LowRange eMag by Low Range

k c a b e r a n i s g e y B s o e r u b t n e e v d h A w T e N e h T eMag

FREE for all low ge subscrrain bers

MUCH MORE!

Roothy’s Travel: Technical: Behind The Powering Up Scenes Of DVD#1 Your 4WD

Hidden Camping Gourmet For Gems: NSW Kids: Roast It Up Home-grown In The Bush Adventures

Roothy’s Bush Mechanics: Filling The Gaps

Adventuring: Stunning Travel Different Strokes Stories From Around the Country

Quick Look: The Real Cooktown

Fishing: Kenno’s Bait Bucket

Roothy’s Bush Cooking Recipes

EDITORIAL

THE TEAM

Copyright NotiCe Copyright ÂŠ 2014 Lowrange Productions Pty Ltd. All rights reserved This work is copyright. You may download, display, print and reproduce the the whole whole or or part part of of this this work work in in unaltered unaltered form form only only for for your your own ownpersonal personaluse useor, or,ififyou youare arepart partof ofan an organisation, for internal use within your organisation, but only if you or your your organisation organisation do do not not use use the the reproduction reproduction for for any any commercial commercialpurpose purposeand andretain retainthis thiscopyright copyright notice and all disclaimer notices as part of that reproduction. Apart from rights to use as permitted by the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth) or allowed allowed by by this this copyright copyright notice, notice, all all other other rights rightsare arereserved reservedand andyou youare arenot notallowed allowedto toreproduce reproducethe thewhole wholeor or any part of this work in any way (electronic or otherwise) without first obtaining obtaining the the written written consent consent of of Lowrange Lowrange Productions ProductionsPty PtyLtd Ltdto todo doso. so. Requests and inquiries concerning reproduction and rights are to be sent sent to: to: LowRange LowRange Productions Productions Pty Pty Ltd, Ltd, 98 98 Buchanan Buchanan Road, Road, Banyo BanyoQLD QLD4014 4014Or Orvia viaemail: email:info@lowrange.tv info@lowrange.tv

Enquiries Phone 1300 305 709 or email us: Customer Service: customerservice@lowrange.tv Editorial enquiries: editorial@lowrange.tv Advertising & Media Enquires: advertising@lowrange.tv Subscriptions: subs@lowrange.tv All information correct as at 12/12/2014

S T EN T CON UE 1 ISS

EDITORIAL

THE TEAM

Publisher LowRange Productions Pty Ltd Editor Vlad Merzliakov Creative Director Carlos Alzamora Production Editor Dan Everett Editorial Assistant Keith Thomas Staff Photographer Anthony Warry Video Production Venture Films - Gavin Rawlings and Melanie Galea DVD Presenters John Rooth, Glen Hadden, Kent Hindley DVD Ground Crew David Devries, Steve Robson, Vaughan Hindley EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS John Rooth, Dan Everett, Dex Fulton, Jade Jackson, Amanda Cranston, Jereme Lindsell, Kent Hindley, Stacey Ciriello, Timothy Kusters, Glen Hadden Photography James Burt, Dan Everett, Amanda Cranston, Dex Fulton, Rachel Everett, Wayne Everett, Joe Newham, Kent Hindley, Dave Jardine, John Spencer, Dinitee Haskard, Boris Hlavica, Tourism New South Wales, Coffs Coast Marketing, Tim Kusters, Department of Defence, Stacey Ciriello, Jereme Lindsell, 2014 Cape Crew, David Hill, Blue Mountains Lithgow & Oberon Tourism LowRange song composed & written by Jason Walpole Arranged & performed by Bruce Fogarty & the Worx Studio Band Administration LowRange Productions Pty Ltd 98 Buchanan Road, Banyo QLD 4014 Phone: 1300 305 709 Email: info@lowrange.tv Accounts Melanie Meintjes Email: accounts@lowrange.tv Despatch & Warehousing Jason Walpole Packaging & Distribution Shaun Meintjes, Samantha Meintjes, Kiara Burt, Bayley Martin, Matthew Meintjes Copyright Notice Copyright ÂŠ 2014 Lowrange Productions Pty Ltd. All rights reserved This work is copyright. You may download, display, print and reproduce the whole or part of this work in unaltered form only for your own personal use or, if you are part of an organisation, for internal use within your organisation, but only if you or your organisation do not use the reproduction for any commercial purpose and retain this copyright notice and all disclaimer notices as part of that reproduction. Apart from rights to use as permitted by the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth) or allowed by this copyright notice, all other rights are reserved and you are not allowed to reproduce the whole or any part of this work in any way (electronic or otherwise) without first obtaining the written consent of Lowrange Productions Pty Ltd to do so. Requests and inquiries concerning reproduction and rights are to be sent to: LowRange Productions Pty Ltd, 98 Buchanan Road, Banyo QLD 4014 Or via email: info@lowrange.tv

DARCHE HI-VIEW 2 PERFORMANCE & DURABILITY A robust built unit, the Hi-View 2 roof top tent has been thoroughly tested in some of Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s harshest environments and touring conditions. Constructed using a 260gsm proofed poly/cotton double pass ripstop canvas, the Hi-View 2 is feature packed with a large full zip on annex, 2.3m telescopic ladder, 65mm high density mattress, 600gsm PVC bucket floor and lots more. The Hi-View 2 will perform and last, ensuring hassle free touring. Visit our website to learn more about the complete Darche 4X4 touring range. *Eclipse Side Awning sold separately.

VIEW SPECS Alloy centre pivoting yoke

darche.com.au

Cast alloy frame lugs

Light weight alloy base

2.3m Telescopic ladder

O L I MOMES BEHIND THE SCENES

! E V ALI G

leno’s call rang through my head long after the ringing in my head had gone away. I’d taken a day off, kind of a rare thing with so much of Australia needing Unlocking and Milo needing so much work. His timing was right though. I was starting to get shed fever, if there’s such a thing. Sure there’d been plenty of travel in the last six months getting all around the country talking to politicians and press secretaries and anybody who’d listen, but the miles that weren’t done in planes had been done on the tar in the family 76. Apart from a quick rocket up the Cape and a couple of beach holidays, but that hardly counts compared to some serious Miloing…

Words by JOHN ROOTH PHOTOS BY ANTHONY WARRY

Old friends on new adventures, it’s how it should be…

BEHIND THE SCENES “What’d’ya reckon John? Kenno’s in, Mel and Gav are keen to do the shooting, we can get the crew together real easy. Milo must be missing her tracks!” I’m not sure about that. Part of me figured Milo was enjoying a well-earned rest to be honest. I mean I’ve hammered the poor old girl up some of the worst

tracks to see some of the best places in Australia for a decade and a half now. And loved every minute of it too. But here’s my old mates putting together a plan that’d see us out there doing it all again. Like all the big decisions in life, I figured it’d be best made down at the pub.

Milo was enjoying a well-earned rest to be honest. I mean I’ve hammered the poor old girl up some of the worst tracks to see some of the best places in Australia

www.lowrange.tv

Which is why my head was ringing and I was having a day off. Must have copped a bad prawn or something. But Gleno wasn’t giving it a break. Like anybody who knows the big man will tell you, Glen ‘Hasbeen’ Hadden nearly always gets what he wants. It’s hard to say no to such a nice bloke. “First trip should be about finding ourselves again,” said Glen. “Going through some of our old stomping grounds with a view to finding something new too. Kind of like running in a rebuilt motor. Anyway, I’m losing weight, I’ve missed your cooking” When Gleno and I first started

traveling together all those years ago I knew straight away I’d got lucky. There’s plenty of blokes who want to go bush but only a few who really make the grade. In my world you’ve got to be good on the wheel, good on the shovel, willing to try things that make tough guys shake and willing to help wash the dishes at the end of the day too. Gleno ticked all the boxes from day one, we’ve been adventuring together ever since. “So are you getting the purple 80 out again old mate? Or maybe the hot rod 200?” It took Glen a while to spit it out. He knows me well, knows what I think of certain late model trucks from the land of Queens and corgis. Seemed he was planning on taking his brand new Land Rover Discovery. No wonder he didn’t want to go too far from home... “Hahahahahahahaha, you’re joking right? You’re going to take the Poofmobile? C’mon mate, we’ll have to lay off the rissoles and start sipping chardy with a cheese platter instead.” But I knew what was going on. www.lowrange.tv

BEHIND THE SCENES

CLICK on IMAGES to enlarge

I’m a mechanical injection sort of guy who thinks a computer is a TV with more buttons See. While Glen and I have plenty on common, there’s a few things we see from completely different angles. I guess it’s the age difference as much as anything, me being a generation younger than him and all... Glen’s business Roo Systems is known for being top of the ladder when it comes to diesel tuning in this country. So while I’m a mechanical injection sort of guy who thinks a computer is a TV with more buttons, Glen’s always out there on the edge of the technical universe, bravely

www.lowrange.tv

going where few mechanics have ever gone. He was the first to pioneer the relationships between chips and exhausts using dyno technology and create more horsepower in a safer environment than anybody in the country had before. Now he’s out there again, creating a team of engineers throughout Australia who have mastered the magic arts of flash tuning, or recalibrating the new age vehicle’s computers.

This is, to me, rocket science. To Gleno it’s all about making diesels go like rockets... So taking a new Landy along was more about experimenting with new era machinery in the real world of mud, sand and dust than it was about pomp and ceremony. It was about matching the vehicle’s computerised drive assist functions to power output potentials and

testing it all like nobody had been game to try before. But there’s another side to Glen that’s an opposite to me too yep, Glen loves his comfort and the new Disco, with plush leather everything and power assisted door knobs, is almost the total opposite to Milo’s stark ‘just the bits you need’ sort of style. We weren’t going out to do battle without Kenno though. Kent Hindley

www.lowrange.tv

BEHIND THE SCENES

might have come to our traveling game late but he’d proven himself on some of the toughest treks we’ve done. Originally it was all about testing his brother Vaughan’s MDC camper trailers because ‘The Vogan’ as we call him, wanted to know what his products would do when pushed hard and, trust me on this, nobody pushes harder than Kenno! A battle scarred trail bike rider who loves his surfing and fishing as much as his hunting, Kent soon proved he had a skill behind the wheel that

could make trailers fit where no trailers had ever gone before! Yep, we’re talking about the first man to pull a caravan up Billy Goat in the High Country, proving his Hilux and himself as much as the strength of that prototype XT10. This is the guy that towed a trailer through the mud holes, the worst track we’ve ever done in Tasmania. I rolled my Mustard truck that day, Kenno got through with some scrapes and bends on the trailer guards. He’s good, and his much hammered Hilux has proven it’s stuff too.

