max*d Issue 14

ISUZU UTE AUSTRALIA | Issue 14

OFF-ROAD TO RECOVERY

From spinal ward to Australasian Safari

CROC MAN!

Meet reptile wrangler Matt Wright

YOWIE SQUAD MU-X and D-MAX go bunyip hunting in the bush

CHOOSE

YOUR OWN ADVENTURE

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.

Inspire your spirit of adventure at isuzuute.com.au

ISUZUUTE.COM.AU ~5 star ANCAP safety rating applies to D-MAX 4x4 Crew Cab variants built from November 2013, 4x2 High-Ride Crew Cab variants built from November 2014 and all MU-X models. ^5 years or 130, 000km whichever occurs first, for eligible customers; excludes accessories and trays.

Contents ISSUE 14

18

18 COVER STORY The D-MAX and MU-X get sandy in an off-road search for that most mythical of beasts: the mighty bunyip!

REGULARS 04 READERS’ RIDES Your adventures in the snow, dust, mud and caravanning world

06 NEWS A frugal fuel-sippin’ MU-X record, both Footy Shows and the Finke Desert Race

10 WISHLIST Make the most of your holidays with these fun summertime toys

12 TECH HEAD Everything you do in your D-MAX or MU-X goes through its tyres

14 INSIDE LINE

FEATURES 24 OUT OF THE BOX

Meet the bravest two-man crew in this year’s Australasian Safari

He’s more Aussie than a Vegemite statue of David Boon and he catches crocs like toddlers catch colds.

Meet Outback Wrangler Matt Wright

Get sandy as we reveal Australia’s seven greatest 4X4 beach drives

34 THE LIST

28 PASSPORT

38 HOOK, LINE ’N’ SINKER

Whether skier or boarder, your next overseas trip should be to Japan’s brilliant, often empty and always powder-shrouded snowfields

Andrew and Nick head south for an intrepid lap of wild Tasmania

32 UNSUNG HEROES Meet Craig Alford, the Perth lawnmower salesman who’s lapping Australia on a 27km/h ride-on mower to raise buckets of cash for charity

40 REFUEL

24

The seafood secrets of two mouthwatering barramundi recipes

43 FLASHBACK Set the time machine for 2008, when the first D-MAX hit Australia’s shores

Issue 14 |

max*d 1

TOUGH AS THE ALL-NEW OPEN COUNTRY A/T II ®

This tyre doesn’t just look tough, it is tough.

Two jointless layers of spiral cap ply and thicker rubber on the sidewall combine to make this tyre one exceptional off-roader.

Learn more at toyotires.com.au.

TRUSTED TYRE OF

S

Welcome

to our latest issue of max*d magazine!

W

ell, what a big year it has been for Isuzu UTE Australia.

We achieved several significant milestones in 2014— more than 40,000 D-MAX sales since starting business in 2008, and more than 4000 MU-X sales in its first year—and we are on target for more than 16,000 combined sales this year.

All this adds up to more than 50 per cent growth on last year.

I have said this before, but our success is not possible without the support of you, the owners. We have had our share of niggling issues this year and we thank those of you who were affected for your patience while we rectified those concerns.

We are confident we have two amazing products that live up to our claims of reliability and durability— which was no better illustrated than by our performance at this year’s Finke Desert Race and Australasian Safari, where our D-MAX and MU-X teams claimed class wins at both events.

Isuzu Motorsports has just announced they will be taking our MU-X to Dakar in January and we hope you share in wishing them all the very best during the world’s most challenging motorsports event.

In this edition we bring you a very informative Tech Head article about choosing the right tyres for your D-MAX or MU-X. We know many of you enjoy (or are thinking of) taking your vehicles off-road on a variety of different terrains—and doing so with

the right equipment is of paramount importance. Speaking of off-road, our writer Craig Jamieson has produced a uniquely Australian story for this edition—he goes bush in search of the elusive yowie!

Finally, I’d like to wish you and your families a very safe and prosperous festive season. Please take care on the roads and we look forward to seeing you all again in the New Year.

Yasu Takeuchi Managing Director & CEO Isuzu UTE Australia

We achieved several significant milestones in 2014, including more than 40,000 D-MAX sales since starting business in 2008.

Issue 14 |

max*d 3

ON THE GO!

READERS’ RIDES

These overjoyed owners set out for adventure and sent us back their news from the front JOHN WESTBURY (& JOHN DAWSON!)

Lives: Somerville, Victoria Westbury drives: 2014 MU-X 4x4 LS-T “THE MU-X is just an ideal vehicle for caravan touring,” says John Westbury.

“It has better features, for a better price, than its competitors. I’m very impressed with the mileage I get towing our van, plus the comfort in driving is fantastic. My neighbour, John Dawson, was so impressed with it that when he bought a new van he bought a D-MAX! He said he wanted a bit more space for ‘the toys’. I’ve done 12,000km, up to Lakes Entrance, through Braidwood and Canberra, and back, and John’s gone off around Australia. I’m not going to bush-bash it, though! I’ll do a few beach trips and some off-roading, but to me it’s too nice a vehicle!”

MALCOLM & ANN MORRIS

Lives: Aberfoyle Park, SA Drives: 2012 D-MAX 4x4 LS-U “ANN DRIVES—I’ve been blind for 65 years!—and we did a recent trip up the Strzelecki Track and back through Tibooburra. It was dry until the Dig Tree, Queensland, where it rained overnight, and we didn’t realise until too late the roads were closed to the south. Shut the Warri Gate and, oh boy, did that change quickly. Within 10m the mud was a foot deep; we drove through thick mud for 55km, taking four hours, going up and down, two wheels in the air! We arrived and they said, ‘You can’t come through there, the road’s closed!’ Ann said, ‘Yeah? Where’s your bloody sign?’ ‘Oh, what? You came in from Queensland!?’

Ann said, ‘Yes.’ That shut them up fast!”

4 max*d

| Issue 14

RAY WATERS

Lives: Traralgon, Victoria Drives: 2013 D-MAX 4x4 SX

“I’VE BEEN OUT in mud, swampland and sand dunes, and I actually made an 80m river crossing in it down in Marlo, near Orbost, all on road tyres. I just checked the depth and thought, ‘Yeah, I can do it,’ and I went for it. I was at Yarrawonga just two weeks ago and some of the hills and the rocks up there were fantastic. I’ve done 44,000km in 10 months! I get around.”

GARY FOX

Lives: Goonellabah, Queensland Drives: 2014 MU-X 4x4 LS-U “FROM THE MOMENT we first drove the MU-X we knew it was what we’d been looking for—for town or country.

On our first trip, from home to Noosa Heads, I was impressed by the 8.78L/ 100km mileage. Then we towed the caravan for 2000km on bitumen and gravel roads to Carnarvon Gorge in Central Queensland and home again.

The tarmac was so bad that some bitumen roads felt like gravel, but the MU-X handled all conditions with ease.”

PHIL CROWDER

Lives: Stirling, SA Drives: 2014 D-MAX 4x4 LS-M

“WE DID a big boys’ trip to the Simpson Desert with just seven days’ notice. We drove through the Adelaide Hills to Birdsville, via a counter meal at Mungerannie Pub and the ghost town of Farina. The next morning we went into the desert and met Big Red. Over the next three days we crossed 1000 sandhills, fully provisioned and tyres at 15psi, before arriving at Dalhousie Springs for a welcome swim in the hot springs. We came home via Mt Dare Station and Eringa, Oodnadatta, Lake Eyre and Marree; 3000km in a week and the D-MAX hardly broke a sweat!”

WANT TO WIN A $50 CALTEX FUEL CARD? If you’d like to see your vehicle appear in the mag, send a high-resolution image along with your name, town, state, and the make and model of your D-MAX or MU-X, plus a 100-word blurb, to maxd@iua.net.au. Or you can mail the details to max*d magazine, PO Box 500, Cannon Hill, Wynnum Qld 4170. If your letter is published here you’ll receive a $50 fuel card.

Issue 14 |

max*d 5

PUBLISHER Isuzu UTE Australia Pty Ltd ISUZU UTE AUSTRALIA MANAGING EDITORS Dave Harding, Cody Harland, Victor Petelo EDITOR Ben Smithurst ben.smithurst@edgecustom.com.au CHIEF SUBEDITOR Liani Solari MANAGING EDITOR Paul Rodger ART DIRECTOR Whitney Moothoo ACCOUNT MANAGER Amy Story ADVERTISING SALES Chris Waite chris.waite@edgecustom.com.au CREATIVE DIRECTOR Matt Sterne MANAGING PARTNERS Fergus Stoddart, Richard Parker

max*d is published on behalf of Isuzu UTE Australia Pty Ltd by

51 Whistler St, Manly NSW 2095 T +61 (0) 2 8962 2600

Disclaimer: The information included in this magazine is intended for interest only. The opinions and views expressed in this magazine are provided in the writers’ personal capacities and are their sole responsibility. Their publication does not imply that they represent the views or opinions of Isuzu UTE Australia or Edge and must neither be regarded as constituting advice on any matter nor be interpreted as such. The reproduction of advertisements in this publication does not in any way imply endorsement by Isuzu UTE Australia or Edge of products or services referred to therein. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher. A selection of the images featured in this publication has been sourced from Getty Images and Thinkstock Images. Business Essentials trading as Edge ABN 22 062 493 869.

max*d magazine is proudly printed in Australia using renewable resources.

Pacesetter Coated is an FSC Mixed Sources Certified paper, which ensures that all virgin pulp is derived from well-managed forests and controlled sources. It contains elemental chlorine-free bleached pulp and is manufactured by an ISO 14001 certified mill.

SGS-COC-003898

6 max*d

| Issue 14

Isuzu MU-X conquers Finke Desert Race In a test run for this year’s Australasian Safari (see story on page 14) off-road rally legends Bruce Garland and Harry Suzuki steered their Isuzu MU-X to the podium in the famous Finke Desert Race.

The MU-X finished first in class (Class Seven, Production 4WD, diesel, not exceeding 7200cc) and 48th outright after a gruelling two days of competition in Australia’s Northern Territory.

