EF2000iS is so simple to use, even the editor got it to work.

For some, the idea of heading to the bush for a few days means leaving the rat race behind along with all the electronic devices that go with it. An opportunity to escape to nature where the only power required is diesel fuelled from under the bonnet of your 4×4. But take a magazine road test away for a week in the bush, along with photographers, videographers and a crew who can’t go 30 minutes without their personal electronic devices, and all of a sudden your power requirements step up a notch. That’s why for this year’s 4X4 Of The Year road test, we packed the Yamaha EF2000iS gennie in the back of the Jeep.

The EF2000iS is Yamaha’s 2kVA generator with enough grunt to charge batteries for camp devices, charge vehicle batteries, run a television, microwave and even power the airconditiong units in some caravans. There’s a set of cables provided to clip to your vehicle battery direct to the built in 8 amp/12V DC outlet if required. Need more power? The EF2000iS can be linked to another one to give you a monster 3.8kVA – enough power to light up your campsite cricket pitch, like the MCG.

The 2000iS is an inverter generator with pulse width modulation to compensate for variances in charging caused by any change in engine speed so it’s safe to use for power sensitive electronic equipment like laptops.

The unit is simple to use and after filling it with the recommended oil and unleaded fuel, it fired up with ease on the first pull of the cord. It’s relatively quiet thanks too Yamaha’s Noise Block Sound Reduction System but we still preferred to have it away from our campsite so that we could enjoy the bush at its best. Likewise, anyone that uses any generator in a public campsite should be respectful of other campers and only use noise making equipment at appropriate times. Even the hum of a super quiet (51.5dBA at ¼ load at 7m) generator like this one is alien in the bush and not always appreciated by everyone.

The fuel tank holds 4.4 litres of petrol and Yamaha claims this will run the gennie for 10.5 hours at quarter load or 4.2 hours at full load. We didn’t need it for anywhere near this long and it barely used any fuel to charge batteries, radios and other equipment each night. Without fuel or oil, the gennie weighs 20kg so its light enough for most adults to lift out of your 4×4 and the handle moulded into the case makes this even easier. The handle also makes it simple to run a strap over the top of the unit to secure it in the cargo area of your vehicle and stop it bumping around when you’re driving off-road.

The EF2000iS is technologically advanced to offer the best performance yet simple enough in operation so even the dummies can use it. Its quiet by generator standards; light weight for transport and should have enough punch to power all your off-road adventure electrical requirements. Even if you don’t normally use a generator in your travels, having one in your kit is a reassuring tool to have handy.

We say: Powerful, quiet and easy to operate. RRP: $2189 Where from: www.wellcross.com.au

New radios keep the 4X4 Australia crew in touch on the road.

Radio communication in the bush is an essential tool for both safety and convenience. Vehicle mounted UHF radios are standard kit for any 4×4 used for outback travel and hand-held radios are handy when you are away from the cars. Hand-helds can also be handy for car-to-car communications if you don’t have a permanently mounted radio set to your vehicle.

Here at 4X4 Australia, we only have test cars for a week and can’t add accessories, so we rely on hand-held units to keep the cars in convoy and communicate with photographers who are sometimes shooting the moving cars from 500m away.

Hand held UHF radios are available to suit any budget from less than $50 to up to $500 and while the cheapies might be useful and fun for the kids to use around the campsite, their effectiveness over distances and hilly terrain is often lacking and not dependable. This is because they are low power radios, usually about one or two-watt units with some even as low as half a watt.

You can’t beat five-watt radios for reliable comms. This is the power of most in-car fitted radio sets but you still won’t get the same performance from a five-watt hand-held due to the smaller, non-permanent mounted aerials. Some hand held radios do have a provision to fitting an external aerial when used in a vehicle.

Good quality five-watt radios can also get very expensive so we were keen to sample these moderately priced five-watt Oricom UHF 5500 units. The UHF5500 retails for $199 as a single unit or you can get them as a twin pack as we did for $379. We had heard good reports on these radios from people who had bought them, so the 4X4 Of The Year road test in December was the perfect time to see for ourselves.

The Oricoms are solid feeling, compact units that fit nicely in your hand. They use a die-cast body that feels like it would take a knock or two. They feature 80 channels just like the modern in-vehicle units with duplex mode and CTCSS features. You can program your three favourite channels in to the unit so that they are quickly accessed by one-touch buttons. Channel scanning is also available.

The UHF 5000 comes with the radio itself, a belt clip, a charger for both 240-volt or 12-volt charging, a 1800mAH lithium-ion battery and a wrist strap. The twin pack gives you two of everything so you are getting two complete kits for a nice little discount.

In use, the back lit display on the UHF 5500s is easy to read in any light and the large buttons and volume dial are simple to operate. They proved to be more powerful than other low powered radios used on the road test – the two Oricoms and another five-watt radio could communicate over the stretched out convoy, while the low powered radios couldn’t transmit to us. The li-ion batteries were good for around two 10-hour days of use before needing a recharge.