My head was ringing and I was having a day off. Must have copped a bad prawn or something Not without a whole bunch of parts along the way but when I rang Kenno to see if old Blue Balls’d be right to roll again he could barely control his excitement. Especially when I mentioned Gleno’s plan, that this time around we had a new game plan, this time we were going to take it easier and soak up some of the brilliant country we’d be driving through too. Oh sure, there’s always going to be the tough tracks, Australia’s like that. But rather than go looking for country to dig up, this time there’d be time out to chuck in

www.lowrange.tv

a line and maybe wet a board too. That sure appealed to Kent! Got to tell you though, Kenno might be the most enthusiastic fisherman I’ve ever seen but I’ve never actually seen him haul in a fish. I mean, the guy has a bath with a net, showers with baited hooks and trolls spinners behind his truck in the rain - but do the fish care? Not that I’ve seen. Maybe our LowRange trips will change that... Mel and Gav, the absolute best producer and shooter team to ever work in the Australian bush, couldn’t www.lowrange.tv

BEHIND THE SCENES wait to come along especially when they heard that the camera truck would be Gleno’s fully loaded 80. While most camera crews get to drive a rented Pajero or something, both Mel and Gav have done so much serious off-roading that they’ve come to love what big wheels, big motors and lockers both ends can achieve. You probably know that special thrill, the feeling that you’ve out gunned the conditions by bringing along a much modified beast. Anyway, the sort of terrain the LowRange team were contemplating meant taking the

usual dross wasn’t even a consideration. This wasn’t to be about parking on the road and filming the mud puddle right next to it, this was to be serious off-road touring. We got lucky with our photographer too. Anthony ‘Anton’ Warry had just come back from another overseas trip and was busting to go bush again. With LowRange already demanding nothing but the best, Anton was a natural fit. Unfortunately even his mastery behind the lens can’t make me look any good but you get that....

There’s plenty of blokes who want to go bush but only a few who really make the grade

www.lowrange.tv

CLICK on IMAGES to enlarge

So with Kenno’s brother Vaughan ‘The Vogan’ along in his 200 Series and with mates Dave De Vries and Big Steve Robson to do some back up stuff along the way, we set out to work out our first trip away. With the whole world to choose from, guess what? Yep, we decided to stick fairly close to home for LowRange round one, mostly because we live in one of the best places on earth but also because we wanted our first trip to be as much about proving the new team and vehicles and relaxing into it too. Plus there was this great big lump of Queensland that none of us had explored just north of Fraser Island, our first destination, and we want to go have a look! Which is why the first ever LowRange dvd kicks off with glorious Fraser Island, one of the must do’s on every fair dinkum Aussie 4wd’ers list, before

heading north to experience the Burrum Coast and Bulburin National Parks. See, I’ve been going to Fraser for over forty years now since my first trips working there in the 1970’s and the rest of the team’s got plenty of Fraser history too. But none of us had ever camped along that brilliant stretch of coast south of Bundaberg - we had to go and have a look! What’s it like? Hey, you’ve got the dvd for that! Plus Anthony Warry’s awesome photos no doubt. We had a lot of fun perched up on the dune right behind the sea even if Kenno couldn’t catch a fish there either. He did give it his best shake though, even to using the camera drone to lob the bait well behind the surf! After that we drove over to Bulburin National Park too because LowRange is about doing all the things we’ve always wanted to do. For more years www.lowrange.tv

BEHIND THE SCENES than I can remember I’ve carved up and down the Bruce Highway and seen the signs to Bulberin along the way. But time was never on my side and like so many places in this great big wonderful country, Bulberin just kept getting missed. Not this time though! It was really good for a whole lot of reasons too. As you know I’ve been busy pushing Unlock Australia, the not for profit organisation that’s dedicated to opening up public parks and lands for all of us to share. By getting heaps of people with similar feelings together around the country we’ve already had some success. But the more the ‘Unlock’ word gets out, the more we as an organisation are

formulating our direction. At Bulburin I met Bruce Thompson, the Ranger in Charge of Bundaberg region. Bruce is one of many fair dinkum blokes working to not just look after the land in their care but to make it people friendly too. This folks, is exactly what Unlock Australia is all about and here in Bulburin I made some big realisations from talking over the situation with Bruce. He and his teams are already working hard to open up more tracks that have collapsed under the weight of too much lantana in the past and they genuinely want to attract more people to the park and the region. At the end of the day, the financial health of parks and the regions that surround them depend on people

Glen loves his new Disco, with plush leather everything and power assisted door knobs, is almost the total opposite to Milo’s stark ‘just the bits you need’ sort of style

www.lowrange.tv

travelling in to enjoy their country. When enough people like Bruce begin to realise this, we can look forward to a whole new world of freedom. Of course with freedom comes responsibility, as no doubt your parents might have mentioned about the time you started driving to parties on your own. But experiencing that beautiful grassy camp ground surrounded

by huge gums and knowing it was maintained by people who want it to be shared by us all made our last destination all the more special for me. But everywhere we go in LowRange is kind of special! OK, I’ve got to go, we’re packing Milo for another trip right now. Where? Hey, stay tuned, same time, same LowRange channel. Cop you later mates!

www.lowrange.tv

LIFE OFF-THE ROAD FEATURE

What’s better than locking it in LowRange and heading bush? Getting paid to do it!

www.lowrange.tv

Words by Dan Everett

very man woman and child who loves the bush has always dreamt of packing the bags, pulling up stump and heading off into the great unknown until fate or finances see them within coo-ee of civilisation again. The problem is for the majority of people it seems like something unachievable, a one-day plan, maybe if I won the lotto. The truth is there’s a lot more options available to lock in the hubs and get paid to do it than you’d think, or at least do it on a Tuesday while everyone else is on the tools still. To kick off this first issue of LowRange we’ve decided to walk the walk, not just talk the talk. We don’t want you to tag along on a quick weekend trip with us, or comment on a photo or two, we want you to make the outdoors part of your everyday life, not just something you do on the weekends after you’ve done your chores. Whether you want to spend Friday arvo’s crawling the rocks, or head bush for a year at a time, there’s something here that could change your life forever.

www.lowrange.tv

FEATURE

THE MEDIA MOGUL Roothy’s tells us the ins and outs of how he got to be where he is today, and how you can do the same THE GIG – If you’ve got the gift of the gab, know which end of a camera to look into and don’t immediately think of a 1980’s Casio when someone mentions a keyboard, a career in 4WD Media might just be for you. There’s a few roles you can take on that’ll see you running a winch line before breakfast. Anthony Warry is our gun photographer, so he’s on just about every trip we do, the other bloke you’re probably more familiar with is Roothy. He’s a word slinging, track finding, beard wearing bush genius. Although he’d rather go with the term ‘Milo Pilot’ – we’ve been told presenter is also appropriate. HOW YOU’D SPEND YOUR DAY – If you’re in front of the camera for a gig like LowRange you could be winching through thick mud on a Tuesday, camping on the beach on a Wednesday and cruising through salt flats by Thursday. “There really is no such thing as an average day for us,” Roothy says. “They’re all fantastic.” That said, you don’t need to be the main man to earn a keep off-road. There’s plenty of jobs www.lowrange.tv

out there writing copy for magazines, putting together website and Facebook content for 4WD Companies and even making press releases for the big manufacturers. THE GOOD –Putting brand new V8 Cruisers through their paces on photo shoots go hand in hand with heading to some of the most remote corners of the country. “Crossing the Simpson in a heat wave with the family in a 35 year old truck is one of my best memories.” Says Roothy. “The real adventure was learning the Handbrake and my boys can take almost anything and still think I’m OK. I’ve had one weekend out of the last eight at home with the family and we spent that camped up the beach on Bribie Island. My retirement plan consists of exploring the bush in an old Toyota and camping out somewhere different every night. Hmm, that’s what I do for a living...” THE BAD – There’s no magical transporter to get you out to these far off places. So that means a lot of time on the black top and fire trails to get where you’re going. “Three weeks is about the average we’re away from home, often longer.” He says. You’ll get dusty, dirty, very familiar with the inside of your swag

and so used to sleeping under the stars your mates might think you’ve actually gone bonkers. Although if you ask Roothy he’d say the hardest parts are admitting to Gleno they’re out of chilli. HOW DO YOU DO IT? – A journalism, photography or media degree would definitely be a head start, but it’s not essential. The most vital ingredients are being passionate, committed, and not taking no for an answer. “I forgot most of what I was educated in except for two things, reading and writing,” Roothy says. “Everything else was learnt along the way - a day without learning is a day wasted. I go to bed with a book most nights, even in the swag, although sometimes it’s one of Kenno’s picture books.” If you’re dead set on heading down this path Roothy’s got one last piece of advice. “Don’t be scared of anything in life, treat everything in life as a lesson to be learnt and used in future and don’t burn your bridges. Oh, and practice writing by doing a lot of reading, practice mechanics by fixing things and practice driving by doing heaps of miles.”

AREERS C D A O R F F O R E H T O 10

R O T A C I R B A F 1

es, the one working nc fe g in ild bu e ok bl Not the r tting solid axles unde in an off-road shop pu Unimogs. There’s r fo s er id sl g in ild bu Pajero’s and ake , you’ve just got to m is th e lik e er th t ou jobs idate. yourself the best cand

FEATURE

3 SALES REP

Working a dead en d job slinging use d cars? Put your skil ls to use at a 4WD shop or supplier. Someone needs to be selling 33” mu d tyres, it might as well be you.

THE WHEEL MAN Corporal Tim Kusters spends his days in the scrub training Army drivers how to steer Unimogs and Mack Trucks

THE GIG – You can do just about any job you can imagine in the Defence Force. But if getting dressed up in camouflage and doing accounting doesn’t tickle your fancy you might be better off heading towards the School of Transport. Corporal Tim Kusters not only spends every day at the school, he’s one of the instructors. His official title is Operator Specialist Vehicle – Driving Testing Officer, which in the real world means it’s his job to teach

all the new recruits not only how to drive a Military Spec Land Rover, but everything else from Unimogs right through to Road Trains, and how to steer them through the bush.

HOW YOU’D SPEND YOUR DAY – Tim doesn’t just teach though, he’s a wheel man himself. So on any given day he could be piloting a formation of Unimogs through the bush, showing the new recruits how it’s done, or behind the tiller of a Road Train running supplies from Broome to Sydney. It’s not all fun and games though, and don’t expect to spend hours by the campfire telling yarns. There’s a lot of tactical training, digging pits, Sure you’re not getting paid to learning the ins and outs be out there, bu how many of yo t ur mates get to of how the vehicles work, jump behind th wheel of a 10 to e nne 6WD truck?

2 RFS VOLUNTEE

and how to operate them in an active war zone. Not to mention the nitty gritty of Military logistics like loading trucks, and learning to double clutch a gearbox that has no interest in doing what you tell it to. THE GOOD – Whether you’re the trainer or the trainee you’ll see a whole side of Australia that most people never get the chance to see. From hauling tanks through the middle of the outback to jumping on ferry’s and heading off to remote islands off the Great Barrier Reef. Stick around long enough and you could even find yourself deployed overseas behind the tiller of an armoured 76 Series LandCruiser – probably need to bring your own roll out awning , though. THE BAD – Nothing makes you want to head bush with your friends and family more than doing it for work and not being able to soak it all in. Corporal Kusters reckon’s in some years you could be clocking up a huge 11 months out of the year away. If you’re a family man this probably isn’t the gig for you. But if you’re single and keen to see

Australia through the windscreen of an off-road Semi trailer with an M1 Abrams tank strapped to the back this just might be the gig for you. HOW DO YOU DO IT? – Sold on the idea? Well there’s a few options to head this direction. If you just want to put your tippy toe in to test the waters one path in is as a Reservist Driver Specialist. If you’re looking at full time almost any member of the regular Defence Force can go into the Transport Corp and get behind the wheel of one of these trucks. Although to get into a position like Tim’s you’ll need a lot of experience and a lot of patience “It does take a while,” he says.

