UNSEALED 4X4 ISSUE 002

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à INSIDE ISSUE 002

ISSUE 002

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CHOOSE YOUR OWN

ADVENTURE

ISUZUUTE.COM.AU

TAKE WHATEVER, WHEREVER IN THE ISUZU D-MAX OR MU-X. Everyone has a spirit of adventure. For some it might just be taking the family to that favourite camping spot, for others it might mean conquering the most extreme of off-road tracks. Or it might just be that feeling of knowing you have the tools to hitch up the boat or caravan and take off whenever you want. Whatever your sense of adventure, there’s a no-nonsense Isuzu ute or SUV built with all the advanced features you need to get you there and back – safely and in style. Powered by a super-efficient 3.0L turbo diesel engine, and backed by a rock-solid 5 year warranty and a 5-star ANCAP safety rating~, the Isuzu D-MAX & MU-X are ready for any adventure.

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~5-star ANCAP safety rating on 4x4 D-MAX Crew Cab models built from November 2013 onwards and all MU-X models. ^Whichever occurs first, for eligible customers; excludes accessories and trays.

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CONTENTS

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CONTENTS

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CONTENTS

UMM, SLIGHTLY SUCCESSFUL LAUNCH

PUBLISHER PAT CALLINAN GETS ALL POLITICALLY INCORRECT WHEN GIVING THE LOW-DOWN ON THE LAUNCH OF UNSEALED 4X4

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Because you’ve heroically chosen to download your copy of Unsealed 4X4, you can’t see what’s on this page. But trust us - it’s well worth looking at. To see it in all its glory go to unsealed4X4.com.au

Introducing the Unsealed 4X4 editor, Dan Lewis

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NISSAN NAVARA. THE ULTIMATE PO

The ST-X 550 is built with a class-leading V6 Turbo of torque and phenomenal braked towing capacity. N MOST POWERFUL TRADIE. See it at nissan.com.a

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OWER TOOL

Register your interest for the all-new Nissan Navara ARRIVING EARLY 2015

diesel, 170kW of power, 550Nm No wonder it’s still AUSTRALIA’S au/navara

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GEAR NEWS

Because you’ve heroically chosen to download your copy of Unsealed 4X4, you can’t see what’s on this page. But trust us - it’s well worth looking at. To see it in all its glory go to unsealed4X4.com.au

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Because you’ve heroically chosen to download your copy of Unsealed 4X4, you can’t see what’s on this page. But trust us - it’s well worth looking at. To see it in all its glory go to unsealed4X4.com.au

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Because you’ve heroically chosen to download your copy of Unsealed 4X4, you can’t see what’s on this page. But trust us - it’s well worth looking at. To see it in all its glory go to unsealed4X4.com.au

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TJM XGS GOLD SUSPENSIONS KIT

TJM AIRTEC SNORKEL

TJM PRO LOCKER LOCKING DIFFERENTIAL

BATTERY TRAY

TJM ELECTRIC WINCH

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BETWEEN

AND HAR

EXPLORING VICT

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N A ROCK

RD PLACES

TORIA’S OUTBACK

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The north-west of Victoria is – as far as tourism goes – no-man’s land.

The world for most travellers ends at one of the state’s biggest icons, the Grampians. North of its sandstone mountains lies a world only visited by dedicated 4X4 enthusiasts or nature lovers. We venture into this forgotten corner of Victoria to drive from Horsham to Mildura, avoiding main roads wherever possible.

What we discover is an area of stark contrast. Intense and vast agriculture

coexists without buffer with the dry mallee wilderness preserved in various national parks. There is no direct route presenting itself for a trip through north-west Victoria. It is a matter of connecting the dots, hopping from national park to national park. These reserves, most of them only accessible by 4X4, spread like stepping stones throughout the area.

Horsham sits on the edge of flat land with big sky and an endless horizon. And yet, our first port of call

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is a vertical world: Mount Arapiles, a massive quartzite rock outcrop just northwest of the Grampians. It is a Mecca for rock climbers. More than 3000 routes from easy to impossible lure climbers from all over the world to this outcrop. The broad mountain sits like an island right at the edge of the plains of the Wimmera. It is the beginning of Victoria’s Outback.

Although Mount Arapiles is a paradise for “goats”, as rock climbers are labelled here, non-climbers can also access the

mountain by driving to a lookout on the top. From there the view north goes out over an immense expanse of land. We see round salt lakes and clay pans, and the strange symmetry of agriculture dissected by straight roads, but most of all the flatness of the surrounding land fascinates us.

In 1836, explorer and surveyor Major Thomas Mitchell also stood where we now stand. He saw the plains of Victoria’s north-west as “one of the most barren regions of the world”.

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Within this marginal region lies Little Desert National Park. The reserve compensates for its lack of visual drama with an extraordinarily rich fauna and flora. More than 670 plant species and more than 200 types of birds have been recorded in the park – including the elusive mallee fowl. Our first stop in the park is Horseshoe Bend on the eastern fringe near the town of Dimboola.

Here, the Wimmera River coils so tightly that only a few meters of land separate its waters. It is a popular place with a large campsite shaded by river gums. Along the river, sandy beaches invite a cool dip in summer.

Middens containing the shells of freshwater mussels and scarred trees prove that Aboriginal people lived here for thousands of years.

Then it is time to hit the dirt and take our trusty Pajero through its paces, following some of the tracks through the Eastern Block of the park from Horseshoe Bend past Eagles Swamp and Salt Lake to the Little Desert Lodge. It is a journey

through an extraordinary variety of vegetation types - from large river gums along the Wimmera River to bushland dominated by grass trees to low heath. Contrary to its name, the national park does not have the appearance of a traditional desert – despite only receiving between 200mm and 400mm of rain a year.

Along the way, deep sandy tracks challenge us a little and add spice to the drive. Our aim for today is the popular Little Desert Lodge just outside the park’s northern boundary, a destination for all those who want to see the elusive mallee fowl close-up.

Continuing north, Wyperfield National Park comes next. We traverse the park, wander through the extensive sand dunes at Snowdrift and take in the enormous mallee expanse from the Eastern Lookout.

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Because you’ve heroically chosen to download your copy of Unsealed 4X4, you can’t see what’s on this page. But trust us - it’s well worth looking at. To see it in all its glory go to unsealed4X4.com.au

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Because you’ve heroically chosen to download your copy of Unsealed 4X4, you can’t see what’s on this page. But trust us - it’s well worth looking at. To see it in all its glory go to unsealed4X4.com.au

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Only a narrow corridor of farmland left and right of the Mallee Highway divide Wyperfild National Park from the vast Murray-Sunset National Park, which – with 633,000 hectares – is Victoria’s second largest national park. There we make camp near the Pink Lakes – a cluster of salt lakes and clay pans.

The next morning we set out to explore the lakes. The thick morning mist is slowly lifting, giving the sun the upper hand. Still a diffuse, hazy ball, the sun is mirrored in the water that covers parts of Lake Crosby after recent rain. Then nature puts on a strange display. The low sun projects a perfect half circle on to the moisture-laden early morning air. Unlike a normal rainbow, however, there are no colours, just a white arc spanning over the lake. Along the shores of the lake, a band of dark red algae forms a surreal frame.

The main source of water in the Pink Lakes area is highly saline groundwater that seeps into the lakes in winter. In the hot and dry summer months, the water evaporates, leaving behind a crust of salt.

Water from an entirely different source fills lakes in the neighbouring Hattah-Kulkyne National Park. With this park, the green corridor of the Murray River is reached.

Connected to Hattah-Kulkyne National Park is Murray-Kulkyne Park with its forests of river gums.

The eastern border of the reserve is the winding Murray River. We follow 4X4 tracks that lead to its banks and give access to sections of the iconic river that appear almost untouched.

From the park’s northern end, it is only a short hop to Mildura. Just outside the reserve begins what makes the area around Mildura so famous: Citrus orchards and vineyards. The waters of the Murray River are also the lifeblood of a vast irrigation area here. Beyond this artificial oasis, however, Victoria’s arid outback rules again.

Words and images: Don Fuchs video: Richard Monks

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Because you’ve heroically chosen to download your copy of Unsealed 4X4, you can’t see what’s on this page. But trust us - it’s well worth looking at. To see it in all its glory go to unsealed4X4.com.au

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MUM AND DAD, CAN I BORROW THE NEW V8?

P-PLATE LAW AMENDMENTS MEAN SOME MEATY 4X4S ARE NO LONGER OFF LIMITS

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NOW LEGAL First it was Queensland at the start of 2014, South Australia in March, and then Victoria in July. Now, from August 1, NSW is changing the technical details behind the list of prohibited vehicles for provisional drivers.

It means the blanket ban on eight cylinders or more and forced-induction is over. Instead, P-platers can drive a big 4X4 if it has a power-to-weight ratio of 130kW/tonne or less.

NOT LEGAL If you’re a massive LandCruiser fan, move to Queensland or South Australia. These two states will let you drive any model. P-platers can also now drive a petrol Mercedes-Benz G-class, provided it is only the G 500 (112kW/tonne).

If you’ve just started payments on a supercharged V8 Range Rover though, tough luck. It’s one of the few low-range-equipped 4X4s that break the 130kW/tonne barrier (at 160kW/ The old rules still apply for vehicles Tonne). It’s the same with the Jeep manufactured before 2010.

Grand Cherokee SRT-8 (150kW/tonne) and the Mercedes Benz G63 AMG P-platers can now commandeer popular V8-powered family wagons like (156kW/tonne). the Toyota 200 Series LandCruisers For full details, check with powered by the 2UZ-FE (76.6kW/ the motoring authority in your state. tonne), the Nissan Y62 Patrol (105.3kW/tonne) and Hemi-powered Jeep Grand Cherokees.

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PICK-UP

TURNING THE VOLUME THE PRICES DOWN FOR

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

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P ARTIST

E UP AND (HOPEFULLY) FORD’S ICONIC F-SERIES

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F-SERIE

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LOCK up the cowboys and round up the cowgirls, for a herd of Ford’s F-250s is thundering back this way.

The iconic F-Series of pick-ups are legendary workmates and playmates to millions of North Americans. Since 1948 more than 30 million F-trucks have rolled out of showrooms, and for 32 years it’s been the best-selling vehicle, of all types, in the United States.

But in many of its incarnations, the F-Series has been left-hand drive only. Australia last saw a run of Brazilian-built, right-hand drive F-250s between 2001 and 2007; before that, some RHD models were built in Brisbane’s Eagle Farm plant from 1959 to 1992 and from 1959 to 1997 at Broadmeadows in Victoria.

All these remain well-prized and some local examples have appreciated in value over the years – a rare thing for a rough-and-tumble workhorse.

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Yet today, Ford’s bean counters reckon there’s not enough demand to engineer the current F-Series in right-hand drive. The Australian-developed Ranger ute is good enough and big enough for us, according to Detroit.