The hit-out marked the international racing debut for the new MU-X. “The car was fantastic. It’s really well balanced—the chassis is really good— and we are really happy with it,” says Garland. “It’s good everywhere—it took an absolute pounding but it is really, really strong.

“The road was so bad, just so rough.

It was bad enough going down on Sunday, but it was cut up even more, of course, by the time we started and

it took us longer to get back. But Harry and I feel remarkably good. And we’ve used the air conditioning all weekend—the joys of having a production car!”

The Finke Desert Race opened with a prologue, followed by a 226km run from Alice Springs to the overnight camping stop at the remote Aboriginal settlement of Aputula, on the Finke River, before returning to Alice Springs.

Ninety-one cars and off-road buggies started this year’s event, with 38 failing to finish.

NEWS

MU-X miserly on the MAX Run Challenge

But wait, there’s Moreton!

A recent initiative with Isuzu owners in Brisbane and surrounding areas saw 12 customers join three Isuzu UTE Australia (IUA) representatives to tackle the majestic sand tracks of Moreton Island. Throughout the day, they put their vehicles to the test, enjoying the endless, open beach horizons as well as a variety of inland trails. The trip comprised both theoretical and practical 4WD instruction, with a theory presentation conducted on the ferry—and plenty of opportunities to put it all into practice on arrival.

Moreton Island is the third-largest sand island in the world. Just 58km north-east of Brisbane, it’s accessible only by 4WD, making it the perfect escape from city life—and ‘soft-roader’ drivers.

Check out Moreton Island Adventures at www.moretonislandadventures.com.au

Fuel efficiency usually conjures images of tiny hatchbacks, hybrids and scooters, but with the arrival of the MU-X, we wanted to challenge that perception to prove that intelligently designed, large family vehicles can also deliver amazing fuel efficiency. During this year’s MAX Run Challenge, the Isuzu MU-X travelled 1424.7km on one tank of diesel—the equivalent of a minuscule 4.6 litres per 100km!

Alongside the Challenge was a competition where you were invited to guess the eventual figure. Most of you agreed that Isuzu‘s fuel efficiency is legendary, with the average guess being 1145.8km.

Of course, there could only be one winner, and this year Queenslander Gayle Gilligan managed the incredible feat of guessing the final result in kilometres travelled ... down to the decimal point. For her efforts, Gayle drives away, frugally, in a brand-new Isuzu MU-X 4x2 LS-M.

It’s important to note this was an extreme test of fuel economy—the MU-X was fully serviced before the Challenge, was externally polished to reduce wind resistance, and had its tyre pressures increased to minimise friction. As well, the air conditioning was switched off, and Caltex Vortex diesel and premium oils were used for optimum engine performance.

With our resident expert drivers Bruce Garland and Harry Suzuki behind the wheel, no additional modifications were made and no parts were removed from the MU-X. The chosen route was generally low-traffic areas and, where safe to do so, the MU-X travelled slower than the posted speed limits.

The results were verified by a Royal Automobile Club representative, who witnessed the fuelling of the 65 litres of Caltex Vortex diesel before the tank was closed with a tamper-proof seal, which, the rep confirmed, remained intact until the completion of the run.

Issue 14 |

max*d 7

THE 7-SEAT ISUZU MU-X

FROM THE EVERYDAY

TO OUTBACK GETAWAY.

The 7-seat Isuzu MU-X is built around a fuel efficient 3.0L turbo diesel common rail engine that provides plenty of low-down torque that makes towing any load up to 3-tonne a breeze. With a number of active and passive safety features, a spacious interior to fit all your gear and a ‘Terrain Command’ 4WD system, the MU-X is designed for the routine, extreme and everything in between.

Experience it for yourself by test driving the MU-X at your Isuzu UTE Dealer today.

ISUZUUTE.COM.AU ^5 years or 130,000km whichever occurs first, for eligible customers; excludes accessories.

NEWS NRL & AFL Footy Show winners For the fifth consecutive year Isuzu UTE Australia (IUA) has partnered with the NRL Sunday Footy Show to give away a brand-new D-MAX to one lucky viewer. The Isuzu D-MAX Performance of the Week competition saw Ryan Neary of Balmoral, Queensland, awarded this year’s NRL prize.

Switching codes, IUA also partnered with the AFL Sunday Footy Show, sponsoring the annual Lou Richards Medal for the Most Valuable Player. Points were awarded by the panel each week, with Collingwood captain Scott Pendlebury claiming the prize—and a D-MAX of his own—at season’s end. Congratulations to both!

Stay On Track Outback Isuzu UTE Australia has joined forces with the award-winning Stay On Track Outback road safety project, an initiative of the Charleville Police Patrol Group in Queensland.

Targeting nomads around the nation, Stay On Track Outback is an awareness program designed to educate tourists unfamiliar with outback traffic hazards, as well as the risks associated with driving at night and fatigue from driving long distances.

Police say there has been a surge in accidents on outback roads, the majority caused by the inexperience of new nomads whose years of urban driving does not necessarily equip them for long journeys on the nation’s outback highways.

Senior Constable Sarah Grayson, Project Manager, said, “Being prepared for a trip in the Outback should be the

number-one priority and this includes drivers educating themselves about all the unique hazards they may encounter.

Some of these include wildlife, livestock, changing road conditions, unpredictable weather events, road trains and wide loads.”

The project has been created with driving on outback roads in mind; however, the lessons are applicable across the country.

“We hope that people will look at our website and get some helpful road safety advice before they leave,” said Grayson.

It’s the aim of the project to continue implementing further strategies to assist motorists well into the future—and not only in Queensland but also across the country.

For more information visit www.stayontrackoutback.qld.gov.au

Issue 14 |

max*d 9

WISHLIST

by Michael Benn

3

P! DAM

Out&

1

About

2

1

KINDLE

Waterproof reading

Get more out of summer with hightech beach gear that puts you in the box seat for fun

2

You can do e-readers (of which Kindle is best) versus paper, but both are usually useless if you get them wet. Now you can read even while you’re scuba diving down to 65m—or just relaxing poolside—with no stress, thanks to a US electronics waterproofing company.

RRP $159, www.waterfi. com/waterproof-kindle

10 max*d

| Issue 14

RIP CURL

GPS surf watch

3

A ‘surf watch’ sounds like a gimmick, mostly because you needn’t tell time differently because you’re in the water. But this timepiece ‘tracks’ your surf, registering interesting data like top speed, distance travelled (via 10 hours of GPS surf time) and wave count. Also syncs to the cloud, with one-touch tide info for 1360 spots.

RRP $499, ripcurl.com.au

LIQUID IMAGE

Camera dive mask

4

4

If you dive or snorkel, chances are there’s enough going on with your hands—holding a spear, fiddling with your BCD, fighting kraken—to fuss with a camera, too. Good to 40m, the Hydra Series HD 720P shoots 60fps video with audio, or stills, with a two-hour battery life and 120-degree field of vision.

RRP US$119.99, liquidimageco.com

AEROBIE

Pro Ring 13" flying disc It’s usually a bad idea to throw something further than you’ll go to fetch it.

Like golf balls, though, you’ll put in the yards to collect a flying disc—and this one goes forever. In 2003, Yank Erin Hemmings threw his 13" (33cm) Aerobie Pro Disc a record 406m.

“The most tiring part is retrieving them,” he said.

RRP $26.40, frisbeeshop.com.au

TECH HEAD

by Dave Harding

Tread carefully with your tyres

T

yres are often the first and most significant modification that 4WD owners will make to their vehicle. Your tyres underpin the experiences you have in a 4WD, so first ask yourself: “Where do I want to go?”

There are three primary tyre tread patterns fitted to Australian 4WDs: Highway Terrain (H/T), All Terrain (A/T) and Mud Terrain (M/T). Each offers a different driving solution and experience.

Consider your lifestyle. Where do you go? What do you do there? How much time do you spend on sealed bitumen?

Like a soldier in the jungle or a hiker on Everest, your ride is only as good as its boots.

Take note when you choose your tyres …

And how much tackling off-road terrain?

Though the industry standard (see below) may not suit everyone, Toyo Tires technical manager (and 4WD tyre wizard) Steve Burke has seen many owners stray into A/T or M/T territory, only to spend their afternoon wandering the bush, searching for reception to call for a tow.

“It comes down to what you’re going to do,” he says. “Ten per cent off-road, for example, doesn’t mean you can point your car into any terrain you like.

“Aussie terrain is renowned for sharp and hidden surprises and radical changes.

A highway tyre can get you through plenty of off-road situations but you need

WHICH TYRE IS RIGHT FOR YOU? THE INDUSTRY STANDARD

90%

10%

(H/T) HIGHWAY TERRAIN

60%

40%

(A/T) ALL TERRAIN

15% Team D-MAX has been riding its tyres mighty hard for the past 45 years

12 max*d

| Issue 14

85%

(M/T) MUD TERRAIN ROAD

OFF-ROAD

Smaller gaps in the tread equal greater road-holding, larger are better off-road

cost races, like the Australasian Safari or Finke Desert Race, where the Toyo OPAT II was a great success.”

Some tyre manufacturers also offer a ‘severe service’ A/T tyre.

“For us, this is the M55,” says Burke.

“It’s designed specifically for rocky conditions where high loads are common, such as the mining/exploration market.”

The trade-off is higher rolling resistance. Severe service A/T tyres usually have a higher off-road percentage compared with the industry standard for an A/T, typically 50/50 road/off-road.

At the rugged end of the spectrum are the M/Ts. Burly, purposeful looks give away their intention, with the wide, deep tread designed for situations where other tyres run out of grip. Tackling snow, sand, rocks, gravel and, of course, mud, M/Ts are built for the path less travelled. While

they can have poor rolling resistance, be noisy on the road and require regular rotations to minimise irregular wear, their off-road performance is unparalleled.

M/Ts are the choice of the 4WD enthusiast or off-road racer, as well as the 4WD owner who wants a tougher look.

“As with the A/T II, modern technology has really made the M/T a much more street-friendly option than traditionally thought. We have a lot of reports of our Open Country M/T on daily drivers that see plenty of road use, keeping in mind that an A/T tyre will nearly always provide superior grip and lower noise on tarmac,” says Burke.

