max*d Issue 20 by Isuzu UTE Australia

GO YOUR OWN WAY ISSUE 20

WET AND WILD ON THE

RAINFOREST WAY Exploring subtropical Australia’s ‘Green Cauldron’ in a trusty Isuzu D-MAX and MU-X

UNBEATEN PATHS

The very best of the Tasmanian west

UNDERWATER WONDERLANDS Australia’s best family dive sites

BUCKING CHAMPIONS Meet two of our best pro bull riders

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CONTENTS

S I H T IN

E U ISS FEATURES

Buckin’ champions Professional bull riding is one of the world’s hardest, bravest jobs. Meet two Aussie stars.

West Coast Tasmania You don’t need a passport to explore some of the world’s last great wilderness areas, you just need a bit of time off work—and maybe a warm coat.

Underwater wonderlands Australia’s best dive sites have something for everyone, whether you’re a sharkmocking scuba guru or a cheerful weekend snorkeller.

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COVER STORY

Go your own (rainforest) way—today! Straddling the New South Wales border is the Rainforest Way— with the world’s best sub-tropical rainforests.

UP FRONT 06 Reader’s Rides

If you’ve gone your own way, whether by weekend jaunt or six-month Australia-wide safari, we’d love to hear from you.

08 News The mighty MU-X conquers the Silk Way Rally, Team D-MAX re-signs and a new MU-X for the Daniel Morecombe Foundation.

10 Wishlist Four unpowered iceboxes so cool they make the Fonz look like your old man doing the Macarena at a wedding reception.

12 Inside Line

Lots of people drive a D-MAX for a living. Few do it like Jack Monkhouse— on two wheels, doing ramp jumps, dancing ...

14 Tech Head

I-VENTURE Club’s David Wilson is a 4WD guru. Learn from his mistakes.

OUTBACK 40 Unsung Hero

There’s a good chance NSW State Emergency Service may have come to your

rescue, wherever you live. Meet Terry, one of their everyday legends.

42 Hook, Line & SInker

The boys embark on a billfish grand slam. But can they do it?

44 Refuel Kitchen master Ben Millbourne flexes his seafood mussels.

LAST PAGE 47 Flashback The mighty Isuzu 4200R.

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GO YOUR OWN WAY

SAY HELLO TO THE 3-LITRE, 430Nm, 6-SPEED ISUZU D-MAX & MU-X The pumped-up Isuzu D-MAX and MU-X are stand out performers on or off-road. With the legendary Isuzu 3-litre turbo diesel engine, a beefed up 430Nm of torque and an intuitive 6-speed transmission across the range. Coupled with a Terrain Command 4WD system and outstanding towing capacity, the D-MAX and MU-X have everything you need to pump up any adventure. GO YOUR OWN WAY! Discover the Isuzu D-MAX & MU-X at your Isuzu UTE Dealer or isuzuute.com.au

5-star ANCAP safety rating on all MU-X models and 4x4 D-MAX Crew Cab models built from November 2013 onwards and 4x2 D-MAX Crew Cab High Ride models built from November 2014 onwards. ^5 years/130,000km whichever occurs first, for eligible customers. Excludes trays and accessories. >The Capped Price Servicing Program (â&#x20AC;&#x153;CPS Programâ&#x20AC;?) applies to Eligible Vehicles with a Warranty Start Date on or after 1/1/15 at Participating Isuzu UTE Dealers only. The 5 years Capped Price Servicing covers the first 5 Scheduled Services for 16.5MY and later vehicle models for up to 5 years/50,000km (whichever occurs first). CPS Program is subject to change. For full terms & conditions and current pricing visit isuzuute.com.au/service-plus.

WELCOME

WELCOME Season’s greetings and welcome to the latest edition of max*d!

n July 2017 I had the pleasure to assume the position of Managing Director at Isuzu UTE Australia, and so it is with great pleasure that I report to you as we close on another successful year of continual growth and milestones at Isuzu UTE. We are on track to sell over 25,000 vehicles in 2017, which is the icing on the cake after celebrating our 100,000th vehicle sale since we started in Australia in 2008. Suffice to say, that milestone achievement could not have been possible without the loyal support from our proud owners—thank you! We’ve come a long way over the past year, and have knuckled down to improve our vehicles, including the introduction of the new Euro-5 engine. We’ve also enhanced our ‘Service Plus’ offering with the introduction of five years’ capped price servicing. This addition was fuelled directly by customer feedback and now sits alongside our fiveyear warranty and five years’ roadside assistance giving us a rock-solid aftersales offering of ‘Service Plus 5-5-5’. Feedback and sentiment has shaped the market. Now we are witnessing a change in the air, with crew cab utes reaffirming their position as the vehicle of choice—heralded as the ‘do it all’ option for families as their primary vehicle, rather than just a tool of trade. At the same time, Isuzu UTE has proudly strengthened its position within the market. This has come courtesy of the ‘Pumped-Up’ powertrain updates introduced this year, bolstering our offering with lower scheduled capped-price servicing costs, improved durability and better fuel efficiency. We’ve continued to refine our dealer network—improving our network to help

provide you with the best customer experience possible. Our factory-trained technicians continue to participate in nationwide training programs, bringing them up to speed with the continued evolution of our vehicles, and ensuring peace of mind when you service your vehicle at your local Isuzu UTE dealer. By way of engaging with more owners, Isuzu UTE has continued to invest heavily in the popular I-VENTURE Club (IVC). An Isuzu UTE exclusive, the IVC enables 4x4 D-MAX and MU-X owners to learn the essentials to take it off the bitumen and to ‘Go Their Own Way’. We’ve increased the number of IVC events on offer across most capital cities, and have teamed up with more dealers to bring you these events. Isuzu UTE has also recently taken to the footy field by partnering with the Rugby League World Cup 2017 as the ‘Official

Automotive Partner’. Positioned front and centre across the pitch and sidelines at each game, these matches featuring the world’s best league players were televised to tens of millions across the globe. So make yourself comfortable, put your feet up and enjoy the latest edition of max*d. On behalf of Isuzu UTE and our 145 dealers, we thank you for your support and wish you and your families a safe and happy festive season! Be assured that 2018 is gearing up to be our biggest year to date, and we are excited to share this journey with you.

Hiro Kuramoto Managing Director Isuzu UTE Australia

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READER’S RIDES

Go your own way, whatever the journey—then tell us where you’ve been, and win! STEVEN JAKAVICIUS LIVES: BRISBANE, QLD DRIVES: 2017 D-MAX 4X4 LS-U “For us, the decision all came down to reliability— and Isuzu just knows engines. Oh, and a good satnav! So we picked up our new D-MAX, had the first service and then left for a 7,400km trip from Brisbane through NSW, SA and the NT. The 430Nm comes in handy when you’re pulling an 18ft caravan, while fuel consumption was great and the D-MAX lived up to all its expectations of not letting us down. We think the Venetian Red looks even nicer than Uluru! We can’t wait for our next adventure.”

BOB EVERETT LIVES: COOTAMUNDRA, NSW DRIVES: 2017 D-MAX X-RUNNER “In a word: brilliant. I absolutely love my D-MAX X-RUNNER. It looks stunning, is comfortable to drive and will go anywhere I want it to—and do it all easily. I’ve owned my rig now for four months and I could not be happier, the fuel consumption is extraordinary! I recently went to the Sydney Caravan Show, which is an 800km round trip from where I live in Cootamundra, and with 300kg of gear in the back all the way. The trip computer told me that I averaged just 7.8 litres for every hundred kilometres—including travelling into the heart of Sydney and out again. I’m a diesel mechanic by trade, so I researched vehicles for over a year before choosing the D-MAX, the main reasons being a proven, reliable motor, which is even better with the latest upgrade, and with the new auto. It’s fantastic.”

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READER’S RIDES

JASON DEAN / LIVES: COAL POINT, NSW / DRIVES: 2014 D-MAX 4X4 LS-M “Winning! For a long time I had been daydreaming about owning a dual cab. Well, now I’ve got one and I could not be happier with it, and the family loves it too. I’d been holding out to buy my dad’s D-MAX after he was to trade it in for his third one, but I couldn’t wait, so bit the bullet and grabbed this beauty. Who wants to fight for a parking spot near the overcrowded beaches—then have to lug all your gear to and fromthe car park over the hot sand and bitumen—not us! Now we’re straight onto the sand and it’s all there. If it’s not days at the beach, she’s used for putting the dirt bike in the tray, for hauling the camper trailer around and for the daily commute to work. All round winner, she is!”