At one point during the week of testing, the convoy was confronted with high winds creating a sand storm on the beach. A couple of cars were also bogged to their bellies and Hendo had the Oricom clipped to his belt while digging them out in the sand – there were no problems with the radio after this, despite it being buried in the sand as a result. He did get a bit of sand in the optional speaker mic he was using but it was cleaned out with a couple of taps.

With the feedback we’ve got from other UHF 5500 users, we’re confident that these radios will stand up to further testing – we’ll continue to use them.

There is also the back-up that Oricom is an Australian company (the radios are manufactured overseas) and offers a three-year warranty on the products.

We say: Compact, robust and affordable hand held UHF radios. RRP: $199 single or $379 in a twin pack Where from: www.oricom.com.au

In September 2011 I wrote of the first 15,000km with my new set of LT245/70/16 Cooper Discoverer AT3s under my 2005 Toyota Hilux. At that time, I related my overall happiness with the low noise levels and excellent grip of the then-new all-terrain tyres (designed with input from testing in Australia). I remember being disappointed in myself for not giving them the best start in life by neglecting regular tyre rotations at 5000km and 10,000km.

That was more than two years ago, and a few weeks before Christmas 2013, somewhere on the freeway between Sydney and Newcastle, those Coopers ticked over 100,000km. That’s been a remarkable life under my camper-equipped Hilux, especially when you consider it weighs 2.4 tonnes standing still and its logbook shows it’s pulling a trailer of 900kg to 1100kg around 30 per cent of the time.

But there’s fine print to this situation – there hasn’t been much off-bitumen travel on these tyres, so they haven’t been subjected to the callous nature of rocks and flint on outback roads. Knowing this, and with past experience of tyres showing significant deterioration in a few days of remote area travel, I kept a close eye on the tread blocks during a High Country/Snowies trek in April 2012.

Hauling 2.5 tonnes up the steep terrain of Victoria’s Billygoat Bluff and Mt Blue Rag – plus hundreds of kilometres of fast gravel running between New South Wales’ Tumut and Jenolan Caves on the return trek – can fray the edges of the tread blocks on any tyre. But there was nothing more than a pinkie fingernail’s chunk of damage to one tyre.

Since then, they’ve done a lap of Moreton Island, helped drag a race car half-way across Oz to Lake Gairdner (plus to other destinations as diverse as Grafton and Gippsland) and sweated in Sydney’s summer peak-hour traffic. Adding to this successful run is the fact I am careful with tyre pressures – 35 up front and 40 in the rear for my part-time 4WD Hilux, 15 on the beach and an extra five in the bum when towing, and I service and rotate the tyres often.

Yes, my non-rotation of the tyres for their first 15,000km came back to haunt me later – the tyre that started its life on the front left will carry this extra wear for the remainder of its life. Tyre-swapping allowed this tyre to spend extra time away from the left front to even-out all four tyres’ wear patterns. This tyre is seeing out its last few thousand kilometres with its more-worn shoulder facing the diff on the driver’s side rear.

For a quiet yet capable all-round performer for later model 4WDs, I’m just about stunned with these AT3s. Top job.

We say: Quiet, no-nonsense long-lived all-rounder. Price: $330 (LT245/70/16). Contact: www.coopertires.com.au for dealers.

In outback Queensland’s sparsely populated Gulf Country lies a little town every fisherman 4×4 traveller should add to the bucket list.

When people hear Mount Isa, fishing isn’t what immediately comes to mind. Images of arid landscapes, broad-hatted stockmen slouched on gangly horses and intensive mining activity cloak the thoughts of top-class freshwater fishing. And yet, Mount Isa is actually a wonderful destination for keen or even semi-keen anglers.

Lake fishing

Mount Isa provides the ideal base for exploring two of Australia’s loveliest man-made lakes or freshwater impoundments. The first and by far the best known of these is Lake Moondarra, located just 15km from the town’s centre and a favourite aquatic playground for about 20,000 Isa residents, especially during the intense heat of summer. Much less publicised is Lake Julius, situated another 100km or so north along the twisting Leichhardt River as it flows (albeit intermittently) towards the distant Gulf of Carpentaria.

Lake Moondarra

Lake Moondarra has been stocked with hatchery-bred barramundi for many years, and at times has produced reasonable numbers for angling hopefuls, including quite a few trophies for over the magic metre mark. The local fish-stocking group is especially active, and help host a wonderful Fishing Classic at the end of October each year. The popular event sees hundreds of entrants try their hand at a spot of fishing, each hoping to score a barra over the course of the busy weekend – very few succeed. Typically, only a handful of these highly sought-after fish are taken, among the much more prolific (and willing) longtoms, catfish and grunter. Sadly, successive wet season floods, coupled with less-than-optimum stocking levels, have actually seen a decline in the lake’s already low barra catch rates.

Lake Julius

Construction of Julius Dam was completed in 1976, with the lake created to provide water for local irrigation, and back-up Moondarra as a water supply for Mount Isa’s considerable domestic and mining demands. The Lake’s recreational value is officially rated as secondary, but is nonetheless important.