“Most people who drive on M/Ts daily know the headache of ‘highway hum’, especially on tour, but the OPMT is a much friendlier option. After all, there is bitumen between every adventure.”

Issue 14 |

max*d 13

Photo: DirtComp Magazine

to be mindful of tyre pressure and the capabilities of the tyres on your car.”

The difference between tyre types relates to tread pattern and construction.

H/T tyres come standard on most 4WDs, including the Isuzu D-MAX and MU-X. With small gaps between tread blocks, H/Ts boast greater on-road grip, because they offer more contact with the bitumen, and reduced block flexing.

Their lighter construction makes them better suited to high speeds. Smaller block gaps reduce heat build-up and prevent blocks from squirming under load. Made primarily for tarmac, H/Ts are less suited to extreme terrain than A/Ts and M/Ts. “H/Ts are street performers,” says Burke. “Toyo’s Open Country H/Ts are extremely low noise and offer ride comfort matched with fuel efficiency and a long tread life. I wouldn’t take them to Cape York, but for the commuter who might use their vehicle on sand and for mild off-roading, they’re perfect.”

A/Ts are the middle ground between on-road and off-road performance.

They’re ideal for the driver who commutes, and then hits the beach or the bush on weekends. These are your all-rounders.

Larger voids between tread blocks eject debris and provide good on- and off-road performance, without the noise or longdistance comfort issues of M/Ts. “A/Ts are often seen as a compromise with limited performance in certain terrains or poor traction in some street conditions, but that conventional wisdom is a bit limited,” says Burke.

“A commitment to A/T tyre innovation, like that in the Toyo Open Country A/T II (OPAT II), has reduced road noise to levels similar to highway tyres, providing classleading mileage and proven class-leading mid-corner grip and wet and dry braking performance on bitumen.

“Normally, on-road manners in an A/T come at the expense of off-road performance, but the chunky OPAT II grips up through the toughest ruts or soft sand and is as hard as nails. Exceptional sidewall strength makes them ideal for motorsports, where unexpected punctures

INSIDE LINE

by Stephen Corby

BACK SADDLE IN THE

With six Isuzus in the top 20, this year’s Australasian Safari was a triumph—but the stakes were even higher for two brave racers 14 max*d

| Issue 14

ft) Adrian Di Lallo (le rsen and Roger Pede

Adrian keeps his eyes up while steel-stomached Roj barks directions

E

very rally car driver carries a great weight with him, and an unspoken fear. They accept, at least in their darker moments, that they could be badly injured or even killed doing what they love. But what if it isn’t the driver who gets hurt in an accident? What if it’s the co-driver, sitting there strapped into the passenger seat, wrapped in what is effectively a gossamer-thin blanket of trust in the skills of the guy behind the wheel.

An accident in which the driver is not hurt but the navigator gets broken

is “every driver’s worst nightmare”, as WA’s Adrian Di Lallo, 40, admits, and he’s been through it.

Just over a year ago he was competing in the Australian Rally Championship with his co-driver and good mate, Roger ‘Roj’ Pedersen, when they had a huge and ferocious crash that destroyed their Mitsubishi Evo. “It was as close as you’d want to get to a …” Di Lallo pauses, unable to even say the words. “Well, anything more and one of us wouldn’t have walked away.” Pedersen, 51, didn’t walk away,

sustaining 27 staggeringly painful breaks in his left leg and ending up in a wheelchair.

“It was touch and go there for Roj for a few days, whether he’d pull through,” Di Lallo recalls.

“It’s every driver’s worst nightmare, you’d rather … you’d rather it happened to you.

“I don’t know how, but somehow, by the grace of God, I got myself out of the car and I was only in ICU for a few hours, whereas Roj’s rehab is still continuing.”

Happily, after staring down suggestions that he’d never sit in a rally car again, that rehab has included competing in the recent Australasian Safari with Di Lallo in an Isuzu MU-X wagon. Not only did they go the distance in the punishing northern WA Outback, but the brave pair finished fifth outright and convincingly won their class. Their car was one of six Isuzus, including that of Dakar legend Bruce Garland, to finish in the top 20.

“We’d made a pact that we wouldn’t go racing again until we could go racing together, and it took him 12 months, but he made it. He’s a very mentally strong, strong-willed person and I think knowing he was going to get back in a rally car helped him to recover, physically and mentally,” Di Lallo says.

This was Di Lallo’s fourth Safari, and he’d finished higher in the outright

Issue 14 |

max*d 15

This image: Dodging choppers in WA Inset: Garland and Suzuki’s 2012 D-MAX rocks

INSIDE LINE Isuzu Motorsports also ran a production-spec D-MAX that claimed 7th place outright

“We pulled up a car length from the 100m sheer drop. We would have had to helicopter the car out of the ocean!” classification before, but this was by far the most satisfying.

“You look at fifth outright and think, ‘Yeah, it’s all right,’ but the thing is we were in a standard car with a standard engine and standard gearbox and brakes, and there were some absolute rocket ships in front of us,” he says.

“The car that came second was a VF Commodore with a 6.0-litre V8 Supercar engine and Ralliart Pajero suspension, and the car in front of us, in fourth,

16 max*d

| Issue 14

was a Dakar-spec Ford Motorsport car.

So we’re thrilled to have done so well.

“It’s a brand-new car, and you always get teething problems, but we had very few and the car was just amazing —for a factory car, seriously, it’s friggin’ amazing.”

Di Lallo was also thrilled at the success of his Isuzu teammates, with all six entries managing to finish one of the world’s most gruelling off-road events in one piece.

The Thai-entered MU-X crewed by Vorapot Bunchuaylua and Chupong Chaiwan finished sixth overall; their countrymen, Olan Sornsirirat and Veerachai Thorangkoon, seventh, in a D-MAX; and Safari stalwart Reg Owen and co-driver Russell Cairns came 13th outright in another MU-X. “We were super-stoked as a team that every Isuzu finished. Even though we’re in different cars and we’re competing, we’re a team, we all work together, we share know-how and even parts and we celebrate together,” Di Lallo says.

Isuzu’s most fancied entry, the Dakar-spec D-MAX of Bruce Garland and Harry Suzuki, finished a distant 17th after electrical troubles cost them a whole day of racing, but the laconic Garland was just happy to be alive.

“Yeah, we were in more trouble than Flash Gordon in this one because there was a bit of a misunderstanding between Harry and I when I thought he said, ‘Caution after cliff.’ So I thought we had to drive over this cliff and then turn,

but it turns out the caution was the cliff because it was a 100m sheer drop into the ocean, but you couldn’t see it until you were right on top of it,” he almost chuckles.

“We just came straight at it and pulled up a car length from the drop. That would have been bad, we would have had to helicopter the car out of the ocean!

“And our bodies, because we would have been dead. Yep, that would have been a body bag, that one.

“Still, it was a nice view, driving right along the ocean, once we got it right.”

Garland shrugs off his personal disappointment, pointing out that the car had been very competitive before the gremlins knocked them out of contention.

“The rest of the team went really, really well, which was the high point,” he says.

“Every Isuzu-built car finishing an event like this—and some stages really were as hard as the Dakar this year— is a remarkable result.”

Team Isuzu’s pre-race powwow

Issue 14 |

max*d 17

COVER STORY

by Craig Jamieson

Bunyip Dreaming Two superbly capable off-road brutes—one MU-X, one D-MAX—set off to seek out a third in a bush and beachside coastal yowie hunt …

18 max*d

| Issue 14

Photos: Incite Images (Bunyip photo: Rich Legg/Getty)

RAWR!

max*d 19

Issue 14 |

COVER STORY “Tribes of the region believed in the existence of a race of 2.7m-tall hairy, manlike beings called the Rakatak. These monsters were said to inhabit the rock shelters and forests … and the swamps and foreshores of the Myall Lakes north of Newcastle, frightening Aboriginal fishermen from their fishing grounds.”

– Rex Gilroy, cryptozoologist, author, Giants From The Dreamtime, 2001

I

t takes a special kind of stupid to tempt fate.

It’s putting a priceless Ming vase behind a sitcom door.

It’s pushing a big, red, unfamiliar button just to see what it does.

It’s searching for a gigantic, merciless man-beast and deciding to camp in the middle of the thick bush that legends say is its ancestral stomping ground.

It’s exactly what we’re doing. And what we’re doing certainly seems like a bad idea to my fellow camper, Tom, who sums up the situation beside the fire.

“So, we’re in a place called Treachery.”

“Yes.” “By this creepy Blair Witch Project swamp full of dead trees and surrounded by weird noises.”

Should a beast, once described as “like a big gorilla with a large head resembling three porcupines tied together”, appear, I will fire up the grunty 3.0-litre engine and drive off, even as it feasts on the tent dwellers.

“I don’t like it either.”

“With no phone reception. And it’s pitch-black, and things are moving around in the bush, and there’s nobody else camping, and we’re here because they’ve had decades of yowie sightings.”

“That’s the brief for our story.”

“Great,” he snorts. “This is stupid.”

I don’t know if Tom means it’s stupid as in silly (looking for yowies is clearly a Very Silly Thing, at least by daylight) or stupid as in scary (because now, in the late, quiet night, I’m not ashamed to admit it’s actually, genuinely a bit scary).

But surely—surely—we’ll be fine.

No-one has ever found definitive proof that the yowie, Australia’s version of the infamous Big Foot, actually exists. And,

20 max*d

| Issue 14

should someone actually manage to find the elusive cryptid, it won’t be a pair of city slickers sitting by a poorly erected tent, pensively munching half-cooked supermarket sausages. But this is cold comfort at 2am, with a thin layer of mouldy polyester the only thing between us and whatever keeps making sounds that’d give Jason Voorhees conniptions.

My Isuzu MU-X, parked nearby, looks an increasingly attractive sleep option. Solid steel and tempered glass certainly one-up our tent for protection. I’d be a full 230mm off the ground, thanks to its clearance, with thick steel plates on the underbody to stop anything seizing me, Jaws-like, from below. I’d even be able to set the climate control to a toasty 27°C, fold down

Sandbar & Bushland Caravan Park

the rear and middle seats—leaving a perfectly flat surface for my swag—and drift off into a lovely, nightmare-free nap.