SIMON AND KRISTY WARDELL LIVES: MENTONE, VIC DRIVES: 2016 MU-X 4X2 LS-T “It took us months of research to finally take the plunge on our MU-X—we’ve always had sedans, so making the change was a big step for us! The big reason was the towing capacity, as we do lots of camping, towing our caravan, and with our two daughters we needed lots of space. ‘Rusty’, our MU-X, tows our Eagle with so much ease it’s an absolute joy to drive, and fuel consumption is incredible. And our girls love the DVD player in the back, which makes those long drives a little easier. The hardest decision is who is going to drive the car, as we both love it! So many trips and memories to be had.”

GLENN CREELMAN LIVES: INVERMAY, VIC DRIVES: 2016 D-MAX 4X4 SX “Comfort, flexibility and reliability were what we were looking for in a new ute… oh, and the right sized tray to fit our slide-on camper! The test run through northeastern Victoria and South Australia down to the Eyre Peninsula proved we’d made the right choice—on- and off-road the D-MAX did all we asked. When the camper isn’t on the back, the ’Max is carting hay or gravel, shifting furniture for our grown-up kids, moving heavy machinery or taking us to visit the big smoke. This vehicle is a real all-rounder!”

WANT TO SCORE A $50 CALTEX FUEL CARD? Send a high-resolution image with your VIN, name, contact details, town and model of your D-MAX or MU-X, plus a 100-word blurb, to maxd@iua.net.au Get Snapping! Disclaimer: Non-genuine aftermarket accessories and modifications are not recommended or endorsed by Isuzu UTE Australia. For detailed info on ‘what is’ and ‘what is not’ covered by the Manufacturer’s Warranty please refer to the Warranty and Service Booklet.

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NEWS PUBLISHER Isuzu UTE Australia Pty Ltd ISUZU UTE AUSTRALIA MANAGING EDITORS Mark Harman, Cody Harland EDITOR Ben Smithurst ben.smithurst@edge.agency SUB-EDITORS Paul Rodger and Jiyan Dessens ART DIRECTOR Guy Pendlebury ACCOUNT MANAGER Emma Rogers ADVERTISING SALES Chris Waite chris.waite@edge.agency MANAGING PARTNERS Fergus Stoddart, Richard Parker

Isuzu MU-X conquers Silk Way Rally max*d is published on behalf of Isuzu UTE Australia Pty Ltd by

Level 4, 10–14 Waterloo Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010 Phone: +61 2 8962 2600 edge.agency

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.

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Aussie pair claims glory through Russia, Kazakhstan and China Mountainous dunes. Tar-like mud. Rain, dust storms and collapsed bridges. Just a day’s drive for two Isuzu Motorsports pros during the 2017 Silk Way Rally, one of the toughest endurance rallies on Earth. Over 13 stages, West Australia’s Adrian Di Lallo and his legendary co-driver, Harry Suzuki, travelled nearly 9,600km, racing 4000km across some of the most challenging conditions imaginable. Piloting a near-stock D-MAX, the pair’s competitors included a field of purpose-built rally raiders. Despite this, they came 14th outright, beating the only other near-standard 4WD in the field by over 200 hours. Three other production models failed to finish; of 33 starters, just 23 completed the race. “It felt good to be behind the wheel of a production car that’s competitive,” said a dust-caked Di Lallo. “The terrain was extremely challenging and the MU-X just kept going. Now we just need to work on some refinement to the awesome platform we have.”

New ‘Pumped-Up’ D-MAX bolsters police road safety campaign

Launched in 2012, the award-winning ‘Stay on Track Outback’ project has campaigned to raise driver safety awareness—educating tourists and the community on the hazards of unsealed roads, road trains and wildlife—to reduce fatalities on rural roads in outback Queensland. Now entering the fourth year of service, Isuzu UTE Australia has proudly renewed their partnership with the Queensland Police,

supplying a new ‘Pumped-Up’ D-MAX which will patrol the 240,000 square kilometres between Charleville and Birdsville, Queensland. Over the years, the Stay on Track Outback campaign has been recognised on both a regional and a national level, receiving a string of awards including an Australia Road Safety Award, a QLD Road Safety Award and an Australasian College of Road Safety Award. With its donated Jayco caravan in tow, the D-MAX provides the Charleville Police Force with an eye-catching, high-profile educational tool and command-centre for use at community events, traffic stops and industry shows across Australia. For more information and advice on your next outback towing trip, visit stayontrackoutback.qld.gov.au

NEWS

Team D-MAX re-signs with Isuzu UTE Australia The best performance drivers in the business

“There’s a lot of choice in the market when it comes to an automotive partner—but all we care about is genuine high-level dependability and toughness,” says Wayne Boatwright, whose EMG Precision Driving squad, better known as ‘Team D-MAX’, has just re-signed a new, multi-year deal with Isuzu Australia. “In that regard, the D-MAX and MU-X are in a league of their own.” D-MAX and MU-X buyers are a demanding bunch, subjecting their machines to the sort of everyday rigors that would hobble lesser vehicles. But Boatwright’s crew’s usage is regularly on another level—literally. Not only do they perform at two dozen or more agricultural shows every year, they do so by launching themselves up ramps and over two or three other D-MAXes. And that’s just part of it. Since 2013, Boatwright’s team has demonstrated the strength and durability of the D-MAX at 100 shows nationally, reached a live audience of eight million people, and hosted over 18,000 passenger ridealongs. To read more, skip to page 12 of this issue, where Team D-MAX’s Jack Monkhouse takes you through some of their wilder stunts. “It is great to be associated with the market leader,” says Boatwright, “but for us, faith in the product is the main factor.”

For more information, including a schedule of upcoming events, head to teamdmax.com.au

New MU-X for the Morecombe Foundation Few charities inspire like that of child safety education champions Bruce and Denise Morcombe. They run the not-for-profit Daniel Morcombe Foundation, named in honour of their son, which aims to teach children about personal security and awareness. The tireless couple has now taken their “Recognise, React and Report” message to millions of Australian kids across the nation. “For the last five years we have relied upon Isuzu’s reliability to perform child safety presentations right around the country—from Brisbane to Broome and Ayr to Adelaide,” says Denise. “We’ve clocked up an impressive 250,000km with no dramas—they’re the perfect partner for the work we do.” This year, Isuzu UTE Australia was proud to provide the charity with a brand new MU-X. “Isuzu UTE takes their Corporate Social Responsibility very seriously, especially in the area of Child Protection,” said Bruce, “and the foundation is extremely thankful.” danielmorcombe.com.au

If you want to keep up with all things Isuzu UTE, make sure you’re following us on our social pages! facebook.com/isuzuute Instagram: @isuzuute_aus

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WISHLIST

ICE TO MEET YOU

No power? No problem. These classic coolers have you covered.

