, and you’re good to go. You’ll be able to see pending and hard-fault codes, and then clear them. You’ll also be able to read live data direct from the sensors, such as coolant temperature, ignition timing and so on.
You can be set up with a Bluetooth scan tool, including the App and software for less than $20 in some cases, so this is probably the most efficient way of doing things. The problem with the data reader, and most scan tools at the lower price point, is that most are unlikely to tell you what the code means (they will just give a four-digit code) and none will scan for codes from other sources, such as the ABS, airbag or other systems. You also need to ensure that the software can be updated.
Some PC-based software provides a snapshot of a stored trouble code, showing what other values were recorded when the fault was triggered (a single or intermittent event that might have triggered the fault code) which can be very useful.
It’s at this level where scan tools and gauges, like the Scangauge II, are most popular. This type of scan tool serves as a live data reader for various sensors, usually offering not only real time data readings but also trip computer information. It is intended to be a permanent fixture in the vehicle, unlike the laptop-based or hand-held scan tools.
Some vehicle gauges are not entirely accurate; the coolant gauge is the most common culprit. Here manufacturers don’t want drivers to be concerned about the normal fluctuations in coolant temperature so they set the gauge to not move above the ‘normal’ 12 o’clock position unless overheating is imminent. With Scangauge II-type data readers, you can see exactly what temperature the sensor is reading, and can observe if the temperature is higher than normal. A partially blocked radiator, for example, might make the vehicle run hot but not hot enough to move the dash temperature gauge from normal. You can be alerted to this problem before it becomes dire with real-time sensor readings.
Another handy feature available with the more sophisticated scan tools is that, when scanning for faults, it displays the exact description of the problem rather than just a four-digit code.
The next step up is a scan tool that not only does all of the above but also gives access to the individual system codes for non-emission related information, such as the transmission, ABS, traction, stability control, airbags and so on.
These scan tools are usually centred around the software – you usually just need a Windows-based laptop and a $20 OBD-II plug to hook the laptop to the vehicle. It is the vehicle-specific software that costs the big dollars, mainly in excess of $200.
This type of scan tool can also have bi-directional capability; you can test to see if certain components are working by activating them via the software. For example, if the engine is getting hot and you think that the thermo fan is not working, you can power on the fan via your laptop. Now we’re getting into the realm of specialist workshop scan tools. These can cost from $500 to over $5000.
At this point you can scan just about any common model and also re-flash components such as keys or a new radio. This is what most vehicle workshops have today. While almost any scan tool or code reader will solve the common problem of clearing codes – and thus bring a vehicle out of limp-home-mode – they won’t fix the problem itself. So if a sensor has gone bung and sets the vehicle into limp-home-mode, you might find that every time you clear the code it will come back in a matter of minutes.
That’s where your troubleshooting expertise will come in. Nobody travelling out bush wants to be a part-time computer expert, but to have a trouble-free run on bush expeditions; maybe we will all have to be…
Get the latest info on all things 4X4 Australia by signing up to our newsletter.
Being overtaken by a huge iron horse as it shakes the ground beneath you, while negotiating a narrow dusty track that runs parallel to the railway line, is an experience you won’t forget in a hurry. This section of track in outback New South Wales follows the continental-crossing, man-made, coast-to-coast Transcontinental Railway.
In just a couple of days you’ll also be treated to the amazing colours of the canola and lavender fields near Parkes, the relatively undiscovered outback oasis that is Lake Cargelligo and spectacular camping spots at Lake Mungo and the Kinchega National Parks. If you have the time and want to extend this adventure, you can roughly follow the railway line all the way to Perth.
Departing from Sydney, our route will pass the remote towns of Ivanhoe and Hillston in central New South Wales, then on to Lake Mungo via Darnick before arriving at the spectacular and culturally rich Kinchega and Menindee National Parks. The adventure ends at Broken Hill.
A highly recommended first camp along this route is Frogs Hollow bush campsite on the banks of Lake Cargelligo, just 400km from Sydney. Lake Cargelligo is an old gold mining settlement. There are no facilities at this campsite, but it’s perfect all the same due to the incredibly calm lake – you can even hear fish jumping as you sleep.
After a great night’s sleep it’s back on the road again toward Merri Merrigal along a large section of, what is now known as, the dusty Cobb Highway. This road was originally used in the 1840s for moving stock from NSW and Queensland to Victoria as part of the ‘Long Paddock’.
Continue north-west and take the track signposted for Roto, and then on to Ivanhoe. This is where the fun starts and where you’ll get your first real taste of what you came for: to kick up the red dust. Next stop Hillston.
The driving conditions on these unsealed tracks are highly dependent on the weather – if it rains, expect road closures. Thankfully for us it was sunny and dry and the Land Rover’s Td5 diesel engine was purring as we left behind a trail of dust. We were now progressing alongside the trans-continental railway line.
Here, there are two tracks to choose from; both running parallel to the world famous railway. The first is the main dirt road and the second is the narrower and more challenging track that runs closer to the railway. The narrower track is mostly used for railway maintenance vehicles and in many places these maintenance tracks run on both sides of the line; the idea being to stop service trucks from crossing the tracks.
When tackling the smaller track, make sure you lower your tyre pressure as there’s sure to be plenty of bulldust. This track can also be pretty rough and uneven in spots with unexpected depressions, so best advice is to keep speed down.
If you’ve ever had the privilege of being a passenger on the Indian Pacific train, you’ll be aware it’s marketed as the longest and one of the greatest rail journeys on the planet. It’s an ocean-to-ocean adventure over three days covering a whopping 4352km.
