MAX*D Issue 32 by Isuzu UTE Australia

MAX*D THE MAGAZINE FOR ISUZU D-MAX AND MU-X OWNERS – GO YOUR OWN WAY

ISSUE 32

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FUTURE PROOF A DECADE-AND-A-HALF OF D-MAX VERSUS NORTH STRADBROKE ISLAND GOLF PHWOAR! AUSTRALIA’S MOST UNUSUAL GOLF COURSES

TACKLE THE RED CENTRE WAY

THE ULTIMATE DESERT PILGRIMAGE

745,359KM AND COUNTING!

ONE MAN’S MAXIMUM MILEAGE D-MAX

THE TEEN WHO TOOK ON EVEREST HOW’S THE VIEW? FIND OUT!

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composite builds are better than a traditional build.

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Water resistant

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Materials tested by the CSIRO

Easier to clean

Better resale value

CONTENTS IS

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IN THIS ISSUE

ISSUE 32

Features

The Long Hauler

Marc Jeanneret’s D-MAXs accompany huge oversized loads, with one ute racking up almost 750,000km.

The Red Centre Way

How, when and why to take on one of Australia’s great Outback journeys, with 4WD guru Carlisle Rogers.

Unsung Hero

Teenagers these days, always wasting their time on, er… climbing the world’s highest mountain.

MAX*D GO YOUR OWN WAY

24 FUTURE FOUND

To celebrate 15 years of Isuzu UTE Australia, we pitted a 2008 D-MAX against its mightiest modern counterpart on the 4WD heaven of North Straddie.

SUBSCRIBE to receive your next copy of MAX*D either digitally or printed and posted to you for FREE. Visit isuzuute.com.au/subscribe to make your choice.

CONTENTS

Up Front 06 News

The latest from the Isuzu UTE world.

08 Readers’ Rides

Tell us where your D-MAX or MU-X has taken you, and win!

12 Wishlist

A quality portable fridge is essential to guarantee cold comfort beside any campfire.

14 10 Years of HL&S

Hook, Line and Sinker host Andrew Hart reminisces on a decade towing boats with Isuzu UTE Australia.

16 Tech Head

The dual-lens camera wizardry of Lane Keep Assist (LKA) and Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC).

Middle Ground 18 Inside Line 15th Anniversary Special

A lot of great stuff has happened over the past decade and a half.

38 The List

From the world’s longest course to once shark-infested links, meet Australia’s oddest golf courses.

44 Hook, Line & Sinker

The boys break in a big new boat.

48 Refuel

Cook your coral trout on the beach.

Outback 51 Great Isuzu Moments

The day a rally legend broke his back—and finished the stage anyway.

52 Dealer List

Wherever you are, there’s a local Isuzu UTE Dealer near you.

MAX*D GO YOUR OWN WAY

WELCOME

WELCOME SEASON’S GREETINGS and welcome to

the latest edition of MAX*D magazine! If you’re like me, you’re probably thinking to yourself, “where have the last 12 months gone?” It feels like just the other day we were welcoming the 2023 D-MAX and MU-X range to our shores and sharing the news that Isuzu has grown to become a top-10 selling brand. Well, 2023 has been yet another year for the record books. At the time of writing, not only is IUA on track to maintain its position as one of Australia’s top-10 selling marques over the past 12 months, but both the D-MAX and MU-X

MAX*D GO YOUR OWN WAY

are among the top-three selling vehicles in their respective segments. The D-MAX has continued to receive critical acclaim from the Australian media, with Wheels awarding it Australia’s Best Value 4x4 Ute in their inaugural utility awards. And, to top it off, over the 15 years since we opened the doors of our first dealership in 2008, more than 300,000 Isuzu vehicles have been sold and delivered locally. It’s an amazing milestone and one only made possible by you; so thank you! As we eagerly anticipate the final sales results of 2023, let’s take a moment to live in the moment—the here and now.

ISSUE 32

In this issue we’re taking a trip down memory lane to celebrate the last 15 years with a duo of D-MAXs on sandy Straddie Island: a 2008 Isuzu D-MAX LS-U and a 2023 D-MAX X-TERRAIN. We catch up with a D-MAX owner who has stacked up over 524,000kms in his 2021 D-MAX SX—a remarkable testimony of travel. And, of course, we share the latest news, tales of travel and tech tips. There are even hook-ups (care of Hook, Line and Sinker, on page 44) and cookups (courtesy of The Slow Road Cookbook, on page 48). It’s been a monumental year for Isuzu

WELCOME

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THE ARRIVA L OF THE MU

-X

KEEP YOUR EYES PEELED! Polaroids like these are sprinkled throughout the mag to celebrate our 15-year anniversary.

as a brand, but it’s also been huge for me personally. My family is finally together again. My wife and children have made the journey to join me in Australia, along with our 2.5-year-old dog and 18-year-old cat from Japan, both of whom went through a 10-day quarantine at Melbourne Airport. Seizing the here and now, I’ve had the privilege to continue my travels of this Great Southern Land, visiting each state and more than 60 Isuzu UTE Dealers in the last six months alone. One thing that all that travel has taught me is that we all have a unique

story to tell. Everyone uses their vehicle differently and it’s those moments we create together—cherishing the company of our loved ones and living each day as it comes—that will live long in our memories. It doesn’t matter how much faster each year seems to fly by, or how bewildering it can be to see the old one disappearing into the rear-view mirror! So, with another 12 months printed and packaged, and the festive season a page turn away, I’d like to sign off 2023 with my best wishes. I sincerely hope that you and your family have

Journalists of the MUfl-Xew to Thailand in 2012 to get the SUV. “Australia is one of the for the launch first countries !” beamed then -MD, Yasu Ta keuchi.

a safe and happy holiday period and, as always, enjoy this latest edition of MAX*D magazine.

Happy reading & safe motoring!

Junta Matsui Managing Director, Isuzu UTE Australia

MAX*D GO YOUR OWN WAY

LATEST NEWS

D-MAX wins coveted Wheels 4x4 ute award THE ISUZU D-MAX has been crowned Australia’s ‘Best Value 4x4 Ute’ in Wheels’

inaugural Wheels Best Ute awards, a comprehensive appraisal of the largestselling vehicle segment in Australia. It was a dominant result for Isuzu UTE, with the 1.9-litre and 3.0-litre turbodiesel powered variants of the popular D-MAX SX Crew Cab 4x4 Ute placing first and second respectively in the category. With a 70-year reputation as Australia’s automotive bible, Wheels compared 12 of Australia’s best 4x4 utes for its legion of highly knowledgeable readers. “Excellent resale, frugal fuel bills and the lowest insurance premiums of all our contenders are the secret to the D-MAX’s inherent value, with these low ownership costs helping to offset a higher-than-average purchase price,” wrote former Wheels magazine editor Alex Inwood.

Isuzu UTE delivers its 300,000th vehicle

COINCIDING WITH THE brand’s 15th anniversary, Isuzu UTE Australia has celebrated

another milestone, cracking the 300,000-vehicle mark in terms of local vehicle sales and deliveries. The landmark figure was achieved in October 2023. With a total of 218,620 Isuzu D-MAXs and 84,181 MU-Xs delivered since October 2008, the month saw an aggregate of 302,801 IUA vehicles having taken to Australian roads—an impressive result, particularly for what remains a two-nameplate brand. The monthly figure confirmed IUA’s standing as Australia’s 10th best-selling automotive brand for 2023 at the time of publication. It also charts a course for a second consecutive Top 10 finish in terms of annual domestic sales at year’s end. “It’s fortuitous that we welcomed our 300,000th vehicle to an Australian home while celebrating our 15-year anniversary,” said IUA Managing Director Junta Matsui. “As our brand has grown, so too has our Dealer network, which has expanded to over 165 sites across the country. With healthy levels of vehicle stock landing at Dealers, this year is shaping to be the biggest ever for our brand, and we are optimistic that this positive trajectory will continue as we aim for over 40,000 vehicle deliveries in 2023,” said Matsui-san.

Hook, Line and Sinker reels in the years AUSTRALIA’S GREATEST TV fishing program, Hook, Line and Sinker, has reached a milestone decade of partnership with Isuzu UTE Australia. Since joining the Isuzu UTE family in 2013, co-hosts Andrew Hart and Nick Duigan have racked up enviable kilometres in their HL&S D-MAXs and MU-Xs. That included towing a three-tonne Bar Crusher 780 HT boat on a 26,000km expedition around the coastline of Australia in their Isuzu D-MAX X-TERRAIN, countless trips to the Top End, and endless fly-fishing frolics into the Tasmanian interior. “It’s our 10th year in partnership and Isuzu UTE and Bar Crusher have been with us every step of the way,” said Hart. Catch his memories of the decade on page 14. Hart and Duigan—who added ‘The Honourable’ to his name when elected member for Windermere in the Tasmanian Legislative Council in 2021— are both based in the island state. Now in its 23rd season, Hook, Line and Sinker shows on free-to-air on 7mate and is also available on demand via 7plus.

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 MAX*D GO YOUR OWN WAY

READERS’ RIDES

READERS’ RIDES There’s nothing better than going your own way. Tell us about it—and win.

Disclaimer: Non-genuine aftermarket accessories and modifications are not recommended or endorsed by Isuzu UTE Australia. For detailed information on ‘what is’ and ‘what is not’ covered by the Manufacturer’s Warranty please refer to the Warranty and Service Booklet.

MICHELE HARDY LIVES: THE GURDIES, VIC DRIVES: 2022 D-MAX LS-U 4X4 SPACE CAB Last month we took our D-MAX on some of the toughest 4WD tracks in the country! From Victoria we headed to Coober Pedy and along the Anne Beadell Highway from Coober Pedy to Laverton, WA. The corrugations were relentless! Then, we travelled along the Great Central Road from Laverton. We took on lots of routes we hadn’t experienced before: the Madigan Line and then down the Hay River track to the QAA line—so many camels!—and used the Eyre Creek Bypass road to cross the recently flooded creek. Then we did Big Red and had a curried camel pie at the Birdsville Bakery. Our most expensive diesel fill was $3.65 per litre, and you’ve gotta be happy with the D-MAX’s fuel economy! Damage included one solar panel that shook loose, a totally trashed tyre and an aftermarket bullbar that we had welded back on at Laverton (the cost was a slab of beer).