Sunscreen Umbrella

THE CRICKET COOLER

“We were tired of lugging our clothes, chairs, towels, bats and balls down to the beach and back to our cars every weekend,” says the South Australian co-inventor of the Cricket Cooler, Leigh Warren. “The idea of the cricket cooler was something we wanted—but it just didn’t exist.” It’s an odd motivation (they literally still have to carry all those things mentioned), but a 33L cooler with a fold-up stumps handle is still genius. It has rubber wheels, deeper cup holders for the batsman and wickie, and a bottle opener. This seems gimmicky, but it’s far from a novelty job, with quite respectable insulation. RRP $69 bunnings.com.au

Coleman

ESKY ARCTIC PRO 70

Forget the nonsensical name—global warming aside, arctic professionals still don’t spend a lot on eskies—this is a great piece of Aussie gear at a reasonable price. It’ll retain cold for seven days once sealed in independent tests, meaning fewer trips back to civilisation once you’ve found the perfect spot out back o’ Bourke. It also has heavy duty handles and tie-down points, and a lockable lid for security. This cooler was also backed by the detail-obsessed clipboard enthusiasts at Choice magazine, who gave this esky an 80/100 review—their equal highest ranking for coolers—in a definitive 2016 round-up. RRP $179 bunnings.com.au

Evakool

60L FIBREGLASS ICEBOX

Sometimes you just want something that’s highperformance, maximising stackability and space, with outstanding insulation. This Australian made icebox copes well in Aussie conditions, maintaining cold for up to 15 days. With a fibreglass cabinet and 40mm walls injected with foam, and laminated for extra toughness, Evakool’s 60-litre offering isn’t cheap, but it is a top-quality performer that tips the scales at a reasonable 10kg. Pricey, but a solid investment, it has a captive drain plug so you can empty it in a pre-dawn rush, and be sure the bung will come with you to the next campsite. RRP $439 evakool.com

Coolest

DARK & STORMY COOLER

Depending on your tolerance for party weirdness, you’ll either see this all-bellsand-whistles cooler as worldchanging genius or the height of overpriced, overly-kittedout, all-the-gear-no-idea richkid silliness. ‘Coolest’ started as a Kickstarter company, with a modest goal, then raised US$14M. This ’box is the result: the Swiss army knife of outdoor drinking, a 52L icebox with powerful speakers, USB charger and LED light, 20V lithium battery, cutting boards, wine and bottle openers and plates. There’s even a so-so blender. The downside: there’s a long waiting list… and they’re up to US$449 each. RRP Approx. $570 coolest.com

2 4

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INSIDE LINE

DON’T

TRY THIS AT HOME WORDS BEN SMITHURST

One of the stars of the Team D-MAX Precision Driving Team, Jack Monkhouse, rates the crew’s trickiest stunts…

“N

othing beats the feeling of flying through the air,” says the freshfaced Jack Monkhouse, former Australian Rally Championship class winner and competitive drifting enthusiast. Jack now plies his trade as a member of Team D-MAX, thrilling crowds with stunt and precision driving at agricultural shows across the country. “It’s just great fun,” he says. “I can remember going to the Adelaide Show as a kid and as a teenager, and watching the driving teams, and it’s pretty surreal to be a part of it now.” Even more surreal, however, is just what Jack and co. can do in a D-MAX which is fitted out with regular rubber—even for the spectacular, and very challenging, two-wheeled driving demonstrations. Which means that, if ever the mood took him, Jack could literally drive on two wheels at work … and then on the freeway back home. “Yep, that’s correct,” he grins. “I’m sure law enforcement might have different ideas about that, but yes, you could give it a shot. No problem.” How hard is it to perform each of the tricks, though? Let’s find out…

Two-wheels “This is the hardest part of the show, without a doubt. It’s a case of almost rolling the car, but catching it before it goes over. It’s a black art—even Team D-MAX’s Dave Shannon, who’s been driving on two wheels longer than I’ve been alive, can’t explain it. It’s probably the most frustrating thing I’ve ever had to do, because you’ll get the knack and then you spend the next two hours struggling to do it again. Or you finally get it on bitumen, but on grass, dirt or uneven ground, while turning, with the balance points shifting, it’s next level. Exceptionally difficult—I’d say 6/5 if I could.” Difficulty rating: 5/5

Formation ute ‘dancing’ “What gets a great crowd response is what we call our ‘Music’—it’s slow, choreographed formation driving, which looks great in a showground with a big grandstand. It really demonstrates just how precise and accurate you can be when idling in first gear, almost ‘dancing’ in formation on the grass. You’re so close to the other cars that your wing mirrors are touching. It’s a great change of pace in the show—it gives our passengers a real buzz!” Difficulty rating: 3/5 12

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INSIDE LINE

Ramp-to-ramp “We have three vehicles parked in the gap between two ramps, and the ramps are only two-and-a-bit metres wide, so speed is critical. If you go too fast, you’ll overshoot the landing ramp, and too slow will put you onto the cars underneath you. And if you don’t hit the jump squarely, you’ll go off the side. It’s an adrenaline rush every time! You’re usually only going about 70km/h, depending on the jump distance. Some arenas are quite small—in Perth, for example, we start our run-up outside the arena and basically have to stop on the spot when we land. It’s a long way up—and you come down pretty hard on basic tyres and standard suspension! But they soak it up again and again.”

Difficulty rating: 4/5

Four-way crossover “That’s where you have a car in every corner of the arena, then accelerate towards each other, flat out— and miss by millimetres in the crossover pass in the centre. You need to trust the other drivers a lot. If one driver has contact then everyone ‘gets involved’, because the timing has to be millimetre perfect. You’re always watching the other cars, because your positioning is all feel, so I’ve got no real idea how fast we’re going—you can’t look down at the speedo! But it’s probably about 70km/h—which means it’s a 140km/h differential for a head-on. It’s a real thrill.”

Difficulty rating: 3.5/5

Handbrake turns & reverse flicks “We do a lot of handbrake turns in a performance and they’re critical— sometimes you’ll be doing it between two cars that are coming head on towards you, with a gap in the middle, and you have to do a 180-degree spin between them. It needs precision. And then at other shows, such as the Royal Easter Show, or at Gympie, where their track is only about twoand-a-half car widths wide—narrower than the ute is long—you have to do a handbrake turn on the track, but without hitting the outside or inside fences. It’s hairy.” Difficulty rating: 4/5 max*d

9ERRORS Going your own way for the first time this summer? Avoid these mistakes, says I-VENTURE guru David Wilson

ROOKIE

TECH HEAD

o you’re about to head off into the wild blue yonder for the first time with your D-MAX or MU-X? Great call! Before you go, though, have a read of these typical mistakes, because everyone at some time will set themselves up for a minor (or major!) fail—and that has included me! Learn from the error of my ways in this list of off-road whoopsies.

Packing the kitchen sink Taking too much stuff is a regular part of preparation for a 4WD trip, especially if the journey is an extended one. Yes, I’ll grant having a particular gadget to do a particular task is handy, but maybe there’s something else that can multi-task? The big issue here is space and weight. As The Great Australian Doorstep’s former AFL-star host, Spida Everitt, says: “On our first trip, we started off with probably 20 boxes. Now we won’t even take two!”

The sixth wheel Many people argue the benefit of having a sixth wheel, but I don’t buy it. Selecting a set of light-truck tyres with a minimum 120 load index (like Toyo’s fabulous OPAT2) for your Isuzu will prevent 90 per cent of tyre failure issues in the field and save you the burden of stowing that extra wheel.

Being overblown Over-inflation of tyres can create heaps of problems on remote highways and bush tracks. You need to consult your tyre placard to establish the exact pressures for your Isuzu for the highway, then let air out as the track

space changes. Inflating above the recommended pressure will ensure premature wear, more punctures, extended braking distances and a really rough ride.

Knowing jack all Have a practice with your jack and accessories in the comfort of your home driveway before you head off. Safely changing a wheel is not difficult but it needs method. If you’ve got no idea what a wheel-brace is, or how to assemble the pieces that make up the extension arm, or how the jack locates and winds up, you’ll be sorely tested on a rough track. And pack a base-plate for the jack in case you’re on sand or dirt.

Be careful on dirt Don’t be lulled into a false sense of security on a dirt road. Your Isuzu is a supremely comfortable vehicle to clock up big distances in the Outback, but plenty of folk go too fast down the dirt. Once you go above 80km/h things get sketchy on loose surfaces and if a camel steps out in front of you you’ll need every bit of road space to negotiate the challenge. At 100km/h or greater you’ve got no chance.

Panicky steering If you do need to duck and weave around Mr Camel, you’ll want to resist the temptation to over-steer. If a collision is imminent, and a change in direction is desirable, a subtle steering input left or right is much better than reefing on the steering wheel and inducing a potential rollover. And don’t be scared to really step on the brakes. That’s what your ABS is for—and it works.

Get a sense of scales Your Isuzu is designed to lug a certain amount of weight in addition to the vehicle’s own—that’s called GVM (Gross Vehicle Mass). But there also another, GCM (Gross Combination Mass), which is important to consider when towing. Neither should be exceeded so once you’ve got your touring inventory packed, take a trip to the local weighbridge and be prepared to shed some mass. I guarantee you first time you’ll be overloaded.