The 18.3 metre concrete buttress dam wall at Julius is located downstream at the junction of the Leichhardt River and Paroo Creek. When full, the lake has a surface area of around 1,255ha, with an average depth of close to nine metres. Much of this beautiful body of green-hued water is framed by steep red hills and ochre cliffs dotted with clumps of vegetation. There are dense strands of paperbarks along the water’s edge in many places, adding to the idyllic outback appearance.

Lake Julius has a well-earned reputation for being one of Australia’s best and most consistent sooty grunter or ‘black bream’ fisheries, and it certainly didn’t disappoint during our brief, one-day visit. Although we failed to tangle with any of the lake’s legendary 50 to 60cm black-flanked bruisers, we did catch a string of solid grunter up in the low to mid 40cm range. Thanks to their amazing thick-set build, these hump-shouldered fish are especially heavy for their length and pull like wild bull when hooked on reasonably light tackle! They were a real handful when pinned close to snags or weed beds, demanding stiff drags and white-knuckled fighting tactics.

While there are some shore-based opportunities around this lake, you really need a boat, kayak or canoe to tap into the best of the sooty grunter action. Although it’s not a huge dam by southern standards, there are plenty of twisting arms, coves and bays to explore – we certainly didn’t see all it has to offer during our day on the water.

It’s worth noting that freshwater crocodiles are quite common in the lake, but there’s virtually no chance of encountering a lost salty this far inland, so canoeing and kayaking are safe enough options.

Sooty grunters respond well to bait such as earth worms, locally caught shrimp, frozen saltwater prawns or even strips of steak and chicken. Unfortunately, so do the lake’s prolific fork-tailed catfish. For this reason, most serious sooty hunters prefer to use lures or flies.

There are reportedly a few barra present in Lake Julius (mostly escapees from Moondarra that have made their tortuous way downstream during floods) but encounters with these fish are rare and we certainly didn’t come across any. Not that it mattered, as we had an absolute ball catching and releasing a string of lovely sooties. We also got stitched up and broken off by a couple of beauties in the snags.

Lake Julius had been on my ‘must visit’ list for several years and it was great to finally tick it off. Something tells me I’ll be back there before too long. It’s just that kind of place.

How to get there

Lake Moondarra lies just 15km from downtown Mount Isa over sealed roads. By contrast, Lake Julius is about 100km north of the Isa, with about three quarters of that distance being over a dirt road of variable quality. Check conditions in town first before making the trip. Be particularly wary of wandering stock and wildlife, especially at dusk and dawn.

When to visit

Travel in this region can be problematic and river levels are prone to rapid fluctuations during the northern Wet Season: from December until March, or even as late as early April. Daytime temperatures may also be extreme in summer. The best weather combinations and fishing tends to occur from August until early November and again in late April and May. Cold nights from June to August reduce the fish activity (and catch-ability).

Camping

Camping is only allowed on the shores of Lake Moondarra during the annual Fishing Classic. At other times, visitors should seek accommodation 15 minutes or so away in town, at one of Mt Isa’s many caravan parks, motels or hotels. The status of camping at Lake Julius seems to vary over time (and depends on who you talk to). It’s generally agreed that camping is permitted below the dam wall, near the (usually) dry river crossing. Camping is not encouraged on the lake shore itself.

The far east of Victoria’s high country is the remotest area of the Victorian Alps and offers fabulous scenery, history and challenging tracks.

Omeo is located 420km east of Melbourne and about 130km north of Bairnsdale. Accommodation and campgrounds are located in this pleasant and historic mountain township. Supplies and fuel are readily available.

Omeo accommodation

There are a large number of bush camping areas to be enjoyed in this region of Victoria. These include The Poplars on the Murray River where Limestone Creek Track meets the river and Limestone Creek Camping Area just north of the Limestone-Black Mountain Road.

Other camping areas include McFarlane Flat, small campsites at the creek crossing along the Cobberas Track, and Nunniong Plain and Bentley Plain east of Omeo.

Victorian High Country

Looking north from the south side of Cowombat Flat in the remote eastern High Country of the Victorian Alps, into New South Wales, the border is marked by a narrow stream which is widely known as the Murray, but here the locals know it as the Indi.

The area was declared a ‘wilderness area’ and closed off to vehicle traffic in 1989. With the removal of cattle, the amount of people visiting this wild place dropped even more. Mind you, the day we were there, Parks Victoria staff had been joined by Museum Victoria researchers in a biological survey of the region and Cowombat Flat was throbbing with activity for two weeks. For some lucky members of 4WD Victoria, who were supplying the transport requirements of the researchers, it too meant they had access to an area long denied to four-wheelers. It was a ‘win-win’ situation for all concerned.

Aboriginal history

While Aboriginal people made use of these rich snow plains during the summer months of prehistory, European pioneers pushing south in the late 1830s from the Monaro Tablelands, in what is now the Australian Capital Territory and New South Wales, discovered the rich grazing lands of the Victorian High Country, including Cowombat Flat. So began the rich heritage of Victoria’s mountain cattlemen.