That holds true for many, although there remains a hard core of little truckers who need – and want – something a tad bigger to better tow boats, vans, race car trailers and prize bulls.

So it’s up to the Queenslanders to help out again with Gympie-based Performax getting the official tick to convert F-250s for our roads and back tracks.

Performax, already converting and selling full-sized Yankee pickups such as the Chev Silverado, Toyota Tundra and Dodge Ram, is now an accredited car manufacturer with Australian Design Rule approval to re-work the 2014 Ford Super Duty F-250 for registration across the country.

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F-SERIE

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The first of these little trucks should be on the road in August after six months of development work by a team led by former GM Holden and Ford Australia engineers. Performax International becomes the first local manufacturer to score full volume compliance for the F-series.

Offered here, to begin with, will be the Ford Super Duty crew-cab from less than $100,000 with higher-spec Lariat, King Ranch and Platinum crew-cabs running through to around $125,000 plus on-road costs. All Performax prices, naturally enough, are subject to the day’s exchange rates, but those look pretty good right now.

The four-door Ford pick-ups run a 6.7 litre, common-rail, turbocharged diesel V8 pumping out 294kW of power and a stump-pulling 1084Nm of torque. This is fed through a sixspeed automatic transmission with on-the-fly four-wheel drive available.

That means a five-tonne towing capacity in a high, wide and handsome package, fronted by a tonne of chrome.

Performax general manager Glenn Soper expects ‘healthy demand’ from both business and private buyers when customers consider the Ford’s features, work capacity and price compared with other high-end fourwheel drives.

“In addition, buyers have the assurance their vehicle is not just a one-off conversion job but fullywarranted with production-line quality, consistency and parts availability,” says Soper.

All F-250s arrive with a fouryear/120,000km warranty plus roadside assistance.

The crew cab Super Duty F-250 sits at 5.7 metres long with a cargo bed close on 2.5 long. The pickup’s cabin is almost two metres high by two metres wide. Ground clearance is 215mm.

In case that bulk sounds daunting, consider this: standard gear across these Fords is roll stability control, trailer sway control, hill start assist, hill descent control, integrated trailer brake control, stability control and ABS for 17-inch wheels.

Move on up from XLT to the Lariat and there’s leather trim, a rear-view camera, power adjustable pedals and more. Options here include an offroad suspension pack.

Most extras on top-end King Ranch and Platinum editions are cosmetic, including unique 20-inch alloys.

So whether it’s for work or play, loaded-up Ford fanciers in Australia again have access to one of the automotive world’s most popular machines. Giddy-up.

Words: Bruce McMahon

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WHALE TALES FRASER ISLAND AND THE HUMPBACK HIGHWAY

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Queensland’s World Heritage-listed Fraser Island is worth visiting at any time of the year. It’s the planet’s largest sand island and a 4X4 paradise, with stunning rainforest, dingoes, awesome fishing, crystal clear freshwater lakes and endless beaches.

But what makes it particularly special at this time of the year is its prime position on “The Humpback Highway”.

From August to November the sheltered waters between Fraser Island and the mainland – Hervey Bay – become the whale watching capital of the world as humpbacks calve at the end of their annual migration from Antarctica.

Whaling had taken the east coast humpback population to the edge of extinction in the 1960s, with numbers estimated at just 200 to 500.

Today it is thought that population is 17,000 to 19,000 and growing annually by 10 to 11 per cent.

So get your 4X4 down to Fraser’s Kingfisher Bay for a whale watching cruise, or watch the humpbacks frolicking from Fraser’s famous beaches.

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THE PIONEERS LUELLA BATES, A LEGEND OF THE FOUR WHEEL DRIVE AUTO COMPANY

PION

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The history of four-wheel drive vehicles is nearly as long as the history of the motorcar, and in the course of that history, few women have stood out as much as Miss Luella Bates of the United States.

In 1908 Otto Zachow, an American inventor, made a steam-powered four-wheel drive vehicle. He went on to form the Badger Four Wheel Drive Automobile Company in Clintonville, Wisconsin. With the name changed to the Four Wheel Drive Auto Company (FWD), the company became the world’s largest producer of four-wheel drive vehicles. Success in a military trial meant the company focused on petrolpowered four-wheel drive cargo-carrying trucks. The trial took place in 1911, with the US Army inviting truck companies to supply a vehicle to drive from Washington DC to Indianapolis, Indiana – a distance of 1500 miles. The FWD entry completed the journey in 49 days at the respectable average speed (for 1911) of 1.27 miles per hour on terrible roads. During World War I, 15,000 four-wheel drive trucks were made by the company.

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In order to meet the wartime demand, and with many men enlisted in the forces, FWD employed women in most roles in the factory. In 1918, a young woman working in production called Luella Bates became a test driver. After the war, male workers replaced most of the women, but Luella stayed on as a test and demonstrator driver for the company.

Luella was a massive publicity success for FWD and went to the New York Motor Show in 1920, generating huge interest, including a full-page newspaper story.

She demonstrated the ability of the trucks to work successfully in a city environment and became the first licensed female truck driver.

The company sent Luella on three tours of the United States with an advertising campaign built around the fact that the trucks were easy to steer and maintain, as proved by a young woman. Miss Bates became as famous as the pioneer aviators of the time. On one of her tours, Luella defied Oklahoma police and took her truck, loaded with meat for a packing plant, across a flooded river. Her courage and the ability of the truck made news headlines and the company sold ten trucks as a result of that one act.

Luella Bates continued her demonstration trips with the Model B and new fire trucks until she left the company in 1922. Born in 1897, Luella died in 1985.

The FWD Company continued on and prospered in many forms with subsidiary companies in Canada and Britain. The company still has a plant in Clintonville, Wisconsin, and produces specialty vehicles including Seagrave Fire Appliances.

Luella’s great grand-daughter, the actress Ashley Hinshaw, has spoken of her desire to eventually have a movie made about this tough, talented and charismatic woman who was a pioneer not only for the 4X4 industry, but for women in the workplace as well.

Words: Greg Rose

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UNSEALED 4

THE D MAD DO

JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT 4X4 MAGAZINE, WE WENT A

PART I OF OUR JOURNEY INTO THE UN

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4X4 GARAGE:

DEVIL DE ME O IT

T THIS WAS A RESPECTABLE AND BOUGHT A PETROL V8.

NKNOWN WITH A NISSAN PATROL V8

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Some of us here at Unsealed 4X4 are strong insensitive types, keen to blaze our own path in the world. Why else would we shirk the trend, nay, avalanche of buyers going down the diesel path.

Yes, you heard it correctly, we have a petrol V8 in the garage. A three-tonne lump of love, in the form of a Nissan Y-62 Patrol. But don’t worry, we’re not snobs, we chose the base ST-L model, which, while having a price of around $82K, is a fair whack cheaper from the dealers. Do your shopping and you’ll see. We’ve heard of some going for sub $60K. The other benefit of the base model is the fact that it lacks some of the electronics of the Ti-L, meaning you can actually fit a winch to this one (it gets in the way of the collision avoidance system in the Ti-L).

So now that you’ve had a mild brain aneurism after learning that we’ve got a petrol 4X4 in the Unsealed shed, grab a Panadol and read on.

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FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Holy shizit. This thing is quiet. And powerful. And car-like. My son reckons it’s like an inflated Pulsar, but it’s probably closer to an inflated Benz, truth be told. The comfort, fit, finish and ride quality is, quite simply, nuts. The ST-L does lack a few things though.

There’s no sat nav (something you get for free in a sub $30K Dualis), and there’s no leather. But the velour pews are comfy as buggery. And electric. And feature adjustable lumbar support. I could drive to New Zealand in this thing.

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With the 4X4 world bowing down at the distillate bowser every day, petrol land has largely been forgotten. ‘Diesels are powerful’ they say. ‘Diesels are torquey’ they say. I say, diesels don’t have 298 kilowatts, my friend. Remember when Commodore V8s used to have 150 kilowatts and we thought they were just awesome? Double it, chuck it in a Patrol, and it’s enough to want to marry. And just think of the benefits of petrol over diesel. First, you don’t get greasy hands at the bowser. Second, your servicing costs less. Third, it’s quieter and more powerful. And fourth, which is the biggie for me, I’m now earning heaps more credit card rewards points because of all of the money I’m spending on fuel. It’s a win, win, win, win scenario every time, right?

Okay, let’s talk about that rather large 5.6 litre elephant in the room. At the moment, as a stocker with no mods, the Patrol is returning 15.6 litres per 100km. That’s a mix of around town and highway.

Sure, a diesel version would be more efficient, but expect that to take a couple of years to land here (and yes Mr Nissan, we’d dearly love that 5.0 litre Cummins diesel that you’re dumping in the Titan. In fact, bring it, and we’ll have two please.)

We’ve done a wee bit of towing thus far (a horse float), and the Patrol barely felt it. We did use a few litres more per 100km (18l/100km), but in horse feed terms, that’s barely a biscuit of lucerne hay.

Of course, there is much more of a story to tell with our new Patrol. It’ll need to be named (suggestions?), it’ll need to be baptized in mud, and it’ll need to be dragged to the back of beyond. And that, my friend, is why it’s in the garage. Stay tuned for the next thrilling instalment, as we don the turbans, act like sheikhs and try to smuggle a few thousand gigalitres of premium fuel out of the local Caltex refinery. Or at least chuck on a bullbar, winch and suspension.

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This was an old-school Morocco expedition. Beneath the weight of our gear, the 1984 Santana 88-inch sank onto its rear axle. To complement our 28-year-old steed, Jimmy and I had decided to use conventional navigation techniques: a map and compass. We believed that our back-to-basics approach would help penetrate the cultural barriers that a more modern 4X4 might present.

Our route headed south towards the Saharan Erg Chebbi dunes, then west from Merzouga to the Todra Gorge, and finally north, crossing the High Atlas through Fes and culminating in Chefchaouen.

We were the only westerners to disembark the ferry in Melilla, a Spanish enclave near the Algerian border. Dust and chaos at the frontier triggered an abrupt adjustment to African life. Intimidated by the uniformed officials, we enlisted a local “helper” to complete the vehicle’s temporary admission documentation, as well as our own passport checks and declarations.

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STYLE

THE BEST WINTER BOOTS

SCARPA TERRA GTX All-terrain tyres for your feet. Full leather construction, waterproof breathable GoreTex lining and cushy polyurethane midsole are designed to provide comfort and shock absorption when you venture off road.

Known for their comfort right out of the box, these classic Italian-styled boots are ideal for day hikes. Made in the European Union.

$259 scarpa.com

BLUNDSTONE STYLE 001 WEATHERSEAL GUMBOOT When things go south and you’re axledeep in mud, throw on these old-school gumboots to ward off the elements. Made in Tasmania from oil and acid-resistant PVC, these kicks are built to last. They’re also built for comfort with a plush knitted lining, reinforced heel and instep and a removable shaped foot-bed.