4 SOCIAL MEDIA IST SPECIAL

eds of big Off fe k o o B e c a F See the ll s constantly fu ie n a p m o c d a Ro t that has you n te n o c e n a s of in loke it? There’s a b b e th t a g in p e cham and it could b t, a th r fo le ib respons nt. reating conte c re e th t u o u yo

6 PHOTOGRAPHER

FEATURE

THE GEAR HEAD

THE GIG – Your average mechanic spends their days spinning spanners on Camry’s and changing wheel bearings on Taxi’s. But Glen Hadden isn’t your average mechanic, he’s the brains behind Roo Systems, one of Australia’s most successful 4WD workshops. While there’s probably not going to be an opening in Glen’s job anytime soon he’s gone down a path perfect for anyone mechanically minded with ambition and a solid work ethic.

5 DRIVER TRAINING

This one’s a no b rainer really. There’s a heap o f companies offering 4WD dri ver training all across the countr y, give ‘em a buzz and find ou t what it takes to get on staff.

www.lowrange.tv

get paid to There’s only a few lucky buggers who day, but there’s shoot photos of 4WDing Monday to Fri k for 4WD or Nature opportunities every direction you loo photographers on a freelance basis.

through the use of them. I spend a lot of time managing the business, marketing, and living the dream… my dream.”

HOW YOU’D SPEND YOUR DAY – If you’re scared of a little grease on your hands you might want to turn over a page. While you’re doing your mechanical apprenticeship you’ll be changing a lot of LandCruiser diffs, HiLux head gaskets and Patrol… what does break on Patrols? Get in at a specialist like Roo Systems though and you’ll be doing all the fun stuff, fitting turbo kits, tuning 4WDs, and most importantly, testing them. “All my cars are 4WDs,” Glen says. “I test them on the road and on the tracks, constantly fine tuning when it’s needed and develop new gear

THE GOOD – You’ll live and breathe 4WDs. Tuning, building, repairing and modifying them. You’ll work on 4WDs, talk 4WDs on your lunch breaks, go wheeling just about every weekend with the guys from work and eat a lot of sandwiches with grease on them – ask us how we know. For Glen the best parts all came from working to make his own dream happy. Starting his own business, building Roo Systems into the diesel tuning giant it is and starting his latest project, LowRange. “It’s living the dream on Steroids,” he says. “I love it!” THE BAD – Step 1 is an apprenticeship. So expect at least a few years of doing all the grunt work, getting lunches, coffees, doing the jobs the other blokes don’t want to do. Once you’re up in the higher positions it can eat into a lot of your free time as well. “Being away from the family is definitely the worst,” says Glen. “But that’s why I get away with the family as much as possible when I’m not at work, it’s a lot more special. My office is on the tracks, out testing products, so actually going into the office sometimes is a PITA. Eating Roothy’s cooking can be a hazard as well. It’s bloody brilliant, however

does absolutely no favours for my svelte body.” HOW DO YOU DO IT? – For Glen, his path started way back when he was 14, working in a 4WD workshop on his school holidays. After finishing his trade he started his first business doing engine upgrades and power ups which eventually morphed into Roo Systems after a lot of hard work. “Apart from my technical training, running the business was and still is all learn as you go,” he says. “It’s been a hell of a ride and would I do anything differently if I had the chance? No way! In the hard times, you just keep going. When someone says it can’t be done, you just keep going. When someone says it’s impossible, you just keep going. Never lose site of the end-game, your goals.”

7 POLICE RESCUE

These blokes work damn hard and earn every bit of respect they get. But when their training involves loading up the 4WD and spending the day abseiling it’s easy to see why this would attract a few applications every year.

FEATURE

THE GIG – Stacey Ciriello has been a Ranger & Customer Service Officer at the Royal Botanic Gardens down in Vic for over 6 years now. It’s a varied role that see’s Stacey spend her time patrolling the 363ha site behind the tiller of a 70 Series keeping an eye on things. HOW YOU’D SPEND YOUR DAY – Much like most National Parks the Royal Botanic Gardens stick to a strict regime. The day kicks off by collecting the ‘Cruisers and giving the grounds a once over before the visitors turn up. After a quick recording of weather stats to update the Bureau Of Metrology (BOM) the Rangers have a morning brief for the

day’s work before jumping on the quads, back in the ‘Cruisers or lugging it on foot to patrol the grounds and keep things in order. Various programs run throughout the days as well. On any given day you can expect some teams to be in the middle of the bushland, clearing fallen limbs and doing controlled back burns while other areas will be hiking on foot for hours to manage feral animals and invasive plants.

8 LOGGER

We like the old te rm of Lumber Jack, but either way modern Loggers spend a ll week hours out of civilisatio n with nothing but a bunch of m ates, a couple of chainsaws an d a few 4WDs.

9 tour guide

PHOTOS BY STACEY CIRIELLO

CONTACT: ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS CRANBOURNE PH: (03) 5990 2200 W: www.rbg.vic.gov.au

www.lowrange.tv

You’re never going to be the next Kerry Packer, but when a busy work day includes loading up a tour bus and jumping on the barge to Fraser things like that don’t seem to matter so much do they?

THE TRACK MAKER THE GIG – Ever driven along a bridge through the middle of thick scrub that crosses a massive drop down to a rocky river? Surveyors are the lucky blokes who get to find that path, before the concrete highway goes through. Jereme Lindsell has been heading bush with a theodolite and a brush hook (laser) for the best part of 18 years and has seen it all. From surburban lots and high rise construction right through to guiding power lines through 4WD paradise.

PHOTO BY JEREME LINDSELL

THE BUSH RANGER

will get your blood pumping. Think HOW YOU’D SPEND YOUR DAY – This kicking your day off by airing down, is the kind of gig where you could be on the one site for a long time. Once the big throwing some lunch in the fridge on the back seat and setting off into the bush wigs have their preferred highway route through the bush you’ll jump in the 4WD for hours at a time, sometimes days. “I often find myself plotting boundaries and set to work, plotting every rise and that are up to 5km long over undulating falls and recording the exact lay of the land to later be 3D modelled and handed ridges and gullies,” Jereme tells us. “You just can’t get in there with a 2WD.” over to the engineers. On any given day you could be using your 4WD as a bull dozer, jumping on foot and hiking to the top of a cliff or lugging a roof top dingy into the scrub to cross a river hundreds of kays Want a Unive from anything resembling a rsity degree, a heap of cas still head off h and to road? Get an boat ramp. engineering d after all, who egree, do you think d e s ig s n u s new tyres, spension and THE BEST PART – For the real winches adventure nuts rural boundary marking and Power line Surveys

10 MECHANIC AL ENGINEER www.lowrange.tv

, s m e t s y S o o R d in h e b ic g The ma where it all began…

WE HAVE PREMIUM DEALERS NATIONWID E TO OFFER YOU ALL OUR ROO SYSTEMS DEALS Premium DEALERS CHIP & EXHAUST ONLY PLUS PRODUCTS

ROO SYSTEMS EXHAUSTS

The Science Behind an Exhaust System.

CHECK Them OUT!

ECU REMAPPING Do You Want: • More power & torque?

ROO DOUBLE SWAGS ARE BACK! Tough new swags to take on your next trip to the bush with stronger canvas and tougher poles

ALL NEW ROO SYSTEMS ROOF TOP TENTS

New design utilising the best waterproof canvas on the market! A must for any adventure off-road!

Don’t be fooled by cheaper alternatives. Exhaust Systems should be:

• Better fuel economy

• Dyno-proven for power & torque increases

• Enhanced, sharper throttle response

• Durable, Tough & Built for Off-road conditions

• Smoother, more progressive delivery of power

• Mandrel Bent

• Reliable and safe way to power up your 4WD

• Backed by a comprehensive 5-year warranty

GET ALL THIS PLUS MORE!

• Easy bolt-on system using original mounting points

NT QLD WA SA NSW • Custom-tuned chips • ECU Remaps • Baja Designs LED light bars • Stainless Steel Exhausts

VIC

TAS

CALL OUR EXPERT TEAM ON OUR NATIONAL SALES HOTLINE

1300 305 709 www.roosystems.com.au

TRAVEL CAPE YORK

The northern Words by Dan Everett photography by 2014 Cape Crew

R E I T FRON

Crystal clear river crossings, deserted beaches that stretch for miles in both directions. Cape York needs to be on every adventurers bucket list.

TRAVEL CAPE YORK

or most 4WDers Cape York is the last bastion of LowRange bliss. Sure there’s more remote locations, and other tracks that’ll make the ‘Tele look like a walk in the park. But nothing comes close to the sense of adventure heading north. The Cape is often blown out of proportion, but that just makes it more accessible to the average 4WDer. You don’t need a second mortgage worth of modifications to make it happen. Long range fuel tanks? Forget them. Competition winches and deafening mud tyres? Leave ‘em behind. A simple low mount winch, some all-terrains and a snorkel is all you need to see just about everything Cape York has to offer, and

believe us, that’s a whole bloody lot! There’s a few ways to take on the Cape, if you’ve got RedBull running through your veins you can head north from Cairns, blast up the Development Road, power through the ‘Tele before posing for a few shots at the tip and turning around. But if you’re keen to see what Cape York really has to offer head straight towards the CREB track and through the Daintree. Wet weather has it closed more often than it’s open but if you can plan it just right you’ll be axle deep in some of the most scenic rainforests this country has to offer. Before leaving the area you’d be mental not to take on the Bloomfield Track. A pint or two at the Lion’s Den

You don’t need a second mortgage worth of modifications to make it happen.

CLICK on IMAGES to enlarge

www.lowrange.tv

Hotel to refuel before heading into Lakefield is an absolute must as well. It’ll be the first real ‘remote’ part of the trip, offers some stunning scenery and is your last real shake down run before heading north. On the Peninsula Development Road you’ll be face to face with hours of corrugations between each Road House. There’s a few along the way, each one with a story to tell and a campsite for you to roll out a swag. Even if you’re in a hurry it’s worth ducking in and saying G’day. They’re in the know on track conditions for every corner of the tip and can offer invaluable advice. Palmer River Roadhouse is only 200 clicks out of Cairns but marks the start

www.lowrange.tv

TRAVEL CAPE YORK

QUICKBITS

of an adventure you’ll LOCATION: Cairns to the Tipremember for the rest of your life. They’ve got fuel, COORDINATES: -12.093342, 142.559205 basic supplies and a cold lemonade or FACILITIES: If you’re at a roadhouse two,counter but the real drawcard is the Steak expect dinners, cold drinks and They’re as thick as hotSandwiches. showers. If you’re in about the bush expect an 80 star Series diffIt’s and as as messy a million view. astwice simple that to eat. The–regular blacktop finishes CAMPSITES You’ll find campsites in at a few small justLaura about(there’s every direction yousections look. If for up), then it’s onto youovertaking head up infurther peak season be sure to Hann River Roadhouse and Musgrave. pre-book as they can fill out quickly PROS: Secluded beach camping, crystal clear river crossings and red dirt as far as the eye can see CONS: Petrol 4WDs better bring a lot of WD40 and fuel gets very expensive the further north you go. To make the most of it all you really need a month north of Cairns

If you’re coming in through Lakefield National Park this is where you’ll join the PDR. The small town of Coen and its infamous ‘Sexchange Hotel’ is the last town you’ll come through before Archer River Roadhouse and the turn off for the Frenchman’s Track. The Frenchman’s is entirely dependent on the weather. If the rivers are up you’ve got near on no chance to cross the Pascoe at the end. If they’re down the majority of the track is high speed dirt with a few puddles, but still expect the Pascoe’s steep exit to offer a challenge. Back out on the PDR the next stop is Moreton Telegraph Station and then Bramwell Junction, the start of the ‘Tele. At the Junction you’re faced with two choices. Looking on the map the squiggly PDR looks a hell of a lot more fun than the dead straight ‘Tele Track, but it’s nothing but corrugations and road trains. Take the left turn into the thick scrub and start the iconic Old Telegraph Track (keep an eye out for the old telegraph poles along the way), your first obstacle is arguably the hardest one of the whole

There’s a few road houses along the way, each one with a story to tell and a campsite for you to roll out a swag for the night.

trip. Palm Creek. If you’ve got the time pull up a camp chair for a few hours and watch everyone else have a crack first, you’ll see all sorts of ‘inventive’ ways to get through, and unfortunately, a lot of people ripping the track up. The smart money is on being prepared to winch.

www.lowrange.tv

TRAVEL CAPE YORK

No one has ever gone home from the Cape spewing they had to winch up a track.