On the New South Wales side of the Indi, which is easily stepped across at Cowombat, the remnants of a stone hut built by one of these pioneers can be found. While little remains, sadly even less is known about the hut’s origins.

Cobberas Track

Most people who visit this remote spot in the Australian Alps do so by walking, or riding, along the easy going of McFarlane Flat Track west of its junction with the Cobberas Track. The Cobberas is a most definite 4WD trail that heads north from the good dirt surface of the Limestone-Black Mountain Road, some 42km east of Benambra. The Cowombat Flat Track, which also leaves the Limestone-Black Mountain Road but further west, is a longer walking (or cycling) route into the Flat.

McFarlane Flat

A short distance away, and east of Cowombat, is McFarlane Flat, reached via the aforementioned Cobberas and McFarlane Flat Tracks.

There’s some good camping at McFarlane Flat while the McFarlane Flat Track continues east, meeting with the Ingeegoodbee Track through the wild craggy country bordering the Ingeegoodbee River to finally meet with the Snowy River Road, south of the Victoria and New South Wales border at Willis. It’s not a route for the faint hearted!

Nunniong Road

Not wanting to retrace our steps back to Benambra and then Omeo, where our mountain sojourn had begun a few days previously, we took the relatively good Nunniong Road, heading south. This route passes through an extensive area of country that was burnt out six or so years ago. The road is lined with the tall grey trunks and the limbs of dead trees of ‘The Grey Forest’. Not surprisingly, we had to sneak around a few fallen giants, and it’s strongly advisable to take a chain saw with you if travelling this route.

For most of the way, the road acts as a somewhat artificial boundary between the Tambo State Forest and the Alpine National Park and then the Buchan Headwaters Wilderness Zone. A number of tracks drop off the ridgeline west, into the valley of the Tambo River but we stayed on the easy going of the Nunniong Road until we passed through and then stopped to check out the large Nunniong Plain. This wide snow plain offers some excellent camping along its western edge and is popular with horse riders.

Washington Winch

From Nunniong Plain, we pushed on south through delightful forest country to the Washington Winch, which lies to the east of the small hamlet of Swift Creek, but sadly the road westward to the town was cut and closed. After checking out the steam driven winch, which was once used to haul timber from the nearby steep valley – you needed to be someone very special to work here going by the pictures on the info board – we turned south towards Moscow Villa and the Bentley Plain. This is another delightful spot to camp and the huts here are well kept. A number of walking trails should entice you to get out and stretch your legs.

From Bentley Plain we pushed on south along a long high ridge, which offered extensive views before dropping down to the Little River, where the road improved as we passed the Ensay pub to meet with the main highway, 45km south of Omeo. With our time in the mountains coming to a close we turned onto the bitumen and headed home, but this trip wasn’t the first and it certainly won’t be the last to these hills and valleys in the far east of Victoria’s magical High Country.

Stunning scenery and intriguing pastoral history, the Gawler Ranges have plenty of wide-open spaces for travel goers.

Where: Gawler Ranges National Park (GRNP) – 55km north of Wudinna, SA. Access through Minnippa, Wudinna or Kimba on Eyre Highway.

Mt Ive Station (MIS) – 200km west of Port Augusta, SA.

When to Go: Avoid the hottest months – spring and autumn are perfect. Contact Mt Ive for timing of planned station activities such as mustering.

Accommodation: GRNP – camping $8/night per car plus one-off $10 park access fee. MIS – $20/unpowered site; $25/powered site or stay in the shearer’s quarters from $50/night (BYO bedding) to $80/night for furnished rooms in the stone huts.

Driving Conditions: In dry conditions access roads and tracks are largely 2WD. Wet conditions can see major deterioration and some GRNP tracks require 4WD. High clearance and lockers handy for some of Mt Ive tracks.

Gawler Ranges National Park

The Gawler Ranges are less publicized than the well-marketed Flinders Ranges, and so the South Australian landscape of stony hills, with its historic and geographic features, also has the added bonus of being the road less travelled.

Coming in from the west, enter the Gawler Ranges through Minnipa and check out the endless cresting wave of Pildappa Rock. The easy climb to the top provides the perfect opportunity to clear the long itchy Eyre Highway from your eyes and enjoy the sunset looking out over the farmlands towards the Gawlers.

It’s about 40km into the Gawler Ranges National Park which was established in 2002 by combining Paney Station (one of the earliest pastoral landholdings in the region) and areas of Pine Lodge and Scrubby Peak stations into a 166,000ha reserve.

The roads are generally good and many are suitable for 2WD – as long as the weather is dry. Even a small amount of rain and the slippery clay rapidly deteriorates into sticky wheel-sucking ruts – clearly evident on some of the park’s trails.

Gawler is semi-arid country. It’s largely saltbush or fast growing, low-lying plants and grasses that quickly vanish in harsh summer heat. Autumn is the perfect time to visit – after some rains to freshen the lands and a throw of greenery lacework add a colourful contrast to the harsh flaming rock. You’ll enjoy soft sunny days and comfortable cool nights.