The railway line also boasts a single stretch of straight railway track covering a staggering 487km that crosses the Nullarbor Plain from outback South Australia into Western Australia. While it sounds incredible, I’d still prefer to tackle the narrow dusty railway line track in my hot, creaky, bouncy, air condition-less Land Rover Defender as opposed to looking out the window of a luxurious carriage, sipping champagne. Sure, our chosen mode of transport is a bit slower, bouncier and a bit lower to the ground in comparison to the luxury of the elevated first class soundproof train carriage, but exploring this stretch of land on four wheels will guarantee you a sense of adventure and the opportunity to be consumed by the surrounding environment.
As you drive alongside the railway line toward the distant horizon, you cannot help but think how harsh conditions must have been for the men who came from distant lands to build it, using the most basic tools including picks, shovels, carthorses and camels. You can almost sense the sweat and tears that went into this fantastic man-made piece of infrastructure that took five years to build.
As we progressed along the track en route to Ivanhoe we unfortunately didn’t get a chance to see the Indian Pacific train, but we were overtaken by a Pacific National train – one of Australia’s largest private rail freight businesses, connecting freight between the western and eastern seaboards.
Seeing one of these trains thunder past you is a bit like being in an action packed scene from a Mad Max movie as the noise of the huge diesel engine overpowers your immediate space, shaking the ground beneath you. The train driver certainly made his presence felt, sounding the train’s horn as he passed by.
An abundance of wildlife will cross the line as they go about their business – this is something travellers could never tire of. With emus, kangaroos and white-tailed eagles, it was a bit like driving through an open safari as you leisurely make your ways towards Ivanhoe.
Ivanhoe is a quiet town that was founded in the early 1870s and has a current population of 265 people. In its early days, the area was served by travelling Chinese and Indian hawkers, as well as camel trains, making the town a multicultural centre. It’s an opportunity to refuel and get a bite to eat at the local garage but don’t expect to do a big shop for supplies here as only the basics are available in this sleepy town.
About an hour west from Ivanhoe is Darnick, the next stop before veering away from the railway toward Pan Ban. This will lead you to the ancient lakes of Garnpung and Leaghur perched in the heart of the Mungo National Park. Despite the name, vast expanses of water are unlikely; the lakes are as dry as a camel’s back. The track takes you right through the middle of the ancient lakes and it truly is a surreal experience considering these lakes once played a key role as a source of water for the nomadic indigenous populations and the local wildlife.
Mungo National Park is part of the Willandra Lakes World Heritage Area, a chain of lakes that dried up around 14,000 years ago. The National Park is also one of the most important archaeological sites in Australia and it’s believed Lake Mungo has been occupied by Aborigines for the past 50,000 years, making it one of the most important early Aboriginal sites in Australia. It’s fascinating to imagine that the dry landscapes of Lake Leaghur, Garnpung and Mungo were once filled with water and were rich and vibrant places where kangaroos (three times the size of modern ’roos), giant wombats, Tasmanian devils and the friendly hippo-like Zygomaturus once called home.
As you drive closer to Lake Garnpung a very straight-looking track that cuts right through the lake comes into view. The lake-bed track looked fine from a distance, but wheels on dirt is a different story. After sliding uncontrollably a couple of times, we ended up getting bogged. After three attempts, lowered tyre pressures and a few prayers we were out of the hole. Never be complacent driving solo here as the track conditions can quickly change.
Relieved to be back on our way, we tackled the next ancient lake: Lake Leaghur. From here you’ll catch a glimpse over the horizon at the spectacular “Great Walls of China”. The crescent-shaped dune covers 22km of sand and clay that the weather has shaped into amazing formations over time and is best viewed at sunset or sunrise.
After a very educational Mungo National Park experience, it was off to our final destination: Kinchega National Park. From Mungo it’s 53km to Reaka and a further 25km to Pooncarie. Approximately 127km of more unsealed track will take you from Pooncarie to Menindee. Kinchega National Park is located a few clicks from Menindee via a dry-weather dirt road.
There are plenty of camping choices here; we chose to camp along the Darling River, not far from where Burke and Wills set up camp in 1860. Menindee would be the last white settlement that Burke and Wills would encounter on their doomed journey across the continent. This perfect riverside campground will reward with great views of the majestic, meandering river and beautiful sounds of the river’s bird life. It’s places like this, camped alongside the Darling River, that makes Australia great for those who like to get away from it all. Without a doubt, this country offers some of the best camping locations in the world!
As you drive through the park, toward Lake Menindee’s edge, you’ll be drawn by the ghostly lifeless black wood gum trees that idly protrude from the lake bed. The strange appearance of these trees is due to extensive flooding over time that eventually led to the death of the trees. They are now a key feature that distinguishes this lake district from others in Australia. We pulled over on the lake’s edge on a number of occasions to embrace this unusual sight.
Australia offers some incredible and very reachable outback destinations with a standard 4WD. The far west of outback NSW is one such destination.
What you will enjoy most about this trip is not just the diverse landscape but rather the unique opportunity to travel on a section of the 4352km dusty narrow tracks that runs parallel to a railway line that tracks all the way to Perth via Broken Hill.
This adventure will provide decent 4WD tracks, remoteness and an ability to set up camp anywhere along the railway line alongside outback wildlife.
In the six days it took to complete this outback adventure we got bogged, lost, experienced prehistoric landforms and enjoyed a taste of outback driving that left the Land Rover with a nice red glow as we reluctantly drove back into Sydney.
We might have to take the train next time.