$54.95 blundstone.com

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GUIDE

R GEAR FOR 2014 GLOVES

OUTDOOR RESEARCH GRIPPER GLOVES These are sturdy, dependable gloves for cold weather adventures. Weather resistant Windstopper速 fleece keeps the bracing wind out and the warmth in. Box wall construction through the fingers maintains your dexterity and the tough synthetic Suregrip速 palm gives you a firm grasp on the tools to keep you trucking when the weather turns.

$59.95 outdoorresearch.com

CACTUS SPG GLOVES For seriously cold outings.

Uncompromisingly toasty cowhide gloves from a respected NZ manufacturer. A synthetic fleece lining, snow cuff and leather outer with strategic reinforced panels make these a durable favourite with cold weather workers from Australia to Antarctica.

Treat with quality boot wax and keep them for a lifetime. $NZ179 cactusequipment.co.nz

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THERMALS

JACKETS

SILKBODY LONG SLEEVE CREW

ARB BLUE STEEL JACKET

IRONMAN 4X4 COOPER JACKET

Trade in your silk ties for silk thermals. Naturally smooth, anti-microbial and flame retardant, silk is a luxuriously practical thermal fabric without the potential itch-factor of merino (though these are 13% superfine merino). Classic styles and earthy colours define the Silkbody range. Based in NZ, Silkbody thermals are renewable, sustainable and even biodegradable.

The Blue Steel jacket is so ridiculously good looking that it will stop passersby in their tracks. Part of the trusted 4X4 supplier ARB’s clothing range, features include a durable Cordura 500D nylon outer with a waterproof, breathable TPU membrane and sealed seams. A nylon taffeta-coated lining provides insulation against those frosty mornings. XS designed for smaller women.

The Ironman Cooper jacket combines traditional craftsmanship with down to earth practicality in a 12oz oilskin made for Australia’s harshest conditions. Treated with water repellent oils and natural waxes, this ¾ length jacket is packed with more features than you can poke a stick at including detachable hood, tartan lining and pockets galore. Australian made and owned.

$199.95 arb.com.au

$210 ironman4x4online.com

$NZ170 silkbody.co.nz

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PANTS

MONT LIFESTYLE ZIP OFF PANT

R.M. WILLIAMS LEGENDS JEANS

CACTUS WK SUPERTROUSERS

No-nonsense pants from an Australian company based in Canberra. Durable, quick drying and breathable nylon is perfect for offroad adventuring. A soft cotton-like finish and a relaxed fit with elasticated waist and belt make these comfortable for long-haul journeys. Convert them to shorts in warmer weather.

With seven deep pockets you’ll never be short of storage space.

Hard-wearing, vintage jeans designed for the discerning outdoorsperson. The stylish lines of the standard cut belie the functionality of the Legends. Heavyweight denim, rust-proof rivets and flat-lock inside seams make these a rugged and versatile addition to any 4X4 enthusiast’s wardrobe. Available for both men and women.

Pragmatic pants from respected outdoor industrial brand Cactus.

These casual trousers won’t look out of place at the pub or cafe, but they’re robust enough to take a real rough Aussie bush-bashing or mud bog encounter.

Features include 12oz C-Canvas construction, bar tacks at stress points, and YKK zips. Owned and made in New Zealand.

$139 mont.com.au

$145 rmwilliams.com.au

$NZ219 cactusequipment.co.nz

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JUMPERS

R.M. WILLIAMS NARRAPORT JUMPER

EXOFFICIO ALPENTAL JUMPER

This classic v-neck knit jumper from a timeless Australian outfitter is made from a Donegal lambswool blend, giving it a casual heathered finish. With cuff and hem bands to keep out the cold, the Narraport Jumper conjures images of long, cosy evenings by the campfire and brisk mornings sitting over a fresh brew.

A lightweight fleece pullover which transitions from the Patrol to the pub with ease. This is a stylish take on the standard fleece, with a textured look and smart button-up closure. Quick-drying polyester, a soft brushed inner and a durable outer make this a perfect mid-layer for those nippy days out on the road.

$120 rmwilliams.com.au

$79.95 exofficio.com

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HEADWEAR

MONT MIMI JACKET

WOOL BUFF®

With a classic, streamlined cut and two warm pockets, this toasty women’s fleece can’t go wrong. The Polartec® Micro Wind Pro fleece blocks four times more wind than your average fleece, and a high collar, adjustable hem cord and under-zip flap ensure the wind won’t be sneaking in any other way.

The most versatile multipurpose headwear around. The Wool Buff® is a tube of 100% merino wool: breathable, odorresistant and warm when wet. Fold and twist it into a headband, bandanna, neck gaiter, beanie or balaclava. It’s soft to touch and available in a range of colours and patterns.

$126.06 mont.com.au

$52.95 mybuff.com.au

BURKE & WILLS MURCHISON HAT A traditional Aussie piece

for bushmen (and women) of all kinds. Made from sueded Japanese cow hide split, the wide brim will keep the sleet, snow and winter sun out of your eyes and waterproof treated napped leather will shed the elements. A braided band and chinstrap finish off this classic Australianmade hat.

$49 burkewills.outfitters.com.au

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**video** To go with the Mahindra Thar

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NINE ‘OLD’ 4X4S THAT YOU CAN

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NG DEAD

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pse said to be revived by witchcraft, especially in certain African and Caribbean religions.

r appears lifeless, apathetic, or completely unresponsive to their surroundings.

Morattab Pazhan

Although Santana went belly-up in 2011, the Land Rover Series lives on in the form of the Morattab Pazhan, made today in Iran for the domestic market. This Landylicensed gem is powered by a Hyundai three litre V6 petrol and a selectable 2X4/4X4 system that works through a Hyundai fivespeed gearbox. Leaf springs are replaced by coils; three-link in the front and a four-link in the rear.

Lada Niva

Beginning production in 1977, the Niva has been described by its designers as a “Renault 5 put on a Land Rover chassis.” It’s still in production today, assembled from Colombia to Kazakhstan, and sold into markets around the globe. It’s a five-speed, full-time 4X4 with a locking centre differential, and a 1.6 litre petrol four that makes 61kW and 129Nm. You can even get it in different body styles – king cab, single cab, trayback and utility.

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VALE : EVEN ZOMBIES DON’T LIVE FOREVER

Toyota Banderiante

We sadly didn’t get to write this before the curtain finally fell on the Banderiante, but it still deserves mention.

Essentially, Toyota was still making 40 Series LandCruisers for the Brazilian domestic market as late as 2001. They used a few different Mercedez-Benz sourced diesel motors for the most part of production, but went back to a Toyota 14B motor (plus a five-speed gearbox) for the last few years of production.

Nissan Jonga

Nissan’s tough-asguts old G60 dodged retirement by finding a gig with the Indian army.

Its production life ran from the mid ’60s all the way to 1999, being built by military contractor Vehicle Factory Jabalpur (VFJ). In 1996, the four litre petrol motor was replaced with a four litre diesel, sourced from Ashok Leyland. There was a push to build a civilian market for the Jonga, but it never took off.

Metalúrgica de Santa Ana, SA

The Series Land Rover didn’t fall into oblivion when the Ninety and One Ten succeeded the throne; Spanish manufacturers Santana Motors kept the dream alive by continually adding to and improving upon the 1958 design.

The final iteration was greatly improved in fact – it had a gutsy three litre turbo diesel motor of 135kW and 350Nm, along with a 100 litre fuel tank and a six-speed gearbox, albeit with tapered leaf springs.

The Series got another rejuvenation as the Iveco Massif, which was produced between 2007 and 2011 by Santana.

Words: Sam Purcell

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KIMBERLEY DREAMING THE STUNNING NOVEL CICADA IS A LOVE LETTER TO AN ANCIENT CORNER OF AUSTRALIA

Cicada is a tale of passion, scandal, murder and tragedy set in the ancient and wild landscape of Western Australia’s Kimberley region.

Death and rebirth are central themes in Moira McKinnon’s debut novel, while a central character of this exquisitely written book is the Kimberley itself.

The reader is effortlessly drawn in by McKinnon’s keen descriptions of the landscape and its first people.

The dry, tropical grasslands and clay pans sculpted by the wet season are brimming with hidden wildlife – and new and ancient secrets.

“The trees were sparse and the red soil had a hardened surface, scattered with spinifex bushes with leaves of dried bone like quills. In sudden eddies of wind the bushes freed themselves from the earth and took off like animals, skimming across the land.”

Cicada also navigates geography of another kind – the complicated web of human relationships that set in motion the engaging plot; part romance, part thriller. It also delves into the uneasy coexistence of black and white Australians in early 1900s Australia.

If you’ve ever dreamt of travelling to the northern stretch of Western Australia and losing yourself in its ancient, steep-sided mountain ranges, then this book will only fuel that wanderlust.

Cicada opens with a birth, an event that should be joyful, but one that reveals a betrayal, and results in heartbreak and murder.

British heiress, Lady Emily Lidscombe, has given birth to a beautiful coloured child, the result of a passionate encounter with an Aboriginal horseman who works for her husband William.

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Because you’ve heroically chosen to download your copy of Unsealed 4X4, you can’t see what’s on this page. But trust us - it’s well worth looking at. To see it in all its glory go to unsealed4X4.com.au

“I saw Jurulu, always in the distance, but I felt close and whenever there was a whistling kite, he would look up and I would too. I’d dream our spirits were together, carried by the kite, and that made me feel good. It is a madness of loneliness. A sinful madness.”

Aboriginal lore, magic and Dreamtime mythology are also interwoven with the poetic narrative, reflecting the author’s fascination with indigenous culture and a reallife encounter with a Kadaitcha Man – an Aboriginal sorcerer.

In the wake of her deception and William’s violent rage, Emily is forced to flee into the bush with her Aboriginal maid Wirritjil, pursued by her murderous husband and his black trackers.

McKinnon, a doctor by trade and a latecomer to writing, has delivered a stunning debut novel, and a love letter to a place that she once called home.

The novel charts the journey of the two women deep into the Outback, which for Emily is a frightening alien landscape, far removed from her safe life in Britain and her once-idyllic marriage.

Beautifully written, without a single wasted word, Cicada will draw you in and cast a spell that can only lead back to the ancient red soil and rugged beauty of the Kimberley.

Words: Rebecca Lang

Like the cicada of the title, Emily must shed her skin and undergo a journey of transformation, starting with trusting and learning from Wirritjil who keeps her alive with her bush skills.

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GO AHEAD, MAKE MY DAY “This is the most powerful hand torch in the world, and could burn your retina’s right off!

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If this torch were a gun, it would be Inspector Harry Callaghan’s Smith & Wesson Model 29. Like the iconic .44 Magnum, it’s huge and ridiculously powerful. If it’s not the Rolls Royce of the lighting world, it’s the Bugatti Veyron.