Safe in the knowledge that, should a beast, once described by a witness as “like a big gorilla with a large head resembling three porcupines tied together”, come barrelling through camp, it will feast first on the tent dwellers.

Even as I fired up the grunty 3.0-litre engine and drove off. Should something emerge from the shadows, I’d have zero qualms about doing just that.

SMITH LAKE

MYALL LAKE

TREACHERY CAMP SEAL ROCKS

“It was about 3m tall, covered in hair; it had a flat face and walked to the side in a crab-like style … it just ripped up whole shrubs between the creek and where our camp was, right out of the ground—roots and all. A bloke can’t do that; it was quite incredible.”

– Bill O’Chee, former Queensland National Party Senator, 1977 It’s morning. Apparently.

There was no sunrise, just a pale hue that more or less failed to illuminate the low, heavy cloud cover. As morning breaks, the clouds seem to move in even closer, casting a malevolent shroud on our feeble encampment.

Tom breaks the malaise with a hearty breakfast before we load up and hit the sandy trails around Seal Rocks and Yagon, in the Myall Lakes National Park, 45km south of Forster on the NSW midnorth coast.

It’s a truly beautiful part of the world every single day, except for the single day we’ve chosen for our yowie hunt.

The clouds, grumpy all morning, have upped the ante from ‘menacing’ and look ‘enraged’, and it’s raining sideways.

Tom confiscated the MU-X last night after I mentioned using it as a hotel. It’s no real hardship, mind; I’m behind the wheel of a D-MAX LS-U, which shares much with its seven-seater brother.

Both MU-X and D-MAX use Isuzu’s unflappable 3.0-litre diesel, channelling

Treachery camp ground, or is it The Blair Witch Project?

Issue 14 |

max*d 21

COVER STORY 130kW and 380Nm through a hardy five-speed auto. Both vehicles excel as we plough further into the scrub, neither giving quarter in terms of off-road poise or panache.

Thirty metres further down the trail, we actually are ploughing. The trail exists now in name only. The scrub has given way to robust saplings that grow between the wheel ruts; they disappear beneath the D-MAX’s bonnet like I’m driving a combine harvester up a sandy mountain.

If I could share a small tip, it would be to never, ever try to do that, but I’d forgive you if you didn’t take advice from a man who’s hunting mythical creatures in the face of a Category 2 cyclone.

Our convoy comes to a halt in front of a hill that would block out the sun, if any of us could actually figure out if it was shining in the first place. It’s unassailable, we expect, even in the dry; driving a heavily specced bruiser with fat mud-

“If you get into that MU-X tonight, I swear I’m going to set your tent on fire”

22 max*d

| Issue 14

terrain tyres, it would be a stretch. Last night’s downpour has carved the hillside away, leaving a climb that resembles a Crisco-drenched slippery dip. There’s nothing for it; we’ll have to go around.

And then Mark, our Bear Grylls-esque photographer, decides we should give it a crack anyway, safe in the knowledge that we can reverse down or employ our salvage gear and the second 4X4.

He scales the cliff-like face, props himself up against a trunk and declares that there’s a small plateau halfway up, just before the hill actually becomes a wall of loose sand. But there’s a path around the summit from there, so we should go for it.

Tom is first to have a crack in the MU-X. He selects low-range 4WD, manually grabs second gear and sets off. Under-specced, his road-happy tyres struggle for grip, but the 4WD system doesn’t let them lose out all together. Somehow, the MU-X pulls cleanly all the way up to the plateau.

And the D-MAX follows. We’re impressed.

Two beasts sighted at Sandbar; note briefly glimpsed clear skies

Mark scales the cliff-like face, props himself up against a trunk and declares that there’s a small plateau halfway up, just before the hill actually becomes a wall of loose sand, and that we should give it a crack.

“I had gone for a ride on my bike when I saw it up the hill a bit. It looked real to me and it was clawing the tree.

Bark was falling down around its body.

Then suddenly it turned and looked at me … from about 50 yards away …

I turned and just went for my life.”

– Shaun Cooper, student, 1978 Mark is deathly silent. He skulks like a ninja, stalking something into the bush.

Tom and I exchange bemused glances and retreat to our cars. Ten minutes pass with

mozzies and one dingo awareness sign.

And zero yowies. But we don’t want to be here in the dark when that storm hits.

So we make the brave call to scarper.

Fate rewards our boldness. The clouds mostly back off for one glorious hour, time enough for a detour to the desperately gorgeous Sandbar Beach.

Both the D-MAX and MU-X revel in the soft sand as we slew through sand drifts.

It’s easy to relax when the prospect of being dinner for a giant simian—or goanna, for that matter—is long gone.

It’s easy to relax, for instance, and forget that I’ve left my driver’s window down.

It’s easy to then tempt fate with some bravado behind the wheel—bravado that picks up a cubic metre of sand and dumps it through the window, caking me.

We found no yowies, but that doesn’t mean there were no hairy moments.

And while we can’t be blamed if the local bunyips had gone to ground, I can be blamed for the sandpit’s worth of ground—or, at least, sand—lining my D-MAX’s sills and door seals.

Every orifice of my D-MAX and me is caked in grit. I am not a smart man, but I’m pretty sure this is the first time I’ve been outwitted by a mythical beast. It takes a special kind of stupid to tempt fate.

the speed of an hour until Mark finally emerges with pictures, not of a Yowie, but of a six-foot goanna. And a second massive storm front, eagerly joining the one that’s been hanging over us all day.

All of a sudden, bush bashing to find yowies has gone from tempting fate to asking for a Darwin Award. After all, we’ve plugged along, all day, through miles of sodden trails, almost-trails and places where trails have reverted to scrub. Dusk is nearing and our meagre fauna tally sits at a goanna, 24 brush turkeys, 10 million

Issue 14 |

max*d 23

OUT OF THE BOX

by Ben Smithurst

King crocs of the

24 max*d

| Issue 14

This image: Taping the business end for travel Left: Tools of the trade Far left: Airlifting a recalcitrant saltie

W

Knockabout TV star Matt Wright, Outback Wrangler, is the go-to man if a rogue saltwater crocodile turns up in the NT

henever you get put into a bad situation everything seems to slow down,” says Matt Wright, improbable Territorian inheritor to Steve Irwin’s leaping onto crocodiles. As Wright speaks, the large python he’s holding cloaks itself about his shoulders. “Whether it’s a crocodile about to take hold of your leg or your head, or a bear running through the timber at you, there’s always a way out. You’ve just got to find it.”

It’s hard to argue with Wright. He has firsthand knowledge of both situations.

The star of Outback Wrangler on Nat Geo Wild, National Geographic’s wildlife channel, is the real deal. Raised in the wilds of Papua New Guinea and the Outback, Wright has a background as a helicopter pilot, soldier, oil rig worker and musterer.

More recently, he’s been on call as a professional fetcher of crocodile eggs for the farm trade and a wrangler of big, errant, nuisance crocs that turn up in public areas in Australia’s north.

Or in Canada, during the northern summer, where the alpha predators are of the grizzly and polar bear varieties.

Or Malaysia, where elephants—and 3.5m king cobras—are the main concern.

It’s this work that has led to Wright’s international profile as a wildlife relocator.

Since 2011 the khaki-clad Top End superbloke has been doing it on TV. His show, dubbed into 37 languages, reaches 90 countries and 90 million homes.

Nature abhors a vacuum, but television hates an empty space a thousand times more. Which makes the Australian TV scene in the years since Steve Irwin died a curious sort of wasteland. By rights, any number of khaki-clad animal pesterers ought to have rushed to fill the Crocodile Hunter’s tragic void. Now, finally, comes a genuine contender.

Charismatic, passionate and as Aussie as a Vegemite David Boon, Wright’s star is rising. How close, though, has he come to that slow-motion crocodile actually taking a hold of his head?

“Ah,” he laughs, still casually shifting the snake from arm to arm, “it can be a pretty common occurrence in my line of work.

“I had one lying on top of me once and I had to kick it in the head. We were collecting eggs from the crocodile’s nest and it came at me. I fell down and the croc—10 or 12 feet long—ended up on me. There was another bloke with me, but he didn’t want to come in, in case the crocodile was going to bite him. It sort of sat there and didn’t move, and I didn’t move, and one of us had to make a choice.”

A classic stand-off punctuated—if you’re a normal person—by a spot

Issue 14 |

max*d 25

OUT OF THE BOX found Mr Wright. “He’s a world-class action hero.”

Back home, there have been 22 fatal crocodile attacks in Australia this century, including four in the Territory in the past year. After a 57-year-old fisherman was killed by a 4.5m saltie in August, NT Chief Minister Adam Giles said the incident was “a sign that the density and population of crocs in the NT is becoming something of an issue”. Wright sees it differently.

“Just like you’re always going to have shark attacks, lion attacks and bear attacks, there will always be crocodile attacks. If you enter the water where crocodiles are, or you sleep on the bank,

of sobbing? Not Wright. “I figured I was just going to get bitten on the leg, and if I was bitten on the leg I could deal with it,” he says. “So I took the chance and kicked it in the head and it took off—luckily.”

He still raided its eggs. “I got up, collected the nest and got out of there.”

All in a day’s work for a bloke whose formative years were a series of reptileworrying adventures. Wright was an avid catcher of scorpions and brown snakes in his youth, much to his mother’s terror.

Television found him in 2009, when Channel Seven happened upon him relocating a colossal 5.6m saltwater croc.

As Wright’s agent, Nick Fordham, said, “The phones went into meltdown.”

US pay TV had found a star.

“He’s like the Lone Ranger, riding in to save people and animals in distress, but his horse is a helicopter and he uses a rope instead of a gun,” Nat Geo supremo Geoff Daniels gushed, having

26 max*d

| Issue 14

“The snake’s mouth opened and its teeth just went whack! onto my cheek.”

then of course you’re going to be attacked, eaten, killed. They’ve got a place and that’s in the water. If you stay out of where they are, you’re not going to get attacked.”