No one has ever gone home from the Cape spewing they had to winch up a track, but plenty have gone home on the back of a tilt tray. There’s around a dozen major crossings to negotiate along the ‘Tele and for first timers it’s easy to get

flustered. Especially when you’re paranoid about every log that floats past eyeing you off for dinner. The truth is, a calm head, walking the line you intend on driving and having a mate ready to recover if things turn pear shaped will get you through every crossing with relative ease. And if you’re not 100%, pull up a chair and wait for someone else to have a crack. If you’re in a rush you’re doing it wrong. The ‘Tele Track itself makes up only 200km of the 1000+kms between Cairns and the tip, but it has enough swimming holes that you’re never more than half an hour from a quick dip. Fruit Bat Falls, Twin Falls and Elliot Falls are all smack bang in the middle and easily accessed from the PDR. Bring a hot lunch and a cold drink and plan on spending at least a day between the three falls. It’ll be time well spent. After Nolan’s Brook the track continues on through wetlands and soft sand all the way to the banks of the Jardine. There’s been rumours floating around for years about locals digging the old crossing up, forcing you to take the ferry. In reality the ferry is included in your camping permits anyway, and the Jardine is hard enough to cross that the ferry is a no brainer – think soft sand, fast flowing waters and an

abundance of crocs. Crossing the Ferry is like entering a whole new world. It doesn’t feel like you’re in the same state as Brisbane anymore, and if anything could be more closely related to South Papua New Guinea. There’s a few small townships where you can restock your fridge and fuel tanks but the real attraction is the sheer isolation. The bitumen ends just out of town and you’re straight back into red dirt and tropical rainforests. Stopping in at the tip is a must, but avoid the parks and bollarded campgrounds and head to the five

beaches on the east coast. There’s a series of headlands you’ll drive up and over before dropping down onto the next beach and back up another headland. If you head right down to the last beach there’s a campsite big enough to fit a dozen 4WDs a million miles away from light pollution, taxes and your annoying neighbour. Sitting around the campfire watching tropical storms roll in over the beach before heading off to the Northern Territory is something every Australian needs to experience at least once in their life, so what’s stopping you?

www.lowrange.tv

FINANCE AVAILABLE Excellent rates

CALL MDC TODAY!

$24,990*

$19,990*

* 0 9 9 , 2 1 $

! R E N WIN

4 STEP THROUGH V E EXCLUDES THIS PRICERY PACK 12V BATT EM 240V SYST

CRUSADER FORW ARD FOLD

100%

AUST RA AND LIAN OW NE OP COM ERATED D PANY

MDC CAMPER TRAILERS ARE PROUD TO PRESENT 3 OF OUR PREMIUM TRAILERS, AS SEEN IN THE 2014 CAMPER TRAILER OF THE YEAR AWARDS. STEP THROUGH V3 AUSSIE NOMAD CRUSADER FORWARD FOLD

ONE OF AUSTRALIA’S LARGEST MANUFACTURERS OF CAMPER TRAILERS XT-10 OFFROAD CARAVAN $44,990* 1300 4X4 4X4 (1300 494 494) sales@marketdirectcampertrailers.com.au

www.mymdc.com.au

• THE BEST VALUE FOR MONEY • QUALITY & DESIGN EXCELLENCE • FAST BUILD TURNAROUND • PEACE OF MIND • WE ARE THE INDUSTRY LEADERS

OFF ROAD DELUXE V4

OFF ROAD GAL EXTREME V4

TROOPER V4

OFF ROAD T-BOX V4

$5,999*

$6,999*

$7,490*

OFF ROAD STEP THROUGH V4

VOYAGER RF (HARD FLOOR) V4

CRUSADER FF (HARD FLOOR) V4

AUSSIE VENTURER V4

$12,990*

$15,990*

$19,990*

$24,990*

FR FREEEE DV D

LIKE US ON FACEBOOK AND RECEIVE A FREE MDC CAPE YORK AND FRASER ISLAND DVD VALUE $39.95 www.facebook.com/marketdirectcampers (*Private message us your address details and we will sent it to you FREE OF CHARGE!)

XT-14 OFFROAD CARAVAN

! ! W E N CALL US FOR PRICING

www.mymdc.com.au

BUSH COOKING

Words by JOHN ROOTH PHOTOS BY ANTHONY WARRY

PUMPED UP

PUMPKIN B

ack when we first went mining my brother Nicko and I were camped out at the 3 Mile when a dust cloud down the track signaled a surprise visit. Naturally we both hoped it’d be the Swedish Girls Netball team bus not one of Nicko’s mates from school, a bloke called Carmelo Rubio. Carmelo was as Aussie as anyone but as the name suggests, he came from a Spanish family. At that stage most of our meals were ‘wooly pig’ (mutton) and potato because, well, that’s what blokes ate. Carmelo burped his way through a couple of

dinners cooked in the camp oven before he figured we’d all starve if he didn’t show us a few tricks. This was one of them. Carmelo cooked his savoury mince filled pumpkin in the oven of our old fuel stove but ever since then I’ve been busting to give it a try in an open fire. If the grins on the lad’s faces were anything to go by, this is an absolute winner of a way to feed the troops. Don’t hold back though, you could fill a pumpkin with almost anything and it’d work. Except ice cream Chooka, except ice cream...

Method: With a small sharp knife cut a hole a couple of inches wide around the stalk of the pumpkins. It works best if you slice in at an angle of about 45 degrees because the piece you cut out is going to be the lid later on! Trim the lid to the hard pumpkin and scoop out the soft seeded core. You’ll find a spoon’s good for this and it’s easy too, as if pumpkins were designed

www.lowrange.tv

BUSH COOKING

Carmelo cooked his savoury mince filled pumpkin in the oven of our old fuel stove but ever since then I’ve been busting to give it a try in an open fire. to be turned into bowls. OK, put the lid on and leave the pumpkins to one side until the meat’s cooked. I got tricky here and fried up the pumpkin seeds to kick off the meat mix but tasty as they were, I spent the rest of the night picking bits of seed out of my teeth. Skip this step if you want and go straight to frying the onions in some olive oil. Add some garlic and chilli to taste, which means www.lowrange.tv

more if you’ve tasted a few beers... When the onions start to brown add the mince and keep churning it around so it browns all over. You can chuck in a big dollop of oyster or soy sauce about halfway through the cook up along with a squirt of honey. Give it a taste and add whatever you reckon might work - I went for a couple of beef stock cubes to add some salt to my mix.

Once it’s cooked you can start spooning it into the pumpkins, mashing it down as you go. Put the lid back on

and wrap the pumpkin in Alfoil. It took me about three thicknesses to make sure there weren’t any gaps. Now it’s as easy as raking up a bed of hot coals and burying your pumpkins. With plenty of good hot coals you don’t need more than about ten minutes for the hard pumpkin to soften up and absorb the flavors of the mince. The best thing about this meal is you can eat it straight out of it’s own bowl! www.lowrange.tv

TECH TALK ALLAN GRAY

Servicing

Modern Diesels Part 1

ales of diesel vehicles are at an all time high and this is predicted to continue. Workshops are also seeing an increase of air/fuel related issues of concern from customers. With over 50 years’ experience on the tools, well known diesel repairer Allan Gray shares his concerns with us. In previous issues of AWM we have touched on the subject of carbon buildup in modern diesels, but according to Allan dirty fuel is just as bad, if not worse. We will revisit carbon build-up issues in our next instalment of this series. Common Rail Diesels are an excellent modern development, using very high injector rail pressures (25,000 – 30,000 PSI). They develop high torque at lower revs, have much improved fuel economy and, best of all, they have dramatically reduced particle emissions.

“We speak to workshops and vehicle owners every day and they are reporting some cases of serious damage to diesel pumps, injectors and engines, largely caused by contaminated fuel, therefore most of these dramas could have been avoided,” Allan said. Older diesel vehicles were not so much of a problem. Newer diesels have much finer tolerances and in my opinion require superior filtration. I recommend additional filtration to my customers. “The requirement for ‘ultra clean’ fuel was not as important on these older units as most had more generous tolerances and in most cases were fitted with adequate filtration. The fuel system pressure in older (non common rail) engines was around 3000 PSI, whereas now pressures are nearly 10 times as much. OE filters fitted to most common rail engines are not adequate in my

opinion and I suggest owners to fit a second (primary) filter. The bottom line is that all diesels need clean air, fuel and oil. Injectors in earlier diesels pulse millions of times in 100,000km. Faulty injectors can cause serious engine damage if they are just squirting fuel into the cylinder rather than atomising it thoroughly. This can go unnoticed until costly damaged has occurred. Common Rail Diesels inject up to 6 times each firing stroke and any indication of a problem should be attended to immediately. It is a factory requirement to change injector pipes at the same time as injectors. The fuel not consumed by the engine (up to 80%) is used to cool the injectors and is returned to the tank (in some vehicles through a radiator). It is not unusual for the fuel in the tank to reach 80°C, so to minimise condensation, the fuel tank should be kept topped up regularly to reduce the introduction of algae which can grow in the warm environment. Algaecides are not normally used in fuel additives as they are mostly carcinogenic.

OU DID YW KNO ? •T he average factory fitted fuel filter rates at around 5 microns (a human hair is approximately 100 microns). •F uel filter change periods should not depend on kilometres travelled, but solely on cleanliness of fuel supply. •S erious (read: costly) fuel system and/ or engine damage can result from using contaminated fuel (Damage, which is specifically not covered by vehicle warranty or insurance). • I t may not be contaminated fuel delivered, but ‘stirred up’ dirty fuel. In some European countries, it is prohibited to sell diesel from a pump for an hour after receiving a tanker delivery. •8 0% of the fuel pumped through a fuel system is used to cool the injectors and is returned to the tank. (In some vehicles through a separate radiator). If a filter partially blocks, there is no loss of power due to the excess fuel available. However, the injectors can mechanically fail due to overheating. Repair costs vary from $2000 to $20, 000 (or greater for engine overhauls). •F ilters are designed to remove water moisture and contaminants from the fuel and ideally an extra (primary) filter should be installed between the factory filter and the fuel tank.