Weather or not Always, always check the weather before you go. I remember one memorable Australia Day weekend years ago taking the family to the Coorong. Idiot me didn’t see that a 40-degree heatwave was arriving midway through the visit, or that a bushfire had started on the day of departure, or that the fishing would be rubbish because there were a couple of days of dodgy tides, or NPWS warnings about bees chasing any source of fresh water. After three pretty uncomfortable days with a very pregnant wife we pulled the pin.

Don’t be put off … by a bad trip. That same trip rewarded me with massive sunburn (forgot the 50+), a smashed thumb squashed by an unserviceable tow hitch (a trip to Kingston Hospital required) and a camper overrun by those bees (because I hadn’t blocked up the sink’s drain or the overflow pipe from the water tank). Learn from your mistakes and get better. The whole of Australia is yours to explore!

I remember one memorable Australia Day weekend years ago taking the family to the Coorong. Idiot me didn’t see that a 40-degree heatwave was arriving midway through the visit, or that a bushfire had started on the day of departure max*d

COVER STORY

DRIVING THE RAINFOREST WAY

There’s no better way to explore the ‘Green Cauldron’ of the Queensland and New South Wales border than in an Isuzu D-MAX or MU-X WORDS STEPHEN CORBY / IMAGES THOMAS WIELECKI

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COVER STORY

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COVER STORY

ne of the least-known attributes of the Isuzu D-MAX is that it can operate as a time machine. It may not resemble a blue English police phone box, or come with a quirky, hyper-intelligent alien copilot, but Isuzu’s ever-reliable ute can transport you from the restive rat-race of modern life to a place—and a time—that feels unsullied by human hands, or axes. Standing, staggered, among the towering trees of the Lamington National Park in Queensland, happily separated from other people by the quiet of a weekday, and the fact that we’d driven further, and harder, into the bush than any faux-wheel-drive city car could go, there’s a stillness among the whipping and whistling bird calls and the chatter of the leaves. With the end of a bush track at our backs, there’s nothing before us but an ancient rainforest landscape, tree roots entwined with vines and rich mud, and covered with the kind of slow,

The Rainforest Way

QLD NSW

QUICK SPECS

With Wollumbin (Mount Warning) at its heart, the Rainforest Way includes 14 World Heritage-listed National Parks (with 11 loops and trails from a halfday to full-day experiences) and over 650kms of scenic drives. It links towns including Casino, Kyogle, Rathdowney, Beaudesert, Tamborine Mountain, Gold Coast, Murwillumbah, Nimbin, Lismore and Byron Bay. MORE INFO: rainforestway.com australiasgreencauldron.com.au

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COVER STORY

We find the coals of a dead fire that could have been made a few days ago or, just as equally, a few millennia ago. Nothing changes here, unless we change it. unbothered growth that’s been a feature here for millions of years. We find the coals of a dead fire that could have been made a few days ago or, just as equally, a few millennia ago. Nothing changes here, unless we change it. It’s the kind of peace and reflection time you can only get out here, the only foreign sound being the ticking of our cooling D-MAX and the MU-X we’ve brought along for company. What our Isuzus can’t do for us is create the kind of time it takes to get this far out, to leave the world behind and stand in forests so important and

unparalleled that even a politician, or a forestry enthusiast, can appreciate them. The Lamington is protected ground and part of the magical, and strangely un-famous, Rainforest Way, a staggering string of no less than 14 national parks that stretch from southern Queensland into northern NSW and that contain the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia. First inscribed in the World Heritage List in 1986, these are the most extensive subtropical rainforests in the world. The thing that is almost as incredible as experiencing their depth and beauty is considering just how close they are

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COVER STORY

All day the radio has been warning of supercell storms approaching and advising Brisbanites to head home early to avoid hail and high water

to civilisation, and just how little of that precious modern commodity—time—it takes to explore them. From Brisbane Airport, you can be on the Rainforest Way in barely 70km and, depending which of many routes you take (check out rainforestway.com for options), you can cover the whole lot in a journey of just 650km. They will be slow kilometres, of course. You’ll want to take your time and skip down every inviting dirt side road to get away from the occasional crowds you’ll find along the way. It’s down such a diversion that we find ourselves on the first day of our adventures, after taking in the vista at the world’s first treetop walkway at O’Reilly’s Green Mountains (yes,

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being the first means it now feels quite old, and about as far removed from modern OH&S standards as a concrete playground). We battered our way down Duck Creek Road, a 4WD-only gravel track that is, according to the warning signs, impassable when wet. This is the kind of challenge that sings to the heart of a D-MAX owner. We’re off into what feels like a tunnel made of forest canopy before you can ask, “So, why is this called a rainforest?” All day the radio has been warning of supercell storms approaching and advising Brisbanites to head home early to avoid hail and high water (sounds like typical Queenslander skiving). But the skies we glimpse between the tall timbers are clear blue and sunlight streams over

COVER STORY

Strangler figs produce incredible buttress roots in the Lamington National Park

the jaw-dropping vistas that occasionally open up on either side of us. It’s only as we reach the end of a descent and some Road Closed signs— which, curiously, barely block the road at all—that we catch the scent of rain among the eucalyptus and mulch smells. Swamping, roiling black clouds are heading over the escarpments of the Scenic Rim and the doom-like Wollumbin, aka Mount Warning, an extinct volcano, in the distance. The blue is bleeding out of the sky as we turn tail, shattering the silence with our engines’ roar and the skipping and scattering rocks as we power up the hill towards relative safety. I’m struck, once again, by the way these vehicles make light work of challenging driving conditions. Ensconced in our cabin, we enjoy listening to radio callers’ stories about hailstones the size of watermelons as raindrops start smashing onto our windscreens like watery babies’ fists. As the dirt roads turn into mud ones, and then into gritty waterfalls, we switch to low range with a flick of the wrist and enjoy the battle with the elements, finally making it back to sealed roads as the full fury of the storm turns the sky into a Metallica concert. After a night sheltering in a safe pub in Kyogle, we find the world washed clean the next morning and set off to explore more awe-inspiring national parks, each of which appears to have its own distinctive foliage and character.

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COVER STORY

The effect is so primordial you expect to see dinosaurs poking their heads through the canopy above

Choosing your favourite rainforest is akin to pinning down your best-ever sunset, but there’s no question that Wollumbin National Park feels like the oldest and grandest. Everything here seems writ large, from vines as thick as tree trunks to ferns as tall as buildings. The overall effect is so primordial you expect to see the world’s first legged creatures crawling out of the noisy streams, or dinosaurs poking their heads through the canopy above. An absence of other humans does not mean an absence of sound, you soon realise, with whipbirds and lyrebirds setting a cacophonous chorus, joined by frogs and the buzzing of a billion insects, only a million of which want to your blood.

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It’s a place that has the same sense of magnitude you feel when visiting the Daintree in Far North Queensland. And yet, with its easy proximity to Brisbane, it’s so much easier to get to. While there are plenty of river crossings and meandering back roads to enjoy along the Rainforest Way, there are also loads of sweeping blacktop bends that allow you to revel in the on-road skills and poise of the MU-X and D-MAX. One of the best is the Uki Road, which takes you from Mount Warning to the beautiful Springbrook National Park. It’s home to the Natural Bridge, which must surely rival Bondi Beach or the 12 Apostles for its outstanding beauty (yes, it needs a better name, as well as better PR).

Here, you can walk through what feels like a permanently damp, always-dripping forest of almost luminous greens and deep-brown furry barks to a cave under a natural basalt bridge, which is fed by a waterfall through a hole worn in the roof and populated with glow-worms. It feels more like a postcard than a place. We’ve given ourselves just a few short days to rip into the Rainforest Way and there’s so much more to see, including Lake Moogerah and the spectacular Queen Mary Falls. But, frankly, we can’t believe how much we’ve seen already—and all on just a single tank of diesel in each vehicle. If you want to make the most of your time, and your time machine, this really is the place to visit.