TIM BAKER LIVES: BRISBANE, QLD DRIVES: 2023 D-MAX 4X4 X-TERRAIN The D-MAX is the first new vehicle I’ve owned, so I’m very proud of it. I chose it because we use D-MAXs for fleet vehicles at work and they’re just so dependable—I’m an air-side safety officer at Brisbane Airport. It’s nice to have an upgraded spec from the work vehicle in my own ute! Since the pandemic I’ve had more of an urge to see Australia. I even bought physical maps to plot our trips, although the satnav can always save you. I love having a beer in a local pub, meeting people and making little discoveries. There was a greasy spoon in Lorne that served me the best hotdog ever!

MAX*D GO YOUR OWN WAY

READERS’ RIDES

BRETT THURLOW LIVES: UPPER COOMERA, QLD DRIVES: 2022 ISUZU MU-X 4X4 LS-T We recently did a two-week trip up to Darwin, but we wanted to go remote off-roading and get the beast dirty, and not just follow the normal highway route. That meant we ended up adding an extra 1000km or so! We’re both quite short, which means we both fit and we can lie down and sleep in the back! We took this pic when we were washing off some of the dust that we’d collected in Quilpie, in Queensland. The old girl handled beautifully and it was a great way to learn more things about the MU-X and take her to the limits. We saw many wild pigs, emus, donkeys and dingos, and swam in artesian bores. We even survived a dip in Bitter Springs in the NT, where we later found out a saltwater croc was sighted just after we left! We love the new rig … less so the salties.

TREVOR HARVEY LIVES: BRIGHTON, QLD DRIVES: 2022 MU-X 4X4 LS-T We recently went on a school holiday adventure to K’gari and we couldn’t have had better weather. We were the first people on the beach this day—we beat everybody to it and had the sunrise to ourselves for an hour. Now that our daughters are 22 and 19 we wanted to be able to get out and go our own way a bit more, which was the motivation behind buying the MU-X. We test drove everything in the category, but once we were in the Isuzu my wife just looked at me and went, “Yes, this is the one”. We just haven’t looked back. From the inland tracks on our debut trip to the Big Red Bash to beach driving on the island, it’s just been a lot of fun. The 4WD is just so easy to use!

MADDIE WALSH LIVES: SYDNEY, NSW DRIVES: 2022 D-MAX 4X4 LS-M CREW CAB UTE I wasn’t sure where to start about my D-MAX, but I absolutely love it! As a country girl at heart, now learning to dance to the beat of the big city, my interests take me from the hustle and bustle to the Outback. So I need reliable wheels! My D-MAX means I can take on any journey, from driving on the dunes, to highway cruising, to waltzing down dirt tracks to sniff out a picturesque campsite. There’s nothing I love more than packing up the back of the ute for a spot of solo camping. I’ve just got a new fridge wired up in the tray, and who knows what might be next. No matter what, I trust this rig to get me where I need to go in style. I might not have struck literal gold on my adventures just yet, but one thing is for sure: the D-MAX is a gem!

We are giving away five Visa gift cards to help you Go Your Own Way

A $100 VISA GIFT CARD!

$1 0 0 G

IFT CA

Featured Readers’ Rides will each receive a $100 Visa gift card courtesy of Isuzu UTE Australia.

Simply send us a high-resolution image of your D-MAX or MU-X and a 100-word blurb, along with your VIN, name, contact details, suburb and model of your Isuzu, to maxd@iua.net.au

DEBIT

MAX*D GO YOUR OWN WAY

READERS’ RIDES IN FOCUS

THE LONG HAULER

NAME: MARC JEANNERET DIRECTOR, ROLE: MANAGING ARONSHORE PILOT SERVICES FLEET: 11 X ISUZU D-MAXS

Over 500,000km on the clock in three years? It’s all part of the job for Marc Jeanneret.

Your company escorts oversized loads across the country. What’s the weirdest thing you’ve transported? Ah! There was a giraffe named Sky that we moved from Australia Zoo on the Sunshine Coast to Dubbo Zoo. When I was first contacted by telephone they said, “Listen we need a height survey. We’re gonna move a giraffe.” As you can imagine there’s a few bridges between Australia Zoo and Dubbo that need to be measured because you definitely don’t want to decapitate your load. And power lines, too, because you don’t wanna barbecue it on the way down either. Wow. What else? My company doesn’t specialise in anything in particular—we work right across the board. We could be moving

MAX*D GO YOUR OWN WAY

10m-wide houses around Brisbane or interstate in one piece. Or a nine-metrewide piece of mining equipment weighing 100-150 tonnes. Or a 100m-long wind farm blade. And, less regularly, we might take 150-200-tonne pieces of equipment, such as tunnel boring machines, on a 900km road trip. There’s a surprising amount of large stuff that needs shifting. One thing is the significant infrastructure works that people don’t think of. They drive over a bridge and they don’t realise that there are 100-tonne concrete beams that needed to be brought in to be lifted into place, for example. You put astonishingly large numbers on all of your D-MAXs. Can you give us a few examples?

Yes, as of last service one D-MAX has done 745,359km. We got it in 2018. It’s not to be confused with our sixth Isuzu, which has done about 523,000km in three years. And the second D-MAX we ever bought was sold for more than half the purchase price as a cab chassis in May 2022 after four years. It had more than 602,000km on the clock! Excellent resale value. Why did you choose the D-MAX? These are vehicles that we drive to make money. We don’t drive them to employ mechanics to improve their ability to make repairs. Succinctly put. They are work vehicles but they’re still comfortable to drive and they’re still enjoyable behind the wheel. When you’re

READERS’ RIDES IN FOCUS

One D-MAX has done 745,359km. We got it in 2018. It’s not to be confused with our sixth Isuzu, which has done about 523,000km in three years.

on a return and you’re not working, you can put your tunes on and kick back. Putting 523,000km on your 2021 D-MAX is impressive, has anything gone wrong? Apart from getting a puncture a week, no. We service each of the vehicles in the fleet every 15,000km, and over the last 500,000kms we have only needed to replace the oils, fluids and filters. The engine and transmission are original and haven’t needed any major work—it has served us well and I’m sure with maintenance it’ll clock up more than the 745,000kms on our other D-MAX. What is the hardest part of the job? Dealing with traffic infrastructure—plotting a course around bridges that are too low, and alternative courses, for example—and traffic in the metropolitan areas.

When you’re dealing with stuff that big, can things easily go wrong? Yes! Actually, the longest job we ever had was sitting beside the road babysitting a piece of mining equipment that got bogged when someone in a car didn’t want to share the road with us and forced us off the tarmac. Once you’re off the asphalt and weighing 150 tonnes, it sinks up to the axles fast. It was four days for the recovery vehicles to pull it out. We weren’t expecting to be speaking with you about giraffes, I must say. There’ve been other fun ones! We picked up a C-47 Dakota aircraft out of HMAS Albatross at Nowra and took it up to the Amberley Aviation Heritage Centre. It took three days for that trip. You don’t get much cooler than that!

THE DOUBLE TON

IUA cracked in February 2 200,000 total sales in 52,038 MU021 (148,077 D-MAX Australia -X SUVs). W utes hich is quite a and lot.

MAX*D GO YOUR OWN WAY

WISHLIST

GOODBYE

PESKY ESKY

ENGEL MT-V60F 60L FRIDGE FREEZER

BEST CHEST FRIDGE Engel has a Bradman-esque reputation in the niche but passionately defended world of portable refrigeration. Dating to 1962, the precision Japanese operation has built more than three million fridges—and this 57-litre dual-cabinet model, with separate fridge and freezer compartments, epitomises their output. With a five-year warranty, Engel’s legendary Sawafuji swing motor laughs at corrugated roads and, if you fancy, has a maximum 12-volt draw of only 4.2 amps per hour. Engel’s same-priced 60-litre model is worth a look if you want a single-zone unit that works as either all fridge or all freezer. RRP: $1999 engelaustralia.com.au

BUSHMAN DC130X UPRIGHT FRIDGE/FREEZER 130L

BEST UPRIGHT Upright models have their detractors, often citing that their benefits (ease of access, litres of volume per dollar) have to be weighed up against drawbacks (stuff rattling around more readily, cold air escaping more quickly whenever they’re opened, and they’re designed to go into a cabinetry cavity, such as in your caravan or towed boat). But the German-designed Bushman holds its own, with room for large bottles, a six-litre freezer and efficient power usage, averaging just 1.4 amps per hour over 24hrs (in mildish Australian conditions of 25°C ambient temperature and with your fridge set at 4°C). RRP: $1645 bushman.com.au

ENGEL MT-V45F 40L FRIDGE FREEZER

Quality portable fridges aren’t cheap, but they’ll take your trip to the next level (and stop your lunch from soaking in icewater).

BEST OFF-ROADER This powerful 40-litre chest is also powered by Engel’s renowned Sawafuji swing motor, which is specially designed for 4x4 vehicles in that it has just one moving part (and works efficiently at angles of up to 35 degrees). Offering robust melamine-coated steel fabrication with battery protection, an interior LED light and stainless steel hinges, it’s the brand’s go-to model, built tough to guarantee you a hardearned can of Passiona at the end of a long day. It features automatic voltage selection (12-and 24-volt DC and 240-volt AC), with variable DC power consumption from 0.5-3.0 amps per hour. RRP: $1499 engelaustralia.com.au

EVAKOOL PLATINUM 40L DRAWER FRIDGE FREEZER

BEST DRAWER FRIDGE Drawer fridges optimise space and weight usage, although if you’re adding cabinetry, you’ll need to consider that cost as well. This 40-litre drawer unit can be used without (it comes with a heavy duty floor-plate bracket to secure the drawer to a flat surface), holds a worthy 48 cans and offers internal LED lighting and a simple, no-fuss display. There’s a removable drawer tub for a fuss-free cleaning, acrylic compartment lids and it can be used as either a fridge or freezer. (Power consumption at 2°C works out at about 1.2 amps per hour; double that usage to get to -16°C.) RRP: $1100 evakool.com.au

Products shown not to scale.

MAX*D GO YOUR OWN WAY

SUZU

GO YOUR OWN WAY

MORE THAN EVER, AUSTRALIANS ARE GOING THEIR OWN WAY Isuzu owners love the great outdoors, breaking free and experiencing new adventures. At Isuzu UTE Australia we are proud to have played an exciting part in so many lives, by delivering vehicles that are stylish, reliable, and purposefully made for Australian conditions. As we celebrate 15 years in Australia, we would like to thank all our valued customers who have supported us along the way. And we look forward to enabling many more adventures in the Isuzu D-MAX and MU-X, as our customers look to live their own way. Explore how you can go your own way at your local Isuzu UTE dealer or visit isuzuute.com.au

ISUZU CELEBRATES 15 YEAR ANNIVERSARY WITH 300,000TH DELIVERY READ MORE

ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL

A DECADE

IN DEEP

WORDS ANDREW HART

Isuzu UTE Australia’s 15th birthday also marks 10 years’ partnership with Australia’s favourite fishing show, Hook, Line & Sinker.