The design team at Terrain Tamer is headed by 79 year old Head Engineer Allan Gray, who worked on the very 1st LandCruiser to arrive in Australia. Allan has over 63 years experience working in the automotive industry, even older than the LandCruiser itself! Visit terraintamer.com for further information

www.lowrange.tv

HIDDEN HOTSPOTS

Words by Dan Everett

HOME-GROWN

ADVENTURE With adventure hiding in plain sight we’ve taken a closer look at Australia’s most populated state, New South Wales.

e’re kicking off the very first issue of LowRange with a brand new section called Hotspots. Each issue we’re going to take an in-depth look at places that you’ve probably driven through a hundred times before, without knowing the adventure

hiding just around the corner.! This month we’re shinning the HIDs at New South Wales on three remarkably different locations. Some you’ve probably heard of but never seen, one that’s got something for every 4WDer and one the locals barely even know about.

HIDDEN HOTSPOTS

BLUE MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK Located literally less than an hour’s drive from the Harbour Bridge, the Blue Mountains National Park covers an impressive 160,000 acres of rivers, cliffs, escarpments and plateau’s. While it’s not known as the low range wheel lifting paradise of other more popular destinations, it does offer something no other place in Australia has. Everything. The Mountains are riddled with free

camp sites and fire tracks heading off in every direction. The park itself offers world class mountain biking trails, waterfalls, hiking tracks from 1hr to 3 days, countless rivers to camp beside and if you’re feeling a little fancy there’s 4.5 star caves you can hire for the night at Bell on the western fringe of the park. Take the kids for a ride on the steepest railway in the world to PhotoS: Dan Everett, David Hill, Blue Mountains Lithgow & Oberon Tourism

the floor of the Megalong valley, don a wet suit and explore the local canyons on a guided tour and then jump back in the 4WD and camp the night in the Capertee Valley, the second largest canyon in the world. If you’re chasing a hardcore low range weekend with the boys there’s better places, but if you’re packing the wife and kids up for a few weeks of getting away from it all the Blue Mountains should be firmly on your radar, and being so close to town you can head there with barely any modifications at all and have the trip of a lifetime.

SO WHERE IS IT?

Blue Mountains National Park New South Wales -33.798613, 150.616026

FACILITIES

Within the Blue Mountains National Park itself there’s seven dedicated campgrounds with close to 100 campsites between them. Most offer toilets and coin operated BBQs although some are very basic. As there’s a narrow corridor of civilisation winding through the mountains fuel, food and other supplies are available everywhere.

WHERE TO CAMP

Euroka Clearing is by far the largest campground, although it does get busy and isn’t free. Heading out of the mountains and into the neighbouring Turon or Cox’s River area’s will offer the best camping although Murphy’s Glen campgrounds in Woodford will keep you in the thick of the action. www.lowrange.tv

www.lowrange.tv

HIDDEN HOTSPOTS

MUNGO NATIONAL PARK

When talking about hidden locations it’s easy to get caught up in mundane parks and forests just out of town. Tough 4WDing is normally the order of the day and not much more, but Mungo National Park, 9 hours west of Wagga Wagga is anything but mundane. The 275,000 acre national park plays host to a variety of attractions, both manmade and natural, that’ll rival anything you can find in Australia, or for that matter the world.

Out the front of the visitors centre there’s human footprints dating back over 20,000 years, when you consider the Pyramids in Egypt are less than 5,000 years old that really puts things into perspective. Locked inside the Visitor’s Centre are the remains of Mungo man, the oldest

Photos: Dinitee Haskard, John Spencer, Boris Hlavica www.lowrange.tv

remains ever found in Australia, dating back almost 70,000 years. There’s a 70km loop running around the park that’ll take in the Walls of China and the historic homesteads build by European Settlers and Chinese Labourers in the late 18th century. There’s Aboriginal Rangers on hand from the three Tribal groups of the Willandra Lakes region to show you deep inside the park and help share a part of Australian history often forgotten. Like much of the outback there’s not a great deal around Mungo National Park, but that’s the beauty of it isn’t it? If you’re feeling adventurous turn north afterwards and head up the Dog Fence, or if you want things a little more scenic Murray Sunset, Wyperfield and Big Desert Wilderness Park are all within a day’s drive south and will satisfy your Outback Touring urges.

SO WHERE IS IT?

Mungo Park Visitor Centre Mungo NSW 2715 -33.723540, 143.026504

FACILITIES

The nearest town to get supplies is Balranald, 5hrs outside of Mungo on the road in from Wagga Wagga. At Mungo itself kitchens, BBQs and Hot showers are available although you’ll need to bring everything else yourself.

WHERE TO CAMP

There’s three options for resting your head at Mungo. The Shearers Quarters can bunk up to 27 people in 5 separate rooms although the Kitchen and Dining areas are communal. If you’re dedicated to your swag you can roll it out at either Main Camp just 2kms from the Visitor Centre or Belah Camp on the track itself if you’re after stars from horizon to horizon. www.lowrange.tv

HIDDEN HOTSPOTS

SO WHERE IS IT?

Boambee Beach Coffs Harbour -30.312846, 153.140042

FACILITIES

Just about every track you can find will be within 45mins of town so you’ve got loads of places to stock up on supplies, have a pub feed for lunch at the Moonee Tavern and then stock the fridge full of supplies for another couple of days in the bush at the shops right next door.

COFFS HARBOUR If there was ever a 4WDers paradise it’d have to be Coffs Harbour. Getting off the blacktop is such a large part of the culture around here the locals don’t need to let their tyres down, they just never pump them back up! If you’re not familiar with Coffs Harbour it’s a moderately sized coastal town about halfway between Sydney and Brisbane, but instead of trendy restaurants and VW Kombi’s, there’s beaches, five of them within Coffs Harbour itself that you can legally drive and camp on. This

isn’t half an hour out of town down a single lane dirt road, this is up and down the coast, if there’s a beach, chances are you can camp on it. The whole area is surrounded by National Parks and State Forests in just about every direction you can head. We’re not exaggerating at all when we say you could camp every night for a year without pulling up to the same camp spot twice, all within an hour of town. If you’re after a twin-locked fix head

PhotoS: Coffs Coast Marketing & Tourism New South Wales www.lowrange.tv

WHERE TO CAMP

to Mt Coramba just outside of town. Over the course of 10 minutes behind the wheel you’ll rise from sea level up to around 600m. The tracks in this area are no-joke, think twin locked, 35’s, flexy suspension and still plan on winching. And with track names like Broken, Commando and Widowmaker you can’t say you haven’t been warned. The surrounding areas offer tracks for every skill and modification level, so keep an eye out on the track markings and know exactly where you’re heading. You can get away with a long weekend here, but to make the most of it plan on a week at least.

There’s plenty of caravan parks and cheap accommodation around town but if you’re after the real Coffs Harbour experience you’ve got to set up on Boambee Beach for at least a night or two. There’s no facilities, no running water and no coin fed gas BBQs, but falling asleep to the sound of waves breaking on the beach makes it all worth it.

BONUS LOCATIONS

• Brindabella Ranges ional Park • Warrumbungle Nat • Yalwal State Forest • Turon River l Park • Kosciusko Nationa

YOUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;RE IN SAFE HANDS. TERRAIN TAMER suspension has been proudly designed, modified and manufactured by a team with decades of engineering experience. When tailoring a suspension kit to suit your needs, you can be assured all that experience is built in. Talk fluent 4WD with us on 1300 888 444 or visit us at terraintamer.com/suspension

TT012

QUICK LOOK COOKTOWN

WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY AMANDA CRANSTON

THE REAL COOKTOWN While many people know that Cooktown was named after British Explorer Captain James Cook, the actual history of the seaside town is not as well known.

ut a visit to Cooktown will definitely give you a better understanding of what a significant event it was, when Captain Cook landed on this remote coastline, wrote of his discovery and put this town on the map. The township has since built itself around the historical

www.lowrange.tv

event with many monuments and museums dedicated to Captain Cook himself and the expedition that resulted in the discovery of Cooktown. Up until 1770, the area now known as Cooktown was a small aboriginal settlement inhabited by the Guugu Yiminthirr tribe. In June of that year, Captain James Cook was searching for a safe haven to park his ship, the HMS Bark Endeavour, and repair the damage the ship had suffered out on the Endeavour Reef. He chose the mouth of the Endeavour River to repair the wooden hull and beached his ship here. Captain Cook and his crew spent seven weeks moored in this spot while doing repairs to the ship, exploring the area and documenting their discoveries, restocking their food and water supplies and taking care of their sick and injured crew members. At first the aboriginals and the British crew were wary of each other and a lack of understanding each other’s language made communication difficult, but eventually they came to a mutual acceptance of each other. British scientist and botanist aboard

the Endeavour, Joseph Banks, spent time with the Guugi Yiminthirr tribe during the seven weeks and recorded 50 different aboriginal words. He also discovered 200 new species of plants in the area and documented them all. Captain Cook also spent time exploring the area and calculated their safe escape passage after climbing to the top of Grassy Hill, which today has a lighthouse and lookout offering spectacular 360 degree views of Cooktown and the surrounding coastline. It was this view over the river and ocean that helped Captain Cook plot his ship’s path to ensure the Endeavour could safely avoid the reefs and any further damage to the ship while sailing back out into the open sea. Once safe on the open water, Captain Cook hoisted his flag high on the Endeavour and claimed the land

for Britain. The small township became known as Cooktown, the river was named Endeavour River, the reef called Endeavour Reef and the Cape York Peninsula named after the Grand Old Duke of York. Since then the town has seen many changes with the Gold Rush in the 1870s and 20,000 American and Australian troops stationed in and around Cooktown during World War II. However, the town has also suffered many destructive fires and cyclones and today Cooktown remains a relatively small township with a small population. The sealed Mount Mulligan Highway means Cooktown is now accessible all year round, attracting tourists keen to discover this little patch of coastline. The James Cook Museum is a fascinating place to visit to learn about Cooktown’s identity and the history of the township from the perspective of both the British explorers and also the aboriginals, it houses the Endeavour’s original anchor and one of its cannons as well as an enormous collection of items from every era in Cooktown’s history. A ma nda is a n avid t ravel l er & 4WD enthusia st , rea d m o re at w w w.travelnq. co m

www.lowrange.tv

A SWAG REVOLUTION

AIR-VOLUTION™ SWAGS The first of its kind in Australia, the Air-Volution™ dome swags have been engineered and tested in Australia for our local conditions, and continues Darche’s tradition of being the innovation leader. The Air-Volution™ technology replaces traditional swag poles with easy and durable air poles which inflate in less than 10 seconds! Available in 3 models with dual action hand pump and swag bag included, the Air-Volution™ swags are perfect for your 4X4 touring, camping and fishing trips.