Wright might now be on TV, but he’s still the croc’s pal. And the snake’s. As we speak, apparently satisfied with each other’s company, Wright has returned the 2m-plus serpent to a branch.

Suddenly, he grins. “A python bit me on the face when I was about eight,” he says.

“It was a friend’s snake. We were at the vet’s and I pulled it out of a bag, a sevenfoot carpet python. But its mouth opened and it just went whack! onto my cheek.

I was wiggling its teeth to try to get it off my face, but because the skin of your cheeks is soft and their teeth move around inside their mouth, it wouldn’t come off.

“The vet just freaked out,” he adds. “She went, ‘ARGH, THERE’S A SNAKE ON YOU!’ Yeah, I know! Haha! I had a good scar when I went back to school, and I was squeezing it and popping the teeth out.”

Time, then, obviously doesn’t always slow down enough so there’s a way out.

What if a croc gets the better of you?

“Would it surprise me to be eaten by a crocodile one day?” Wright proposes.

“No. Definitely not. You put yourself in that situation and you know that one day you might be caught off guard and that will be the end of you.”

Top left: Egg extraction with obstacles This image: Grateful man’s best friend

NO MATTER WHERE YOUR ADVENTURES TAKE YOU, ARB HAS THE GEAR TO GET YOU THERE.

ARB.COM.AU | TEL. 1300 ARB 4X4 |

PASSPORT

Hokkaido Niseko

by Ben Groundwater

Japan’s legendary powder is deep, dreamy and often totally un-tracked.

Welcome to heaven

Morioka

Hakuba

JAPAN

The ultimate

POWDER TRIP

O

n the first day it snows. On the second day it keeps snowing.

On the third day it snows again, and then again on the fourth day. Pretty soon you realise it’s just going to snow the entire time you’re here.

This is a ski trip in Japan, where waistdeep powder is nothing to write home about, where snow falls out of the sky in great, huge, unending blizzards of goodness.

Niseko, perhaps Japan’s most famous resort, gets 15m of snow a year. That’s right: 15m. That’s seven LeBron Jameses standing on top of one another. That’s almost a fivestorey building’s worth of white stuff.

This trip will not disappoint. I’m down in Hakuba, on Japan’s main island of

28 max*d

| Issue 14

Honshu, and it’s snowing. Of course. They get a measly 11m a year here. The slopes are far from crowded, too—in fact, barely any skiers queue for the first gondola each morning. It’s an easy pace in a very white place.

And so you can see, already, why Japan is so popular, why Aussie snowlovers pack their bags in midsummer and head north in droves. But it’s not just the ridiculous snowfall that has them flocking to Japan. There’s plenty more.

It’s the price. With budget airfares from Australia to Osaka and Tokyo, you don’t need to fork out a motza to get here. And once you arrive the skiing is shockingly affordable. We’re talking as little as $40

a day for a lift pass in some resorts— that’s $40 a day to enjoy all of this fluffy powder.

The lift queues are negligible, if sometimes non-existent. The locals friendly. The beer cheap. The food good.

And then there’s the quirk of snowboarding somewhere so foreign and different to the standard Perisher or Whistler experience. There are no surly lift operators here in J-land. Instead you get beanie-clad Japanese girls yelling “Dozo!” (go ahead) as they help you onto the chair; or grizzled, old local ski bums cracking smile after smile as they go about their business. In the restaurants,

There are no surly lift operators in J-land. Instead you get beanieclad Japanese girls yelling “Dozo!� as they help you onto the chair.

Issue 14 |

max*d 29

Hero photo: Jeremy Woodhouse/Blend Images/Corbis. Photo: Voss 13/ULTRA F/Ocean/Corbis

Main image: A local carves up untouched, offthe-beaten-track Tohoku This image: Niseko is full of Aussies, and full-on fun

Photo: © Eric Reichbaum/Getty

PASSPORT In Hakuba there’s no night-life, but you’ll be exhausted anyway

groups of local skiers sleep with their heads on the tables during lunch.

You’ll gorge on ramen or katsu curry.

When booking a ski trip to Japan, you have to decide what style of holiday you want. The most popular option is Niseko on the north island of Hokkaido, a large resort with a fairly chronic infestation of Australian powder hounds. If you’re struggling with the language, or fancy drinking a Foster’s, or want to hang out with 10 surfie blokes from Burleigh Heads, this is the place for you.

(Although it’s worth noting that instead of heading to the pub for après-ski, most Japanese will visit an onsen, or hot springs, where they nude up and soak their pains away in a warm outdoor bath before retiring to a bar for sake and beer, or a remarkably affordable restaurant in town.)

There’s also the bonus of 15m of snow and the ease of ingress—just a short flight from Tokyo to Sapporo and then a two-hour bus trip up the mountain.

For a slightly more local experience, consider the Hakuba region, which is only very slowly being completely overrun by antipodeans.

Accessible from Tokyo via a 90-minute bullet train to Nagano and then an

30 max*d

| Issue 14

hour-long bus ride, Hakuba is a series of boutique resorts surrounding a quaint little village that might not be huge on night-life but has a heap of local culture.

There’s an onsen in Hakuba, of course, as well as some excellent restaurants and the ski slopes—the main attraction—are steeper and more varied than Niseko’s.

In Hakuba, as with any Japanese ski field, it pays to arrive cashed up. It is affordable, but the scarcity of ATMs and shops that accept foreign credit cards means you’ll need to have pockets full of yen to get you through your stay.

For a Japanese ski experience free of other Australians, and free of just about anyone else, turn to the northern part of Honshu, to the Tohoku region. This rarely visited area, just a bullet train ride and a bus trip from Tokyo, features typically heavy snowfalls, good terrain and decentsized resorts, such as Appi Kogen and Zao Onsen. Just don’t go to Tohoku for the night-life —it’s very quiet.

And the choices go on.

There are more than 500 ski resorts in Japan, each with their own quirks and personality. But there’s one thing that’s guaranteed at all of them: It will be snowing.

FACT FILE WHEN TO GO

The Japanese ski season generally runs from mid December to early April, with the sweet spot from mid January to late February. If you’re worried about landing the right conditions, that’s the time to go.

WHERE TO GO

With more than 500 resorts to choose from, this is a tough one.

Niseko is a perennial favourite for its tourist-friendly infrastructure and copious amounts of snow. Furano, in Hokkaido, can make a great addition to a Niseko trip. Hakuba is becoming increasingly popular, as it features steeper terrain and less crowded slopes. Tohoku is a great option for those willing to go further afield.

See snowjapan.com for more tips.

GETTING THERE

From Australia, Jetstar flies to Osaka and Tokyo, with onward connections to Sapporo for those planning to visit Niseko or Furano. To access Hakuba, take the bullet train from Tokyo to Nagano and then a bus to the main resorts. For Tohoku, take the bullet train to Morioka or Sendai and then transfer by bus.

Next Gener

Nx Gen

Nx Gene

UNSUNG HEROES

by Ben Smithurst

Lawnmower Man Meet Craig Alford, the man riding a 1000cc mower around the entire continent—including Tasmania—for charity

I

t’s a small world, but I wouldn’t want to paint it,” said American deadpan comic Steven Wright.

But what about mowing it?

Painting might be the most tedious job in indoor home renovation, but outside, in a fug of two-stroke, heat stroke and hayfever, mowing is almost as thankless.

Not to Craig Alford. The 51-year-old Perth yardwork enthusiast enjoys mowing to an almost obscene degree.

“Mate, I love mowing grass,” he says.

“Love it. Normal people drive along and look at cars and houses and scenery …

I go along looking at grass and I think, ‘Geez, I’d love to get a mower into that!

Craig and his sevenman crew docked in Kalgoorlie in 2012.

32 max*d

| Issue 14

I could do this, I could do that …’ It’s therapeutic for me, mowing grass.”

Alford is currently midway through a multi-year, multi-stage mission to become the first person to circumnavigate Australia on a mower. He and his crew are paying their own way, on their way to raising $1m for charity, with 100 per cent of donations generated going directly to causes. These include Australian Rotary Health’s Mental Illness Research Program, mobility charity Wheels For Hope, prostate cancer awareness and the Royal Flying Doctor Service.

Not surprisingly, perhaps, Alford is a mower salesman. His inspiration came on a pilgrimage to Kansas where, at the Hustler Turf lawnmower plant, he discovered an employee had ridden a mower across the state to raise money for leukaemia research.

His circumnavigation, staggered over months and years, has seen him get from Perth to Sydney, via Tasmania.

North is next.

“I thought that anything they could do in America, I could do here,” he says.

LFORD CRAIG A e: 51

Ag thropist, n: Philan o ti a p u c sman Oc wer sale lawn mo ig’s ra C : Track Website te—at a n o d d s—an rg.au .o progres e eothersid th to e d ri

Q&A Have you pimped your ride much? It’s a stock mower; it’s got a 28kW, 1000cc Kawasaki engine in a stock-standard Hustler Super Z. All I’ve done is put 8-inch forward mags on it, which gives it a bit of bling as well. And low-profile road tyres, because turf tyres in the heat tend to wear pretty quickly.

What’s been the hardest part? I probably spent close to 150 hours on paperwork for last year’s leg alone. I have to have pilot vehicles to escort me. If I was on a horse and cart I could go at 4km/h with no escort at all! But it’s a mower, so I’ve got to jump through all of these hoops.

What’s been the toughest leg? Crossing the Nullarbor on a ride-on mower in February isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.

For the 11 or 12 consecutive days that it took us to get across, we didn’t have a day under 30°C. And we did 302km in one day. At 49.5°C.

How fast does your mower go? Top speed is 36.1 km/h; average is about 27km/h.

The next leg will be from Sydney to Darwin, via Cairns, which is about 5500km. I’m considering putting a bit of a blade on the front and we’re going to be hunting cane toads along the way.

Sounds messy. Yeah. I don’t know how much some of the conservationists will like it, but it’ll get rid of a few cane toads!