“IT WAS AROUND 2012 when we got

wind from a local car dealer that a new model Isuzu Ute was coming out. He was about to start selling them and he said they were going to be the next big thing. He kindly helped set up a meeting and soon after we walked into Isuzu Ute Australia’s ‘head office’ and had a meeting with the ‘marketing team’ … At the time head office was a tiny building near the Brisbane fuel refinery, and the marketing team was Dave. How times have changed! The first time we got our hands on the new D-MAX was a road trip towing a 6.7-metre Bar Crusher boat from Melbourne to Exmouth in Western Australia. The idea was to escape the approaching winter by leaving the southern part of the country behind and heading north. As far as the fishing went, it was insane. Particularly the Exmouth component, which included many, many sailfish, which for us was a real highlight! As for the drive, it was a great chance to get to know the new generation of ute! It towed the Bar Crusher with ease, was amazing on fuel, and had more go than anything else we’d used before. Of course, that was a 2013 model, and boy have they improved since then— especially in terms of suspension and in-car tech. Following a few years of using both the

MAX*D GO YOUR OWN WAY

D-MAX and MU-X we decided to embark on the most epic adventure we could think of: a lap of the country towing a fantastic 7.8-metre Bar Crusher boat. We certainly put that D-MAX through its paces with trips in the northern part of the country around Cape York and the Kimberly proving to be highlights. We’ve also been fortunate enough to be hosted on several I-Venture Club trips. It’s fair to say the car industry does this kind of event very well indeed— much better than the fishing and boating industry! They are full-on, full-day, fully offroad adventures. And try as we might, we never did get our D-MAX bogged! The I-Venture Club was a great way to push the limits of what the vehicles can do—without the instructors and other club members we wouldn’t usually be so brave! But it also showed the capacity of the car and it was extremely impressive. As a family we’ve had a couple of D-MAXs and now an MU-X. I have a wife, two kids (eight and nine years old), a rabbit, a dog and three horses. Plus a couple of boats. I live in Tasmania where we have a place on the East Coast, as well as a place in the Central Highlands. Our lifestyle demands a car that can cart the family around, tow the horse float or the boat, and have capacity to explore off-the-track places. It’s fair to say the current MU-X is a very important part of the family, allowing for memories to be made!”

ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL

The first D-MAX

Our lifestyle demands a car that can cart the family around, tow the horse float or the boat, and have capacity to explore off-the-track.

MAX*D GO YOUR OWN WAY

TECH HEAD

WATCH& ACT

When the stereo imaging camera in your D-MAX or MU-X isn’t saving your life, it’s just making driving easier. Here’s how.

MAX*D GO YOUR OWN WAY

WORDS MATT TAYLOR

TECH HEAD

ACC takes all the stress away from driving in a traffic jam. And when I’m out on those open motorways, LKA keeps me centred in the lane, even if I’m unexpectly distracted by a piece of halfchewed banana to the side of the face, courtesy of one of my rocket-armed toddlers in the back seat. Please note that neither ACC nor LKA should be used while towing. To go from ACC to traditional (non-adaptive) cruise control, simply press and hold the ‘Distance’ button for two seconds. Other IDAS features that you should toggle off while towing include Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Lane Departure Prevention (LDP), Blind Spot Monitor (BSM) and Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA). To do this, press and hold the LKA ‘steering wheel’ button for two seconds (23MY only). The IDAS in your Isuzu isn’t all about safety—or, at least, not directly. Its array of complementary systems often double up as comfort and convenience features so you too can get the most out of your new D-MAX or MU-X. And that’s the case no matter how much errant fruit is fired at you from the back seat.

PTS

To initiate the feature, you first toggle ‘Mode’ and set your desired speed and distance from the vehicle ahead of you. If you then enable LKA, the forward-facing stereo camera goes straight to work, creating a 3D image of the driving environment in front of your Isuzu. Its two lenses monitor the vehicle immediately ahead, making sure your speed and the distance between you is in check. The camera also keeps an eye on the road markings, with onboard software able to distinguish between dotted, solid and even double white lines. This enables the LKA to gently centre your car in the middle of its lane at speeds above 60km/h. There’s a chance you might have some initial trepidation about using ACC and LKA, but I can tell you that, with a mild leap of faith and some practice, I’ve found myself using both systems on each and every single drive. If I’m stuck bumper-to-bumper, the

TWO MUTA TED CONC E

magine having another set of eyes on the road and extra hands on the wheel, always ready to react and help react. Well, that’s exactly what Isuzu’s Intelligent Driver Assistance System, or IDAS, does for its drivers. It would be too easy, however, for me to focus this tech piece entirely on safety. “But isn’t that what IDAS is all about?”, I hear you ask. The answer, perhaps surprisingly, is no. It’s so much more than that, because before these systems are prompted to beep or flash at you to warn of danger, much less intervene, they’re designed to make our daily commute in traffic so much easier. In fact, you could say that these are really comfort-andconvenience features that can also protect you when things get serious. Let’s take a deep dive into what’s really going on behind the scenes when we use one of my favourite IDAS features: Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with Lane Keep Assist (LKA).

Perhaps the to MU-X ev ughest (or just the Show. “Theseer emerged in 2018 atmaddest) D-MAX and th things are insa ne,” declareedMelbourne 4x4 Graham Cah ill.

MAX*D GO YOUR OWN WAY

INSIDE LINE

THEY MIGHT BE

GIANTS

It’s been an eventful decade-and-a-half for Isuzu UTE Australia. Catch up with an ongoing match report.

THE 2008

Australasian Safari started dry and finished wet. In the penultimate special stage, drivers who’d stitched red dirt to the West Oz horizon for a week were suddenly sucking mud. “Rain showers morphed into a solid blanket of water, washing out all traces of the tracks left by the motorcycles that had roostered through only minutes beforehand,” enthused Wheels magazine. “Other than flashes of the primary colours of crash helmets at all points of the compass visibility was down to zero.”

MAX*D GO YOUR OWN WAY

Those who could make it out, however, would see something special: a new gorilla barrelling through their midst. Legendary rallyist Bruce Garland was surging up the standings in Australia’s first D-MAX. Dominating his diesel class, the knockabout professional had played a master hand, lurking in the wings before powering his one-tonner home. He’d finish on the podium outright against a couple of large Japanese utes powered by transplanted, six-litre, hotted Chevvy V8 engines, both of which guzzled

WORDS BEN SMITHURST

fuel at over twice Garland’s rate. The D-MAX debuted as the Safari’s first ever oil-burning competitive stage winner and podium finisher. As warning shots go, this was ominous. As far as visibility goes, the D-MAX’s seemingly sudden arrival as a top-flight contender was fitting. Context, of course, is everything. There’d been a lot happening in the Isuzu world of 15 years ago. Firstly, Isuzu and Holden’s parent company, General Motors, had formally separated. This led to the low-key domestic launch of a new local entity: Isuzu UTE Australia (IUA). The once-best-selling Holden Rodeo had been a domestic nameplate for 28 years. But the Rodeo had been built overseas, as an Isuzu D-MAX, before being rebadged for Australian sale. Not any more. Finally, the D-MAX would be sold locally—and, yes, raced—under its birth name. All of a sudden, the Isuzu D-MAX was here, seemingly from nowhere. “I’ll tell you, though,” says Garland, “it was a bloody good thing, too—it needed to be. The D-MAX launched in Australia in 2008, which was right in the middle of the global financial crisis. But the market was evolving and the D-MAX was one of the first, fast, turbo-diesel utes.”

Legendary rallyist Bruce Garland was surging up the standings in Australia’s first D-MAX. Dominating his diesel class.

INSIDE LINE

MAX*D GO YOUR OWN WAY

INSIDE LINE INCOMING!

15-YEAR

ANNIVERSARY

TIMELINE

Rally spectators might have been shocked at the seemingly sudden appearance of a tearaway Isuzu-badged ute, but for the motoring press, it was another pulse in a developing story. Isuzu boasts a truck- and car-making history dating to 1916—and had even sold 122 units of a ute, the Wasp, from the Japanese domestic market in Australia in 1965. (Boasting 43kW, all were painted Wasp Blue. Top speed: 116km/h. Starting RRP: £848, or $25,800 in today’s money.) But in 2008, the brand was starting over. Automotive industry news hub GoAuto had an inkling of the demise of the Rodeo badge earlier that year. In May, journalist Marton Pettendy had sniffed out the formation of a nascent Isuzu UTE dealer network, almost four months before IUA’s own official announcement.

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A year later, IUA had 100 dealers around the nation and annual sales passed 20,000 across D-MAX and MU-X combined. Pettendy had caught then IUA spokesperson, the wonderfully named Richard Power, on the hop. “We’re up and running now, doing the backroom stuff,” said Power. “But there are still no land lines, there is building works in progress and it’s pretty rough and ready. We can’t even take a photo of the front of the building yet.” “I have no comment on future product,” said the original PR man from IUA. “You’ll have to come to the launch to find out.” In September, IUA finally officially confirmed the date for the D-MAX’s arrival. It debuted at the 2008 Sydney Motor Show in October. Reviews were generally positive. Featuring Isuzu’s 3.0-litre four-cylinder common-rail turbo-diesel engine, all 11 variants (seven 4x4 models and four 4x2s) produced 120kW and up to 360Nm over a wide rev range for smooth, easy driving. With a choice of five-speed manual or 4-speed auto, and rear-wheel drive and dual-range four-wheel drive, the D-MAX had dynamic chops, but was also of its time: workmanlike rather than flashy, leveraging an already established international reputation for reliability. “It was designed to handle the tough going,” recalled CarsGuide’s Graham

Smith in 2015. “One of the appeals of the D-MAX was its three-tonne towing capacity, which was at the cutting edge at the time.” Sales began steadily, with 39 original dealerships selling 273 vehicles in those final months of IUA’s debut year. Yet the foundations were solid—and enthusiasm within Isuzu UTE’s local enterprise, backed to the hilt by its Japanese HQ, was high. The nascent brand’s first managing director, Hitoshi Kono, was bullish. “Although fairly new here, the D-MAX is an extremely popular ute around the globe,” he said, “especially in Thailand, the world’s biggest market for Japanesedesigned one-tonners, where D-MAX is the established number-one seller.” (Interestingly, most of the major Japanese marques—including Isuzu—had shifted their ute-building operations to Thailand in the preceding years.) “Thais buy more than three times as many utes as Australians, and work them to the bone,” said Kono-san. “But why do the Thais prefer the D-MAX to utes built by the giant Japanese carmakers?” “Because they realise the D-MAX is a true premium ute with truck heritage engineering that offers rock-solid reliability and frugal fuel economy.”