VIEW RANGE

darche.com.au Australian Patent Application No. 2013901960

ROOTHY’s BUSH MECHANICS

Words and photography by JOHN ROOTH

FILLING Check out what Roothy’s been up to the last 6 months

THE GAPS

ROOTHY’s BUSH MECHANICS

eople keep asking me why my technical yarns always degenerate into meaningless dribble while the captions struggle to let you know what’s going on in. Actually, it’s only Chalky White who’s ever bothered asking me after he read one to get some tips on replacing the rope in his boat motor. He’d already bought Fat Kevvy a couple of beers hoping he’d lend a hand - Kevvy having retired from the outboard fixing racket these days - but as anyone will tell you, Kev, like most Mudflatters, likes to mix work with pleasure. His pleasure is food and drink and he works hard at stuffing his face with both. Getting him out of the pub anywhere

That Cape trip saw 6400km of hard driving including plenty of little ‘excursions’ down side tracks to show the family what ‘dad gets up to in Milo’. We’d fitted up a set of Mickey Thompsons to Dynamic steel rims for the trip, wanting the best of everything…

near happy hour is impossible unless you’ve got the keys to a pie cart. Talking pie carts I planned on buying shares in the one around the corner seeing as the cardboard diet the Handbrake’s had us on pretty much meant I’ve paid the bloody thing off anyway. I figured since jumping ship on the old paper magazine game last year that maybe it was time to earn a quid or two and peddling pies turns a profit. But then my mates at Opposite Lock wanted me to product test some of their new gear starting with the Aussie made suspension they’ve been working on for a few years now. That gave me a great excuse to fit out the

The only thing missing was Milo and yes, I did miss her, In fact going without my regular dose of Milo was starting to be a problem. Life was good, just missing something…

And just like Milo, the 76 got pushed to the point where she got stuck more than once! That was a good chance to try out the old Warn I’d fitted into the new OL bull bar. I love that bar, it offers more protection than anything on the market. Kinda necessary when you’re travelling big distances!

With an MDC XT10 in tow for trials we were able to pitch camp almost anywhere including this lovely secluded spot over near Elims Beach. The XT10 is quicker to set up than a camper trailer and offers so much comfort the Handbrake’s badgering me to get one now…

family 76 Series with one of their new steel bull bars and with an old Warn left over from Milo’s product testing days suddenly the 76 started to look a tad serious. The old pizza cutters weren’t cutting the mustard though so I replaced them with a proven deal Dynamic’s steel rims, the same ones on Milo and Mustard because they’re the toughest and most practical off-road rim on the market - and wrapped them in a set of Mickey Thompsons.

The family truck had grown some wings! Then Vaughan from MDC asked if we’d seriously Cape test one of his new XT10’s and next thing the Rooth family minus one (Holly had some exams on and couldn’t come) were heading to Cape York! Yep, just like work again, only this time the Handrake and the boys came along too. The only thing missing was Milo and yes, I did miss her, In fact going without my regular dose of Milo was starting to be www.lowrange.tv

ROOTHY’s BUSH MECHANICS A few weeks after we got back from the Cape we decided to have a break at Fraser Island, this time with our old camper trailer in tow. The Dynamics and Mickey T’s were in the shed because the Roo Systems team wanted the skinnys back on for some turbo tuning. More about that next time!

Then along comes old mates Gleno and Kenno and suddenly we’re into LowRange and life’s back where it should be! a problem. Life was good, just missing something… Then along comes old mates Gleno and Kenno and suddenly we’re into LowRange and life’s back where it should be! Yep, I’m hiding in the pub pretending to work again when I’m not out playing in the shed or in Milo exploring new tracks across this incredible country. For a long time the only excuses I had to visits my mates down at the Mudflats were darts night, and Olympic training sessions, and fashion show Fridays, and happy hour, and counter lunches, and... Which rather conveniently brings us straight back to the pub again. Yep, www.lowrange.tv

old Pelican Pete reckons he’s actually missed me pinching all the beer coasters to knock out my columns and the beautiful Dorelle, barmaid to the stars here at the mighty Mudflats Hotel, says she’s glad I’m back scribbling away too. Apparently Flicky has been filling in, trying out his real estate blurbs on our Dorty. She reckons he’s more full of, err, poop than some of the places he’s trying to sell. Typical Disco driver...err, not you Gleno, anybody who can squeeze 470hp out of a bloody Disco ain’t typical... Tell you what though, Flicky’s description of Dingo Dixon’s fishing shack as ‘A glorious remnant of our historical past, with views to die for, renovated conveniences and its own boat ramp.’ would have to win any fibbing race. Let’s face it, ‘remnant’ means the only one the council hasn’t bulldozed, ‘views to die for’ means you’ll probably drown at high tide, the renovation must mean the new plastic bucket in the outside dunny and I’m guessing the boat ramp is the grey

motor Holden block with a chain on the other end of Dingo’s sunken baycruiser. Doesn’t worry me though, I figure it’ll be like the rest of Queensland. Some knob from down south will believe that crap and spool out a fat hundred thou thinking he’s getting waterfront land for half price instead of muddy water for half the day. Meanwhile we’ll keep chucking our crab pots in his front yard until the day we’ve finally got to rescue the poor sod from being carried away by the mosquitos. And you lot wonder why us Queenslander’s drink. That’s right, it’s because a skinful of XXXX makes the mossies pick up the VB drinkers instead. My best mate Chooka reckons Bundy rum works too but there’s been a few issues testing

This is the proven post-trip clean up procedure at Chateau Rooth on the Mudflats, the old tractor sprinkler running up and down underneath the truck. With the jets pointing almost vertical it moves very slowly which flushes all the salt, sand and mud out by giving it a good soaking.

that theory out. We’re not sure if the red lumps on his arms and face are mossie bites or some strange reaction to falling face first into a plate of Chicken Masala after losing a fight with a 36 ounce Bear. Did I tell you we’ve got a couple of new Indian restaurants down here on the Mudflats? Yep, it’s part of the cultural invasion from down south. For the last hundred years or so the only tucker available here was fish cooked

Product testing means keeping a close eye on wear and tear as well as evaluating the driving performance. Having proven the OL suspension on the road and tracks for over 10,000km I pout the 76 on the hoist for a full inspection.

ROOTHY’s BUSH MECHANICS

You can tell the stretch in axle U bolts by how loose the nuts are after a good pounding. I couldn’t get anything out of these U-bolts - they were retensioned after the initial 500km proving the quality is really there.

in pineapple or steak with eggs and a serve of pineapple on the side. Or Lily’s Chinese Gardens place which served these weird things called vegetables alongside the real tucker, sweet and

www.lowrange.tv

sour pork with pineapples. Then some bloke from Kentucky opened up a crumbed chicken shop where all the kids went after their herbs and with drive thru service it looked like being a real hit with the ‘taxi home from the pub’ crew too. Until too many drunks spilt their gravy on the tarmac and the road got so greasy most cars slid straight past the speaker pole and back on to the road. I never knew lard and fat were spices. Anyway, now we’ve got a whole range of places to eat around the Mudflats and life has never been better. Especially for Chooka who’s only been banned from about half of them. It hasn’t done a lot for the Handbrake’s figure though, she’s got to stay in her Morry or she doesn’t even fit through the drive-thrus... “OUCH! No dear, I wasn’t talking about your fat ... OUCH! Damn, why can’t you just belt me with a frozen fish like other bloke’s wives? Since when do we freeze lobsters anyway?” I’ll kill that bloody Kenno for getting the ‘Brake hooked on shell fish. Yep, culture sure has got its drawbacks. Mind you, all the new technology sure has made life different. I used to use Doc Zig Zag’s computer to knock out some of my columns but things got hard, mostly owing to the Doc’s collection of medical type photos of young ladies with no clothes on. He’s a hard worker our Abdul, and one of the

After finding no signs of seal leakages I checked all the bushes for distortion. That’s the big difference between quality suspension and the cheap stuff, the quality gear keeps working well. So far I’m really impressed with Opposite Lock’s suspension - it works really well on and off-road and looks like lasting the distance too.

OUCH! No dear, I wasn’t talking about your fat... OUCH! Damn, why can’t you just belt me with a frozen fish like other bloke’s wives? Since when do we freeze lobsters anyway? best blokes with a needle and thread you’ve ever met. Word is he sewed a few heads back on in Afghanistan during the troubles, although word’s not saying whether they were as smart afterwards or not. Actually there’s an argument Kev pitched down at the Rissole club that says they weren’t real smart to begin with and maybe Abdul stitched their heads on the wrong end anyway. We know Abdul stitched the end of Long Bruce’s finger back on after Bruce got it caught under the G60 chassis and now old Bruce can’t give anyone the finger

without seeing his own nail. Based on that sound medical principle there’s probably a couple of Taliban’s who get to drive their Hilux gun trucks flat out in reverse thanks to our Abdul. He’s good bloke but, even if he talks Swahili after a six pack. Mentioning Long Bruce, one of my oldest mates here on the Mudflats and the bloke who first helped me spray Milo dark green almost fifteen years ago - and half the street at the same time reminds me that he and the lads have been asking the Big Question lately, and www.lowrange.tv

ROOTHY’s BUSH MECHANICS While the 76 is up on the hoist I’m giving it a big dowsing of Lanotec underneath so she’s all ready for our next adventure, wherever that might be! I used to use a hand pumped until I discovered that an old spray gun does the job a whole lot quicker - it also mists everything else in the shed too…

maybe this is the place to answer it. No, not that old ‘is there life after death thing’, only Father Cooky from the Church of the Brazen Lady and Custom Muffler Shop knows the answer to that and he’s spending more time at the track than he is dipping the font so that’s a worry. No, the lads keep asking me what’s Milo’s future? With a million Knacks worth of punishment up some of the worst tracks in Australia, are we rebuilding her, or are we hanging her on a nail in a museum and building up Milo 2? And no, as good as the 76 now is I intend keeping her more for my new role product testing for Opposite Lock, she won’t be replacing Milo. Mostly because the Handbrake’s started to love the new truck after it proved such a www.lowrange.tv

weapon up the Cape and wants to keep her nice and close for family duties. So the big question is Milo’s future. What’s that Chooka? Darts? Yeah mate, why not, this pencil’s almost stuffed anyway. Father Cooky must be up the bloody Keno big time too. Stay tuned, next issue I might try for an answer. She’s up on the hoist at Roo Systems and Gleno and the boys are giving her the once over big time. Until then, well, I reckon we’ll just keep driving the old girl hard eh? “OUCH!!! No dear, I’m talking about the truck....” There you go! Got through a whole column without saying anything useful at all. Wow, LowRange means the happy days are here again! You bloody ripper! Cop you later.

NO AIRLINES, NO COMPRESSOR - JUST TRACTION.