What’s the funniest thing that’s happened to you? The biggest thing is the look on people’s faces. You know how, when you see an escort vehicle, you think, ‘Slow, big, wide vehicle.’ And they come around the corner or over the hill and they think, ‘What the f …?’ You can read their lips as they go past. A few of them have run off the road! But the best bit is the camaraderie. On the Nullarbor we were camping beside the road at night; the temperature plummeted pretty quickly and the winds were so bad that we had our swags tied to the mower so they wouldn’t get blown away. It was great!

Tremendous. Bowral was great, too.

We went to the Bradman Oval, the hallowed turf, and I challenged the curator to a drag race around the grounds on his mower. We took off and I basically lapped him. Haha!

You must have seen a lot of roadkill?

Oh, mate! Across the Nullarbor, in a car you can wind the windows up and put the air-con on and you don’t even notice it. But at 27km/h you know it’s coming for a long time and you know you’ve passed it for a long time afterwards.

We would have spotted two dozen dead wedge-tailed eagles—they get full of carrion and they eat so much that they just can’t get up into the air in time.

Finally, which state has the best lawns?

Probably WA. But NSW was having such a great season when we went through … mate, I haven’t seen grass anywhere else, at that time of the year, as good as it was in NSW. [In hushed, almost reverential tones] It was better than Tasmania’s. It was the best.

Issue 14 |

max*d 33

THE LIST

by Marcus Craft

SHORE THING, MATE AUSTRALIA’S BEST 4WD BEACHES

Photo: Robert Harding World Imagery/Getty

Hit the beach with our no-nonsense guide to seven of the country’s 4WD hotspots

34 max*d

The Fraser Island wreck of the SS Maheno, lost in a cyclone in 1935

| Issue 14

Ours is the sunburnt country and for bloody good reason: We have the lion’s share of the world’s greatest beaches.

We also have some of the world’s best 4WD beaches. Australia’s coastal and island adventures range from chilled cruising to dune-based adrenaline thrills.

Note: Tackle these trips in a 4WD with low-range gearing (or the equivalent) and high ground clearance. Always organise vehicle access and camping permits, if applicable, prior to your trip.

FRASER ISLAND, GREAT SANDY NATIONAL PARK, QLD The world’s largest sand island is about 300km north of Brisbane and 15km off the coast of Hervey Bay. At 123km long, the World Heritage-listed island is almost two and a half times the size of Tonga.

The go-to sandy drive here is 75 Mile Beach on the island’s east coast.

Imagine driving along a pristine, open beach under a brilliantly blue sky and

warm sun, with the cool breeze from a startlingly clear ocean as a welcome companion. Now, dump that mental image because the reality is much better.

It’s a cinch in favourable conditions; the sand can be nice and firm, making for a (sensibly) fast drive—80km/h is the speed limit. But the thrills here lie in unpredictability. Rain and big seas can result in deep washouts, exposed rocks, washed-up logs and eroded dunes. The pay-off is Fraser’s myriad scenic delights, such as the Champagne Pools, Indian Head, the Maheno wreck, freshwater Eli Creek and 40 or so freshwater lakes.

Get there: Via a 10-minute vehicle barge from Inskip Point (near Rainbow Beach) to Hook Point on Fraser; no bookings required. Or the 30-minute barge from River Heads (north-east of Maryborough) to Kingfisher Bay and Wanggoolba Creek; bookings required. The 75 Mile Beach track starts 20km from the Hook Point drop-off. Visit fraserislandbarges.com.au for barge departure times.

Pro-tip: Fraser’s beaches and sandy inland roads are suitable only for highclearance 4WDs preferably with lowrange capacity. Drive two hours either side of low tide; avoid driving two hours either side of high tide. Beware dingoes, backpackers in hired troop carriers and— alarmingly—planes. Authorised aircraft have designated, signposted landing zones on the eastern beach. Check island conditions at nprsr.qld.gov.au when planning your trip.

RAINBOW BEACH, COOLOOLA RECREATION AREA, QLD

The brilliant Carlo Sandblow at Rainbow Beach

Just 240km north of Brisbane, Rainbow Beach is virtually next door to Fraser Island but on the mainland.

Teewah Beach, in the Cooloola Recreation Area, is 40km of open beach leading to Rainbow Beach, via Double Island Point, which boasts coloured sands, stunning coastline … and the notorious 4WD-gobbling natural obstacle known as Mudlo Rocks.

Mudlo, a tricky little section south of Rainbow Beach township, has claimed many vehicular victims, especially those driving from Double Island Point. It’s a rather innocuous-looking

Issue 14 |

max*d 35

THE LIST A road train of another kind on the shared road of Cable Beach

Pro-tip: Conditions can change swiftly.

In the past, waves have swamped the beachfront, even at low tide, and deep pools of water have accumulated at the beach entrances, creating large areas of very soft sand. Look out after huge swells and tides that can erode the beach, causing hazardous driving conditions: drop-offs, flooding or impassable sections.

Several people have been killed in accidents on Stockton. Take care.

CABLE BEACH, BROOME, WA

arrangement of rocks but it turns nasty with the high tide. Recently, it’s been made even worse, with rocks further exposed by erosion. Tackle Mudlo in rising waters at your peril.

and exploring Aboriginal cultural sites (camp sites, middens and more)—but the beach driving is epic. Visitors are allowed to drive on the beachfront and in the designated Recreational Vehicle Area.

Get there: Beach access is from Rainbow

Get there: Enter the WCL via Lavis Lane

Beach. From Tewantin, take the Noosa River ferry to Noosa North Shore, then go north along Teewah Beach to Freshwater, Double Island Point and Rainbow Beach.

at Williamtown (at the southern end of Stockton, about 25km from Newcastle) or via Gan Gan Road at Anna Bay. Call the Hunter Region NPWS office on 02 4984 8200 for beach vehicle permits.

Pro-tip: Beware the tide, but it can also provide entertainment when combined with idiots. Set up your camp chair at Mudlo Rocks and watch the carnage.

Gunyah Beach sand dunes, Coffin Bay

STOCKTON BEACH, NSW

36 max*d

| Issue 14

Get there: The vehicle access ramp is near the sealed car park, off Cable Beach Road, about 6km from Broome. Simple.

Pro-tip: Beware the motley trifecta of backpackers, camels (often lumping backpackers) and nudists. Some people still insist on getting their gear off at Cable’s northern end. Beware sunburn.

COFFIN BAY, EYRE PENINSULA, SA

Photo: SATC & Rob Blackburn

About 220km north of Sydney, Stockton Beach is part of the Worimi Conservation Lands (WCL) and is NSW’s longest beach.

It stretches 32km from Birubi Point to the mouth of the Hunter River at Newcastle.

Beach driving here is hugely popular. Stockton’s steep, shifting ‘sand skyscrapers’, some 30m high, are said to be part of the Southern Hemisphere’s largest continuous mobile coastal sand mass. There’s plenty to do—including surfing, beach fishing, whale watching

In the Kimberley, 2200km from Perth and 1860km from Darwin, is a 22km stretch of white sand; Indian Ocean on one side, red dirt and cliffs on the other. In the company of some of the hard-charging beach drives listed here, Cable Beach offers a distinct change of pace. The tidal range means the beach can be 200m wide at low tide, making for an easy and relaxing drive; at high tide, it’s still about 30m. It’s not Australia’s most thrilling beach drive, but it’s certainly one of the most beautiful—and most chilled out.

Coffin Bay National Park is 50km west of Port Lincoln, in the heart of Dean Lukin, abalone and great white shark country.

The bay’s fantastic northern beaches are accessible only by high-clearance 4WDs. Beach access is easy enough, but the beach itself can be difficult to tackle.

The deceptively soft and/or deep sand, tricky dunes and jagged, exposed rocks make it an awesome destination for keen

four-wheel drivers. Legendary off-road adventurer and publisher Ron Moon has praised Coffin Bay for its beauty and its challenges. As well as off-roading, there’s great beach fishing, bushwalking, birdwatching, surfing and more.

Get there: Via Coffin Bay Road from Flinders Highway. Call 08 8688 3111 or visit parks.sa.gov.au to sort out permits.

Pro-tip: National Parks SA officials warn visitors to expect “varying road conditions along beaches, with sandy, boggy and rocky patches”. Look out for huge surf (some of the breaks here are for experienced surfers only) and—we’re not kidding—feral bees. They’re attracted to water sources in the park.

OCEAN BEACH, TAS About 300km west of Hobart, Ocean Beach is Tassie’s longest beach (about 40km), stretching from the ominously named Hell’s Gates in the south to Trial Harbour in the north. Drive it and you have the Great Southern Ocean at one shoulder—replete with shore-smashing breakers and tricky tides—and the Wild, Wild West coast at your other.

There are two major water crossings— through Henty and Little Henty rivers— along the beach route. The degree of difficulty can vary from ‘Easy’ (when both river mouths are blocked by sandbars) to ‘Don’t Like Your Chances’ (when the rivers are fast flowing into the ocean).

Get there: Access is via Ocean Beach Road at Strahan.

ROBE TO BEACHPORT, SA Disappointingly, dressing gowns are not de rigueur in Robe—but the crayfish make up for it. The town is about 340km south-east of Adelaide, and the run from Robe to Beachport is 58.5km.

This trip has been a real four-wheel drivers’ favourite for a long time. Very soft sand, track closures along the windswept route and high tides that swamp the beach all add to the adventure. Escape tracks along the way help drivers avoid any strife as a result of incoming tides.

According to respected 4WD journalist Allan Whiting, who visited last March, “The track weaves from beachfront to inland routes as it skirts small bays and headlands. At high tides there are several points that require inland detours and there are some very steep climbs as well.”

It was once possible to drive the length of the beach from Robe to Beachport, but it’s now necessary to detour between Stinky Bay and Little Dip Conservation Park. A short private track across the Nora Creina property cuts travel time.

Get there: Access is about 4.5km north of Beachport or just south of Robe.

Pro-tip: When taking the Nora Creina short cut, respect the owners’ property (their cabins and surroundings): Drive carefully, stay on the marked track and leave the gates as you find them.

Tasmania’s stunning Ocean Beach

Issue 14 13 |

max*d 37

Photo: Tourism Tasmania & John Voss

Pro-tip: Severe weather can wreak havoc, with talk of quicksand-style surfaces at the mouth of the Henty River. There are also strong rips, so avoid swimming. As always, work around the tides. Do remember to stop and have a good bellow at the sand.