LAUNCH

NEW GENERATION

2008

2012

Isuzu UTE Australia arrives, taking on the tough local market with a powerful and efficient 3.0L common-rail turbo diesel engine.

A totally new D-MAX ushers in a new era for Isuzu. With upgraded power, comfort and safety, it establishes a new generation of Isuzu owners in Australia.

2010

2013

UPDATE

REBIRTH

A new-look Isuzu D-MAX launches to a demanding Aussie audience, continuing the tradition of Isuzu UTE’s tough, stylish and economical vehicle line-up.

Eagerly anticipated for years, Isuzu delivers the MU-X: a serious seven-seat SUV that offers a balance of performance, comfort, style, and off-road ability.

It was the beginning of a remarkable period of growth for the marque in Australia. For 2013, the year that the newgeneration Isuzu D-MAX entered the market, the brand would deliver 7782 vehicles. Things stepped up a notch in 2014, when the D-MAX’s sibling, the MU-X, had its launch. Annual sales leapt to a combined total of 16,674 units. A year later, IUA had 100 dealers scattered around the nation and annual sales passed 20,000 across D-MAX and MU-X combined.

By the time he found himself piloting his new D-MAX in the 2008 Australasian Safari, Bruce Garland was a leading name in rallying. If his surge through the Australian Safari field was unexpected, it was only because of the specialist rally builds driven by his rivals. He was a respected performer. Similarly, by 2015, Isuzu UTE had established its bona fides as a brand that delivered in Australian conditions. The foundations for its own tilt at the top echelon were also entrenched. Thus the two-vehicle marque found itself in a fortunate upward spiral: as

TOP TEN AND CLIMBIN

STRENGTH TO STRENGTH

INSIDE LINE

In 2022, IUA cracked the annual sales. “At the heart Top 10 for total Australian of everything we do is our customer,” said then MD, Hir oyasu Sato.

EXCLUSIVE

NEW ERA

FUTURE

2017

2020

2023

In a world-first for Isuzu, the local D-MAX and MU-X both launch with a Euro5 emissions compliant drivetrain developed exclusively for Australia.

The new-generation Isuzu D-MAX lands in Australia. It offers unprecedented performance, comfort and safety. And a cool new grille.

With both vehicles boasting the latest in Isuzu’s tech, off-road, and safety features, the brand celebrates a decade-and-a-half in Australia.

2018

2021

CELEBRATION

ARRIVAL

Isuzu UTE Australia celebrates its 10th anniversary with eyes to the future. The secret, says the brand’s MD, is “listening to Australian consumers”.

A much-anticipated Isuzu MU-X comes ready to impress with exquisite styling inside and out. It sets a new benchmark for safety, performance, and towing.

MAX*D GO YOUR OWN WAY

INSIDE LINE

Record deliveries of the newly released MU-X, with 10,987 units sold in 2022, would see it crowned Australia’s best-selling ‘Ute-based SUV’. sales grew, so did the on-the-ground experience of Australian owners. As those owners passed on word-of-mouth about their Isuzus, more local buyers were attracted to the brand. Debuting in March 2015, Isuzu UTE Australia’s I-Venture Club 4WD training program helped consolidate that rise.

MAX*D GO YOUR OWN WAY

It took Isuzu UTE nine years to rack up 100,000 sales in Australia, a mark reached in 2017. Doubling that figure took less than five, hitting the milestone in February 2021. “We appreciate that we are the vehicle of choice for these 200,000 Australians,” cheered former Managing Director Hiroyasu Sato. “Whether it’s a skilled tradesman in a D-MAX Cab Chassis, a family with young children in an MU-X, or a couple looking to explore our great outdoors, there is an Isuzu vehicle to suit everyone.” As of 2022, utes accounted for over a fifth of overall Australian new-car sales. Having evolved with the overall ute category, a once steadfastly low-tech segment, Isuzu has maintained its reputation for reliability while festooning its top-end models with sophisticated tech and consciously contemporary styling. In 2022, for the first time, Isuzu UTE Australia entered the annual new vehicle sales charts in the top 10 as Australia’s ninth best-selling vehicle brand out of over 50 in-market. The D-MAX would chart as the seventh best-selling vehicle overall last year,

charting fourth in the ‘1-tonne Ute LCV’ segment with 24,336 vehicles delivered. Meanwhile, record deliveries of the newly released Isuzu MU-X, with 10,987 units sold in 2022, would see it crowned Australia’s best-selling ‘Ute-based SUV’ for the ninth consecutive year. It was also a year in which the Isuzu D-MAX would be awarded ‘Best Dual-Cab Ute’ in the Drive Car of the Year awards … for the second year running. “This Isuzu D-MAX is fantastic,” said judge Trent Nikolic. “It’s practical, it drives really well, it’s comfortable on-road and it’s safe. “I think that’s really something that’s noteworthy; it’s a safe option for the family.” A safe option for the family. That’s perhaps not the first phrase that might’ve leapt to mind had you seen Bruce Garland burst through the low desert scrub in Western Australia in 2008. His eyes on the prize and foot to the floor, he made the most of shifting conditions to power to the podium. “We had a lot of success in that D-MAX,” grins Bruce. “A lot.” The evolution continues.

COVER FEATURE

BACK TO THE FUTURE

WORDS & IMAGES IAIN CURRY

It’s an original 2008 D-MAX vs its flashiest modern descendant as North Stradbroke Island hosts a battle for the ages. Or for the last 15 years, anyway. Stradbroke Island

MAX*D GO YOUR OWN WAY

COVER FEATURE

Ah, 2008. Has it really been a

decade-and-a-half? Kevin Rudd was at the crease for his first innings, Obama won the race for the White House, petrol snuck under $1 a litre, and if you fancy a giggle, Greater Sydney’s median house price was $500,000. Isuzu UTE Australia was founded the same year, entering our hotly contested one-tonne ute market with the 3.0-litre D-MAX. Just 15 years later, Isuzu is a top 10 brand here. That’s despite only two models in showrooms: the still tough, increasingly techy D-MAX, and the MU-X, its seven-seat, family SUV sibling. A celebration was in order and how better than by bringing together one of the very first D-MAXs in the country

with the very latest? Enter Michael Ashauer’s immaculately presented 2008 build (but 2009 Model Year) D-MAX LS-U, a vehicle he’s proudly owned and cared for since 2011. A current model Granite Grey Mica D-MAX X-Terrain would be its wingman, highlighting the rig’s smart evolution over 15 years, but also demonstrating how robust capability and style are timeless. A little like North Stradbroke Island. Tea and cake seemed a little tame, so instead, we decided to ask the youngblood and its OG forebear to take on Straddie in tandem. Although just 30 kilometres southeast of Brisbane, the island is a world away from the big smoke. It’s the perennial

bridesmaid, being the world’s second largest sand island (after K’gari, that headline-hogging cousin), but in this case, it’s just as delightful. Reached via a 45-minute ferry crossing over the inviting blue waters of Moreton Bay, Straddie is 38 kilometres long and 11 kilometres wide. It has three small towns, bitumen roads, decent pubs and restaurants, and an array of accommodation options. For water activities there are surf breaks— Ethan Ewing, the strikingly handsome, exceptionally stylish runner-up in the 2022 WSL world titles, calls North Straddie home—but there are also sheltered swimming beaches and ample fishing spots.

The D-MAX X-Terrain would be its wingman, highlighting the rig’s smart evolution over 15 years, but also demonstrating how robust capability and style are timeless.

MAX*D GO YOUR OWN WAY

COVER FEATURE

The D-MAX is used properly, but he insists it’s always garaged and often cleaned. Despite its 145,000kms and 15 years, the body’s in time warp condition.

MAX*D GO YOUR OWN WAY

but the later D-MAX’s face has certainly received a more aggressive touch-up with more prominent snout and sporty, edgy LED headlights. Grandpa might’ve been ruggedly handsome in his day, but it’s Junior’s cheekbones that get the kids swiping right in the Tinder age. Back in 2008, when the Holden Commodore was still our best-selling car, utes were primarily the choice of the workman, those towing, or both. How things have changed. While those same buyers remain, D-MAXs are now a hugely popular choice for modern families, too. Improved drivability and safety, comfier cabins and a burgeoning suite of impressive tech features have all helped, backed by the aesthetics evolving to reflect adventurous family life. Our X-Terrain’s black 18-inch alloys (the ’08 D-MAX rode on 16-inchers), black wheel-arch cladding, taller stance, highersided tub, larger door apertures and longer windows all ooze modernity, but cues of the lineage remain. The ’08 D-MAX looks totally work-ready with its flared wheel arches, side steps and giant tiered rear bumper to help reach your kit.

For our D-MAX duo, we’d be focusing on Main Beach—a 32km stretch of sand where four-wheelers can cruise (er, ideally at low tide) with the bright blue Coral Sea filling window views. We drop tyre pressures to navigate the soft sand cutting and head onto the firmer stuff. Michael confesses that this is the first time his ’08 D-MAX has been on sand and the first time he’s used low-range 4x4 since he tackled an I-Venture Club trip in Queensland’s Gordon Country. I surmise his ute has had an easy life— hence its pristine condition. But on the contrary. It’s simply been very well cared for. It’s serviced every 10,000km and has, says its owner, “never skipped a beat”. Michael’s a personal trainer and has been hauling truck tyres, ropes, bars and weights in its tub these past 10 years. The D-MAX is a working ute, then, but its rock-hard-abbed owner insists it’s always garaged and often cleaned. Despite its 145,000kms and 15 years, the body of Michael’s D-MAX is in time warp condition. We park it beside the new D-MAX on golden, powdery sand and contemplate the evolution. Their horizontal radiator grilles may be similar,

I-VENTURE TE ES

OFF

COVER FEATURE

Australia’s best 4W D training clu starte stated aim of correc d out with the ting what head insbtru saw as a national sha ctor David Wilson me . “N ine ty per cen of 4WD owners in Australia don’t go bush in their 4Wt Ds !” he tutted.

MAX*D GO YOUR OWN WAY

COVER FEATURE

Bigger changes are noted inside. I climb into the 2008 D-MAX LS’s cabin and love how charmingly old school it feels. Where have those last 15 years gone? Cloth seats, a metal key goes in the ignition, not a button to be found on the steering wheel, a CD player—all the better for your circa-2008 mates to leave their new albums in—and an LCD panel showing radio stations. But this model was pretty high-spec in its day. Note the electric windows, dual airbags, remote central locking, air conditioning, power folding mirrors and padded centre armrest. Worksite envy, right there.