You can keep your lumens that are counted in the mere hundreds, the seven Cree LEDs in this Germanic powerhouse bang out 1600 lumens at a white 5400k colour. That flood of light, which can change from spread to spot with a simple pull and push of the end (thanks to the innovative lens set-up called Advanced Focus System), can pierce through 600 metres of darkness. On low mode, it can last seven hours in between recharges. With a 9000 milliampere hour, four D-cell battery pack, it can be recharged via 12V with the appropriate charger, so you can top it up on the road.

With great power comes great responsibility, and versatility. It comes in a box that would suit a .50 calibre sniper rifle, along with a shoulder strap and tripod mount. If your 4X4 headlights go, just poke this thing out the window – it will probably be an upgrade.

Yeah, you just spent almost a grand on a torch, but you don’t care when you’re holding this 1.4kg, aviation-grade aluminium beast in your hand. If I had the spare money, I’d definitely buy it. It’s a torch with a justified God complex; just try not to let it get to your head – or shine it in your eyes – when you’re holding it.

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Do you know what 4WD actually stands for?

For Winning Dates!

Having finally plucked up the courage to call and ask Alex on our first official date, I hit dial on my mobile. We’d been friends for three months prior and I knew he enjoyed left-of-centre experiences, so I’d planned a first date that would be fun and exciting.

Taking him for a drive in my 4X4 on Stockton Beach near Newcastle would be – I thought – perfect. I did have an ulterior motive, however – to see if Alex shared my passion for hitting the road and seeing what eventuated.

Stockton is famous for great fourwheel driving, and the following day Alex and I were cruising along, having a blast and enjoying the afternoon.

What happened next is still a topic of great discussion at parties some 17 months later….

The sun had gone down and it had caught us out. The wave of water that suddenly fanned over and covered the front windscreen came as a complete surprise. Curse words flew and we held on with white knuckles.

Distracted by the conversation, I had driven us straight through the middle of a channel!

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The adrenaline was pumping and we were very relieved to find that the car still ran, so we pulled up, dug our feet into the sand and poured a glass full of the pina colada cocktail mix that Alex had given me as a Christmas present.

By now the tide had started to rise, so I thought it might be best to move the RAV out of harm’s way. Vrrmmm, screech … the only direction the car moved was down – into the sand! By the time I tried again I had well and truly bogged the car.

I got on my hands and knees (something I’d never normally do on a first date) and started digging the sand away from the tyres. Thirty minutes later we’d still had no luck, so we let

down the tyres some more. After 80 minutes we were still searching for something – anything that would help us get some traction, with no luck. The tide was creeping ever closer to the car.

“Floor mats … do you reckon they could work?” asked Alex in desperation.

“We have nothing to lose,” I replied, “except my car in the ocean!”

It was still a date and we were definitely still having fun. The mucking about and the laughing continued.

Alex jumped into the “save damsel in distress” role, and I quite liked that.

Plus, he wasn’t flipping out at the situation we were in, and this was a massive tick in my book.

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With the mats in position under the tyres, the car didn’t budge.

“Put them at the back and I’ll try reversing,” I said.

We were running out of options and the water was rising, but it worked!

Free and skittling up the sand like a crab, I turned and headed towards a lantern that Alex had put in place to help me avoid the cemented-in posts that lined the exit off the beach.

You see, getting onto the beach earlier that afternoon was a super tight squeeze, and that was with the sun’s help to see! With Alex cheering me on, somehow I pulled a move in the RAV that Craig Lowndes would be proud of, and, with an inch to spare between my left tyre and the lantern, the car was finally off the beach. It was also in the scrub, but that’s a minor detail!

Alex had buckled over from laughing.

Looking at each other trying to comprehend how arsy we had been, he said, “We gotta do this again!”

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I GOT ON MY HANDS AND KNEES ... AND STARTED DIGGING THE SAND AWAY FROM THE TYRES. THIRTY MINUTES LATER WE’D STILL HAD NO LUCK, SO WE LET DOWN THE TYRES SOME MORE.

LISTEN UP, LADIES: 4X4 DATING TIPS Always wear a really supportive bra. This is so important. Once you start your climb/descent over any surface, no matter how fast or slow, things will bounce and sway! Learn from my mistake. Ouch!

Plan ahead. Do a pre-trip check to make sure you have important stuff like moisturiser and a chap stick – my lips get windblown on the beach. This may seem pretentious, but it’s a lifesaver.

I know Beyonce is all for it, but please DON’T put a ring on it. Take your rings off. You don’t want to bend, scratch or loose them while putting on a spare tyre or even while driving. Same goes for dangly earrings.

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IS FOR T

A TVAN ALWAY

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TOUGH

YS TURNS HEADS

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Camper trailers come in all shapes and sizes; it’s just a shame that the majority of them look the same (an obese box trailer with a giant muffin top ballooning out the top). Not all camper trailers fit this description, but let’s face it – many do. Melbournebased Track makes the well-regarded Tvan, something that won’t be confused for anything else in a hurry. It’s a camper trailer with a difference, and talking points that go beyond the unique look.

In terms of build quality, you can’t really get much better than this bad boy. If Wladimir Klitschko was in the market for a camper trailer, I’d bet good money he’d end up with this. I haven’t experienced as many nights and kilometres with the Tvan as others, so I spoke to some people (whose opinions matter) about Track’s prodigal son. The verdict?

From the sea of options out there in terms of recreational camper trailers, the Tvan stands out as an individual that is one of the (if not the) best.

Seriously, I wish the shocks on my 4X4 were as long as these KONIs.

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A GUID

CATCHIN

THERE’S NEW TACKLE FOR GOIN

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DE TO

NG BASS

NG AFTER THIS GUTSY FIGHTER

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CHARACTERISTICS The Australian bass reserves a special part in the hearts of Australia’s east coast, river-based sportfishing advocates, and for good reason! This plucky little Australian native is an absolute sucker for a well presented lure and pound-for-pound is as gutsy as any other species on the market.

Their moderately sized, oval shaped body is fitted with a broad, powerful tail. Large, relatively high-set eyes indicate a fish that is a proficient hunter in low light conditions and is an active surface feeder. The upper body is dressed in dark olive to grey markings with yellow-bronze colouring in the central portions of each scale, although colour can vary significantly depending on surrounds. Bass always blend well with their surrounds.

Landlocked specimens from lagoons with a high availability of food will often have the best growth rates and reach the greatest size. Wild river bass have been recorded to 60cm and almost 4kg, but any specimen over 1.5kg is a quality fish.

WHERE TO FIND THEM Australian bass are unique to the rivers, creeks and estuaries of the east coast, spending much of their lives in the freshwater upper reaches and only moving to the more saline downstream regions for spawning.

They range from about the Mary River in south-east Queensland down to the Gippsland Lakes system of Victoria and can survive to altitudes of 600m or greater.

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In daylight hours, river bass spend much of their time holding around snags (submerged fallen trees) and in protected areas created by rock structures or overhanging banks and vegetation. In low light periods they are more likely to venture out of their cover in search of food. On warm, balmy nights when terrestrial insect activity is high, bass can often be witnessed aggressively feeding in quite open water.

Bass have been extensively stocked into impoundments and many waterways outside their natural range.

Certain dams have built a reputation as regularly producing exceptionally large specimens. Glenbawn Dam near Scone in NSW is one such example.

TACKLE REQUIREMENTS Traditionally, baitcasting tackle has been preferred by most bass enthusiasts. Small, finely machined baitcasting reels are married to pistol-grip baitcaster rods around 1.7-1.9m in length. The rods are built to fish line weights of 4-8kg braided or monofilament lines. A monofilament leader 1-2m in length and of about 6-10kg breaking strain is commonly employed as abrasion protection required when bass manage to drag a bait or lure into their timber or rocky sanctuary.

Baitcasting stalwarts habitually used minnow-style plugs and a range of popular and successful surface lures such as the Tiny Torpedo and Jitterbug.

However, with the relatively recent introduction of a wide range of soft plastic lures and the unconventional looking spinnerbaits, standard bass fishing tackle has changed quite dramatically. While the old favourite lures still account for plenty of fish, these newer lure styles have allowed for a greater coverage of bass water.

The vertical sinking attributes of weighted soft plastics and spinnerbaits means that lures can be made to penetrate parts of a waterway that were very much out of bounds to our earlier and more conventional lures.

As a result of these new lure styles, superbly matched, quality threadline reels and spin rods (slightly longer than those baitcasting rods mentioned above) are more regularly being employed as delivery tools for bass lures. Threadlines are generally better able to present smaller, lighter offerings in the soft plastic range than their baitcaster cousins can.

Most serious modern day bass anglers choose (wisely, I might say) to fish with a threadline and baitcasting outfit, both rigged and ready to go as conditions or environments change.

Words: Fishlife’s Scott Amon

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FAMILY

PLANNER THE UNSEALED 4X4 RIG THAT’S TAKEN THE STANNERS TO THE BACK OF BEYOND

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XRAY Vision 90w HID Driving lights To say these lights are simply awesome wouldn’t do them justice and I consider these a real safety feature by allowing me to see a long way ahead as well as a decent spread of light either side of the road.

TJM Airtec Snorkel Situated under the bonnet, the air filter is the weak point in deep river crossings and keeping this high and dry is paramount. This is where the snorkel comes in by moving the actual air intake to a higher position, level with the roof line.

Side Awning Probably one of the handiest pieces of kit I’ve added would be the 2.5m TJM awning. Mostly used in hot and sunny conditions, keeping us cool while we stop for a bite to eat. More recently though, it’s also saved us from a drenching or two and acts as a great little shelter above the kids in their swags.

Front and Rear Suspension Upgrade Keeping in mind that we regularly travel through some pretty rugged country towing an offroad camper (and also conscious of the additional front end weight the bar and winch add to the vehicle), we decided to upgrade the suspension with a full TJM XGS Gold Suspension Kit.

BF Goodrich AT Tyres Expecting a mix of driving conditions, I opted for an all terrain tyre choice. The first set lasted just over 80,000 kilometres and with 40,000 kilometres clocked up on my second set of BFG AT’s, there’s still plenty of rubber yet to hit the road.

Rhino Rack Holding the awning up is my Rhino Rack Pioneer Roof Tray. It carries everything from the kids’ swags (theres three of them), spare wheel, shovel and high lift jack, through to the two spare jerry cans.

Remember to try and keep your roof weight to a minimum!

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“WE STARTED EXPERIENCING HOLIDAYS WHERE THE JOURNEY ITSELF WAS PART OF THE ADVENTURE.”

Brown Davis Underbody Protection Underneath the Prado and protecting the transmission, sump and steering components is a suit of armour which ensures I don’t cop a radiator puncture from a rogue stick or flying gibber rock.

GME UHF Radio A ‘must’ for any remote travel is an ability to communicate, and arguably one of the most common forms of communication is a UHF Radio. I run a GME TX3340 with the controls on the mic itself. This way I can adjust the channel and volume settings without needing to look at the radio unit.