Access and fees

There are self-registration points at each park entry with a single fee for day access and additional fees per night for campers. There are at least six camping sites but most are simply cleared bushland with NO toilets, bbqs or picnic tables. You need to be fully self sufficient – especially in terms of water.

Yandinga Falls, some ten minutes into the park, is easily accessible even if towing a caravan. The falls are a trickle between peaceful pools unless recent rain has fallen. It’s a comfortable fifteen-minute scramble up to enjoy the views from the top of the rocky outcrop.

Camping

There are plenty of other campsites located off the 4WD tracks that circle the park – off-road campers will enjoy peaceful surroundings at Chillunie or Mattera. If it’s been too long between showers, head to Kolay Hut, one site where you can obtain water. You’ll need to light up the old donkey boiler at the simple shed but the hot shower is worth all the hard work.

One of the beauties of the Gawlers are the interesting rock formations among the dark ochre of volcanic rock hills that are estimated to be 1500 million years old. Weathering has exposed thousands of “organ pipes” as the volcanic rhyolite is commonly described. Formations can be shallow and wide like the rotten teeth of a grinning giant or long and elegant like the cathedral organ. Some point to the sky, others lean forward as the soil erodes from the base, creating convenient caves favoured by rock wallabies.

The park contains scattered remnants of its pastoral history including an old stone dam, and the recently restored Poondanna Outstation (available for hire). You can walk through the four-room Old Paney Homestead where station manager William McKenzie lived in very close proximity with his wife Jessie and their eleven children in the late 1800s.

Wildlife

With a highly active fox baiting and feral goat shooting program, and the reinstatement of water supplies, the park has seen a good bounce back in native fauna and you’ll see plenty of emus, euros, red and grey kangaroos plus twenty other rare and endangered species including birds like the Major Mitchell cockatoo. There’s an excellent chance of spotting the endangered yellow-footed rock wallabies at Yandinga – as long as they move. This cute critter is brilliantly camouflaged by a grey body, tan paws and feet, extra long striped tail and occasional “bandit” mask of white and black. They can be difficult to spot when they sit motionless amongst the shattered rocky landscape.

Mt Ive Station

Head north through the park to the Kingoonya-Iron Knob Road for a stay at the Mt Ive Station. It’s hard to miss the station entry marked by what appears to be a submarine breaching out of the red gravel. When Joy and Len Newton bought the property in 2002 as a secondary sheep station, the camping ground was more like a scrap metal yard than a welcoming rest stop. Gradually clearing the area, they were a bit stumped with what to do with the massive old boiler tank – the hot riveted body was an excellent example of good old-fashioned metal smithing and it seemed a shame to scrap the old girl.

For those who’d rather explore rocky trails with the short stick firmly engaged; Mt Ive has over 250km of tracks open for access. For a small fee, mud maps are available and you can spend a day or three travelling the various circuits spotting eagles soaring back to their high nests, gazing out over the panoramic views from the tops of the ranges or scrambling the tyres over the rocks on tracks that rapidly change from easy gravel to challenging twists and turns through creek-beds and up and down steep inclines.

Camping

While a great destination for any 4WD enthusiast, Mt Ive Station is particularly good for a club outing. With plenty of powered sites, bush camping or simple but comfortable shearer’s quarters, Mt Ive can comfortably accommodate very large groups. It has provided a base for Australian and international media crews shooting feature films, music videos and commercials keen to capture the unique beauty of the local landscape. Miranda Kerr and Hugo Weaving have bunked down at Mt Ive. One Taiwanese rock-star filmed a commercial and years later his fans are coming through to “stay where HE stayed”.

Visitors to the working station are welcome to tag-along and watch sheep mustering and shearing, or trapping and culling the hardy goat population. However, no visit would be complete without heading to Lake Gairdner, which directly adjoins the property. You’ll need to obtain a key for the locked access gate (fee applies) and head back out to the main road – allow around 45 minutes depending on road conditions.

Photography

The salt lake has many moods to offer photographers. When the sun beats down overhead the vast flat white expanse mercilessly reflects with hard clear crystalline intensity and the horizon and lake appear to melt together. Sunrise and sunset turn the snowy white to palest pink or soft warm apricot. Any water on the surface shimmers in a breathtaking path to the sun hanging low in the sky. Some sections of the lake are smooth and solid like an ice-skating rink; others are giant cobblestones. At times the lake butts hard into the shore with solid determination, at others the salt is roughened and broken like ocean waves beating against the startling contrast of the crimson flamed rocks.

With so many scenic options built around some interesting tracks, even if you’re not adding a visit to the area onto an east-west odyssey, the Gawler Ranges are a worthy destination in their own right.

Elim Beach within the Hope Vale Community of Cooktown offers much more than just Coloured Sands.

Cooktown is a popular stop on the trip north to Lakefield National Park, on the Cape York Peninsula, particularly if entering via Battle Camp Road. The area is rich in history thanks in part to one Captain James Cook, who ran aground on the nearby reef in 1770. He eventually climbed Grassy Hill, which overlooks the surrounding reefs, to navigate his way clear. He must have been onto a good thing because Grassy Hill has become a tourist hotspot ever since, showcasing an amazing view of the Endeavour River, particularly at sunset.