MAXTRAX.COM.AU

OUT OF THE BOX

YEE-HARD Welcome to the world of pro bull riding: a brutal place where the money is finally catching up to the bucks

WORDS BEN SMITHURST

here’s a reason old cowboys walk like they’re smuggling pineapples, and it’s not just because they’re mimicking John Wayne. It’s because important parts of them don’t work any more: joints are seized up, ankles tender, spines fused and tailbones ground to powder. Because while other sports are scary, you’re usually safe once the ride is over. In rodeo, coming off a bull is just the start of the bull trying to come back down—on top of you. In bull riding, the bull regularly wins. “Bull riders say it’s not when you get hurt—it’s how badly,” laughs World Professional Bull Riding (PBR) circuit star Troy Wilkinson, who’s busted arms, legs, noses—or, at least, had an angry side of beef break them for him.

“I’ve broken fingers, sprained ankles, torn muscles, been concussed,” he says. “Lots of times, you get thrown off and land funny and then a bull jumps on your fingers. A big bull can weigh a tonne. It hurts a bit, but, you know … at least the ground’s soft.” Wilkinson is in his prime. Now 26, he won the 2017 Australian PBR Championship in July, home from the US tour, where prizemoney is tenfold. We spoke with two Aussie pros who’ve stamped their own mark, both here and internationally. Both are from the NSW bush: Wilkinson comes from the tiny village of Upper Horton, 120km west of Armidale, and fourtime Australian PBR Champion David Kennedy—now retired—is from Kyogle, 60km west of Byron Bay.

Bull riders say it’s not when you get hurt—it’s how badly. A big bull can weigh a tonne. It hurts a fair bit, but, you know … at least the ground’s soft. 24

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OUT OF THE BOX

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OUT OF THE BOX it was rough. You’d sit there and you’re bouncing around and your arms would get jerked away from your body—but over time you learn techniques and how to ride the bull properly. When you know what you’re doing it’s pretty relaxed; it’s like sitting on a drum, and you just rock it. Have you ever won a prize on one of those mechanical bulls in a pub? Yeah! I went to a thing at my girlfriend’s university and they had one of those bulls. I was just dressed in shorts and shirt and thongs, and nobody knew I rode bulls for a living. They talked me into getting on it, and I rode it so long that they eventually had to stop it. They still didn’t know I was a pro bull rider. Unfortunately the prize was only about $20! What’s the worst injury you’ve seen? I saw my brother-in-law, Chris Lowe, who is also a pro bull rider, get kicked in the side of the head. It completely knocked him out and ripped his ear off. That was pretty hard to see.

Troy Wilkinson You started by riding sheep in the shearing shed as a kid. Now you’re big in America. But you’ve paid your dues—like nursing a 6cm groin tear through a year of competition. Ouch. Yeah—I caught the rope with my spur and jagged my leg, which tore the muscle. Hurt pretty bad. I couldn’t stand up, couldn’t walk. I didn’t even know where the bull was. Is that when rodeo clowns come in? Yep. Mate, they get hurt a lot more than what we do, I’ll tell you. They do a really good job. They’re always busted up: bad knees, sore legs, sore ribs. We get away safely and they run in and jump on the bull’s head. They just love it. They’re mad. What’s the difference between riding in the US and Australia?

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We’ve got really good stock here, but they seem to have really specific breeding lines, and their bulls seem to be a lot bigger and stronger. There’s so much money in the industry there that they even make clones out of the great bulls that were really dangerous back in the day. They made four clones of this one bull and those clones were the best bulls in the world for a time. Some people sell bulls in the US for $150,000—just for a bucking bull! Here you’re lucky to get $5000 for a good one. Do bull riders have groupies? Well, American women like the Australian accent, and they do like cowboys! I don’t know if you’ve ever talked to an American girl before but they get a bit funny. What’s it like being on a big bull? When I was a kid you’d get on and

Did they sew it ear back on? Oh yeah, but it looks a bit different now, haha! It’s on a bit crooked.

This is

Club 4X4 Country

You have arrived. You took that red dirt track, wheeled your way through the mud and battled the bulldust. You find yourself a nice secluded patch to set up camp for the night, or maybe two – who knows. The awning is out and the rooftop tent is ready to lay your head later that night. The campfire is roaring and the Milky Way is beaming down at you. This is what it’s all about right? Well you’re not alone, this is what we’re about too.

How often have you found yourself in this setting and considered what you would do if the worst were to happen to your kitted out 4X4? Take a moment to do that – we’ll wait. Would your insurance payout allow you to rebuild this dream? If your rig burnt to embers that night, how much would you be covered for? If you had an accident on that red dirt track, would your insurer cover you for driving there?

If you’re not sure, head on over to Club 4X4 country, we understand what you need

Visit CLUB4X4.COM.AU or call 1800 CLUB 4X4 for a quote *An excess of $500 will be applied to a claim under this cover, with a maximum of two (2) claims per policy year. A maximum limit of $1000 also applies to any individual item. Read the PDS for more detail. ** *This Additional benefit is subject to an excess of $200 which will be applied and this benefit is limited to one (1) claim per policy period. Club 4x4 Pty Ltd is an Authorised Representative of the insurer, The Hollard Insurance Company Pty Ltd, AFSL 241436. Any advice provided is general only. Consider the PDS at www.club4x4.com.au

PROUD MEMBER OF

OUT OF THE BOX

David Kennedy Old hand, winner of multiple national titles, representing Australia at World Cups—that’s a great career. Yeah—a ‘veteran’, they call us, not that I’m happy to be one! I wish I was a young gun again. It hurts more when you get old, you don’t bounce as well. As you get to the end of your career the body starts to stiffen up and you can feel all your injuries. What’s ‘old’ for a bull rider? About 35 is getting on. It’s a rough sport. Are cowboys the same all over? Yeah: a cowboy’s a cowboy, whether you’re here or in the United States or wherever, but the money is bigger in the United States—a lot bigger. I rode in Australia my whole career and never got recognised, but I rode in the United States for a couple of months and I got recognised by people in the airport. We’re on TV there every week.

What’s the key to good bull riding? The main thing is being able to handle your own body weight and be flexible. I nod my head when I see the bull for the first jump and then I go into a place where my subconscious mind takes over. Sometimes I get off and I can’t remember what happened—I have to ask someone which way it spun. Can you tell what a bull will do? You have a rough idea. You know before an event which bull you’ll be riding and what that bull’s done in the past. But they’re live animals and they can change their minds at any time. The smarter bulls feel where you are on their back and they’ll jump left or right to throw you off. Every bull has got its own personality and its own attitude. They probably outsmart us more than we outsmart them.

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Do you ever get scared? No—that’s when something goes wrong. I’ve been on the wrong end of a bull, though. If you don’t respect them, they’ll just hurt you. Pro bull riding is judged as well as being objectively scored, isn’t it? You’ve got to stay on for eight seconds and your free hand, the hand you hold up, is not allowed to touch yourself or the bull in that time or you’re disqualified. And you get 100 points. Fifty of those points are judged on how good the bull bucks and 50 are judged on how good you ride. You’ve been the ultimate pro. I’m very driven in making my three kids proud of me. Their heroes are bull riders and I’m trying to set a good example. I want them to take this as a professional sport. pbraustralia.com.au

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TRAVELLER

WANDERING THE WEST COAST OF

TASMANIA Bigger than most people expect and wetter and wilder than most can comprehend, the savage and untameable west coast of Tasmania offers challenges aplenty for adventurous visitors WORDS RON & VIV MOON

wo images jump to mind that one wouldn’t usually think of when considering the west coast of Tassie. The first is of a couple paddling a canoe on a river so dark with natural tannin and so calm it was like a gigantic pool of blackened quicksilver. The second is of a young diver wading out of a large natural rock pool with a couple of crays tucked into his catch bag, the open sea behind him and the intervening fringing reef flecked with white caps. Both memories tempted me out of the warm confines of my four-wheel drive and while I slunk deeper into the jacket I was wearing, the bracing fresh air and the incredible untamed scenes that

were before me on both occasions will remain with me forever. They’ll also keep us coming back. This is a truly wild and spectacular coast. A couple of days later we were in Strahan, the ‘tourist capital’ of the west coast, sipping hot cappuccinos while waiting for our luxury cruise boat to take us deeper into the wilderness of Macquarie Harbour and the Gordon River. The west coast of Tassie is truly as you’d like it.

