Readers' Rides In Focus

BRIGITTE AND TANYA’S BEACH-READY MU-X

It’sbeena little while since Fraser Island reverted to its traditional name, K’Gari, but the off-roading experience it offers remains fundamentally the same—and fundamentally fun. “That’s probably where I got the bug,” says Brigitte, who now lives in Melbourne. “I remember heading over to Fraser when I was a kid, and sitting in the back and bouncing around. Four-wheel-driving is in the blood!

“It’s just that freedom: the feeling you can go anywhere and do anything. With the MU-X and the tent, we can take our dogs and we can do it on our own terms.”

If it is a bug, it’s the contagious kind. Tanya admits to being less enthusiastic about the pair’s purchase—at least initially.

“Brigitte was definitely more excited,” she says. “It was her way of roping me into going four-wheel driving. My only prerequisite was that it had leather seats!

“That’s all changed now, though.” The couple has added a variety of aftermarket additions and alterations— many bespoke. There’s the Opposite Lock bullbar, Ultra Winch winch, Supernova spotlights, Roadsafe recovery points, custom off-road bash plates, Milford towbar, Yakima roof platform, and an awning. Oh, and a personalised interior fit-out to suit their beloved dogs.

Which is to say: pooches don’t need seats. So Brigitte removed them.

“Yeah, we took the rear seats out ourselves,” says Brigitte. “We quite specifically wanted to be able to store things underneath the floor, but the floor had to still be low enough that the dogs could be in there. So, we lifted the floor and now we put stuff under there— and the dogs sit on top.”

Turns out, the dogs aren’t the only animals who love the MU-X.

“We were on Bruny Island and there were all these pademelons ,” says Brigitte, “beautiful little things, about the size of basketballs, and they’re very friendly.

“When we came out in the morning, there were pademelon tracks all up and over the bonnet. They’d been sitting up on the MU-X during the night.

“It was just a beautiful trip, driving through these streams flowing down from the hills onto the beach, nobody around. You feel like you’re a kid again.”

There’s nothing more timeless than island vibes—whenever the era.