Hope Vale

A highlight of Cooktown and surrounds is the aboriginal community of Hope Vale, about a one hour drive north. The Lutheran Church originally established the Cape Bedford Mission at Elim Beach in 1886, but later moved the community to the current site at Hope Vale. This is the traditional country of the Guugu Yimithirr, including Hopevale (Dyuubi) and Elim Beach (Thiithaarr).

Elim Beach

Elim Beach is a peaceful location reached via an unsealed road one hour away from Hope Vale, which weaves through white silica sand hills and coastal scrub. If visiting for the day, grab a day use permit and map from the service station in town. Otherwise campers can go direct to the campground.

When you reach the T-junction at the beach, turn left for the Coloured Sands or right to the campground and follow the signs. The beachfront campground is shaded by mature paper bark trees, perfect for setting up the hammock. It’s one of those peaceful bush camps, allowing you to escape the crowds and take in tranquillity of the area for a few days. There are plenty of opportunities for fishing, best exploited with a tinnie which can be launched from the beach at high tide and moored there for the rest of your stay. You can even explore the coastline by boat to Cape Bedford in the east, or McIvor River to the north.

Camping

The camp is managed by Thiithaarr-warra Elder, Eddy Deemal, ably assisted by his brother Dave. Dave was looking after the place when we visited; a good spirited older gentleman and a good talker, rattling off stories from his former croc hunting days. The brothers have been known to put on a good show, demonstrating how to throw a spear with a woomera, catching mud crabs or sharing a tale about their past.

Basic facilities at the site include toilets and showers, with water pumped from a natural spring. The access track provides reasonable access for four-wheel drives, camper trailers or all-wheel drives. Like many places up north, the area is patrolled by a local croc, but thankfully he wasn’t on duty when we visited.

The Coloured Sands

The Coloured Sands is accessible on foot via a sandy track which drops onto the beach. Alternatively you can drive along the beach to the foothills or park at the entrance of the beach and walk up – just ensure you park away from the fishing shacks. The Sands are at least 300m up the beach and you can explore the area by climbing the soft sand on the right hand side.

Alcohol restrictions

If the idea of wrestling the lids off a few beers appeals to you, be warned – there are alcohol restrictions in the area. Possession is limited to a carton (30 cans) of light or mid-strength beer or one 750ml (one bottle) of unfortified wine per vehicle. Cask wine, fortified wine, full-strength beer, spirits and pre-mixed spirits are prohibited and the penalties are severe; try $37,500 for a first offence!

Beyond the idyllic location, the clincher at Elim Beach is sharing time with Eddy and Dave, the rainbow warriors of Thiithaarr-warra, who provide a rare insight into Aboriginal culture at an accessible level.

The Land Rover Defender is a 4×4 icon with few peers but its time is almost up.

Climb inside the Defender 90 and it’s like climbing into history. And by that I don’t just mean that the Defender is old-school and a throwback to the past.

It is, of course, both of those things, but it’s also much more. This Defender is the latest – and close to the last – in a long line of utilitarian Land Rovers that date back to 1948. Being a short (90-inch) wheelbase model (hence the ‘90’ designation), it’s also closest to the original 80-inch-wheelbase Land Rover.

The Defender remains both charming and frustrating. Even climbing up into the lofty cabin is a challenge for anyone but the young and athletic as there isn’t a grab-handle or a step to facilitate easy entry. And once on board you adjust your frame to the Defender, not the other way around. The Defender has a fixed steering wheel (not even reach adjustment), and there’s no height adjustment for the seat.

On the road, the Defender 90 is very much a light-truck rather than a modern passenger-style 4×4. In comparison to something like its Discovery 4 stablemate, it feels like a truck, steers like a truck and rides like a truck. That’s something you either love or hate.

What you can’t help but love is the energy and enthusiasm that emanates from the Ford-sourced ‘Puma’ 2.2-litre four-cylinder diesel engine introduced for 2012, replacing the previous 2.4-litre engine, an excellent but older and less environmentally friendly unit from the Puma family. The 2.2 is a champ of an engine that punches well above its claimed 90kW. With new noise deadening (also introduced in 2012) and a wide-ratio six-speed gearbox, introduced with the previous 2.4-litre engine in 2007, it’s surprisingly quiet and fuss-free on the highway, though not so economical at higher speeds.

The Defender’s blunt nose and flat windscreen simply don’t do anything for aerodynamic efficiency and pushing hard will see the small 60-litre tank drain with alarming speed. Not that you push the 90 through corners. It’s very much a steady-as-she-goes drive, but it is still surprisingly long-legged on straight roads.

Off-road, the 90 is both brilliant and disappointing, very much like the vehicle as a whole. The high ground clearance, short overhangs and short overall length are major pluses. The vision is great, too. This is what makes a genuine off-road vehicle rather than a trail vehicle: a vehicle for explorers, rather than a vehicle for those who follow in their paths.