When to go With an annual rainfall up to 2.8m, the cleanest, freshest air on earth and with a highest recorded wind gust of 176km/h, the west coast of Tassie sure can throw up some bracing weather. Summer is the go for when to visit, unless you’re some form of

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TRAVELLER

macho weather maniac who revels in a stiff breeze and the scudding foam of a tempestuous sea. We prefer February through to April when the weather is frequently sunny and warm. Spring and Autumn are okay, but expect changeable and cool weather; well, you can expect that any time really. Winters are for hard nuts, masochists and purists alike: cold, wet and blustery!

What to expect It might be just 140km as the eagle glides between Arthur River in the north and Strahan in the south but the verdant mountains and winding roads in the region will make it feel much, much bigger. Take your time! The main highway from Hobart, 260km east, climbs across the intervening mountains and through the protected wilderness of the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park before depositing you in Queenstown. If there is only time to do one thing along the way, make it a visit to the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most ambitious art project, The Wall in the Wilderness. Situated

Winters are for hard nuts, masochists and purists alike: cold, wet and blustery! 32

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at Derwent Bridge on the edge of Lake St Clair, and still in progress, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s being carved as a 100m-long sculpted tribute to the long human history of the Highlands region. From Queenstown the main highway heads north through Rosebery to Burnie on the north coast but lesser roads (still blacktop) take you to Strahan and Zeehan. From Burnie you can head along the coast to Stanley and then south-west to Arthur River, all on bitumen. North of Zeehan you can head along the well-maintained gravel of the Western Explorer, a road that takes you through the heart of the Tarkine and along the edge of the Arthur-Pieman Conservation Area. South of Arthur River and especially south of the small coastal enclave of Couta Rocks you start to get into some challenging 4WD country.

Above Left: Tannin-rich rivers = whiskeylike water; This image: Cradle Mountain

TRAVELLER

FACT FILE The last thylacine, called ‘Benjamin’, died in the Beaumaris Zoo, Tasmania, just 59 days after the species was officially protected. It was accidentally locked out of its shelter overnight, and froze to death.

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TRAVELLER

What you’ll need You’ll be able to reach a lot of the highlights of the region in a 2WD vehicle but a 4WD will enable you to get off the beaten track into some truly pristine—and utterly unforgettable—areas of the state. Be prepared all the while with good wind- and rainproof gear, whether it’s clothing or camping gear, and you’ll have a ball. There is a wide range of accommodation and camping options in the towns and hamlets through the region. If you are getting off the main

dirt roads onto some of the incredible 4WD tracks the region has to offer be prepared and carry recovery gear. While a set of Maxtrax recovery tracks should be the bare minimum you carry with you, another friend in a 4WD is the best piece of recovery gear you’ll ever need. Take a snatch strap and a few D-shackles, at least.

Must-see places There is a host of things you can do on the west coast, from easy day walks and paddles to overnight trekking and canoeing trips

through the pristine wilderness. You’ll find some great fishing in some of the best trout streams and lakes anywhere, while surf fishing can result in some big hauls of Australian salmon. With a good wetsuit you’ll be able to snorkel for a feed of crayfish or abalone, or try and crack some of the big, heavy waves that thunder ashore along here. Four-wheel-drivers can take an easy run out to Granville Harbour or a really enjoyable drive along the old railway route to Montezuma Falls. The drive along the beaches and across the headlands to Sandy

Above Right: The mighty Arthur River; This image: Balfour Track; Inset Right: Viv checking out Ancient Aboriginal rock engravings at Sundown Point.

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TRAVELLER

Tassie West Coast

QUICK SPECS

WHERE: The least explored side of one of the world’s last great wildernesses. With nice towns. ACCOMODATION: Zeehan Bush Camp and Caravan Park; zeehancaravanpark.com The Empire Hotel, Queenstown; empirehotel.net.au Peppers Cradle Mountain Lodge; cradlemountainlodge. com.au MORE INFO: • West Coast Wilderness: westernwilderness.com.au • Strahan guide: discovertasmania.com.au/ about/regions-of-tasmania/ west-coast/strahan • West Coast Wilderness Railway: wcwr.com.au • Arthur-Pieman Conservation Area: parks.tas.gov.au/index. aspx?base=20598 • The Wall in the Wilderness: thewalltasmania.com.au • Offroad Tasmania guidebook: roving.com.au • Canoeing Tasmania: paddletasmania.canoe.org.au

You’ll find great trout streams, while surf fishing can bag some big hauls of Australian salmon

Cape is not to be undertaken lightly and is best tackled with at least a couple of other vehicles. Likewise, the trip inland to the old mining community of Balfour is only for the well set-up and experienced explorer. Strahan and Queenstown are linked by the West Coast Wilderness Railway, one of the great attractions of the area. And while you’re in Strahan take a cruise that will not only take in the lower reaches of the Gordon River but also the historic convict outpost of Sarah Island and the

turbulent narrow entrance to Macquarie Harbour, Hells Gate— which can also be reached by 4WD for a different point of view. You’ll find one of the best regional museums in Australia in Zeehan while further north the tour of Woolnorth, Australia’s biggest dairy farm and the oldest company established by Royal Charter, is a beauty. Here on the far north-west tip of Tasmania you’ll also find a huge wind farm and the Cape Grim weather station, where you can breathe in some of the cleanest air in the world.

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THE LIST

, S A I L STRA

T S E B

DIVE SITES WORDS GREGOR STRONACH

Whether you’re a seasoned diver or just want to splash about with the kids and a snorkel, you’ll find plenty of world-renowned undersea sites here at home. Why not explore life beneath the waves?

t’s no secret Australians love the ocean—even the national anthem refers to our country as ‘girt by sea’, despite nobody knowing what ‘girt’ means—so it’s hardly surprising we like a dip.

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Australia is home to the world’s seventh-longest coastline (all 25,760km of it), which means that, statistically, we’ve got some of the best dive sites in the world. Some of them are kid-friendly and others you’ll need to have

some diving experience under your belt before you try them, but they’re all fantastic spots to see what’s bobbing about in the brine. Slip on your wetsuit, hold your nose, stash the towel and dive right in … the water’s just fine.

THE LIST Dive Site: Kangaroo Island Location: 100km southwest of Adelaide, SA Difficulty: Mixed Best For: Leafy sea dragons and shipwrecks Off the southern coast of Australia, Kangaroo Island is a distant second-cousin to other better-known dive sites. It’s about as untropical as you can get, which means a whole new set of marine life to see, including the area’s main drawcard: the leafy sea dragon. Kangaroo Island is also well known for harbouring colonies of seals, and there are a number of shipwrecks dotted along the coast for experienced divers to explore. tourkangarooisland.com.au

Dive Site: USAT Meigs Location: Darwin Harbour, NT Difficulty: Hard Best For: Avoiding crocs & exploring NT’s best wreck dive

The rewards for trekking all the way there include a marine ecosystem that is unparalleled in its beauty

Dive Site: Ningaloo Reef Location: Northwest WA Difficulty: Easy sharks Best For: Massive whale

one ef is considered d Ningaloo Re te lis ge t ita as er H co The World ated off the the world. Situ in es sit y, ve Ba di l d Cora of the best n Exmouth an stralia, betwee for trekking d ar of Western Au w re area—but the e ot m re in ty et it’s in a pr m unparalleled arine ecosyste m a is s e er ou th m all the way , is the enor traction, though at n ai ed m fe e to Th . to the reef its beauty long) that head m 18 to p (u ks whale shar ugh to June. om March thro on plankton fr n/ningaloo-reef m.au/our-regio visitningaloo.co

US transport ship USAT Meigs was sunk during the first Japanese air raid on Darwin in 1942. Since then, the local wildlife has been busy making it their home, 18m down. This one’s a winter-time dive—in summer, the local crocs team up with tiger sharks and box jellyfish to make the water a no-go zone for (sensible) humans. During winter, it’s only the crocs and sharks that are a bother. So … okay, then. Regarded as the Territory’s best shipwreck. environment.gov.au/shipwreck

Dive Site: SS Yongala shipwreck Location: 90km southeast of Townsville, QLD Difficulty: Moderate Best For: Arguably the best shipwreck dive on the planet In 1911, the SS Yongala sank during a cyclone, claiming the lives of 122 people (and a bull and a racehorse). These days, the wreck site off the coast of Queensland positively teems with marine life, which has turned the wreckage into a dive site that is consistently ranked in the Top 10 in the world. Expect to see everything from sharks to clown fish, sea snakes to sea turtles, while paying your respects in the eerie surrounds of an underwater grave. visitcairns.com.au max*d