I climb into the 2008 D-MAX LS’s cabin and love how charmingly old school it feels. Where have those last 15 years gone?

MAX*D GO YOUR OWN WAY

COVER FEATURE

The new D-MAX is a bit of a show-off. Power and heated leather seats, red stitching, 9-inch audio display with Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay, climate control, eight airbags, rear camera and countless safety aids. But hey, where’s the CD player gone? I’ve got my Powderfinger and Kings of Leon collection ready when it makes a comeback. I’m blown away by how solid the ‘vintage’ D-MAX feels to drive. No rattles or squeaks, bumps are well-managed, and the 3.0-litre diesel has ample pull. Its 120kW and 333Nm may be shaded by the new ute’s 140kW and 450Nm, but there’s confident muscle from

Michael’s older model. He uses it to lug a pop-top caravan around the country and says he barely knows it’s there when driving. Speaking of towing, the new D-MAX manages 3500kg versus the 2008’s 3000kg. There’s now a rear diff lock, wading depth’s up 200mm to 800mm and electric power steering’s been introduced. The 3.0-litre turbo-diesel’s a completely new unit and a six-speed auto gearbox replaces the old four-speed, all helping drop fuel use from 9.0L/100km to 8.0L/100km. Our brace of 4x4 Isuzus—we have a third ute in support, for photos—happily ploughs through the softer sand, obviously enjoying

this natural playground. A white-bellied sea eagle, hunting for food, casts a shadow over our beach, and this time of year (October) we spot humpback whale spouts out at sea. These majestic giants are heading south to cooler waters with their newborn calves. Low range engaged—a dash button on the 2008 D-MAX, a rotary dial on the new car—we leave Straddie’s eastern beach and cross the island to the laid-back fishing village of Amity. Judging by the number of fisherfolk on the jetty, the marine life’s abundant in these calm waters. We hop onto a beach just out of town and have time to enjoy the sun going down

GARLAND TE

RRIFIES TOP G

EAR

MICHAEL & DOROTHY ASHAUER, 2008 ISUZU D-MAX LS 4x4

Dylan Campbell, a writer at Top Gear Au Garland in the 2012 stralia, navigate notes?” stammered Ca Finke Desert Race. “Er, aren’t I supp d alongside ose m to spew, mate,” said Gapbell. “All you have to do is sit there and to read d rland. The pair won their class by six minutry not tes.

“I bought it in 2011 because my dad had a D-MAX; I’d been out in his and really liked it. Dad still owns the same Isuzu today, towing his caravan. “My D-MAX has proved ideal as a work truck, carrying my stuff for boot camps, but also my nieces who regularly travel in the back. It absolutely loved the beach at Straddie; I’m just amazed at how competent it was. “The new D-MAX has beautiful upgrades—phone mirroring and navigation would be nice—but my ute’s never skipped a beat so I’ve never found a need to get a new one. I’ve fitted my own reversing camera to modernise it a bit. “I reckon my ute still has rugged good looks. It’s always been a nice shape; I like it a lot more than ute rivals. It’s been incredibly reliable. Only after 15 years I’ve upgraded the shocks, and this month I’m getting new bearings and brake rotors on the front. “It’s really been no trouble, but I’m careful to look after it. If you stay loyal to it, it’ll stay loyal to you.”

MAX*D GO YOUR OWN WAY

COVER FEATURE

behind us and marvel at the colours changing over the ocean. In no time we’re on the ferry to the mainland as the sky delivers a light show of oranges and purples. Our D-MAXs old and new have an open-air view across the sea, both looking content after a day’s island time. Fifteen years of change are wholly evident aesthetically, as well as under their skins, but its more than that. From the feel behind the wheel, to the quiet confidence as you abandon the tarmac,

these D-MAXs’ shared DNA is obvious. Class has always been there and age is just a number. A decade-and-a-half might feel like an age, but it’s recent enough to look back upon clear-eyed, with neither rose-coloured glasses, nor bitterness. At least, it is if you’re talking utes. K-Rudd probably recalls it pretty fondly. Everyone who missed out on a $500K slice of Sydney suburbia may be a little more circumspect.

NORTH STRADBROKE ISLAND, QLD WHERE IS IT?

To get to Straddie, point your Isuzu to Toondah Harbour, Cleveland, 30 kilometres southeast of Brisbane’s centre. SeaLink runs the vehicle ferries, a 45-minute crossing to Dunwich on Straddie’s west, leaving approximately every hour.

HOW MUCH IS IT?

Prices are flexible depending on demand: for a 4x4 the cheapest one-way Off Peak Light fare is $83, and highest Super Premium is $134. Price is the same no matter how many people are in the vehicle. If you want to explore the numerous 4WD tracks or drive on the beach, you’ll need a vehicle access permit. Campground offices sell them, but it’s easier to do it online (www. minjerribahcamping.com.au/4wd-permits/). The minimum one-month permit is $57.80.

WHEN TO GO?

Avoiding school holidays and weekends, when Straddie’s busy, is best, especially for accommodation. There are numerous fancy resorts and hotels, holiday rental homes, hostels and campgrounds. The sun’s strong and it can get very hot in summer (October–March), but winters aren’t too cold. Humpback whale watching from the shore from May to October is an added bonus in the colder seasons. Take your fishing gear, binoculars, surfboard, insect repellent for pesky sandflies, and ample recovery gear for any sand driving.

MAX*D GO YOUR OWN WAY

HALF THE WEIGHT. ALL THE ADVENTURE.

SHOP ONLINE AT MAXTRAX.COM.AU

TRAVELLER

THE CORIOL The Northern Territory’s Red Centre Way is the ultimate desert pilgrimage.

here’s a strange gravity in the hearts of men, woven into whatever defines our spirit, which draws us ever inward in great spiral arcs, mirroring the double-helix of our source code and the languid arms of uncountable galaxies. The universe, and everything in it, is impelled to seek the centre of things.

Red Centre Way

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Yawning across the inner badlands that make up the red heart of Australia’s vast Outback, the Red Centre Way is a week-long looping journey ex-Alice Springs encompassing the hidden oases of Tjoritja/ West MacDonnell Ranges, the majestic cliffs of Kings Canyon, the brooding magnet of Uluru and the wind-raked valleys of Kata Tjuta.

To make the most of this incredible journey allow at least six days. Remember to plan your trip wisely.

LIS EFFECT

TRAVELLER

WORDS & PICS CARLISLE ROGERS

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TRAVELLER

ALICE SPRINGS

Every expedition into the Red Centre begins in Alice Springs, a strange outpost and telegraph station built around Heavitree Gap where the Todd River bisects the MacDonnell Ranges. The story of Alice Springs is a story of survival. For 40,000 years, the local Aboriginal people eked out an existence in this central desert, following food through the bleak expanses of scrub and salt lakes, tending to the fragile oases of permanent water hidden in the folds of the MacDonnell Ranges. From here, our great widdershins spiral journey begins.

TJORITJA/ WEST MACDONNELL RANGES The West MacDonnell Ranges hide glimmering desert gems, ochre serpentine diversions heading west from the Alice. The rocks here, once the bed of the Amadeus Basin, an ancient shallow

inland sea, have been twisted and contorted violently, the bones of the mountains exposed: all their secrets laid bare. Oases lie hidden between the walls of towering gorges. Driving west on Namatjira Drive, the range rises again and again in lightning bolt silhouettes. This is a land of stark colours: high red shade-cloaked walls, black-footed rock wallabies and bone-white gum trunks hanging impossibly above pitch black waterholes, sacred to man for the life they grant, for being the home of serpents numinous and corporeal. Out on the road west again, the sun silhouettes the lightning bolt ranges. Ellery Creek Big Hole is a must-see out here: a deep, permanent hole flanked by a blood-red massif. You can get hypothermia here in the dead of summer from this water. Where Ellery Creek is wide open, exposed and full of deep water, Serpentine Gorge to the west snakes through natural

cracks in the twisted rock in a narrow, catty-cornered cascade of small rock pools. Red ochre from the massive natural pits west of here was mined for thousands of years and traded from coast to coast. It was integral in the rite of manhood and stood as, perhaps, a proto-currency in pre-colonial Australia. Perhaps the best swimming hole along the range is Ormiston Gorge. Open and inviting like Ellery Creek, it is bigger and the gorge is deeper, with red faces that seem to climb the sky running down into steely gray stone at the water’s edge. The West MacDonnell Range is a place of dire extremes, of colours, temperatures and experiences.

WATARRKA NP/ KINGS CANYON

This scarred and scoured landscape is half a billion years old. Over that time erosion has shaped it into a sprawling plain littered with breathtaking monoliths, gorges and chasms.

Red ochre from the massive natural pits west of here was mined for thousands of years and traded from coast to coast. © Tourism and Events Queensland

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TRAVELLER

Past Glen Helen, a popular overnight stop on the Red Centre Way, the Mereenie Loop continues another 260km to Watarrka National Park, which contains Kings Canyon. Striped sandstone domes dominate the country around the canyon. Its sheer walls, sliced ruler straight, reveal marbled crimson colours in the sandstone. Along the crest of the rim intricate designs are cut out of the soft stone, fluid shapes from ancient rains dancing with the sandstone’s lines of cleavage. The scale is breathtaking here. The rim walk, one of the most inspiring short walks in the country, begins with a test, known as Heart Attack Hill. This gruelling 10-minute hike up stone steps sorts out the men from the boys. The view from the first lookout out over the eastern wall is the perfect place to watch the sunrise from, as the waxing light paints the 440 million-year-old sandstone.

The last lookout, taking in the western face, is the ideal place to be if you are here for sunset. Here the walls seem to absorb the afternoon light, redshift it and radiate it back out like heating elements.

ULURU/ KATA TJUTA

Uluru and Kata Tjuta sit at the centre of our grand spiral trek. There is something about these blood orange formations that goes beyond their sacral history, beyond their ethereal beauty—something that tugs on our solar plexus directly. Across faiths, across cultures, it has a lure that is impossible to deny, or to adequately explain. Here is the heart of the sunrise, the gravity well of the soul—Uluru— connected to every other point on the continent like a heart to every cell. Beating blood red in the afternoon, the stone is alive, drawing on energy from every direction, refracting the setting

MAX*D GO YOUR OWN WAY

MADNESS MAXIMUM

TRAVELLER

in an fari five times w e AustralasialanndSa(n d) as re tu pic ot Having won th e Gar iller’s Isuzu-built ute,aBrasuca stunt driver for George M . ad Ro ry Fu l, ue flown to NamntibiM seq brillia ad Max

The ever-shifting oranges, reds and ochres of the stone, pitted and ragged from a millennia of being slowly and inexorably exposed.