Not so good are the huge turning circle, the only-okay wheel travel and an electronic traction-control system that’s not as effective as it could be. For a live-axle 4×4, the Defender’s ability to maintain traction on deeply rutted and broken ground is frankly disappointing. Perhaps it’s the too-firm anti-roll bars. If this 90 were mine, the anti-roll bars would be the first thing to be junked.

The 90 might seem small on the outside, but it is the ‘Tardis’ of 4x4s with what is a surprisingly cavernous interior thanks to the body’s slab-sided shape and high roof. The two rear seats are also surprising roomy and comfortable, with easy walk-through access from behind, but the B-pillar crossbrace limits rear-seat legroom, which is about the only negative for passengers in the back. Thanks to a fold-down step and grab handle, it’s actually easier to get into the rear of the 90 then it is to get into the driver’s seat.

Perhaps the most annoying thing about the 90 is the noise from stones hitting the undersides of the wheelarches on gravel roads. It sounds like the crack of a small-bore rifle! The rear mudflaps are also poorly thought-out. At highway speeds the flaps ride up with the wind and the top corner of the passenger-side flap is directly in line with the hot exhaust-gas stream, causing it to melt.

Nit-picking aside, time behind the wheel of the 90 can’t help but have you won over by its charm. Even the initially awkward driving position becomes comfortable with familiarity. When I first jumped into the 90, I thought: “Do I really have to drive this for two weeks?”

Two weeks later, I thought: “Do I really have to give this back.” It will be sad to see the Defender go.

SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE Land Rover sells eight different Defender models in Australia, in wagon, van and ute variants, built on three different wheelbases: 90, 110 and 130 inches. The 90 only comes as the two-door wagon you see here. The 110 comes as a wagon, a van (aka Hardtop, with no side windows) and as single and dual-cab utes. The 130s come as cab/chassis in single and dual-cabs, or as a dual-cab ute. Land Rover Australia then offers various suspension and wheel/tyre packages, among other options, to extend the functionality of the eight different variants. Worldwide there are literally hundreds of different variants.

WHAT’S IN A NAME? The Defender hasn’t always been called the Defender. Despite being the direct descendant to the original Land Rover, the Defender name only came into being in 1991, some 43 years after the Land Rover was born.

The Defender name was introduced to distinguish the original ‘working’ Land Rover from the more luxurious and family-orientated Land Rover Discovery that was introduced in 1989 and was based on the soon-to-be superseded Range Rover of the day. Before the Defender name was introduced, Land Rovers went by series names (i.e. Series I, II and III) and later by wheelbase designation (90, 110, etc).

DRESSED UP Starting at $42,800 for a standard 90, our test vehicle dips into the options list with metallic Firenze Red paint ($600), contrast ‘Santorini’ roof ($730), black ‘Saw Tooth’ alloy wheels with Continental Cross-Contact tyres ($750) and part-leather seats ($720). All that amounts to $45,600 before on-road costs.

SPECIFICATIONS Engine: turbo-diesel inline four-cylinder Capacity: 2198cc Max Power: 90kW @ 3500rpm Max Torque: 360Nm @ 2000rpm Gearbox: six-speed manual Crawl Ratio: 62.988:1 4X4 System: dual-range part-time Construction: separate chassis Front suspension: live axle/coil springs Rear suspension: live axle/coil springs| Kerb Weight: 1815kg GVM: 2750kg Payload: 935kg Towing capacity: 3500kg Seating capacity: 4 Fuel tank capacity: 60 litres ADR fuel consumption*: 10.2 litres/100km On-test fuel consumption: 12.0 litres/100km *Australian Design Rule ‘Combined-Cycle’ claim

Thanks to a little bit of massaging, this Mahindra Pik-Up is one functional and tough workhorse.

The Mahindra Pik-Up was first sold in Australia in 2007 and was updated in 2011 with a new engine and the addition of Eaton (mechanical-style) locking rear diff. What we are driving here isn’t however a standard Pik-Up but one that’s been enhanced by Modern Motors of Dungog, a Mahindra dealer and, among other things, a supplier of Mahindra Pik-Ups to the mining industry.

Customised 4×4

To tell the truth we weren’t aware that this particular Pik-Up wasn’t a stock vehicle when we arranged the road test. When we first saw it sitting ready for collection, the winch bar, snorkel and rock sliders were obvious non-standard items but then we often get otherwise standard test vehicles decked out with bolt-on accessories, so that was nothing unusual.

Even starting up the Pik-Up didn’t reveal anything out of the ordinary although it did sound a bit noisier and throatier than expected. But then again we hardly expected Range-Rover levels of noise abatement and refinement. The Pik-Up is, after all, a working ute.

Once out on the road however we knew straight away that something was up. Even with the relatively short gearing from the five-speed manual, no way did the engine feel like a 90kW/270Nm unit given the Pik-Up weighs more than 2100kg and has a blunt, tall nose that would do nothing for its aerodynamics. It just devoured the hills between Sydney and the NSW Southern Tablelands, all in top gear, most of the time with the standard cruise control set to 110km/h. Impressive, to say the least.