The LIFESAVER® bottle & jerrycan removes Bacteria > Log 7

99.99999%

Viruses > Log 5 99.999%

Cysts > Log 7

99.99999%

Parasites > Log 7

Fungi > Log 7

99.99999% 99.99999%

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SensaTyre TPMS Taking the ‘she’ll be right’ approach to tyre pressure is a common mistake in off-road travel. I run Hannibal Safari’s ‘SensaTyre’ wireless tyre pressure monitoring system which takes the guesswork out by keeping tyre pressure forefront of mind.

TJM Air Compressor Re-inflating my tyres to the right pressure is a TJM Air Compressor.

TJM Heavy Duty Recovery Kit Don’t leave home without it! My kit contains everything you need to help get you out of trouble, including snatch straps, a tree trunk protector, winch recovery blanket and rated bow shackles.

By Tim Stanners

OUR VISION OUR VISION

COURSES COURSES

LOCATIONS LOCATIONS

CHOOSE A GIFT FROMFROM OUR OUR FRIENDS CHOOSE A GIFT FRIENDS

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TUNES

VARIOUS ARTISTS

JACK WHITE

THEN AND NOW: AUSTRALIA SALUTES THE BEATLES (EMI Music Australia) If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it – but a little reinventing doesn’t go astray. This comprehensive collection of Beatles covers is nostalgic enough to be classic and transformed enough to be fresh.

Ranging from faithful authenticity (The Bee Gees’ From Me To You), to the barely recognisable (John Farnham’s Help), these versions simultaneously spotlight the Fab Four’s musical genius and the formidable talent of Australia’s musicians.

LAZARETTO (Third Man Records) Lazaretto is a temperamental beast, but it’s worth coming along for the ride: the guitar solos are blistering, White’s vocals spit and snarl, and the grooves are downright dangerous. A few country-flavoured lulls (Temporary Ground and Want and Able) create breathing space amongst the earsplitting distortion and larger-than-life riffs, but the rest of the album rocks so hard that it’s difficult to complain.

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Unsealed 4X4 music editor Jessie Cunniffe Jessie Cunniffe is a classically trained pianist, self-taught guitarist, qualified music educator and freelance journalist.

When she’s not rocking out in the classroom with the next generation of musicians, Jessie can be found critiquing the music industry’s latest offerings for The Sydney Morning Herald and, of course, Unsealed 4X4.

DAN SULTAN

WILLIE NELSON

BLACKBIRD (Liberation Records) Crank the volume up, wind the windows down and keep this one in the glove compartment – because some albums were just made to drive to. Mellow ballads Nobody Knows and Gullible Few will keep you cool in city traffic, while the banjo shredding and rock ‘n’ roll beats of The Same Man and Kimberly Calling will add to the adrenalin of your off-road adventures.

BAND OF BROTHERS (Sony Music Entertainment) Nelson isn’t getting any younger, but as he sings “I like you ’coz you’re hotter than the fourth of July”, he doesn’t seem to be getting much older, either. After a 15-year hiatus, his return to songwriting is studded with cheeky flippancy and wry humour. Meditative harmonica and classic country guitar work are steeped in a resilient spirit that the years have left admirably intact.

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LICENCE TO THRILL

THE 2014 RANGE ROVER SPORT IS THE JAMES BOND OF 4X4S

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Range Rover … the name rolls off the tongue like an expensive red. It’s the quintessential look-at-me bling accessory for the who’s who of movie stars, sports gods and those famous for simply being famous. It embodies style, elegance and sophistication in what may be the best-looking genuine 4X4 SUV ever made.

WHAT IS IT? The RRS is no longer a trumped up re-skinned Discovery. The Sport now stands on its own firm rubber. Those sassy bodylines amalgamate design cues and DNA engineering mastery from the big brother Range Rover and the trendy, angular proportions of little sister Evoque.

WHAT DOES IT SAY ABOUT ME? Like the Range Rover Sport’s split personality, there’s a definite demographic split in its admirers.

There’s the pretentious Armani-clad exec who leased it because it was expensive! Then there are those who deeply appreciate engineering brilliance, electronic wizardry and being ensconced in totally indulgent luxury.

Unfortunately, many never access low range, which is a real shame … because they don’t know what they’re missing!

WHAT GADGETS CAN I BOAST ABOUT? Smartly dressed and safety conscious, our test SDV6 HSE tech sheet read like a definitive list of acronyms at a safety systems conference. Just imagine the look on your mate’s face when you tell him, “Buddy, it’s got EBA, ABS, CBC,

DSC, EBD, ETC, HDC plus RSC with electronic cross linked air suspension, automatic load leveling, variable ride height, legendary Terrain Response … but wait there’s more … dual two stage main driver and passenger airbags, driver and passenger side thorax and pelvis airbags with Rollover Deployment of Restraints. Oh, did I mention a full-sized spare?”

Before their face is completely glazed over, you can finish off with “there’s connect and view letting you access smart phone apps via the 8-inch touch screen display. And colour Head-Up Display for navigation using lasers for the read outs. Plus a way cool digital camera system that not only shows what’s in front, to the side or rear of the vehicle but adds Lane Departure Warning, Automatic High Beam Assist and even Traffic Sign Recognition.”

And before he starts laughing about your new 4x4 you might want to throw in, “Mate, it’s even got wade sensing.

Yep, the Sport will keep an eye on the depth whilst I focus on the river bank exit. If it gets deeper than it’s impressive 850mm limit, I’ll know about it before my bus has the chance to down a couple of tannin creek schooners!”

WHAT’S THE STEREO LIKE? For anyone who still needs convincing you’ve got a sweet machine, you’d better lay down a cool $13,600 so you can have the Meridian Signature Reference Audio System with no less than 1700w pumping through 23 speakers. You’ll feel like AC/DC are sitting in the back seat!

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Essential Courses

Shop

Ph: 1300 660 320

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OUTBACK GOURMET

CHEESY DAMPER BOMB! FED UP WITH HAVING TO KNEAD A SIMPLE DAMPER? TRY MY KNEAD-FREE VERSION, YOU’LL LOVE IT! Makes 1 Damper | Time 25 minutes METHOD Grease your camp oven really well with butter. Heat to medium, placing coals around the outside and on the lid, but not underneath (to prevent burning).

You won’t need a lot of coals. Beat all the other ingredients together in a large bowl. The texture will be more like a heavy cake mix than a dough. Pour into your prepared camp oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until cooked and golden on the top.

CHEESY DAMPER BOMB Cook your damper for around 10 minutes until you get a solid crust top and bottom. Then, cut out a hole on top to fit in the cheese. Scoop out a ladel-sized amount of damper from the hole, pop in the cheese and then replace the damper mix and cheese. Cook for another 15 minutes and serve. Delish!

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INGREDIENTS » 2 cups self-raising fl our » 1-2 cups milk » 2 pinches salt » 3 teaspoons sugar » Butter for greasing your camp oven » Bruny Island 'Saint' Cheese or camembert / brie styled cheese

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CANNING ST

THE THINGS THEY

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TOCK ROUTE

DON’T TELL YOU

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YOU’LL USE MORE FUEL

Alfred Wernham Canning must have had the testicular fortitude of a thousand men to attempt to forge a stock route between Halls Creek in the Kimberley and the southern goldfields of WA. It’s a few thousand miles of the harshest desert landscapes known to mankind, and not only did he have to cross it, he had to feed and water cattle all the way. It was epic then, and it remains epic now, but for different reasons as a 4X4 track.

It’s not really that hard While there will be no shortage of people who will attempt to scare you with the enormity of the challenge, the Canning Stock Route (CSR) really isn’t that hard. In fact, a much shorter trek, like the Simpson Desert’s French Line is often more challenging. Sure, you’ll need to carry more fuel than you would if you were doing the Simpson, but other than that, it’s a pretty similar challenge. In fact, when it comes to sand dunes, those on the French Line are actually a little more challenging.

It’s like you’re on a different planet, or at least a different country If you’ve travelled Australia extensively, you’ll have a good feel of what most of Australia looks like – until you venture onto the Canning Stock Route. The southern end of the track, from Well 5 to 10, is a visual orgasm of unique scenery. It looks in part like Africa, in part like Australia, and otherwise like nowhere you’ve ever seen.

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You will scratch your truck While this track has never seen a grader, it’s also never seen hedge trimmers. At times, you’ll wish extendable arms would pop up from your bullbar and trim the track. But instead, you simply sit back and drive, and listen to the spine-tingling screeches that tear into the top layers of your duco. If you were wondering whether you should get some sort of paint protection, then wonder no more. The spiky shrubs of the Canning Stock Route demand it.

The water tastes like, well, like crap The Canning Stock Route snakes its way from one water bore to the next. If you start your journey from the southern end, you will be pleasantly surprised at the fresh tasting water. You might even dispense with the recommended water purification tablets. Do that at your peril. Somewhere along the way, you’ll be guaranteed a bout of diarrhea. But it gets worse.

Somewhere past the halfway mark of the track, the water quality goes from great to undrinkable. There is far more salt in the mix, and it really does taste like second-hand dishwater. Bring water filtration, bring cordial, or bring fresh water supplies for drinking.

QUICK FACTS

CANNING ON A PLATTER Approx 1900km Starts Wiluna, WA, and finishes in Bililuna or Halls Creek, WA Made up of sand dunes, dried up lakes and rocky tracks.

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RKHORS O W N E V O K –A PR C U R T F 4 1 20

A

E WITH

E N I L D O O L B Y R A D N E LEG

www.performaxint.com.au The guys who do the toughest work count on one heavy-duty truck more than any other.

Backed by a maximum payload and towing capabilities almost double of any conventional Australian ute, Ford Super Duty helps you get the job done when no one else can.

With an awesome 1084 Nm of torque, 294 kw of power and excellent fuel efficiency, the new model Performax Ford F-Series Super Duty continues the Australian legend of F-Truck.

Performax is the only place in Australia where you can see and test drive all five major brands of American pickups

BOOK A TEST DRIVE TODAY

Xperience the Performax Difference THE PER F

LEADING AUSTRALIA SINCE 1989

RENCE FE

MAX DIF OR

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You may get weirded out There are some parts of the CSR that just feel plain old strange, like you shouldn’t be there. The now closedoff Calvert Range is one location, and various other spots along the track like gravesites are others. Perhaps it’s my imagination, or perhaps there are some places where us humans aren’t meant to roam. Be on the lookout for these places whilst on the track, and if you want my advice, move on, pronto.

Canning’s crew weren’t all nice guys Throughout the Alfred Canning expeditions, there were significant confrontations with local Aborigines.

And while the Aborigines certainly speared and killed a number of men, the way the they were treated is deplorable: “They been getting all the black people. You know how they done it along that Canning Stock Route? They get mob, they tie him up. One by one, they let him go. No water, just the salt water. They let him go and they follow him ’til they

find that rockhole. They make a well there.