Ocean Beach was formerly known as Great Roaring Beach. Reason enough to visit it, then.

Beware high water —it pays to check the tide charts

HOOK, LINE ’N’ SINKER

by Andrew Hart

The lap o’

Tasmania Like a latter-day Bass and Flinders, the Hook, Line and Sinker boys circumnavigated Tasmania. It was smooth sailing … until they hit the fearsome west coast 38 max*d

| Issue 14

I

t was one of those things that seemed like a good idea at the time.

Surely a leisurely boat ride around Tasmania would make for a great episode or two of Hook, Line and Sinker?

And Tassie doesn’t look that big on a map …

So after a few months of studying the charts, we decided it was time to go.

We should explain we didn’t really do the same intrepid journey that Bass and Flinders made all those years ago to prove that Tassie is an island (spoiler: it is).

We picked and chose our weather, and we had the mighty D-MAX on land for support, towing the boat’s trailer.

We left the north-west tip of the island on a cold March morning and headed east into placid seas along the north and east coasts. It took us just five days to make the 800km to Hobart, hooking tuna and striped trumpeter on the way, and camping for a night in stunning Wineglass Bay. We slipped into the island capital early one afternoon, as confident as men can be. The Bar Crusher 6.7 hardtop and its Yamaha F200 had stretched their legs, and the hook around the southern tip and up the west coast beckoned—but not straight away.

Our planned voyage would take us some 600km from Hobart to Strahan. Once you leave and poke your nose anywhere along the south coast, however, you’re committed.

There’s nowhere to hide, and often a calm day still consists of 6m swells. You have to get the weather right, particularly in a 6.7m boat! And so, after weeks of watching the weather maps, we changed plans—a luxury that Bass and Flinders never had.

Instead, we hooked up the D-MAX and towed the boat west to Strahan. We’d decided to make our way back to Hobart anticlockwise, the forecast predicting that doing the trip in reverse would mean a following sea. Fingers crossed.

We left Strahan in the early hours feeling a little anxious. Macquarie Harbour’s glassy, tannin-stained waters reflected the light like topaz as we sped towards the harbour mouth known, worryingly, as Hell’s Gates.

This image: Andrew Hart (left) and Nick Duigan get intrepid; Opposite page: 30kg southern bluefin at the Mewstone

How much swell would greet us? Then, relief. There was swell, perhaps 5m worth, but the waves were a long way apart and we were still able to cruise at 22 knots, or just over 40km/h. On rolling swells this is really booting it, and our first fishing destination soon hove into view.

Point Hibbs, a large pyramid-shaped rock, appeared after an hour. We were soon ducking into bays and ringing for crayfish, a technique that involves throwing in a baited ‘ring’. You leave it on the bottom for about 20 minutes before yanking it up; the cray slips into the ring to eat the bait and—hopefully—you get a feed.

We struggled with the cray rings but did succeed in almost marooning the Bar Crusher on a very remote beach.

That afternoon we experienced the real west coast. Turning south from Point Hibbs, the wind had increased to 20 knots, adding a chop to the swell. It was a hard, six-hour slog to cover the 100km to camp.

Port Davey is probably the most spectacular place in Tasmania, but too few people ever to see it. Huge mountains meet the sea, and there’s a narrow river that runs from Port Davey and opens up into Bathurst Harbour. This was our stop.

At dawn, the previous day’s wind had gone, rendering Bathurst Harbour a postcard. When we finally left, the sea had flattened and we began to relax. The charts gave us 24 hours to get to Hobart.

We struggled with the cray rings but did succeed in almost marooning the boat.

As soon as you turn the corner and leave the west coast, you’re greeted by dozens of islands. The biggest, Maatsuyker, is just a short distance from the cape. Behind it sits a huge hunk of rock called the Mewstone.

We spent the night anchored in a little bay, then we took a detour to the 150mhigh granite plinth. It was, we reminded ourselves, a fishing show, and a short distance from the Mewstone we hooked our first tuna about five minutes later.

They came thick and some were large; the biggest we landed was an honest 40kg.

And we paid tax to the locals, losing a couple to some very hungry seals.

With four tuna in the boat by 8am, we sat on an easy 24 knots as we traversed Tassie’s south coast. Conditions were perfect, and we met our D-MAX in Hobart after lunch.

It had been an epic trip over 600km, but we were happy to be on dry land. What a combination! The Bar Crusher and Yamaha F200 will go anywhere, and the D-MAX tows the big rig with power to burn.

The new series of Hook, Line and Sinker is showing now on 7mate.

Bathurst Harbour, one of Tasmania’s loveliest spots

Issue 14 |

max*d 39

REFUEL

BARRA TWO WAYS In the country girt by sea, keeping it light in summer means seafood

40 max*d

| Issue 14

T

he mighty barramundi is one of the kings of Australian cuisine, whether it’s being filleted for a barbecue five minutes off the hook or stir-fried with lemongrass in a Thai restaurant. It is a favourite with chefs and gourmets across the land and is best kept very simple (such as this recipe for steaming, courtesy of China Diner restaurant) or merely simple (such as this pan roasting method, thanks to The Bucket List). Both establishments are beachside in Sydney’s Bondi and both favour fresh, seasonal ingredients.

The recipes are drawn from the foodie trio of Jonette George and her daughters, Daniele and Kaitlyn Wilton, who have moved north after publishing 14 books showcasing Victoria’s finest urban and regional fare. Their 15th—called Flavours of Urban Sydney—showcases the Emerald City’s best.

Edited recipes from Flavours of Urban Sydney by Jonette George, RRP $69.99, smudgepub.com.au

PAN ROASTED CONE BAY BARRAMUNDI STEAMED BARRAMUNDI WITH GINGER AND LIME China Diner, Hall Street, Bondi Beach Serves 2 INGREDIENTS 2 x 180g barramundi fillets, skin on 1 bunch coriander (retain stems and roots for dressing) 1 bunch Vietnamese mint ¼ Chinese cabbage, thinly sliced eschalot, chopped, to garnish lime wedges, to serve Dressing 20g coriander stems and roots, washed and finely chopped 10g ginger, julienned 25ml water 25ml white vinegar 100ml fish sauce 60g palm sugar, grated

1 garlic clove, finely chopped 2 limes, zest and finely chopped pulp 50ml lime juice

METHOD 1. To make dressing, whisk ingredients together and season with salt and pepper to taste.

2. Steam barramundi until cooked through.

3. Create a bed of salad with leaves of coriander, mint and cabbage.

4. To serve, place barramundi on top of salad and garnish with eshalot and lime wedges.

Pour over dressing.

The Bucket List, Bondi Pavilion, Bondi Beach Serves 4 INGREDIENTS 4 eggplant 7 tbsp olive oil salt, to taste 2 red onions, diced 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped 100g Kalamata olives peel of half an orange 100g sultanas 1 tsp dried chilli flakes 2 tins whole peeled tomatoes 4 x 160g barramundi fillets, skin on ½ bunch flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped juice of half a lemon

METHOD 1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Cut eggplant lengthways into quarters and then into large dice.

Toss eggplant in 4 tablespoons of oil and season with salt. Place on a baking tray and roast for 15 minutes. Remove and set aside.

2. In a saucepan, sweat onion and garlic in 3 tablespoons of oil for 3 minutes. Add olives, orange peel, sultanas and chilli and cook for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook over low heat for 45 minutes. Roughly break up tomatoes with a spoon.

When the tomato base is cooked, fold through eggplant and adjust seasoning.

3. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over high heat. Once pan is very hot, season fish with salt and add to pan, skin side down.

Cook for 3 minutes, adjusting heat if needed. To achieve crisp, golden skin, flip fish over and turn heat off, allowing fish to cook in the pan’s residual heat for a further 2 minutes.

4. Add parsley and lemon juice to tomato mixture. Serve fish over tomato mixture.

Issue 14 |

max*d 41

Vista RV Crossover ts r a t s n u f e h t e Becaus s! p o t s n e m u it b e where th ? e r e h e r e w u o y Wish

Escape now 1/23 Jersey Rd Bayswayer Victoria 3153 Phone: 03 9729 1234 Fax: 03 9720 9200 Email: enquiries@vistarv.com.au

vistarv.com.au

FLASHBACK

2008

THE SIXTH-GENERATION

ISUZU D-MAX

October 2008 heralded the arrival of the Isuzu D-MAX to Australia.

Available as a 4x2 or 4x4 in single and crew configurations, our first D-MAX was powered by an earlier generation of the 4JJ1-TC 3.0-litre turbo diesel fourcylinder engine. Producing 120kW at 3600rpm and 360Nm of torque (manual) between 1800 and 2800rpm, the D-MAX soon developed a reputation for being a tough, reliable, no-nonsense workhorse.