ELocker

ENQUIRE NOW AVAILABLE AT:

AUSTRALIAN MADE 3 YEAR WARRANTY ELECTROMAGNETIC LOCKED FEATURING

TECHNOLOGY

Harrop ELocker’s electromagnetic locking, 4 pinion, forged gear design performs as an open differential until you need instant traction. Manufactured by Harrop in Melbourne, utilising Eaton technology that has been durability validated in extreme conditions at Eaton’s global test labs and dedicated 750 acre proving grounds. PH: 1300 - HARROP

FACEBOOK.COM/HARROPPERFORMANCE E N G I N E E R I N G

P E R F O R M A N C E

YOUTUBE.COM/HARROPTV S I N C E

1 9 5 5

WWW.HARROP.COM.AU

T N E R E F F DI ADVENTURING

S E K O R T S

Words by DAN EVERETT PHOTOS BY 2014 CAPE CREW

ADVENTURE TAKES ON A WHOLE NEW MEANING WHEN IT’S JUST YOU AND A BIKE

he spirit of adventure is not something defined by what vehicle you drive, but the reason you drive it. And while driving a track in day or night can change your experience, swapping out your means of transport can make a track you’ve driven time and time again a whole new adventure. This month we’re swapping four wheels for two and looking at the ins and outs of heading off for that trip of a lifetime on a bike. Loading up the 4WD and going bush for a month at a time is the stuff dreams are made of for most of us, but swap out the air conditioning and 800kg worth of gear for a trail bike with a swag strapped to the handle bars and most men turn weak at the knees, some with nerves, others with excitement. Over the next few pages we’re taking a closer look at what gear you need and what can be left at home. What safety gear you should be strapping to yourself without turning you into a ball of sweat and how to ensure you’re never left stranded on the side of the tracks.

ADVENTURING STEP 1

KNOW YOUR BIKE! Spend some time in the saddle on day and even overnighter trips before even thinking about the big ride. Ride it in every condition you can find. Low speed, high speed, sand, rocks, dirt, rain, cold, stinking heat, black top and thick mud and look for what causes you grief and what doesn’t. Gearing that works perfectly at low speeds might have you redlining at 80km/h for hours on end. Shift levers can be too high with one style of boot, and too low for another leading to missed gear changes and a lot of embarrassment taking off from the line. The factory seat might soften up the more time you spend on it, or it

www.lowrange.tv

could feel like you’re getting smacked in the backside with a plank of wood all day and trying to pass it off as fun. The inner gearhead in all of us wants to throw modifications around left right and centre, but a few careful tweaks, some adjustments where possible and tuning the factory suspension to suit your weight and riding style will make a bigger difference to your trip than the biggest aftermarket exhaust or anodised wheels.

STEP 2

FIX THE DARN THING Let’s get one thing straight, a brand new set of wheel bearings are going to be a lot more useful in your wheels than in your backpack with the other spare parts. Bike parts are cheap, so if you’re heading off on a big trip replace everything. You’ll spend a few hundred bucks doing it but a minor service in a 4WD would easily cost the same, and you’ll effectively have a brand new bike out of it. The simple rule is if it stops, steers or keeps you off the ground, it’s worth spending money on. Wheel bearings are a must, brake pads and fluid should get the nod as well. Steering head bearings and swing arm bushes should all make the shortlist too. Things can and do go wrong with new parts too so plan a ride day a few weeks in advance to iron out any bugs. Know the service intervals for your bike and plan to work around them. A fresh oil filter and oil are easier to do in a roadhouse than the side of a river crossing, even if it means short changing yourself a couple of hundred kays out of your service. www.lowrange.tv www.lowrange.tv

ADVENTURING STEP 3

BE PREPARED If you were to chuck open a tool box and start piling in all the tools you’ll need you’d just about have to have a Mack truck as a chase rig. Believe it or not but bike manufacturers are actually pretty switched on and you can pull a bike apart with a surprisingly small amount of tools, the trick is knowing what you can get away with. Put your bike on a stand and set aside absolutely no tools at all and start pulling things apart. Every time you come across something that needs a tool go and grab the smallest tool you can use and start building a small tool kit. When you’ve got your kit together go through it again and figure out what

www.lowrange.tv

you can cull – ditch the 12mm and 14mm spanners and go buy a two in one spanner. Things like ratchets and extensions can often be swapped out for thin tube spanners as well. The end result should just about fit in a fender mounted tool pouch. Anything larger like tyre irons can be secured with hose clamps in out of the way places like inside the air box and under the seat. Take a second look at the spare parts you’ll need and not just your tools. You can ditch the spare 18” inner tube for the rear tyre, a 21” spare for the front will do both size tyres in a pinch. Multiple air filters can be ditched in favour of a small pack of disposable filter covers as well.

STEP 4

THE GEAR YOU NEED • Small auxiliary fuel tanks – Smaller, more clearance and safer than storing your fuel in one location should you stake a tank • Lightweight helmets – Protects your noggin without straining your neck due to excessive weight • Mesh jackets with in built armour – Most of the protection of a full armour suit and twice as cool • Hydration pack – Water is king in the bush and a handy place for a few extra spare parts and a fresh pair of underwear and socks • Lightweight camping gear – ditch the double gas burner BBQ and pick yourself up a handheld cooker – it’s just enough to cook for yourself and it’ll fit in your backpack • Knowing your surroundings – Campers and 4WDers don’t want to hear your 2-Stroke animal revving at 8am, idle out of camp and stick

to the main tracks. It only takes one peanut to ruin it for all of us • Rec rego – Only a nupty would ride an un-rego’d bike in the bush

WHAT YOU CAN LEAVE AT HOME • Long Range Fuel Tanks– they stick out massively, get hang up on tight tracks and it’s a dangerous way to store it, springs a leak and you’re in strife. If you’re doing big distances bolt one up but they’re a big commitment • Jeans and a T-shirt – You might be more comfortable in casual gear but one face plant at 80km/h and you’ll be reaching for the safety gear • Aftermarket Exhausts – They sound great, look great and add performance, but only a little bit. Save the money and put it in your fuel tank for the next adventure www.lowrange.tv

ADVENTURING STEP 5

GET OUT THERE! Fraser Island

THE TOP 5 DIRTBIKE TRIPS

Cape York

The Cape needs to be on every riders bucket list. If you’re chasing adventure it offers the most bang for buck and with a huge biggest safety net with so many road houses along the way. Rocky river crossings, soft sandy tracks and pristine beach camping – what more could you want.

IN AUS

Fraser offers the perfect introduction to adventure riding. You can spend all day riding below the low tide mark, camp on the beach front with a bunch of mates and explore the whole island in just a matter of days. The best part is if a bike plays up or you’re waiting for a part there’s no shortage of pubs to keep you fed.

Victorian High Country If hundreds of kilometres of rocky hill climbs and views that’d put the Swiss Alps to shame are more your kind of thing the Victorian High Country offers all that and more, and it can be done in a long weekend for 80% of the population.

Byron Bay to Steep Point The Tele’ Track just a whole heap of rivers on a dirt road? The High Country just a few hills? Without a doubt the ultimate bike adventure in Australia is Byron Bay to Steep Point, the eastern most point in Australia to the western, the biggest ride you can do. It’ll take you through outback towns, deserts, the most remote parts of Australia and give you ultimate bragging rights when

you’re done. Just make sure you’ve got a comfy seat, you’ll be doing over 4000km of riding through mud, sand, beach and desert.

Simpson Desert Here’s one for the serious adventurers out there. The Simpson Desert will test your riding skills, equipment and stamina more than just about any place on earth. But when you’re a hundred kilometres from the nearest person, watching the sun set over the red dunes with nothing more than a campfire crackling, a swag and your bike to keep you company it’ll all be worth it.

TERRITORY

THE MEETING PLACE FOR 4WD ENTHUSIASTS

www.4wdterritory.com.au

www.lowrange.tv

AT TERRAIN TAMER, we have been designing, modifiying and manufacturing 4WD parts for nearly fifty years. Proudly designed by a team with decades of engineering experience and developed in Melbourne, our parts are then produced in partnership with the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading manufacturers. Be assured that weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re playing our part in providing you with the very best for your vehicle. Talk fluent 4WD with us on 1300 888 444 or visit terraintamer.com

PARTS NEARLY 50 YEARS IN THE MAKING.

TECHNICAL

PUT YOUR FOOT DOWN

Words by DEX FULTON PHOTOS BY LOWRANGE

Want more power from your turbo diesel? We look at a few of the most popular methods of getting more out of the loud pedal

TECHNICAL

urbo-diesel engines and 4WDs go together like bacon and breakfast. They’ve been the engine of choice for long distance tourers and weekend adventure seekers alike for decades now, and for a bunch of good reasons. Their reliability and fuel efficiency are generally excellent, and with the new-school computer controlled common rail injection systems that are an option on every new turbodiesel 4WD these days, power and driveability have been increased out of sight too. However with this new technology you can forget about your old methods of getting more power out of your engine. Throw the steam-pipe manifolds and junkyard turbos away, and forget about winding up the fuel pump until she starts to blow smoke and then backing it off a little. These days, getting more out of your high tech oil-burner may be way more complex in operation, but in reality is easier than ever to achieve.

While stock engines may be putting out more than respectable numbers off the showroom floor, throw on some bigger tyres, a ute tray full of camping gear and a trailer on the hitch and you can run out of puff in short order. But it’s not difficult at all to get any lost power back, plus some extra on top, and fuel economy is often increased too. Sounds too good to be true don’t it? Welcome to the new age of diesel tuning.

EXHAUSTS When a 4WD manufacturer builds their exhaust systems they have a few things standing in the way of performance. The big one is noise, with things like mufflers, diesel particulate filters and catalytic converters all being thrown on to keep things within various countries noise and emission regulations. Then there’s the “a penny saved is a penny earned” factor – mild steel, press-bent pipe is cheaper to build than larger diameter mandrel bent stainless steel.

Factory dump pipes off the back of the turbo are often the first point of restriction in an exhaust system

While things like factory mufflers, catalytic converters and diesel particulate filters are great for noise suppression and emissions control, they’re generally not doing your exhaust system’s efficiency any favours

AFTERMARKET EXHAUSTS ARE ONE OF THE FIRST MODS MOST PEOPLE WILL DO WHEN SEARCHING FOR MORE OUT OF THEIR ENGINE

Fitting a quality, aftermarket exhaust should be one of the first performance mods done to any 4WD www.lowrange.tv

www.lowrange.tv

TECHNICAL A hundred bucks in material savings per truck can add up to some pretty hefty numbers when you multiply it across the numbers sold globally. Whatever the reasons, factory exhausts are generally pretty rubbish and an aftermarket replacement is one of the first places most people will stop when searching for increased power and economy. Y’see exhaust gas travels in pulses. As your engine completes a combustion cycle and the piston pushes the burnt fuel and air out into the exhaust manifold, past the turbo and down into the dump pipe. When you have restrictions like press bends, which flatten the pipe through the radius of the bend, or restrictive mufflers, the exhaust pulses can bottleneck, causing your engine to have to work harder to push them out. By fitting a proper diameter, mandrel-bent (the diameter of the tube stays the same throughout the radius of the bend) system with a quality high-flow muffler and catalytic converter, you’re eliminating these pressure bottlenecks and allowing the gasses to flow smoothly out of the tailpipe enabling your engine to develop more power. As it’s also working more efficiently the economy is often improved too. So what diameter should you be going for? For most modern turbodiesels around the 3.0L mark, a www.lowrange.tv

A dyno tune after a chip install is important to ensure all is running as it should be

HEAPS MORE POWER, BETTER FUEL ECONOMY AND NO RELIABILITY ISSUES – WHAT’S NOT TO LIKE? In terms of bang-for-buck, there’s not much that comes close to a quality chip and exhaust package

Chip installs are pretty basic, with most only needing less then half an hour to plug and play

2.25-2.75in diameter pipe is the go, depending on the type of vehicle and the modifications it’s got. For larger capacity engines a 3in pipe may be needed, but really the best bet is to talk to an industry professional to see what’ll work best for your particular vehicle and intended usage. We like to see corrosion resistant materials like stainless (hey, we want it to last!) or aluminised steel, mandrel bends and with an inbuilt bung on the dump pipe for a pyrometer (which we reckon should be mandatory fitment to any turbo-diesel). With a quality system power gains of around 10% are common, and the engine doesn’t have to work as hard to develop its power.