It turns out this Pik-Up has an aftermarket ECU chip and pipe fitted by Modern Motors and the engine output is around 30 per cent higher than the stock numbers. That means somewhere around 120kW.

Engine

This is a modern engine that lends itself to tuning. Going under the name mHawk it runs second-generation Bosch common-rail injection with 1600bar injection pressures, an electronically controlled variable geometry Borg Warner turbocharger and is intercooled. It meets Euro V emissions standards and, aside from the slightly louder aftermarket exhaust, it offers impressive levels of refinement. On test, the Pik-Up used 11.8 litres/100km, which means a pretty handy range from the standard 80-litre fuel tank.

Chassis

However, you would have to say that the performance of the chassis, at least on the road, falls a little short of the strong performance of the retuned engine. But, then again, the test vehicle was fitted with aggressive Hankook Dynapro Mud Terrains so the steering response wasn’t as sharp as it could be. Likewise, the rear suspension was fitted with heavy-duty springs and without any load in the tray, the ride was on the firm side. It’s still more than respectable however; it’s just that modern passenger-style dual cabs, like the Ford Ranger/Mazda BT-50 twins and the Volkswagen Amarok, have significantly raised the bar in terms of on-road ride and handling.

Off road

No such complaints off road. The Pik-Up has plenty of clearance and the Hankooks come into their own when the going gets tough. The Eaton locker that was added in 2011 is also an off-road bonus. This is an automatic mechanical locker that reacts to a 100rpm difference in wheel speeds across the rear axle but won’t lock when cornering at road speeds. The Pik-Up doesn’t come with electronic traction control but with the locker and decent wheel travel it does just nicely, thanks very much.

The only negative off road is that the engine is a little soft just off idle, so you need to be a bit careful with gear selection in difficult off-road conditions. At least the overall gearing in low range is reasonably low with a 42.7:1 crawl ratio.

Cabin

Top marks for the Pik-Up cabin, which is roomy and surprisingly comfortable. This is a tall, truck-like cabin that’s more akin to a Toyota 79 Series dual cab than something like a Hilux. The front seats, with their fold-down armrests, are particularly agreeable while the rear seat is good for three adults. No side or curtain airbags however and only a three-star ANCAP rating. The big 1.75m x 1.65m tray is also a bonus as most dual cabs are more like 1.5m square.

For the price, the Mahindra looks like good shopping. It feels tough and is now well proven on the Australian market. The big, roomy cabin gets top marks and the engine, with the retune as tested here, is strong and willing. It’s also a capable off-road performer.

Tough Dog’s adjustable steering damper provides tunable off-road steering feedback.

I’m happy to admit that this product test is not necessarily the most appropriate component that has been fitted to my 100 Series Cruiser. It’s not that it doesn’t work as suggested or simply shouldn’t have been installed in the first place. Nope, the Tough Dog adjustable steering dampener (or stabiliser) is a tops idea, but, perhaps is more at home on 4×4’s with larger, harder-to-control-rubber than these puny (in comparison) 33 inch all-terrain Cooper rubber on alloy CSA rims. 35-inch and upwards tyres would probably be more capable of being able to show off these dampeners to its full potential, especially when the rim is packed with off-center globs of mud!

I first got wind of this SV Series 9-stage adjustable steering stabilser, complete with 35mm bore and 22mm piston rod, several years ago and figured that being a world first, I’d grab one and bung it on the big Cruiser for long term evaluation.

The 9-stage adjustability of this steering stabilser is capable of having its valving (read reluctance to move… or firmness) set to ‘pull’ out any shimmy or wobble from running imperfectly balanced wheels. It can also aid in off-road use to prevent steering wheel ‘kick-back’, which, again doesn’t apply as much as yesteryears 4×4’s with no power steering. This happens when your road going wheels strike a rock or other immovable object, sending the force through the steering components and up into your wrists. A softly valved steering stabilser would allow the steering wheel to give you a good old jolt, as compared to a heavily dampened one would help to absorb the shock, hence saving your wrists.

The ability to match this (essentially a) shock absorber to your individual vehicle is a massive advantage, in that you have nine stabilizers in one, to help fine tune to your exact requirements – just like the big bore Tough Dog adjustable shocks that are being run on the Cruiser.

The higher the valving is set, the firmer the shock is. That’s all very well until you swing around a corner, allow the steering wheel to slide back to its central position to continue driving straight ahead… well that’s what you’d expect to happen, isn’t it? The above mentioned ‘firmness’ translates into a steering system that needs to be pulled back to central – one that won’t do it automatically if set to high (firm), which can be a little daunting the first time it happens. You’ve been warned!

Other than the first few months testing on all nine settings, I’ve set-and-forget it to suit exactly the tyre size and weight on the front end of the Cruiser. I’d figure this would be the same situation most users would experience; get it right, set it, forget it.

Set correctly, this adjustable Tough Dog should not be felt as being too light or too heavy – just like factory settings. The advantage is that it’s of a larger volume and has more than enough settings to suit most 4×4’s

RRP $200.00.

For more information see www.toughdog.com.au.