Issue 14 |

max*d 43

ISUZU UTE DEALER LIST QLD Ayr Burdekin Isuzu UTE Phone: 07 4783 7077 Bundaberg Bundaberg Isuzu UTE Phone: 07 4131 8211 Cairns Trinity Isuzu UTE Phone: 07 4081 5000 Cleveland Keema Isuzu UTE Phone: 07 3479 9880 Currimundi ASO Pacific Isuzu UTE Phone: 07 5438 4818 Dalby ASO Black Trucks Isuzu UTE Phone: 07 4669 8988 Eagle Farm Brisbane Isuzu UTE Phone: 07 3866 2200 Emerald Emerald Isuzu UTE Phone: 07 4980 7930 Gladstone Reef City Isuzu UTE Phone: 07 4971 4000 Goondiwindi ASO Black Trucks Isuzu UTE Phone: 07 4671 3512 Gympie Isuzu UTE Gympie Phone: 07 5480 5200 Ipswich Blue Ribbon Isuzu UTE Phone: 07 3288 6600 Mackay Mackay Isuzu UTE Phone: 07 4961 8000 Maroochydore Pacific Isuzu UTE Phone: 07 5458 9740 Moorooka Moorooka Isuzu UTE Phone: 07 3373 0777 Morayfield ASO Northstar Isuzu UTE Phone: 07 3448 0008 Mt Gravatt Bryan Byrt Isuzu UTE Phone: 07 3177 9499 Nundah Norris Motor Group Isuzu UTE Phone: 07 3635 5100 Redcliffe Northstar Isuzu UTE Phone: 07 3480 860 Rockhampton Rockhampton Prestige Phone: 07 4922 1000

Roma ASO Black Trucks Isuzu UTE Phone: 07 4624 4800

Shepparton Ken Muston Isuzu UTE Phone: 03 5821 6688

Griffith Griffith Isuzu UTE Phone: 02 6969 5080

Phillip ASO John McGrath Isuzu UTE Phone: 02 6122 2222

Kalgoorlie GTP Isuzu UTE Phone: 08 9021 4800

Southport Gold Coast Isuzu UTE Phone: 07 5583 9320

Traralgon Gippsland Isuzu UTE Phone: 03 5175 8060

Lansvale Lansvale Isuzu UTE Phone: 02 9726 1111

Queanbeyan John McGrath Isuzu UTE Phone: 02 6166 1111

Maddington DVG Isuzu UTE Phone: 08 9492 0000

Springwood Keema Isuzu UTE Phone: 07 3884 8300

Warrnambool Clinton Baulch’s Warrnambool Isuzu UTE Phone: 03 5564 0333

Lismore Trevan Isuzu UTE Phone: 02 6627 7999

SA

Mandurah Barbagallo Isuzu UTE Phone: 08 9587 9999

Toowoomba Black Trucks Isuzu UTE Phone: 07 4631 4200 Townsville Pickerings Isuzu UTE Phone: 07 4726 5555

Werribee Werribee Isuzu UTE Phone: 03 9974 3799

Maitland Hunter Isuzu UTE Phone: 02 4035 9300

Angaston Jarvis Isuzu UTE Phone: 08 8561 3700 Berri Chris Sinko Isuzu UTE Phone: 08 8582 2933

NSW

Moree Hill Fitzsimmons Phone: 02 6752 1777

Warwick ASO Transport Field Services Phone: 07 4661 2811

Albion Park Rail Shellharbour Isuzu UTE Phone: 02 4230 3100

Narellan Narellan Isuzu UTE Phone: 02 4622 2552

VIC

Albury Wodonga Blacklocks Isuzu UTE Phone: 02 6049 5500

Newcastle Newcastle Isuzu UTE Phone: 02 4980 0660

Armidale Grant McCarroll Isuzu UTE Phone: 02 6772 1566

North Wollongong ASO Shellharbour Isuzu UTE Phone: 02 4222 7999

Arncliffe Suttons Arncliffe Isuzu UTE Phone: 02 9335 9000

Orange Orange Isuzu UTE Phone: 02 6362 8100

Ballina ASO Trevan Isuzu UTE Phone: 02 6681 4499

Parramatta Denlo Isuzu UTE 02 8892 8150

Hampstead Gardens ASO North East Isuzu UTE Phone: 08 8261 6006

Bathurst Bathurst Isuzu UTE Phone: 02 6331 2566

Pennant Hills Pennant Hills Isuzu UTE Phone: 02 6122 2222

Kadina Peninsula Isuzu UTE Phone: 08 8821 1102

Wanneroo Wanneroo Isuzu UTE Phone: 08 9403 9403

Blacktown Gilbert & Roach Isuzu UTE Phone: 02 8825 1000

Penrith Sinclair Isuzu UTE Phone: 02 4721 9143

Maitland ASO Peninsula Isuzu UTE Phone: 08 8832 2725

NT

Port Macquarie John Patrick Isuzu UTE Phone: 02 6584 1800

Mount Gambier O.G.R. Isuzu UTE Phone: 08 8725 7999

Tamworth Peel Valley Motors Phone: 02 6768 3111

Port Augusta Emanuele Bros Isuzu UTE Phone: 08 8643 6233

Bairnsdale Peter Dullard Isuzu UTE Phone: 03 5152 0100 Ballarat Ballarat Isuzu UTE Phone: 03 5335 3600 Bendigo Central Victorian Isuzu UTE Phone: 03 5449 4500 Brighton Bayside Isuzu UTE Phone: 03 8530 6100 Bundoora Northern Isuzu UTE Phone: 03 9467 5533 Caroline Springs ASO Werribee Isuzu UTE Phone: 03 8361 8255 Dandenong Patterson Cheney Isuzu UTE Phone: 03 9215 2300 Echuca Morley Isuzu UTE Phone: 03 5483 0444 Geelong Winter & Taylor Isuzu UTE Phone: 03 5247 8988 Horsham Horsham City Isuzu UTE Phone: 03 5382 4677 Melton Harrison Isuzu UTE Phone: 03 8746 0399 Mildura Autosynergy Isuzu UTE Phone: 03 5022 0927 Mornington Mornington Isuzu UTE Phone: 03 5975 5188 Ringwood Genesis Motors Isuzu UTE Phone: 03 9879 7776

Bomaderry Country Motor Company Phone: 02 4421 0122 Bowral Harrigan Isuzu UTE Phone: 02 4868 3580 Broken Hill Far West Isuzu UTE Phone: 08 8087 2311 Coffs Harbour Coffs Coast Isuzu UTE Phone: 02 6648 3566 Dubbo Sainsbury Automotive Dubbo Phone: 02 6884 6444 Eden Ron Doyle Motors Isuzu UTE Phone: 02 6496 1420 Gosford Central Coast Isuzu UTE Phone: 02 4320 0900 Goulburn ASO John McGrath Isuzu UTE Phone: 02 4823 1000

Taree Mid Coast Isuzu UTE Phone: 02 6592 6300 Taren Point Sutherland Isuzu UTE Phone: 02 9524 6111

Bordertown Wise Isuzu UTE Phone: 08 8752 0633 Burton North East Isuzu UTE Phone: 08 8280 9899 Christies Beach Wayne Phillis Isuzu UTE Phone: 08 8384 8066 Fullarton Fullarton Isuzu UTE Phone: 08 8338 2303

Port Lincoln Mike Raleigh Isuzu UTE Phone: 08 8683 1211

WA

Tweed Heads Tweed Coast Isuzu UTE Phone: 07 5524 3555

Albany Albany Autos Isuzu UTE Phone: 08 9842 5522

Wagga Wagga Wagga Motors Isuzu UTE Phone: 02 6933 0100

Broome Broome Isuzu UTE Phone: 08 9192 7357

Young McAlister Isuzu UTE Phone: 02 6382 3033

Bunbury South West Isuzu UTE Phone: 08 9724 8444

ACT

Esperance ASO Albany Autos Isuzu UTE Phone: 08 9071 1060

Mitchell ASO John McGrath Isuzu UTE Phone: 02 6201 1800

Geraldton Geraldton Isuzu UTE Phone: 08 9964 2323

Effective as of the 20/11/2014, please visit our website http://www.isuzuute.com.au/find-a-dealer.aspx for the latest dealer contact details.

44 max*d

| Issue 14

Merredin ASO Northam Isuzu UTE Merredin Phone: 08 9041 4444 Midland Midland Isuzu UTE Phone: 08 9464 1000 Northam Northam Isuzu UTE Phone: 08 9622 0888 O’Connor Major Motors Isuzu UTE Phone: 08 9331 9331 Osborne Park Regents Isuzu UTE Phone: 08 9273 1000 Rockingham Bergmans Isuzu UTE Phone: 08 9527 8883 Wagin ASO South West Isuzu UTE Phone: 08 9861 1144

Alice Springs Isuzu UTE Territory Phone: 08 8952 5155 Darwin Darwin Isuzu UTE Phone: 08 8946 4460

TAS Burnie ASO Gowans Isuzu UTE Phone: 03 6431 5677 Derwent Park Jackson Isuzu UTE Phone: 03 6277 6600 Devonport Gowans Isuzu UTE Phone: 03 6424 5177 Launceston Jackson Isuzu UTE Phone: 03 6323 7000 ASO = Authorised Satellite Outlet

MAXIMUM 5-STAR ANCAP ON ISUZU D-MAX & MU-X ~

Your safety is our priority – that’s why we fit a sophisticated suite of both active and passive safety features to each and every Isuzu D-MAX and MU-X. This commitment to safety combined with our fuel efficient diesel engine, outstanding towing and off-road ability, typifies the ‘Spirit of Truck’ that only Isuzu can deliver.

Find out why the Isuzu D-MAX and MU-X are a smarter choice by visiting isuzuute.com.au or your local Isuzu UTE dealer today.

ISUZUUTE.COM.AU ~5 star ANCAP safety rating applies to D-MAX 4x4 Crew Cab variants built from November 2013, 4x2 High-Ride Crew Cab variants built from November 2014 and all MU-X models. ^5 years or 130, 000km whichever occurs first, for eligible customers; excludes accessories and trays.

WE DO THE DIRTY WORK, YOU ENJOY THE DRIVE

Thanks to the advanced technology of Caltex Vortex Premium Diesel, you can now clean your engine while you drive.

And we know it works because it’s been tested – the specifically designed additive in Vortex Premium Diesel demonstrated its ability to get your engine clean and keep it clean. Here’s what we found from the test results.*

Cleans your engine After 10 hours, the engine running on Vortex Premium Diesel was found to produce 67% more flow than the one running on regular diesel.

Restores power After 32 hours of high-load operation, the engine running on Vortex Diesel was found to produce 6% more power than that running on regular diesel.

Prevents corrosion Over 4 hours in conditions conducive to corrosion, the steel rod sample in regular diesel showed visible rust spots. While the rod subject to Vortex Premium Diesel was rust free and perfectly clean.

Less foam Vortex Diesel was found to produce 95% less foam than regular diesel, which makes for a faster, cleaner fill.

These proven benefits working together inside your engine mean improved power and engine performance along with better fuel efficiency and a cleaner filling up experience at the pump.

CAL0446

Visit caltexkeepitclean.com.au to know more.

*The above tests were conducted using standard methods under strict controlled conditions. For more information contact Lubelink Advisory Service on 1300 364 169.