DO IT THE RIGHT WAY WHEN TO GO

During the dry season (May– September) the temperatures are much milder here.

WHERE TO STAY sun’s rays into dark bands across the sky, changing blue into indigo, indigo into a violent purple against the ever-shifting oranges, reds and ochres of the stone, pitted and ragged from a millennia of being slowly and inexorably exposed as the surrounding alluvial plain washes away, one grain at a time, an ancient pyramid rising out of the dunes one stone at a time. The relatively recent drawcards at Uluru of the Field of Light exhibition and the Wintjiri Wiru drone show offer modern interpretations of the age-old wonder this place evokes so easily. Just 25km east of Uluru sits Kata Tjuta, a huddle of 36 conglomerate domes bubbling out of the plain. Uluru juts out of the plain beating its chest, challenging the sky. It is all vertical lines, a wide orange lingam, nature’s yang represented in a self-forming idol. Kata Tjuta, on the other hand, is all yin:

MAX*D GO YOUR OWN WAY

breast-like curves, anthropomorphic shapes in bas relief, the horizon broken by the shapes of totem demigods. The main hike here is through the Valley of the Winds. It is a place to lose yourself in. Opposites dance fervishly: quick and dead, green and red, light and shadow, desert and oasis. Secrets unfold around each corner and it’s easy to see why this place would be sacred to anyone, particularly a people used to living in a landscape that, to the untrained eye, is trackless. Given tens of thousands of years, the first inhabitants must have inherited the gravity here. We seem to live in a world, in the west, of all cultures, of no culture, but the earth is a slow, patient teacher. The Red Centre Way from here is the road back to Alice—to return home, but not as the same person. No pilgrim ever truly comes back.

Discovery Parks – Alice Springs discoveryholidayparks.com.au/ caravan-parks/northern-territory/ alice-springs-alice-springs Kings Canyon Resort discoveryholidayparks.com.au/ caravan-parks/northern-territory/ uluru-kings-canyon-resort Ayers Rock Resort, Yulara ayersrockresort.com.au

ESSENTIAL PERMITS

Anyone visiting NT from interstate will need a Parks Pass (https://nt.gov.au/ parks/parks-pass). You can buy day, fortnight or annual passes starting at $10. You’ll also need a $5 permit to head out to Kings Canyon Resort and any other Aboriginal land around the Red Centre Way. You must obtain your Mereenie Loop Permit in person from the Alice Springs Visitor Centre. More info: discovercentralaustralia.com/ visitor-information/driving-permits

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Australia is home to IAN SMITH-WHITE some of the world’s most remarkable golf courses. How many of CHRISTMAS ISLAND GOLF CLUB these have you birdied?

olf shouldn’t be cool, but it is. A favourite pastime of everyone from Cameron Diaz and Donald Trump to Kelly Slater, Alice Cooper and, erm, your least interesting co-worker, its resilience is remarkable. It doesn't matter that it’s the subject of a million groanworthy dadjoke coffee mugs (“Work is really starting to interfere with my golf!”), or that nobody looks good in plusfours. Golf is to sport what coffee is to beverages: too dominant to dip, and too much fun to fall. Whether your swing’s more of a Peter Garrett dance than an Adam Scott drive, if golf is your go, add a couple of these amazing Australian courses to your bucket list.

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Where: Christmas Island Best for: Crustaceans

Surprisingly large, at 135 square kilometres, and almost five times closer to Indonesia than Australia, Christmas Island is as breathtakingly beautiful as it is odd. It's home to around 1700 locals, an infamous immigration detention centre and a capital called Flying Fish Cove. Oh, and around 190 million red crabs. It’s the latter population that makes its jungle-lined, nine-hole, par-64 course unique. The crabs’ annual migration usually occurs around late October, carpeting the course’s greens and fairways with a moving carpet of enormous crustaceans. “If a crab moves your ball you must place it back to where it landed,” Club President Alan Thornton explains, “and if your ball falls into a crab hole, you have a free drop. “It may also be necessary to move crabs when putting.” Cute! But also, not. In 2020, another of the island's potentially delicious species, a truly colossal coconut crab, climbed a local's golf bag, then used its pincer to snap one of his clubs in half. It was “like a chainsaw”, said local golfer Paul Buhner.

THE LIST

CARBROOK GOLF CLUB Where: Carbrook, Qld Best for: Telling your partner you’re gonna need a bigger boat Australian golf has a long relationship with sharks. This is largely due to modest battler Greg Norman’s nickname and personal brand, but it’s the southeast Sunshine State’s Carbrook Golf Club that had the real deal. In 1996, raging floods swept half-a-dozen juvenile bull sharks into a 21-hectare lake/water hazard near the course's 14th hole. They lived there for 17 years, “sustaining themselves on [the lake’s] large stock of fish and on the occasional meat treat provided by the club’s staff,” as was reported, remarkably, by The New York Times. The bitey fish have since escaped during subsequent floods… or have they? Ditch the spikes, crack out the mince and wade in with a snorkel to see for yourself!

HAMILTON ISLAND GOLF COURSE Where: The Whitsundays, Qld Best for: Wishing you were a yachtracing wine billionaire Planned and built over 11 years at a drop-in-the-bucket of just $50 million, the Hamilton Island Golf Course is marvellous in a number of ways, including that it is not even on Hamilton Island. Instead, it climbs, carves and cascades across the adjacent Dent Island, about a kilometre away. The cash was stumped up by the wine tsar Oatley family (side hobby: winning the Sydney-to-Hobart in multiple iterations of Wild Oats). It makes the list because it’s so picturesque, with holes so improbable— and hemmed in by breaching humpbacks and jewelled sea views—that every hole feels like CGI. “We suggest if you’re new to the game, you’ll need around three dozen balls for 18 holes,” says wonderfully named course superintendent Brad Hole.

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THE LIST

CORAL COVE GOLF CLUB Where: Bundaberg, Qld Best for: Hiring a cart D-MAX and MU-X owners are famous for enjoying a long drive, and in taking on Coral Cove’s 635m Par 6—one of only two six-pars in the country—you might be wishing you had wireless CarPlay to ease you along. Or 4x4 to get you out of the rough. Flashy on the front nine, rural at the back, Coral Cove is somewhat like a ute, if you squint, but it’s the course's undulating greens and persistent winds that offer temptation and trepidation in equal measure. With nearby boat access to the reef, a kids’ playground and just 20 minutes from the Bundaberg Distillery, the course—while open—is currently undergoing renovation. Play long, hope for the best and try to channel John Daly off the tee… if not at the 19th.

THE PALMER SEA REEF GOLF COURSE & MIRAGE COUNTRY CLUB Where: Port Douglas, Qld Best for: Crocodile attacks Alligator attacks kill around 10 people per year in the state of Florida—arguably America’s home state of golf—a disturbing amount of whom are savaged while walking their local links. And yet American gators are pussycats in comparison to the larger, deadlier, more formidable saltwater crocodiles of Australia’s north. Keep this in mind while playing either Port Douglas’s Palmer Sea Reef Golf Course or the almost-adjacent Mirage Country Club. Both were designed by five-times British Open Champion, Australia’s Peter Thomson, and both have a history of Steve Irwin-esque crocodile encounters. In 2015, golfer John Lahiff was chomped by a 1.2m salty while retrieving his ball from a water hazard at the Palmer. Then, in 2021, footage went viral of a giant crocodile ripping apart a massive barramundi in front of a group of golfers on a fairway at the Mirage. “The whole [fish] exploded, it was incredible,” said one onlooker. Interviewed in his hospital bed, Lahiff claimed his mauling was par for the course. “Just don’t hit balls in the water,” he shrugged.

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THE LIST

THE NULLARBOR LINKS Where: Stretches from Kalgoorlie, WA, to Ceduna, SA. Or vice versa Best for: Outback noir An 18-hole, par-72 course that spans 1365km along the Eyre Highway across the mighty, 200,000-square-kilometre Nullarbor Plain. Thankfully you needn’t knock booming drives across the horizon; each hole is situated in an individual town or roadhouse along the way. To say the holes are varied is an understatement. There’s the verdant, emerald-on-red majesty of Kalgoorlie’s lush fairways and rich putting surfaces, to ‘greens’ consisting of sand, Astroturf, or grass rougher than a nature strip in The Walking Dead. Western Australian pro Hayley Bettencourt set a course record of -2 in 2018. “Anyone who is used to playing on big green fairways has to adjust to the clay and rocks,” she said, “but it is such a great experience and there’s really nothing like it.” Plan around five days to finish it.

RATHO FARM GOLF COURSE Where: Central Tasmania Best for: Whiskey and tweed Australia’s oldest golf course was laid out in the 1830s by an Edinburgh sheep farmer whose family had lived in a mud cottage near Bothwell, about 60km north of Hobart, for three years. Today you’re invited to avoid the resident sheep and play the central highlands course’s 18 holes (six of which, lost over the centuries, have recently been reclaimed, making Ratho Farm both Tassie’s oldest course and its newest 18-hole course.) They offer a ‘full hickory experience’ for history buffs: the chance to play a round in a tweed jacket, plaid hat and with hickory-shafted clubs. If you feel silly, some of Tasmania’s finest distilleries are nearby, all the better to encourage you to feel even sillier later.

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THE LIST

COOBER PEDY GOLF CLUB Where: Central South Australia Best for: Dendrophobics

BONDI GOLF & DIGGERS CLUB

World-famous for its gemstones and nationally known for its ratio of unhinged locals, Coober Pedy is one of Australia’s greatest Outback towns. And while extreme heat means the only grass is the Astroturf tees, the Opal Capital of the World boasts an 18-hole, 72-par course traversing desert flats and gibber hills. It features white fairways (rolled with local sandstone) and black ‘greens’, AKA ‘scrapes’, putting surfaces of compacted quarry dust and waste oil. Most unexpected is the club’s reciprocal playing rights agreement with St Andrews, ancient home of the British Open. Coober is the only club with which the Scottish links has such a deal—albeit for St Andrews’ nine-hole Balgove Course, rather than the legendary ‘Old Course’. It was struck after Coober Pedy Golf Club's president badgered his St Andrew's counterpart throughout a live TV interview in 2003.