THE LIST Dive Site: Heron Island Location: Great Barrier Reef, QLD Difficulty: Easy Best For: Postcard views above and below—and cocktails once you’re done Heron Island is a large coral cay off the coast of Gladstone, Queensland, at the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef, 89km from the mainland. It’s home to a pretty fancy hotel—creatively called the ‘Great Barrier Reef Resort’—and it’s super family friendly as a result. Surrounded entirely by reef, it’s home to more fish than a re-run of Finding Nemo, all in shallow water (with an average depth of 10-25m) that’s renowned for its excellent visibility—and for its great coral, just metres from shore. Talk with the staff at the local dive shop and they’ll even organise a night-time dive if you’re keen. heronisland.com

Dive Site: Neptune Islands Location: 60km south of Port Lincoln, SA Difficulty: Easy Best For: Meeting a Great White

Dive Site: Rowley Shoals Marine Park Location: 300km west of Broome, WA Difficulty: Moderate Best For: Spending a week at sea

If you fancy a close encounter with the star of Jaws, then the Neptune Islands (in the Ron and Valerie Taylor Marine Park) is the place you’ll want to be. There are a number of tour operators in Port Lincoln who will happily take you out to the islands, pop you in a cage and dunk you into the water with some of the biggest, hungriest and most dangerous animals the ocean has ever produced. You don’t need previous diving experience—but you’ll need the heart of a lion once the sharks start nosing around your cage. environment.sa.gov.au/marineparks/find-a-park/eyrepeninsula/neptune-islands

Rowley Shoals Marine Park is a series of coral atolls on the edge of Australia’s continental shelf, 260km out to sea from Broome. This one’s for committed divers only—given its distance from land, charter tours generally take between five and seven days onboard a boat. The time invested is worth it—with more than 230 species of coral and 680 species of fish to ogle, it’s a fish-spotter’s dream. parks.dpaw.wa.gov.au/park/rowley-shoals

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THE LIST

Dive Site: Port Phillip Heads Location: 40km southwest of Melbourne Difficulty: Mixed Best For: Having faith in your wetsuit

Ningaloo Reef

The Port Phillip Heads is located a short drive from the Melbourne CBD and offers diving and snorkelling to suit pretty much any level of skill and experience. There’s a range of spots to choose from, including the man-made Pope’s Eye—the uncompleted foundation for a proposed island fort, now home to a vast range of sea creatures, including large octopus and seals. There’s also the naturally formed Portsea Hole, a freaky depression that sinks 30m into the deep. parkweb.vic.gov. au/explore/parks/port-phillip-heads-marinenational-park

SS Yongala Shipwreck

USAT Meigs

Dive Site: Shelly Beach Location: Manly, NSW Difficulty: Very Easy Best For: Learning to dive or snorkelling with the kids

Heron Island Rowley Shoals Fish Rock Cave

Neptune Islands

Located a short ferry ride and stroll from the Sydney’s CBD, Shelly Beach is a perfect spot for family fun. The shallow bay is a protected marine reserve, with a plethora of marine life including moray eels, Port Jackson sharks, wobbegongs and colour-shifting cuttlefish. You can break out the air tanks or simply don a snorkel to poke around. Watch out for the rusted remains of a motorcycle at the end of the point. sydney.com/destinations/sydney/sydney-north

Shelly Beach

Port Phillip Heads Kangaroo Island

Dive Site: The Nord wreck Location: Fortescue Bay, 5km NE of Port Arthur, TAS Difficulty: Hard Best For: One of the few ‘intact’ wrecks in Tassie This one’s not for the fainthearted or the inexperienced, but it’s regarded as one of the best wreck dives in Australia. The Nord sank on its way from Melbourne to Hobart in 1915, and the structure of the wreck has held up remarkably well, providing divers (and millions of fish) with a deep-sea spot to explore. The wreck itself still holds plenty of artefacts from the passengers and crew, including brass ship features and Mahjong pieces among the wreckage. parks.tas.gov.au

Fortescue Bay

Dive site: Fish Rock Cave Location: South West Rocks, NSW Difficulty: Moderate Best For: Floating through a cave full of grey nurse sharks As the name suggests, Fish Rock Cave is an undersea cave, about 2km from Smoky Cape at South West Rocks. The cave itself is 125m long, with the entrance 24m beneath the surface. It’s a popular spot for experienced divers, with a resident colony of (harmless) grey nurse sharks, which were once slaughtered with mistaken abandon. Now you can pat one. visitnsw.com/destinations/north-coast

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UNSUNG HEROES

Strike trouble in ‘the premier state’ and the State Emergency Service will be there. We spoke with former army officer Terry Beaumont, 68, an SES volunteer since 2009

How did you become a part of the State Emergency Service? We moved to the NSW South Coast from Sydney and, being retired, I wanted to do something. The SES seemed like a good thing to do considering I have a background in the army. I thought it would be a good fit for me—and a way to give back. Australia’s all droughts, flooding rains, fires and cyclones. It must keep you busy. My first away job with the SES was attending to the floods in Theodore, up in Queensland, during Severe Tropical Cyclone Yasi. I’ve also helped out during several other big storms in NSW, like the big floods in Grafton in 2013. I drove a boat up and down the main river there, supplying food. And I’ve done a lot of tree jobs that have involved chainsaw work and storm work where roofs have been blown off homes and we’ve had to put tarps on roofs—that type of thing. Working while drenched doesn’t worry you, then. A lot of the time you’re in severe storm conditions with rain and flooding. When we were up in Queensland for Yasi we’d be working in heavy rain, tarping places. We had to clean up all of the sand that was on the streets and tarp a lot of the roofs and just generally help people get their goods out of their homes, clean up and then get their things back into their homes. It must be heartbreaking. Yes, and it was the same with

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the big flood that went through Theodore—we had to go in after the water had gone down as the poor townspeople weren’t allowed into the town. We went into all their homes to pull out the refrigerators and get rid of all the food that had gone bad. Then we’d have to clean their homes out—the fireys would go in and hose it, then we’d go in and clean the walls because you’d have about two metres worth of wall stains. It was pretty bad for the people of Theodore. So you put your wet weather gear on and you go out and do what you need to do to help people. Travel’s not compulsory, though. If it’s a major event I’ll always put my hand up to go out and help. When the Hills District of Sydney had big hail damage and storm damage, there was a team of us who went up there and jumped up on the roofs. Because we had the heavy truck, we did mostly two-storey homes. We’d take out the tiles and put new tiles in and do repairs, which we did for a couple of days in extreme heat. It’s quite warm up on roof after roof all day with temperatures in the low 40s... How grateful are the victims? In Grafton, we saw the river go up and we had to help people get through it. Those who were caught up in cyclone Yasi in Theodore were very happy for us to be there. When we boarded the plane to come home, people were clapping. That was really quite good.

When we boarded the plane to come home, people were clapping

WORDS JAMES JENNINGS

THE NSW STATE EMERGENCY SERVICE

How do you stay calm in the middle of a disaster? I’ve mellowed with age. And the 20-odd years I spent in the army probably helped. Have you felt in danger? No, I don’t think so. We’re taught from the beginning that you don’t put yourself in harm’s way. [But] I also think that my concept of danger is, say, maybe different to yours or the person next door. In my life I’ve done a few things you’d describe as dangerous. Some of the jobs I’ve done make me wonder, ‘How am I still alive?’. In the military? I joined the army in 1969 and have fought in two theatres [of war] overseas, one of them twice. I got out of the army in 1990 and did another five years in the Army Reserve. After that time I worked as a manager, at Sulo and Edson. How important is the SES to you? It means a lot to me—a lot. I think it’s very important and it makes me feel very satisfied, as I’m sure it does for all of us in the unit. A lot of people dedicate their time to going out to road crashes, vertical rescues and general land rescues. You’ve only got to send out a message and there’s at least three or four people who’ll go out. Will you ever retire? No, I want to keep doing it for as long as I can! If you start to think ‘I’m too old for this’, you may as well pack up your bongos and go sit in a home watching TV and eating pies. I think I’m relatively young for my age and I can still compete on a strong level.