That’s how they been find him all the way up there through Canning Stock Route.

Sad story. They go and mess around with the Martu and keep going again. They don’t care a stuff.”

Mr P (Billy Patch), 2007 Beware the hook turns Camels don’t need to carry any inertia into a sand dune – but 4X4s do. The Canning has an interesting challenge for you here, by locating sharp hook turns at the base of sand dunes. The momentum-sappers ensure that only the vehicle with the right tyre pressures makes it to the top. Don’t be afraid to dump some air out on those sandy stretches.

Lake Disappointment may have been named after Alfred Canning’s wife Sorry, it was too easy a gag Alfred. I’m sure your wife was just fantastic and a wonderful camp cook to-boot. Camel Soup anyone?

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pse said to be revived by witchcraft, especially in certain African and Caribbean religions.

r appears lifeless, apathetic, or completely unresponsive to their surroundings.

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The corrugations are worse than you think (and so is your fuel consumption) Western Australians really do engineer an awesome corrugation. And some of their finest corrugations lie on the CSR. It’s not just their depth and bonejarring severity, it’s the fact that they just go on, and on, and on, and ON AND ON! Long travel suspension and beam axles tend to soak it up better than independent setups, but regardless of what suspension you have, you’d be mad not to take some spare shock absorbers on this journey. And while you’re taking spares, bargain on using more fuel than you thought as well. The combination of a heavy load and low tyre pressures cranks up usage figures big-time.

Words: Pat Callinan

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BACK TO BASICS

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CLUTCHES (BUT WERE AFRAID TO ASK)

Clutch! Such an innocuous looking word, but when it’s used by a frowning mechanic it becomes a beast to fear. Unsealed 4X4 recently swung by its local Blue Mountains mechanic, Active Automotives, to understand why clutches are so damn expensive – particularly for 4X4 owners.

For a start, 4X4 clutches will always be more expensive than the clutch for a car because they need to be built to a higher standard to cope with heavier vehicles that operate in tougher terrain.

And you will spend more again for a heavy-duty aftermarket clutch designed for vehicles that haul big loads and do a lot of rugged offroading. They are highly engineered, with a hell of a lot of heavy metal.

Changing a clutch on a 4X4 also requires more labour than on a car.

There’s more bits and pieces that need to be taken off and put back on, the parts are heavier and there’s lots of fiddley things that make the mechanic’s job harder.

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“The worst thing about 4X4s is that Thinking of saving money by doing there’s always dirt falling in your eyes,” your clutch at home? You would think said Active Automotives’ Keith Stockill. twice if you saw the delicate dance Unsealed 4X4 witnessed of two jacks That same dirt and hard impacts mean and four burly mechanics when the the bolts on 4X4s are harder to undo, clutch was being changed on a HiLux for example, or they can be damaged up on a hoist at Active Automotives. and need to be replaced or retapped – it all adds to the time and expense.

And if that new clutch doesn’t go in dead straight – which is tricky because Even when everything’s of the weight of the parts being straightforward, there’s a lot of labour manipulated – you will find yourself in removing and putting back the with a vehicle that shudders every drive shaft, exhaust, bell housing, time you change gear and a clutch that electricals, speedo cable etc. before will have to be replaced again. you even get to the clutch and flywheel.

Your new clutch can also be ruined if contaminated by oil or dirt. Even a The flywheel must be replaced or mechanic’s greasy hands can cause machined, otherwise the warranty will chaos. Some clutches are so sensitive be void on your new clutch. that the natural oils in human skin are also a no-no. They come with a pair of Keith says a clutch kit for a small car can be had for less than $200 and the gloves for installation. labour can be as little as four hours.

A clutch suitable for a 4X4, however, will cost at least $600 and you can spend more than $2000. For a common 4X4 like a Toyota HiLux there are dozens of clutches across the price spectrum. Talk to your mechanic about the clutch best for your vehicle.

The labour starts at about six hours for a middle-sized HiLux and can be eight hours for a big Nissan Patrol.

Mercifully, Keith says clutches are getting better all the time and have a longer life – if not abused. And remember, there’s no use lying to a mechanic if you’ve been flogging your clutch. The evidence is plain and pungent. The boys at Active Automotives recently had to replace the clutch on a Mazda BT50 that had been given a workout and the burnt metal smell permeated the workshop for days.

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GETTING XTREME

Unsealed 4X4 recently had a quality new Xtreme Outback clutch and single-mass flywheel installed in one of its Nissan Patrols. This is a kit specifically designed to cope with heavy-duty rough stuff and big loads, delivering what should be greater reliability and clutch life in a vehicle that’s a genuine off-road work horse.

Xtreme Outback is the specialist 4X4 brand owned by Australian Clutch Services, which also boasts several other clutch brands.

The business was started in 1988 to develop heavy-duty clutches that could cope with the tough demands of Australia’s 4X4ers and has gone on to become a market leader and exporter with a trusted reputation.

It has its own in-house research and development facility in Adelaide to keep testing and improving its products.

The Xtreme Outback kit featuring a heavy-duty clutch and solid flywheel fitted to the Patrol retails for $1600 while a standard kit from the Clutch Pro brand would be $1300.

GOING THE DISTANCE

You can burn out your clutch in no time at all through misuse, but Chris Meadows from Australian Clutch Services says a vehicle driven sensibly, and possessing the appropriate clutch, should get 100,000km worth of value. He has seen some vehicles make it beyond 300,000km. ACS offers a 20,000km/12 months warranty on parts and labour and 24 months on parts only.

Words: Dan Lewis

Xtreme Outback says its single-mass flywheel clutch kits give improved performance and durability while maintaining “near factory-type driveability” in your 4X4.

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GEAR GURU

COOL FATHER’S DAY IDEAS

(THAT WE SPOTTED AT THE EXPLORE AUSTRALIA EXPO IN MELBOURNE) WORDS: SAM PURCELL AND DAN LEWIS

BENELLI TREK

LIGHTFORCE LED 180

Go to benelli.com.au for more details.

RRP is $495. Go to lightforce.com for more information.

Thanks to Urban Moto Imports, these ruggedly handsome touring bikes from the venerable Italian marque Benelli are now available in Australia.

The TreK 1130 Amazonas is Benelli’s ultimate unsealed expedition machine, retailing for $17,900. They come with a two-year unlimited kilometre warranty and two-year premium roadside assistance.

Nothing says ‘Happy Father’s Day’ like an awesome set of driving lights. I have some Lightforce HIDs at the moment, and the LEDs look to be just as quality.

They feel really solid to hold, and look life they would last forever. The LEDs crank out over 5000 lumens per light, and will last for more than 50,000 hours. Maybe this light actually would last forever.

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DON’T BUY SOCKS AND JOCKS AGAIN!

BIG TURTLE SHELL

Ever wanted to shout to your dad: “Hey, turn that bloody music down!” You’ll get the chance if you get him “the world’s loudest ruggedised and water-resistant Bluetooth wireless speaker”. We at Unsealed 4X4 don’t believe “ruggedised” is a proper word! What the boys at Outdoor Tech are try to say is that it’s shock-proof, dust-proof and water resistant. It will survive knocks on your next 4X4 adventure. If it gets covered in dust you can hose it down. And exactly how loud are we talking here? The boys at Outdoor Tech say: “It’s really loud. Like, rattle-your-teeth, shatterthe-fish-tank, honestly-bro-I-can’t-hearyou loud.” The Big Turtle Shell has a wireless range of 10m and runs on a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that’s got so much juice it also has a USB port so you can use it to charge your other electronic devices.

Go to www.outdoor-technology.com.au to grab a Big Turtle Shell for $299.95.

4WD TREKS CLOSE TO BRISBANE

A two-year production effort by photo-journalist Danielle Lancaster, the first edition of this spiral-bound book is available through Boiling Billy Publications for $39.99. Its 272 pages chronicle in beautiful detail 25 great adventures around the Queensland capital including Fraser Island, Gympie’s Western Forests, The Rainforest Way, Glass House Mountains, the Scenic Rim and Stradbroke Island. The mix includes leisurely day trips, rugged challenges and overnight jaunts. That should get dad off the couch!

Find more information at www.boilingbilly.net.au.

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How to enter: 1. LIKE UNSEALED 4X4

2. LIKE oricom

3. SHARE THIS POST

4. ENTER YOUR EMAIL BELOW

CONTEST DRAWN 3PM MONDAY

11TH AUGUST 2014 Simply follow the steps on the left hand side to enter.

A winner will be automatically drawn and notified via email and our Facebook page.

By entering this competition you agree to receive further information from UNSEALED 4X4 only.

*This competition is no way endorsed or associated with Facebook.

BONUS! – BY ENTERING YOU WILL RECEIVE UNSEALED 4X4 MAGAZINE EACH ISSUE FREE!

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DTV SHREDDER

TAIL FEATHER CAMPER

It can be a super-light camper or toy hauler on a trailer, it can be a backyard shed or emergency shelter off the trailer, you can make it bigger or smaller, you can choose between side and rear-door entry, you can even move around the windows to suit you!

These US-made Tail Feather Campers can be whatever dad wants them to be.

They are made from individual foaminjected panels that can be shuffled around like Lego blocks into your ideal ensemble. The basic little Tail Feather 8.0 Camper Kit weighs just 225kg and costs $13,230 (trailer not included). No need to upgrade dad’s 4X4 to tow that weight, even though he could afford to with the money you’re saving on the camper.

Go to tailfeathercamper.com.au for more information.

This could make dad’s year, not just his day. The people behind the Shredder boast that it does nothing less than redefine off-roading. Check out the cool video to see how the Shredder goes.

It’s basically a cross between a tank and a skateboard that can conquer all terrain all year round – snow, sand, water crossings, mud, mountains, the works. And it folds up small enough to fit in the back of a decent sized vehicle.

A 196cc four-stroke petrol engine gives you a top speed of 40kmh. You control its 127kg via a thumb-operated throttle and a foot deck which allows you 15 degrees of lean from the horizontal to steer left and right. A full tank of juice will give you a range of 48km or an hour of rigorous riding. Ben Gulak, the founder of North American-based BPG Werks, which dreamed up the Shredder, says: “Our goal was simple: We wanted to create a new vehicle that was compact yet powerful, rideable year round in any weather and be truly all-terrain.”

Go to ausextreme.com.au for more details.

The Shredder is retailing for $9700.

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AUSSIE DESERT COOLER RADIATORS

TAIPAN XP EXHAUST

Prices start from $790. Go to aussiedesertcooler.com.au Prices start from $790. Go to for more information. www.aussiedesertcooler.com.au for more information.

see the full range.

It’s always to see topI quality, I always getgood excited when see top Australian made productsproducts that show quality, Australian-made that One that pops updiet in Street I wasname on a pretty regular of Street the world what we arewe capable of. Like show the world what are capable Machine magazine more than any Machine back in my uni days.