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THE IRON SU

The mere perseverance of an old-fashioned clubhouse on some of the nation's potentially most expensive real estate feels like a bulwark against… well, something. This is a proud little nine-hole holdout on the very edge of the clifftops at North Bondi, where $25 gets you a mid-week round on a sparklingly emerald, non-built-out strip of fairway and green, and you can still get a plate of steak and chips for 20-odd bucks. Peer south from the clubhouse and you can see Australia’s most famous, most bustling beach, home to preening bodybuilders, catwalk models and high-fashion hipsters, and glimpse the corner where, on a bright May afternoon a decade ago, James Packer brawled with David Gyngell in the street. But at this end, in the teeth of the nor’easter, serenity reigns. And while the links could rest on the laurels of its location, it’s actually also rather good, having been declared one of the world’s best short courses by legendary fairway architect Tom Doak back in 2018.

MMIT DEBU TS

Where: Bondi, NSW Best for: Frustrating real estate speculators

2015 saw the birth of the Iron Summit, hydraulic a six-metre-high see-saw. “The Iro good thing,” saraidmp/ co-creator Scott Anden Summit is a very nightmares about dr rso iving over it then,fir“bstut I still have time.”

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HOOK, LINE & SINKER

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A BIGGER BOAT It doesn’t get much better than shackling a new boat to your D-MAX. Fisher king Andrew Hart wets his vessel.

t’s the best line in Jaws. Having just laid eyes on Spielberg’s 25-foot great white for the first time, an awestruck Roy Scheider staggers backwards into the wheelhouse of Quint’s fishing vessel and tells the captain: “You’re gonna need a bigger boat.” The film’s representation of killer sharks might have been unrealistic, but it got one thing right: there’s just something compelling about bigger boats. Not only has Hook, Line and Sinker been driving Isuzus for over a decade, the show has partnered with Bar Crusher for the same time—and we’ve pretty much had every boat they make. These Aussie-built boats come in several sizes and models,

MAX*D GO YOUR OWN WAY

and all offer the same characteristics and features that put them among the best trailer boats on the market. This time around we decided to go big! In fact, the biggest in the range: a 780 Hard Top with all the features and even a flushing toilet in the bow! This is a serious offshore fishing boat, but also a great family cruiser. Offshore fishing is exactly what I have planned for her this summer in the waters off eastern Tasmania. Before getting the boat back to my home state, however, it behoved us not only to christen it, but film a bunch of episodes of the show using it. The only problem: we collected the big girl in July from the factory on the outskirts of Melbourne. Heading to Tasmania to do the honours in the depths of winter held little appeal, so we hitched up the mighty red D-MAX and headed north: destination, well, anywhere a bit warmer.

WORDS ANDREW HART

Rumours soon landed of yellowfin tuna happening off the coast of Batemans Bay in southern NSW. I liked that forecast and the BOM agreed—and the great thing about having a trailer boat is that you can literally take it to where the fish are. On the road the 780HT is a big haul. The boat weighs around three tonnes— easy meat for the D-MAX—but because it’s so large there’s also a lot of windage. The D-MAX’s power, plus features such as Trailer Sway Control, meant each kilometre felt supremely solid and safe. Head down, we arrived at Batemans Bay in the early evening. Next morning, we met Gavin McCallum from McCallum’s Sports and headed to sea. This Bar Crusher has all the good stuff: twin Yamaha F150 four-strokes complete with very smart fly-by-wire digital steering and joystick control. It has a top speed of over 40 knots (75 km/h), but it’s

HOOK, LINE & SINKER

more than just fast. At lower speeds, the torque from its twin engines means it planes, soothing us through the rough stuff no problem at all. The plan to find the yellowfin was to head wide of the continental shelf and watch for birds and splashes. We also used sea surface temperature charts to try and find what’s called a temperature

break. Eventually, after a morning of seeing nothing, we came across a large school of leaping yellowfin tuna. And they were big fish! We zoomed over and Gav cast a large lure called a stick bait right into the area where the tuna had been jumping. After a couple of winds on the reel a huge yellowfin ate the lure right near the boat.

The boat weighs around three tonnes— easy meat for the D-MAX—but because it’s so large there’s also a lot of windage.

It was the start of some of the most insane surface fishing I’ve had the pleasure to experience. Gav’s 60kg yellowfin was the very first fish to come over the side of the new Bar Crusher. Half an hour later it was my turn to hook up, and after a long and painful fight I too had landed a big tuna. It was the best way possible to christen the Bar Crusher and should make for a very memorable episode of Hook, Line and Sinker. One thing’s for certain: we sure weren’t in need of a bigger boat! The new season of Hook, Line and Sinker airs this summer on 7mate or can be streamed on the 7plus app. Make sure you tune in to check out all the fun we had getting to know the 780 Hard Top.

Catch the new series of HLS now on 7mate and 7Plus.

MAX*D GO YOUR OWN WAY

UNSUNG HEROES

GABBY KANIZAY Meet the youngest Australian ever to successfully summit Mount Everest. (She took her mum.)

How old were you when you decided climbing Everest would be a good idea? Fourteen. We spent a lot of time speaking with climbers, and eventually Sherpa overseas, about what we would need to do to train up to do it safely, to be qualified to be on the mountain. And to be honest there were mixed responses, but we just made a massive case of doing all of the training and preparation. What sort of training? In the climbing gym and doing altitude training, and then we had expeditions over to Nepal where we would progressively increase our altitude and put the alpine skills into practice. I don’t actually remember sitting down with mum and dad and deciding whether this was a good idea or a bad idea. It was just an awesome idea. What was the hardest part? It was very physically demanding: long, hard days of walking and climbing for ages and then resting up with a [high-altitude] headache, which was difficult, but I enjoyed the challenge of it. I wanted it to be hard. Waking up in the morning and knowing I had to climb for hours and hours, not feeling particularly fuelled, I guess those things add up. But the summit day, and on the subsequent day that I summitted Lhotse (8516m), I was so full of adrenaline that I don’t look back on it as a hard experience. What is climbing the world’s highest mountain like moment-to-moment? The first day you leave Base Camp to get up to Camp 1 and climb through the Khumbu ice fall, which was definitely my favourite day. There are some nearly vertical faces there that you have to get up—although never more than maybe 3-4 metres at a time. And then you have

ladder crossings that are horizontal in oh, what have I gotten myself into? It the ice col, and then once you’re out and wasn’t her dream, it was always mine. in the Western Cwm, which is where Is it right that the summit of Everest is both Camp 1 and Camp 2 are, it is a fairly about the size of a car? shallow gradient. It doesn’t feel like That’s actually pretty accurate. climbing; essentially, it’s more like glacial We measure everything by the size of travel across a snowy plateau, where cars. What is it like to stand at the top? Cold! But so spectacular. You walk up the you’re navigating crevasses. The last last few steps to the summit and then you glacier crevasse on the mountain see the mountain drop away on the other requires some more intricate side, the side that we didn’t climb up. We manoeuvres, and then you hit the were lucky that ours was quite a quiet day, Lhotse face, which is fairly steep. We and so we got to hang out up there for were lucky in that there wasn’t too much maybe an hour and watch the sunrise. blue ice, which is where you really have What’s it like to be in the ‘death zone’, to kick in your crampons, and we had that altitude where life is unsustainable? quite decent snowfall the night before Can you feel your energy sapping away? we went up the Lhotse face. It’s all Yes, especially with the oxygen mask off. fixed lines the entire way up, and that You decline a noticeable amount in a simplifies the climbing. What do you love about climbing? short period. Mum and I spent an To be a part of that environment is so extended period just below the death overwhelming. To be in the presence of zone in Camp 4, because I summitted the mountains takes my breath away Everest and then returned to stay at Camp 4, and then summitted Lhotse. At every time. You feel small, but not in a that altitude you can see just sense that you probably the lack of energy in everyone, shouldn’t be here—I feel even the Sherpa, who are small in the sense that I LIFE AT THE TOP always so sprightly, because don’t need to feel bigger WHO? this is what they do. People than the mountain. I’m just Gabby Kanizay really aren’t supposed to hang happy to be on the WHAT DO THEY DO? out up there. mountain. Gabby was 19 years What’s next for you? You climbed alongside and 68 days old Well, last week I ran my first your mum. Was she an when she summitted Everest (8849m) ultramarathon. My knees are experienced climber? in 2022. She’d still feeling it! And I’m doing a No! Mum got into it already become the youngest woman commerce degree at uni. because I wanted to. ever to summit Cho Is a commerce degree the Wow. That’s a good mum. Oyu (8188m), the world’s sixth-tallest opposite of mountaineering? She’s the best mum! In my mountain, in 2018. It really is! But I’d love to mind she’s the hero of the GLOSSARY: move into more rock climbing story. She was always like, Cwm: pronounced and ice climbing in the next “Oh, it’ll never happen!” ‘coom’, is a Welsh word meaning ‘bowlfew years and become And then we were booking shaped valley’. more technical. flights and Mum was like, Col: a low point on a ridge between peaks, where passage is possible.

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VISIT:

gabbykanizay.com

MAG IS BO MAX*D

I don’t actually remember sitting down with mum and dad and deciding whether this was a good idea or a bad idea. It was just an awesome idea.

UNSUNG HEROES

When for it to goMonAX*D launched in 2010 you’d to dominat of Van enough, toityo,Fair, Time and Te hthe eNpublishing worldh, aave gotten long odds magazines cobecause none of that ew Yorker as a globnd to rival the likes nquered the B h a illy GoaatsBhaluppened. But halviceonan. And fair ff Track on ro y ad tyres?ofNthose o.

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REFUEL

WHOLE CORAL TROUT

WORDS KIRIANNA POOLE

“SOMETHING magic happens

when coral trout is cooked whole over coals,” says Kiwi author and slow travel foodie aficionado Kirianna Poole. “It rewards you with meat that’s soft, smoky and sweet. The skin crisps up beautifully and can almost resemble pork crackling. The cheeks and wings are also incredibly delicious.” Poole is no stranger to documenting her journey—her aesthetically divine @theslowroad_ Instagram handle has over 170,000 followers—or feeding hungry mouths on the way. (She and husband Lockie travel the globe with three kids aboard.) Her coral trout is a testament to simplicity and succulence. “The entire experience of cooking and enjoying this fish whole is so good,” she says. “I find it hard to put into words.”

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The Recipe

Serves: 4–6 Prep time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 45-60 min INGREDIENTS • 1.5–2.5kg coral trout, gutted, gilled and scaled • 4 tablespoons of flaky sea salt • ⅓ cup of extra virgin olive oil, preferably in a spray bottle • 2 lemons • Rotisserie skewer and prongs (these are really easy to find at any barbecue store) • 2 Y-shaped branches (long enough to dig into the sand and ensure the fish is stable, roughly 70cm long) METHOD 1. Get a campfire going so there’s a nice bed of coals to use. I’ll often use lump charcoal for this meal—about 3 charcoal chimneys full. Meanwhile, set the coral trout aside and bring it to room temperature for about 20 minutes, then pat it dry with a tea towel or paper towel. 2. While the fire and fish are coming up to temperature, dig the Y-shaped branches in the sand near, but not over, the fire, and make sure the Y’s line up about 40cm high and are level.