UNSUNG HEROES

Acting Commissioner of NSW SES, Jim Smith (left) with Terry Beaumont.

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HOOK,LINE&SINKER

THE BILLFISHM

A L S D N A R G

Four elusive species and an on-camera promise to bag every one. Nick Duigan and Andrew Hart tempt fate WORDS ANDREW HART

he first rule of making a TV fishing show is never make bold predictions about what you’re going to catch. You only set yourself up for a particularly embarrassing type of failure. Fishing just can’t be scripted. You’d think we’d remember that after more than 15 years in the game. Instead, we found ourselves standing beside our Bar Crusher boat on a balmy Gold Coast afternoon making the grand statement that we were going to catch a blue, a black and a striped marlin, as well as a broadbill swordfish—and all for one episode. Call us crazy! But so it began—a four-month rollercoaster ride, tempting fate

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chasing what we began to call the HL&S Billfish Grand Slam.

The blue The blue marlin is crazy. There is no other fish in the sea that attacks and bites a lure, then turns the ocean to white water as it fights by tail-walking for the horizon. The first blue marlin we hooked smashed the lure, jumped and then ran. We’d never seen line evaporate from a spool so quickly. Then reality set in. We spent two more days trolling the Gold Coast waters for not another bite. Then the weather turned. To rub salt into the wound, the next time we went fishing for blue marlin, our cameraman was called away urgently. It was a disaster.

Andrew grapples with with one of the world’s fastest fish

The only weather window we could see was a few hundred kays down the coast at South West Rocks—where they were in the grip of the worst blue marlin season in history. Nick and I headed to sea solo and with low expectations, but after an hour our short corner lure was inhaled by a big blue. Nick was on, and the fish was tearing the ocean apart. Then, a miracle: another rod started to scream, and before we knew what was happening we were both hooked up to rampaging blue marlin. Somehow we managed to film the whole thing ourselves. After a few hours fighting, we’d caught our blues.

The black With new-found confidence we headed south in search of the next species. The black marlin is known as the brawler. The world’s fastest fish, it’s heavy, tough and doesn’t give up. We decided the way to hook a black was to tow live baits at a slow speed. Off to Bermagui, in southern NSW. A testing 12-hour tow, but the D-MAX did it with ease. With our cameraman, Mike, back

HOOK,LINE&SINKER

Nick, in his happy place— although a bite would help!

Fish, and fishing, just can’t be scripted. You’d think that after more than 15 years in the game we’d remember that.

Watc Line andh Hook, on 7mat Sinker local geu. Check for deta ides ils.

onboard we hooked and lost two black marlin over two long days. Nick and Mike left, but I stayed on—to host a buck’s weekend. Naturally, we headed out to wet a line. Twenty minutes later, we were hooked up to a black marlin. Somehow we managed to catch it, filming all the while, and then rang Nick, who was still waiting at the airport, with the good news! Maybe it was our cameraman who was cursed?

The striped The prettiest of the marlin species, striped marlin fight well and they’re exciting to hook, especially when you tease them into the boat, then feed them a live bait—a technique known as switch baiting. We had a full crew back on board as we headed out from Bermagui— including our filmer. Before long, a striped marlin appeared on the righthand teaser. If you’re wondering, a ‘teaser’ is a lure with no hook in it. When the striped marlin comes up and tries to eat it, the crew teases it into the back of the boat, making it angry at the same time. It hits your

bait and you achieve a solid hook-up. The hook-up was textbook and our cameraman finally proved his worth, filming a sequence of 15 jumps as the fish realised its dilemma. The striped marlin can hit 80km/h underwater— which means they can leap, too! Forty minutes later, we had her alongside for release. Marlin trifecta done!

Two hours later, we had a swordfish at the side of the boat. Job sorted! In fishing and especially in TV—as in life—making bold predictions is a good way to embarrass yourself. But it turns out it’s actually pretty easy to keep the egg off your face—just keep the cameraman off the boat!

Broadbill swordfish Meet the toughest gamefish that swims. Broadbills are so strong that fights can last for half a day or more. The technique for catching them is to drop a bait to the bottom—often between 450m and 600m!—where the swordfish live during the day. As you can imagine there’s a bit to the rig, and the sinker we use is, in fact, a large and heavy rock! Tasmania is fast becoming the swordfish capital of the world, but for three days we got nothing. Obviously, there was only one thing do—ditch the cameraman! It did the trick. Heading out from St Helens one morning, with only Nick and me in the boat, we got a bite on the second drop of the morning.

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REFUEL

SUMMER MEANS

SEAFOOD

Tassie is about the best place in the country to enjoy superb seafood—and that’s saying something. Ben Milbourne treats us to his favourite summertime fare …

“T

assie is home to some of the best produce and best producers in the world,” says Ben Milbourne, the MasterChef alumnus whose post-show career has involved writing cookbooks, hosting tours (of Tasmania’s food regions, obviously) and— inevitably—popping up back on the telly. “As a Tasmanian chef and a lover of food—produce, wine, spirits, beer, all of it—I love living here and I love showing it off.” When not conquering Tassie’s more rugged regions in his trusty Isuzu MU-X, Ben continues to grace our screens on Channel 10’s Ben’s Menu, all

the while spruiking the charms of his geometrically pleasingly, largely triangular isle. It’s as great a place to visit as it is to live (see feature, page 30), but then, so is the rest of Australia. So whether your shellfish is from Bruny Island or Broome, while Ben’s local fare is undeniably lovely, you can hardly put a foot wrong. And no matter how far you are from civilisation, whether roasting in the Top End or rugged up against the Roaring Forties, provided you’re within whiff of a sea breeze, summer in Australia means seafood. The best seafood in the world. So do the right thing and keep it simple, fresh and tasty. Like this…

FIND OUT MORE Visit benmilbourne.com.au for more recipes and cookbooks, as well as links to Ben’s food tours, degustation dinners and his in-demand cooking school.

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Oysters with Pickled Rhubarb and Ginger Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 10 minutes Serves: 2

Ingredients • ½ cup white sugar • ½ cup white vinegar • ½ cup water • 1 stalk rhubarb, julienned • 2cm piece ginger, thinly sliced • 2 tbsp red onion, finely diced • 2 tbsp red apple, finely diced • 1 tbsp oil • salt • 12 fresh, natural oysters Method Step 1: Create a pickling mixture by combining the sugar, vinegar and water in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Allow to cool slightly. Add rhubarb and ginger. Step 2: Once cooled completely, strain and place the rhubarb and ginger into a bowl. Combine the onion, apple, oil and salt and carefully spoon over the oysters.

REFUEL

Tempura Abalone Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 5 minutes Serves: 2–3

Ingredients • 1 abalone, sliced thinly • 1 cup plain flour • ½ cup corn flour • pinch of sea salt • ½ cup soda water, cold • ½ cup ice • 500ml canola oil Method Step 1: Lightly coat the sliced abalone with half of the plain flour. Step 2: Add the corn flour, remaining plain flour, salt, soda water and ice to a bowl, and mix it until it forms a thin batter. Step 3: Heat the oil in a pan to 160–180°C. Coat the abalone in a thin layer of batter. Place the abalone in the oil for approximately 45 seconds to a minute. Remove the excess oil with a paper towel and season with a pinch of sea salt.

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FLASHBACK

1989

ISUZU 4200R Rocking the 1989 Tokyo Motor Show so hard you’d think Mothra had crashed into the building, the gorgeous Isuzu 4200R was everything you could ask for from a late ’80s concept car. Which is to say: sleek, futuristic and brimming with cutting-edge gadgets, including sat nav, a studio-quality audio system, a video tape deck and—incredibly—a fax machine. However this Futurama-ready office-on-wheels was no gimmick. It packed serious engineering punch. It featured a high-performance 260kW 4.2-litre DOHC 32-valve V8— transversely mounted, and mid-engined—a five-speed manual gearbox and an active suspension system designed in partnership with Lotus. It was also relatively practical for a performance concept, with 2+2 seating. As it had no B-pillars, the rear doors in the 4200R slid backwards to allow access. Motor show attendees and Isuzu aficionados alike gave the 4200R a rapturous reception, but its fate was sealed by Isuzu’s permanent departure from the small car market in the early ’90s.

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