I was Aussie Taipan Cooler, XP (from the of. LikeDesert, Aussie Desert Taipan other AussieinDesert Coolers; gettingisaround a ’64 EH Holden all Gold Coast) a great example.

Their XP (from theare Gold Coast) are a great the cool guys like Gary Myers seem at the time.

One name that popped exhausts like a work of example. are Their exhausts areart, likeand a to under up have in thatone mag morethe thanbonnet. any other a quick withawell-known 4WDer work of chat art, and quick chat with wellNow, NormDesert (the man behind was Aussie Cooler; all theAussie cool Tim Bates confirmed suspicions that known 4X4er Tim Bates confirmed Desert hashad turned his guys likeCoolers) Gary Myers an Aussie they are great for as well, my suspicions thatperformance they are great attention to 4WD radiators Desert Cooler radiator in theirand cars dropping the exhaust gasdropping temperatures for performance as well, intercoolers, whichNow, are all dripping at the Summernats.

Norm (the of hard-working 3.0 litre turbodiesel thehis exhaust gas temperatures of his with craftsmanship.

WithCooler) his decades man behind Aussie Desert has dramatically. hard-working 3.0 litre turbo diesel of skill his andattention experience in radiators. making turned to 4X4 dramatically. performance radiators, youexperience know With his decades of skill and Prices vary according to application.

Go to taipanxp.com.au see the full range. they will be awesome. in making radiators, you know they will Prices vary according toto application.

Go to www.taipanxp.com.au to be awesome.

Because you’ve heroically chosen to download your copy of Unsealed 4X4, you can’t see what’s on this page. But trust us - it’s well worth looking at. To see it in all its glory go to unsealed4X4.com.au

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RECARO CAR SEATS

There countless 4X4s products getting I’m so are selfish; all of these around with shabby, tired I have picked out are torn onesand I was seats; a new set would dreaming about havingcertainly fitted to go a long waycar. to improving my own The seats comfort. are a bit These seats have sideabolsters, tired in my adjustable Defender, and new adjustable lumbar support, set would certainly go a longand wayyou to can option comfort. up electric controls improving Thse babiesand have armrests. how long you adjustableConsidering side bolsters, adjustable can spend in the and seat,you thecan costoption can lumbar support, certainly becontrols worthwhile.

Imagine up electric and armrests. getting one of these for Father’s Day! Considering how long you can spend in the seat, the cost can certainly be Prices start from $2115. worthwhile. Imagine getting one of For more information, go to Idealseat.com.au these for father’s day!

Prices start from $2115. Go to www.idealseat.com.au for more information.

STEALTH ELECTRIC BIKES

Powered by a 4.5 kilowatt electric 4.5kW electric motor, motor, theseare electric bikes are anto these bikes an absolute hoot absolute ride. than Theyenough have more ride. Theyhoot havetomore than pokes forhighway anythingriding, bar poke enough for anything bar highway riding, andmanouverable are supremely and are supremely manouverable with their with their light weight, fatlightweight, tyres and fat tyres and goodItsuspension.

It has good suspension. has a nine-speed a nine-speed sequential sequential gearbox, and gearbox, can even and can even regenerate powerbraking. through regenerate power through braking.

This one ofelectric the fewmodes electric This is one of is the few modes of transport that genuinely of transport that genuinely got me got me excited. excited.

Prices start from around $9700. For more information, go to stealthelectricbikes.com.au.

Go to www.stealthelectricbikes.com.au to read more.

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

SO SHE SAYS

KIRSTY HOBBS IS OUR RESIDENT UNSEALED 4X4 FEMALE COLUMNIST. SHE HAS NO FIXED ADDRESS, JUST FINISHED A BIG ADVENTURE AROUND AUSTRALIA AND IS CURRENTLY DRIVING THE BACK ROADS UP THROUGH EASTERN AFRICA IN HER TRUSTY OLD LANDCRUISER.

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KIRSTY HOBBS

Being attacked by sheep?

We’ve all experienced it.

It’s that moment where you find a great spot and start to bliss out. You feel like a real winner, because you have beaten the crowds, only to be interrupted by someone sidling up and encroaching on your space. Alarm bells go off in your head, chiming ‘What the hell?’ Or more accurately, in my case, I hear that Disney sound effect that signals impending doom Dunn-Dunn-Dunn.

Human sheep are the worst, and it’s time we all did something about them.

I recently met a cranky old fellow who was having none of it. As a limp cigarette bumped about his wrinkled mouth, hitting his nicotine stained moustache, he declared “People are sheep, mate. If they get too close I just tell them to fook off!” There was something about the angry way he pronounced the ‘oo’ in ‘fook’ that had me captivated.

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I wish he had been around when I made the arduous trip to a special lake. The drive in was a mess of deep churned up sand. It was hot and dry, and finding a stunning fresh water river leading into the lake was pure oasis material. My man and I nudie dipped in to wash off a day of dust and soaked up the solitude.

By the following day we had well and truly made ourselves at home when we heard the sound of impending doom – an engine approaching. By the time we got out of the car with smiles and beers to offer our neighbours, we realised sheep had invaded us. Of the endless kilometres of waterfront to enjoy, where do you think they set up? Yep, right in front of us. They blocked our view of the water, pumped up some talkback radio to drown out the sounds of nature and offered us awkward glances when we said ‘Hi’.

Now, I’m not writing to develop an understanding of this ludicrous behaviour. But I am here to sound out a code of conduct in dealing with sheep.

Note: For those not fluent in sarcasm, I am using a little here.

In my experience of being mistaken for a sheep twice, I learnt a few things. One couple dealt with me by belching the alphabet. I backed away from the camp kitchen with half washed plates. They achieved their objective. Then there was the time I was yelled at by an old turkey pulling a log out of the national park: “People like us come here to get away from people. Get out of here!’

Unfortunately for him we were parked more than 500 metres away and weren’t quite the type of pushovers he clocked us for. Tunes may have been pumped up and I may have banged a few pans while cooking dinner. And he definitely may have regretted speaking out about his sheep concerns.

So, what does this teach us in terms of getting rid of sheep? Burping, good!

Yelling, bad? Perhaps it tells us that the key to getting rid of sheep is making them as uncomfortable as they have made you. Sometimes being the craziest person in the room can work for you.

The mature thing, of course, would be to rise above it all. Well, I’ll work on that, but for now I might just embrace a little crazy and let out a “Baaah” in the direction of the next sheep I encounter.

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Australian Brewery

Coopers

Coopers Brewery is The Australian Brewery probably a wee bit too big to be labelled as has taken the canning trend to the next level, your typical craft or boutique brewery, but offering all of their beers in canned format it’s still certainly worth a mention. Their Mild only (other than on Ale is a great alternative tap). They make a pale ale, pilsener, American to XXXX Gold, and has plenty of flavour, despite steam ale and cider, being midstrength. You as well as seasonal might not know about varieties from their Dr Tim’s Traditional Ale brewery in north-west Sydney. They have been either, brewed by and named after Coopers’ in action since 2010, chief brewer, Tim Cooper. and have received It’s refreshing and plenty of awards for satisfyling ale, similar to their beer quality. their Pale Ale, but with australianbrewery.com.au canned convenience.

Mountain Goat

Another mob taking on the can is Victorian microbrewers Mountain Goat. Their 4.7% Summer Ale has a light bitterness, fresh and dry with a lightly fruity aroma. The Summer Ale can has proved to be so popular on its first run that it’s getting a little bit tough to find, but it is still available at certain bottle shops.

The next batch is due in September, so keep your eyes peeled. goatbeer.com.au

coopers.com.au

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Because you’ve heroically chosen to download your copy of Unsealed 4X4, you can’t see what’s on this page. But trust us - it’s well worth looking at. To see it in all its glory go to unsealed4X4.com.au

BrewDog

BrewDog is Scotland’s largest independently owned brewery and does modern takes on traditional beer recipies. You can get their ‘Punk’ IPA (India pale ale) and ‘Dead Pony Club’ California pale ale in canned format in Australia, which are both quite fruity and hoppy beers at 5.6% and 3.8% alcohol respectively. brewdog.com

Founders Brewing

Founders is the product of two beer enthusiasts from the USA, and they can two India pale ales that are available in Australia. Look for the All Day IPA as an easier drinking beer, where the Centennial IPA is a (not too) sweet and flowery beer, that finishes with a little dash of bitterness. foundersbrewing.com

Mornington Peninsula Brewery

MP Brewery offer their pale ale in cans these days, something they like to call ‘canvenient’. It’s done in the American style, with plenty of fruity and citrus hints, moderate bitterness and a good amount of fizz (not too much). MP Brewery was conceived after Hawthorn won the 2008 AFL premiership, and two neighbours got talking about beer. After much hard work, it opened two years later, on grand final day. How about that? mpbrew.com.au

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I THINK, THEREFORE I CAN A QUICK CHAT WITH NEAL CAMERON, HEAD BREWER @ THE AUSTRALIAN BREWERY Any negatives to canned beer?

Nope.

What about positives?

Cans allow reduced light and oxygen damage to the beer. They are lighter, smaller, more recyclable, faster to chill, cheaper, AND safer … need we go on?

Why drink from a glass, instead of a can?

About 70 per cent of the flavour of beer comes through your nose rather than your mouth; if you’re drinking from a bottle or a can, you’re not letting the aroma of the beer get up the nasal passages

which reduces the experience greatly. Now for some of our more popular commercial beers, this may actually be a good thing. When you’ve paid the extra for a craft beer with their profuse malt and hop characters, you’re kind of wasting your money really.

What’s your favourite beer for the campfire, with dinner bubbling away in the camp oven?

If I’m to be narcissistic, our Extra Hoppy Ale. It’s a big, brash, malty, hoppy beer that holds its own with anything hearty – and even the odd waft of smoke, too.

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Buying Beer Online

Have you thought of sourcing your beer online?

There are stacks of retailers available through a quick Google search, giving you access to a wider gamut of boutique, small volume and specialty beers than your local could ever compete with. Why not try something different on your next trip?

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FLAT OUT

A SEALANT THAT PLUGS PUNCTURES AS THEY HAPPEN

Because you’ve heroically chosen to download your copy of Unsealed 4X4, you can’t see what’s on this page. But trust us - it’s well worth looking at. To see it in all its glory go to unsealed4X4.com.au

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You’re driving the Flinders Ranges on a track notorious for sharp rocks. Even though you’ve done the right thing with tyre choice, pressure and speed, yet another of your Coopers or BF Goodrichs gets skewered. It’s the third time this bloody trip! But you don’t stop to put on a spare. You don’t stop to grab your tyre repair kit. You don’t even stop to use the satellite phone to call roadside assistance.

In fact, you don’t stop at all. That’s because before you even know you have a puncture your tyre has repaired itself.