CHIPS & EXHAUSTS Looking for more than what an exhaust on its own can deliver? The next step is to tweak your vehicle’s fuel mapping software. When an engine is tuned from the factory, it has to be dialed in to suit the worst possible conditions. So crappy fuel, crappy air quality, and crappy service schedules. Unsurprisingly you end up with a pretty, yep you guessed it, crappy tune. By tweaking certain parameters in the fuel mapping software like injector pulse (how long they’re held open for), rail pressure, injector timing and boost levels to name a few, you can significantly improve both power and www.lowrange.tv

TECHNICAL economy right across the rev range. The most popular method of doing this is by fitting an aftermarket performance chip. These work in a variety of ways depending on the brand. Some increase fuel pressure at the rail, so for the amount of time the injector is open more fuel can be delivered to the combustion chamber, some work on injector timing, keeping them open for longer increments, some work on several different parameters at once while others

FLASH TUNING IS WELL PROVEN, WITH UP TO 80% MORE POWER BEING MADE AVAILABLE

Gleno has had his Disco flash tuned, and now the thing is a deadset fire-breather! www.lowrange.tv

(usually cheap no-name brands) simply turn the fuel up as high as it goes. Yes, and how does sir like his pistons melted? While there is heaps of conjecture on which chips do what, we reckon you’re best served by looking out for units that will not void any factory warranties, do not offer unrealistic power figures, can be customised to suit your individual needs, have good after-sales support and can be provided with a tuned exhaust as a complete DIY package. Once fitted, expect around 30-40% more power and torque across the rev range and 10% better economy. Fair dinkum, if we were to be given the keys to a brand new turbo-diesel fourby and

While it takes some pretty specialised knowledge to remap an ECU, the results are well worth the costs

told to modify it however we wanted, a chip and exhaust package would be right at the top of the to-do list. Heaps more power, better fuel economy and no reliability issues – what’s not to like?

FLASH TUNING Righto, ECU remapping is a bit newer on the 4WD scene but has been around in performance circles for a long time now, and is well proven as a solid engine mod with up to 80% more power being made available – although going that high on a remotetouring vehicle may not be advisable. Remember how we said that manufacturers intentionally tune their vehicle to the worst conditions? Flash tuning basically involves taking the existing fuel and timing maps on the vehicle’s ECU and reprogramming them for greater torque, throttle response, better economy, smoother power delivery and best of all, reliability is unaffected. Manufacturers themselves do the same thing across model ranges.

Top-spec vehicles often come with engines that put out greater power. Often it’s not the engine itself that has changed, it’s that the guys in the white coats have simply keyed in a more aggressive tune. It’s not a simple or half-hour process like the plug-and-play chips however, usually needing a full day or two at a workshop to accomplish, but the gains are worth it. While power and torque figures printed out on a dyno sheet are one thing, the best thing about flash tuning is the seat-of-the-pants dyno. Driveability is improved by orders of magnitude and the savings at the bowser, around the 20% mark, make it a highly cost-effective exercise. Arguably the best part however is that a reputable tuner will be able to gain all this extra mumbo and fuel efficiency while staying well thin the factory safety parameters, and provide warranty coverage for their work. When tuned to an exhaust system, there’s a whole heap of gains and not any downsides. Talk about perfect! www.lowrange.tv

FINANCE AVAILABLE Excellent rates

CALL MDC TODAY!

ONE OF AUSTRALIA’S LARGEST MANUFACTURERS OF CAMPER TRAILERS

100%

AUST RA AND LIAN OW O N COM PERATED ED PANY

STEP THROUGH V4 THIS PRICE EXCLUDES 12V BATTERY PACK 240V SYSTEM

$12,990*

WINNER! MDC CAMPER TRAILERS ARE PROUD TO PRESENT 3 OF OUR PREMIUM TRAILERS, AS SEEN IN THE 2014 CAMPER TRAILER OF THE YEAR AWARDS.

• THE BEST VALUE FOR MONEY • QUALITY & DESIGN EXCELLENCE • FAST BUILD TURNAROUND • PEACE OF MIND • WE ARE THE INDUSTRY LEADERS

STEP THROUGH V3 AUSSIE NOMAD CRUSADER FORWARD FOLD

^ FINANCE AVAILABLE THROUGH MDC STORES

OFF ROAD DELUXE V4

OFF ROAD GAL EXTREME V4

TROOPER V4

OFF ROAD T-BOX V4

OFF ROAD STEP THROUGH V4

VOYAGER RF (HARD FLOOR) V4

CRUSADER FF (HARD FLOOR) V4

AUSSIE VENTURER V4

XT-10 OFFROAD CARAVAN

XT-14 OFFROAD CARAVAN

NEW!!

FFRREEEE DDVVD

1300 4X4 4X4 (1300 494 494) LIKE US ON FACEBOOK AND RECEIVE THE FREE MDC FRASER ISLAND & CAPE YORK DVD VALUE $39.95

(*To receive your FREE DVD, private message us your address details and we will send it to you FREE OF CHARGE!)

Create those special family memories with an MDC Camper! sales@marketdirectcampertrailers.com.au

www.mymdc.com.au

*All sales are governed by Terms and Conditions. Prices do not include registration, insurance, stamp duties or other government related charges. Specifications and features for individual models may between states as per State legislation requirements. Please contact Market Direct Campers for clarification.

Gourmet for

Kids B

SMOKEY BBQ

CHICKEN A

PREP TIME

Directions

MINUTES

1.5

I n a large zip-lock bag combine BBQ Sauce, spice, oil, salt & pepper to season. Shake ingredients in bag and add a whole split chicken to marinade.

hours

h s u b e h t in p u it Roast

s a kid we loved Sunday nights with the family, whatever we were doing, wherever we were camping, mum always managed to cook us the best roasts. By 5 o’clock in the afternoon, the smell that emanated from the kitchen or camp oven was simply mouth-wateringly devine. And with some quick and easy steps, you too can produce great

WORDS BY JADE JACKSON, PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAMES BURT

SERVES

results when you’re out camping with the kids. Here’s a simple and easy ‘setand-forget’ roast recipe that’ll have the kids salivating and still give you plenty of time to relax with a wine whilst you’re enjoying your camping holiday. You can use lots of different cooking methods for this recipe, I used a Smokey Joe Charcoal griller with some coals. The end result, simply magic!

Ing red ien ts

• 8 Whole baby potatoes • ½ Butternut pumpkin cut into 8 pieces • 2 Small sweet potatoes cut into 8 pieces • 1 Tbsp Oil • 2 cups brown sugar bourbon sauce • 2 Tbsp North African Spice (or alternative) • 1 Whole split chicken • Can Canola spray oil • Salt & black pepper

Cut vegetables into same size wedges and spray with oil & season – Wrap in alfoil.

Arrange foiled potatoes onto the outer rim of hot coals. Potatoes that are really close to the coals, wrap them up completely, the vegetables above the coals, you can leave a small opening at the top.

R emove the marinated chicken from the zip-lock bag and place carcass side down in the centre of the grill rack and baste with the surplus marinade.

• Alfoil Note: Coals need to be spread evenly and red hot before starting to cook.

Place all the remainder foiled vegetables around the chicken, secure the lid and let cook for 1-1.5 hrs.

There you have it, Smokey BBQ Chicken Dinner in the bush, it’s simple, easy to prepare and cook and the results are amazing using the charcoal griller. Oh, and the kids will love it too!

Jade www.lowrange.tv

www.lowrange.tv

DARCHE SLEEPING GEAR DURABILITY MEETS SUPER COMFORT

ALL TERRAIN MATTRESS The fully bonded self-inflating All Terrain Mattress range is designed to fit most single, king or double swags and camping stretchers. They make great general tent bedding, adding warmth and comfort when required most. Available in three models, with features such as open cell high density foam, water resistant outer shell, non-slip base and carry bag. Simply use it in the back of your 4x4!

VIEW RANGE

darche.com.au

Kenno’s Bait Bucket

WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHY BY KENT HINDLEY

WHAT’S IN

KENNO’S No need to go BUCKET? far and wide!

hen I say there’s no need to go far and wide, I say that from experience. I’ve spent a lot of time fishing from banks, beaches, tinnies; I’ve always thought a big boat was the solution to be able to access the offshore grounds to catch big fish. I believed it so much, that’s exactly what I did. With my new 7-metre bay liner trophy with all the fruit and techno gizmos, I motored out of the Brisbane River every weekend, out across the Bay, around the northern tip of Moreton Island to hit the open water and offshore reefs. It was a sure thing; we had the right boat, the right bait and the right tackle. But every trip after a full day’s fishing or maybe I should call it casting, we’d return home empty handed. This persisted for months on end but on one memorable Sunday afternoon our luck had changed. We spent the weekend out on the reef catching and releasing undersized fish, we’d had enough and motored back

Perfect set up for fishing, but it guarantees nothing

to the Rivergate Marina with an empty esky. My brother Vaughan, half broken and frustrated decided to get a six-pack from the local to make cleaning the boat a little more bearable. In his absence I threaded a prawn on a hook, and sent it into the drink to the bottom in one last ditched effort whilst I started to clean

Couple of beauties caught on light gear, drifting on an incoming tide

the boat. Without warning, the rod bent over itself and the reel started to scream. Dropping the cleaning utensils I reached for the rod, tightened the drag and set the hook with a firm but calculated strike. And I was on! By the bend in the rod and heavy thump thump on the line, this was going to be a fight. Keeping the tension on I managed to bring him up off the bottom and it was a snapper... about 2kg in size. You bloody beauty! Next challenge however was to net this fish by myself whilst its thrashing around like a scalded cat. Whilst attempting to net the fish with the rod waving precariously sky-ward in the other hand, Vaughan saw me

from a distance doing the two-handed puppet dance and legged it back. A doubled up rod with a horse of a fish on the line does that to a bloke. Grabbing the net Vaughan quickly scooped up the snapper, we then we looked at each other and just cheered. Next thing you know we’re both throwing out lines and getting smashed with every cast. It was game on, fish after fish. Being in a marina we drew a crowd and it felt awesome! Any fisho that has filled his esky with prime fish in half an hour will know that special feeling. Ok my point is, and I learnt the expensive way, you don’t need to have the biggest and best boat to catch the biggest and best fish. You don’t need to be able to access the offshore reefs as there are quality fish much closer than you think. Fish the rivers on an incoming tide. Species such as jewies, estuary cod and snapper follow the clean water up the rivers feeding. Tides are one of the most important things to factor in. Flick your line the opposite way the tide is running, use as little weight as possible and let your bait drift with the run of the tide. Do all of this and you will be surprised how many fish you catch... although...I hear for my mates, I’m still yet to catch one. Go figure. Cheers,

THANK YOU

LowRange issue 1 was brought to you by:

TERRITORY

THE MEETING PLACE FOR 4WD ENTHUSIASTS