3. With one prong fitted to the skewer, pierce the fish through the mouth and run it below the spine and out through the tail. It will require some force when exiting the tail. Fit the second prong tightly to secure the fish. Salt the fish generously on each side and pat the salt in. 4. Lay a bed of coals between the Y-shaped branches. You need enough so that you can only hold your hand at fish-cooking height for 2-4 seconds. Adjust coals to maintain this. 5. Place fish on the branches with belly down for first 5 minutes, then turn the fish 90° and repeat every five minutes for 45 to 60 minutes of total cooking time. You might need to manoeuvre the fish so that one of the prong clips is in the Y-shaped branch to keep it from turning itself over. Every time you turn, gently spray the fish with olive oil, and you will start to see the skin bubble and turn golden. That’s a great sign. 6. The fish is cooked when the flesh is pearly white and flaky. If you’ve got a meat thermometer, the internal temperature should read 48°C (118°F). Once it’s cooked, remove it from the heat, take out the skewer and forks and let it rest for 10 minutes. 7. Serve on newspaper (like when we were kids), sitting around a fire with a big squeeze of lemon juice and zucchini salad.

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“THE ISUZU D-MAX IS THE BEST VALUE 4X4 UTE ON SALE TODAY, WHEN LOOKING AT THE FULL PICTURE OF OWNERSHIP COSTS OVER THREE YEARS. THE RESULTS PROVE THAT AFFORDABILITY IS ABOUT MORE THAN JUST A PRICE TAG.” Alex Inwood, Wheels

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GARLAND’S CAR LANDS

Bruce Garland breaks his spine in the 2011 Dakar Rally, finishes the stage anyway. hat would you do if you’d just driven off a nine-metre high, dune-sided ravine in Chile? Bruce Garland pinned the throttle. “What happened was, we’d had a bit of a drama about two hours before that, when I’d missed a turn into a big washaway,” says Garland today. “So we were trying to make up a few spots. As we raced into the dunes I was watching ahead and it looked dead flat.” Spoiler: it wasn’t. “The road just dropped away into a vertical ravine, a sheer drop, that was two or three stories high. Then it came back up and levelled out, which meant that from our angle it looked like there was nothing there. “The D-MAX was accelerating as it was going down,” he says. “I thought, shit, I don’t want to get stuck down the

bottom here! So I kept a bit of throttle on, hoping that when it hit the bottom I could drive back up again. But that just made the impact even worse.” The landing was so massive that the D-MAX’s engine snapped its mounts before the vehicle bounced up and out of the hole. Garland pulled over. The D-MAX was bashed up. Navigator Harry Suzuki was bruised, too. Garland was battered. The Australian rally legend had enjoyed a run of form coming into the 2011 Dakar rally. He’d finished 11th in 2009 and had been eyeing the 9000km route from Argentina to Chile with relish. “We’d had a lot of success,” he says. “We’d won some big desert races in our class, raced all through Asia— it was quite a busy time.” Garland, incredibly, did not send out

a distress call; if you call for medical assistance in the Dakar, your race is over. “We bounced out, but then we couldn’t breathe, so we stopped,” he says. Instead, he laid on the sand dune and necked some Panadol. Eventually a random fan emerged to help Suzuki tie the engine back down and Garland drove—very gingerly—the 30km to the end of that leg, Stage 5. Bruce’s race was, of course, finished. That night, medics would inform him of the damage: a fractured spine and busted ribs. He’d also had a heart attack, which doctors would miss for months, until he had another. He’d spend a week in hospital in Atacama, and a year recovering. Then he’d climb back behind the wheel. “That impact was massive,” cackles Garland. “But how tough was the ute?”

The road just dropped away into a vertical ravine, a sheer drop, that was two or three stories high, then it came back up and levelled out. From our angle it looked like there was nothing there. MAX*D GO YOUR OWN WAY

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Hoppers Crossing Werribee Isuzu UTE (03) 8734 4850

Springwood Keema Springwood Isuzu UTE 1300 766 609

Horsham Horsham City Isuzu UTE (03) 5382 4677

Toowoomba Black Isuzu UTE (07) 4631 4200

Leongatha Leongatha Isuzu UTE (03) 5662 4070

Townsville Townsville Isuzu UTE (07) 4750 0300

Lilydale Genesis Motors Isuzu UTE (03) 9879 7776

Warwick Warwick Automotive Isuzu UTE (07) 4660 2000

Mansfield Mansfield Isuzu UTE (03) 5733 1000

VICTORIA Bairnsdale Peter Dullard Isuzu UTE (03) 5152 0100 Ballarat Ballarat Isuzu UTE (03) 5339 9333 Bundoora Northern Isuzu UTE (03) 9466 5855

Melton Harrison Isuzu UTE (03) 8722 7744 Mildura Autosynergy Isuzu UTE (03) 5022 0927 Mornington Mornington Isuzu UTE (03) 5975 5188 Pakenham Pakenham Isuzu UTE (03) 5922 4111

Burwood Penfold Isuzu UTE (03) 9268 1333

Ravenhall Lakeside Isuzu UTE (ASO) (03) 9021 3899

Cheltenham Southland Isuzu UTE (03) 9581 8200

Seaford Frankston Isuzu UTE (03) 8905 3366

Colac West Colac Isuzu UTE (03) 5231 9611 Dandenong Patterson Cheney Isuzu UTE (03) 9215 2300 Echuca Echuca Isuzu UTE (03) 5480 0526

Seymour Beer Isuzu UTE (03) 5792 2777 Shepparton Ken Muston Isuzu UTE (03) 5821 6688 Stawell Horsham City Isuzu UTE (ASF) (03) 5358 2144

Effective as of 27/11/23. Please visit our website isuzuute.com.au/dealers for the latest dealer contact details.

Swan Hill Holts Isuzu UTE (03) 5032 1064

Totness Duttons Isuzu UTE (08) 8393 8100

Traralgon Gippsland Isuzu UTE (03) 5175 8060

Victor Harbor Victor Harbor Isuzu UTE (08) 8552 7033

Wangaratta Wangaratta Isuzu UTE (03) 5722 2000

Wayville Wayville Isuzu UTE (08) 8408 4100

Warrnambool Warrnambool Isuzu UTE (03) 5564 5999

SOUTH AUSTRALIA Albert Park Portside Isuzu UTE (08) 8345 7450 Berri Big River Isuzu UTE (08) 8582 5200 Bordertown Wise Isuzu UTE (08) 8752 8400 Burton North East Burton Isuzu UTE (08) 8280 9899 Ceduna Ceduna Isuzu UTE (08) 8625 2999 Hampstead Gardens North East Isuzu UTE (08) 8261 6006 Kadina Peninsula Isuzu UTE (08) 8821 1022 Maitland Peninsula Isuzu UTE (ASF) (08) 8832 2725 Mount Gambier Mt Gambier Isuzu UTE (08) 8725 7999 Murray Bridge Murray Bridge Isuzu UTE 1300 307 683 Port Augusta North East Port Augusta Isuzu UTE (08) 8643 6233 Port Lincoln City Motors Isuzu UTE (08) 8682 1100 Reynella Wayne Phillis Isuzu UTE (08) 8384 8066 Tanunda Jarvis Isuzu UTE (1300) 13 77 74

WESTERN AUSTRALIA Albany Albany Autos Isuzu UTE (08) 9842 5522 Bibra Lake Major Motors Isuzu UTE (08) 9331 9331

Osborne Park Osborne Park Isuzu UTE (08) 9463 5436 Picton South West Isuzu UTE (08) 9724 8444 Rockingham Bergmans Isuzu UTE (08) 9527 8883 South Hedland Pilbara Isuzu UTE (08) 9160 4940 Wangara Wanneroo Isuzu UTE (08) 9403 9403

TASMANIA

Cannington Gardner Isuzu UTE (08) 9356 9000

Burnie Burnie Isuzu UTE (03) 6430 7266

Esperance Esperance Autos Isuzu UTE (ASO) (08) 9071 1060

Derwent Park Jackson Hobart Isuzu UTE (03) 6277 6600

Geraldton Geraldton Isuzu UTE (08) 9964 2323

Devonport Devonport Isuzu UTE (ASO) (03) 6421 0266

Kalgoorlie Golden City Isuzu UTE (08) 9021 1699 Karratha Karratha Isuzu UTE (ASO) (08) 9185 2100 Kununurra Kununurra Isuzu UTE (ASF) (08) 9169 4900 Maddington Maddington Isuzu UTE (08) 9492 0000 Mandurah Mandurah Isuzu UTE (08) 9587 9999

Launceston Jackson Launceston Isuzu UTE (03) 6323 7000

AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY Belconnen John McGrath Belconnen Isuzu UTE (02) 6256 2300 Phillip John McGrath Phillip Isuzu UTE (02) 5114 1675

NORTHERN TERRITORY

Merredin Merredin Isuzu UTE (ASO) (08) 9041 4444

Alice Springs Centralian Motors Isuzu UTE (08) 8959 7700

Midland Midland Isuzu UTE (08) 9273 0030

Katherine Katherine Isuzu UTE (ASF) (08) 8974 0000

Narrogin Edwards Isuzu UTE (08) 9881 5555 Newman Pilbara Isuzu UTE (ASF) (08) 9154 3600 Northam Avon Valley Isuzu UTE (08) 9621 4000

GENUINE OILS & LUBRICANTS

Pinelands Darwin Isuzu UTE (08) 8924 8600

Keep your Isuzu D-MAX or MU-X running smoothly, maintaining performance and fuel economy by using Isuzu UTE genuine oils and lubricants.

Only available at your local Isuzu UTE Dealer. Click HERE to access the Genuine Oils & Lubricants Flyer.

THE ADVENTURE CONTINUES

ROLL COVERS • CARGO MANAGEMENT • STYLING

AVAILABLE AS ISUZU UTE

GENUINE OR APPROVED ACCESSORIES www.mountaintop.com.au

03 9791 9303

salesau@mountaintop.com.au

MAX*D Issue 32

Articles inside

Isuzu Moments

Refuel

Unsung Heroes

Hook, Line & Sinker

The List

Traveller

Cover Feature

Inside Line

Tech Head

Anniversary Special

Wishlist

Readers' Rides In Focus

Readers' Rides

News

Welcome