Instead of that awful hiss of air followed by the sound of crumpled rubber rolling

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WHAT THE MANUFACTURER RECKONS...

on gravel, you hear nothing but that Cold Chisel tune you are merrily singing along to, totally out of key – “First thing you know I’ll be back in Bow River again …”

What’s going on here? You haven’t stopped because before you left on this trip you pumped a product called Air-Seal inside your tyres.

It lives as a liquid there, evenly spread over the inside surface and quietly minding its own business until the moment that puncture happens. Then the magic starts. The centrifugal force of your spinning tyre plus the high-pressure air rushing through the puncture instantly force the liquid into the gap.

Inside the liquid are millions of fibre particles that lock together and plug the hole as they try to squeeze through it. Tiny filler particles block any remaining gaps between the fibres. It is a mechanical process, not a chemical one. (Air-Seal reckons its product will work on holes up to 30mm).

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This all happens within a few revolutions of the wheel – so rapidly that drivers sometimes don’t realise they’ve had a puncture.

And that doesn’t matter because Air-Seal is no temporary fix. It will last as long as the legal life of your tyre, according to Air-Seal.

If there’s a nail lodged in your tyre and you pull it out, Air-Seal will also plug that hole as long as you immediately drive the vehicle to let the sealant do its stuff.

Air-Seal is a British company, founded in 2000, that reckons its product is superior to anything else on the market. It claims the product works 95 per cent of the time in tubeless tyres, and 75 per cent of the time in tubed tyres, and its customers include Britain’s postal service and military.

Go to air-sealproducts.com for more information.

Words: Dan Lewis

HOW DO YOU INSTALL IT?

As well as a bottle of AirSeal, you’ll need a valve core tool and something to re-inflate your tyre with.

Have the tyre positioned so the valve is at two o’clock.

Remove the valve core with the valve core tool and deflate the tyre. Attach the supplied hose to the valve stem, cut open the top of your bottle of Air-Seal and squeeze the desired amount of liquid into the hose and on into the tyre.

Then replace the valve core and re-inflate the tyre to the correct pressure.

WHAT DOES IT COST?

A litre bottle of Air-Seal retails for $59.95. Each tyre of a 4X4 needs 500ml so you will need two bottles to do four tyres.

WHERE DO YOU GET IT?

Air-Seal is made in the USA and distributed in Australia

by Three Way Works.

Phone: 1300 843 266 info@threewayworks.com.au

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Q&A GARETH WRIGHT AND KIRSTY HOBBS, THE AUSSIE OVERLANDERS, ARE YOUNG ADVENTURERS TRAVELLING THE WORLD IN THEIR 4X4 Over the past few years they have built their knowledge from the ground up.

They don’t pretend to know everything but are happy to share what they have found to work best. Around here, that’s what we call an UNSEALED 4X4 expert.

Q: What travel apps do you guys use the most on your phone?

Kimberley, Bathurst, NSW A: Kim, phone apps have completely changed the game of travel for me. I will never forget the first time travelling with my iPhone – I had been walking around in circles trying to find some monument in Sri Lanka and instead was only finding creepy leers and wolf whistles. I ‘located’ myself on the phone and found where to go. At the time it was gobsmacking stuff!

TripIt is a long time favourite of mine.

I simply forward travel bookings to the app and it lays out all the detail onto one simple, searchable itinerary.

These days they are a central part of my travels. Here are a few of our go-to apps: MapsWithMe allows you to download free maps you can use offline. The maps have succeeded for me when others have failed, particularly in cities and when finding the outline of a random track.

WhatsApp is a messenger that I use to share our location. It drops a pin on a map and sends it as a message to our contacts.

Namely, my ultra-protective mum!

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Evernote stows away important notes and random thoughts. It has a function that turns words in photographs into searchable text – great for recording travel brochures or remembering a brand of wine.

Hema Maps for when we are driving in Australia. I like to use the app in parallel to our Hema GPS to search out campsites over the inbuilt Camps 7 database.

What else? Right now I am experimenting with VSCO to edit my photos. I’m not totally convinced because the processing times are slow, however the final images it creates are sharp, so I keep coming back to it.

Kirsty

which meant we both had to step up, big time.

Our very first move was to find a rig. Once we made that investment there was no going back. There’s something to be said about throwing money behind your ideas. Instead of seeing the curveballs that life throws at you as “game over”, you see them as a challenge instead.

Practically speaking? If you are hatching a plan I would recommend you create yourself a budget and a to-do list. Print the documents off and pin them to your wall. This will literally take the dream out of your head and into reality. When we did this, it was like being cracked by a whip, we realised there were a few hundred things that needed to get done.

Q: I’d like to know how you take an insane idea like ‘Let’s drive from Sydney to London’ and, despite life throwing things in the way, how do you turn that idea into a reality?

Taf, Ipswich, QLD

Making the idea a reality involved: gutting and building a rig, learning how to build a website, organising documentation for over 20 countries, packing up our lives, getting rid of our worldly A: This is a mammoth question, Taf. possessions, finding a foster family for our dog, vaccinations, first-aid For this expedition it came down to asking “How much do we really want training, and becoming electricians, this?” It was easy to say “I would love welders, mechanics, writers and seamstresses. Looking back on it to drive across the world one day,” now, all that prep was half the fun. but to be honest it scared the hell out of me when we really committed Anyone can do this, you just have to to the idea. I suppose that’s because want it enough to commit. we were all of a sudden accountable to each other to make it happen, Kirsty NON-INTERACTIVE VERSION | PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR INTERACTIVE MAGAZINE

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Q: What is in your tool kit? I never know what I should or shouldn’t take on outback trips. How did you decide what to take with you on such a long trip?

Barry, Annandale, NSW A: My tool kit is made up of minimal things that I knew I would need for periodic maintenance and servicing. I am not one of those guys who is able to pull an engine apart by the side of the road. Based on that, I took what I thought I would need.

I have assorted spanners, screwdrivers, shifters, electrical tools like crimpers, wire strippers and a soldering torch.

I have vice grips, pliers and bits and pieces like duct tape, solder, spare terminals, gasket sealant, glues and lubricants. I did not take my whole toolbox with me but I think I do have an adequate kit.

Sometimes things happen and when they do, you just need to be prepared.

I always carry a satellite phone. If something does go wrong, I am able to call for help. I am very confident in our Troopy because it has a solid service history, so that minimises a lot of stress.

The way I see it: if you have the room to take your whole garage with you and you are confident with fixing your vehicle, then take what you want. But if you have only a limited knowledge and space, pack the basics like I did. I think the most important thing when assessing what you take is the reliability of your vehicle. If you have a car that always breaks down you will need a better mechanical knowledge and more tools to fix it. If you maintain your car to a high standard then you can get away with fewer tools.

Gareth Q: I would be worried about having things stolen from my car if I was travelling for a long time on a continent like Africa. Or worse still, having the whole car nicked.

How did you guys secure your rig to deter would-be thieves?

Phil, Woonoona, NSW A: One of the main things we did to deter would-be thieves is make up some curtains for the front, side and rear windows. This also helps to keep the car cool on hot days. Plus, we got the windows tinted. Taking away temptation from opportunists is half the job, we think. We often come back from grocery shopping to find Africans leaning on it and generally just admiring the rig.

I also used two lengths of square hollow section along the passenger side rear windows. This would stop people from climbing inside if they smashed the windows. The last thing I did was to pre-fabricate some steel

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meshing for the back windows. Looks the part and is great for hanging things off. Everything on the exterior of the rig is bolted and locked.

We ALWAYS lock away valuables.

We ALWAYS put the immobilisers on.

We ALWAYS put the club lock on.

We ALWAYS drop the curtains.

We rarely ever leave the car unattended for long periods of time. If we have to, we pay a guard to mind it.

Touch wood, but after driving around Australia and more than half way up Africa we haven’t had anything stolen, despite hearing of many others experiencing problems.

Gareth

ASK G + K Want Gareth + Kirsty to give you an A to your Q? Send your questions to questions@unsealed4x4.com.au Follow along with their adventures at facebook.com/aussieoverlanders

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CREDITS Editor Dan Lewis Journalist Sam Purcell Digital Media Manager Eldon De Croos Sales and Marketing Manager Mark Muras Account Manager Allan Goldby

Publisher Pat Callinan Publishing Pty Ltd

Editorial Art Director Kirsten Nutting Video Editors Melanie Galea and Gavin Rawlings Sales and Promotions Manager James Fox Administration & Advertising Art Director Laura Boshammer

Contact us here

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ROOM WITH A VIEW

UMM, SLIGHTLY SUCCESSFUL LAUNCH

PUBLISHER PAT CALLINAN GETS ALL POLITICALLY INCORRECT WHEN GIVING THE LOW-DOWN ON THE LAUNCH OF UNSEALED 4X4 When it comes to etiquette, talking about yourself all the time is not unlike farting in a lift – it’s just not done. So forgive my flatulence this edition, because I’m gonna do just that. I’m going to talk about this magazine for the entire (albeit brief) column. Don’t worry, I’ll only do it once, but I think it deserves recognition. After all, launching a magazine and getting to number one only happens once.

PAT CALLINAN

When the Unsealed 4X4 team launched the first edition, while hopes were high, few knew just how successful it would be. A lot of stuff works in theory, but in practice, well, that’s entirely different.

Look no further than early incarnations of traction control and ABS to find great theories that worked on paper, but not in practice. And while Issue 001 wasn’t bug-free, it did kick some fairly massive goals; one of which made it the most read 4X4 magazine in Australian history. To put it in perspective, about 14,000 people buy your average 4X4 magazine in Australia. Unsealed 4X4 Issue 001 was read by more than 120,000 people (and counting). Want more stats? The previous most successful 4X4 website in Australia (which includes a forum), sees 1.7 million page views per month. Unsealed 4X4 managed 2.2 million – all in the first week. As the first month ticked over, more than five million pages were viewed.

Doesn’t that put some stretch in your snatch strap?!

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It’s proof positive that the 4X4 community out there is as vibrant as ever, and that we’re often planning our next adventure in front of a screen. Funnily enough though, the print magazine out of this stable (Pat Callinan’s 4X4 Adventures) is bucking the trend by enjoying record sales as well. Because hey, while it’s fine to read a print 4X4 magazine on the dunny, try taking the iPad in there. “What disgusting things must you be looking at behind that locked door, dear!!” sayeth the female in the house.

Much kudos goes to the people behind the scenes here that are passionate about quality, design, authenticity and of course, four-wheel driving.

Dan, Eldon, Kirsten, Sam, Mark, Tim, Al, Laura, James and Matt – congratulations all on producing such a fine and interesting read. As the bloke who occasionally slinks in the back door from a trip, you’re doing a great job. And thanks too to you the 4X4 enthusiast for taking the time to read a new magazine. There is plenty of information available out there on the World Wide Web, so the fact that you’ve chosen to read this above all else, makes us all feel pretty chuffed.

Keep the shiny side up!

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