2015 09 tlccv magazine

September 2015

Overland Cruisering Toyota Land Cruiser Club of Australia (Victoria) Inc.

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Inside... < Four

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wheel driving in Dubai

Trip

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200 Series LandCruiser Upgrade

Registered by Australia Post Publication No. PP339119/00013 $5.00

TOYOTA LAND CRUISER CLUB OF AUSTRALIA (VICTORIA) INC. A0005442C ABN87301244383

SEPTEMBER CONTENTS

General Meetings: 7:30pm on the 3rd Tuesday of each month at Mulgrave Country Club Wellington Road (corner Jells Road), Wheelers Hill Melways Ref 80 H1 Geelong Meetings: 7.30pm the 1st Tuesday of each month & 2nd Tuesday each November at the Supper Room, Geelong West Town Hall, 153 Pakington St. 3218. (Mel. 451 J2) ENQUIRIES: Membership & General to: The Secretary Toyota Land Cruiser Club PO Box 363, HAWTHORN 3122

Website: http:www.tlccv.com.a u MEMBERSHIP DETAILS Joining Fee: $280.00 Membership: $155.00 REINSTATEMENT OF PAST MEMBERS If a member rejoins the Club within 5 years, a joining fee is not applicable.

If a member rejoins the Club after 5 years, they are required to pay the joining fee and undertake the Club’s Driver Awareness course.

RECOGNISED CLUB RADIO CHANNEL: 15 UHF

2015

VOLUME 44

No.3

Club Information

1

Committee 2015-2016

2

President’s Report

3

Over the Hill

5

Calendar/Coming Events

7

Coming Events

8

Family Christmas Party

9

Driver Awareness Annual Report

10

Mt Cobbler Trip Report

11

Technical: Batteries for 4WDs

19

Yarck Maintenance Weekend

23

News from Toyota

23

Upgraded 200 Series LandCruiser

24

News from ARB

25

From the Archives - 2006

26

Member Directory

28

YARCK PROPERTY Our property is a registered Land for Wildlife property and no inference is drawn in the publication that the sign or registration has any other meaning.

Life Members: Graeme Wilson, John Whitney (Dec), Don Honey, Bill Dower, Alan Winch, Barrie McCarthy, Harold Ross, Sandra Tanner, Brian Stewart, Charles Norman, Ashley (Dec) & Judith Williams, John Turbill, Garry Cooper, Jan Chivers & Ken Hildebrand Honorary Members: Ross McClure, Clive Blakely, Reece DeJong Club Auditor: Chris Rumble

Main photo by Brad Ridd The opinions expressed in the articles appearing in this magazine are not necessarily those of the Editor or the Toyota Land Cruiser Club of Australia (Victoria) Inc. The Editor reserves the right to delete where necessary any section of any article, which has been sent for publication in the magazine.

Acceptance of advertisements does not necessarily imply endorsement of products or associated companies or individuals by the Toyota Land Cruiser Club of Australia (Victoria) Inc.

Overland Cruisering 1

COMMITTEE President Laurie Miles president1@tlccv.com.au

Vice President Michael Martin president2@tlccv.com.au

Past President Ian Ross

2015 - 2016 0 advertising@tlccv.com.a u Activities Coordinator 0 Ian Ross activities@tlccv.com.au Advertising Sandra Tanner

Webmaster Laurie Miles

webmaster@tlccv.com.au

Excursion Visits Coordinator excursions@tlccv.com.au

Driver Training John MIlls: driverawareness@tlccv.com.au * Driver Training Course bookings * Awareness Course certificates Yarck Management 0 Brian Stewart yarckmanage@tlccv.com.au

Marketing/Public Relations Coordinator Brian Tanner marketing@tlccv.com.au Emergency Response Coordinator

president3@tlccv.com.au Secretary Sandra Tanner secretary1@tlccv.com.au Assistant Secretary Ian wells secretary2@tlccv.com.au Treasurer Alan McMeekin treasurer1@tlccv.com.au

tlccrg@tlccv.com.au Magazine Distribution Gordon Chessum

Trip Convenor trips@tlccv.com.au Tony Middleditch * Register a Member’s trip * Assistance in trip preparation

Club Shop Graham Cahill

Technical Brett Dyson

Social Coordinator

technical@tlccv.com.au

Training Matt Lilley training@tlccv.com.au • Club training courses co-ordinator

Assistant Treasurer Barbra Bryant treasurer2@tlccv.com.au

Special Events Peter McLean

Committee Michael Schuettke committee1@tlccv.com.au

Membership Barbara Bryant membership@tlccv.com.au * Membership renewals, name badges, contact detail changes

Committee Liz Mills 0 committee2@tlccv.com.au

Librarian Wendy Wilson library@tlccv.com.au * Borrow DVDs & books * Contributions to the Library

Magazine Editor Sandra Tanner:

0 editor1@tlccv.com.au

Raffles & Supper Gabi & Grace Azzam

clubshop@tlccv.com.au

Sergeant-At-Arms

social@tlccv.com.au * Book for participation in social events Visitor Greeters Carol & Greg Edmunds Cruiserkhana enquiries@cruiserkhana.com.au

events@tlccv.com.au • Shows & special event co-ordinator

FWDV Delegate Tony Bryant fwdvdelegate@tlccv.com.au

GEELONG BRANCH President Matt Lilley

geelong@tlccv.com.au

Vice President Matt McPhee Secretary Jennie Harvie Social Alison Williams

alison4913@gmail.com

MAGAZINE CONTRIBUTIONS

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

TRADING POST

All articles, trip reports and other contributions are welcome for inclusion in the magazine. They must be in the hands of the Editor by the first of the month.

Please send them to: The Editor, Overland Cruisering, PO Box 1778, Geelong 3220

• Please submit articles as Word documents with no formatting.

(No fancy formats as it will only have to be removed in preparing for publication).

In particular DO NOT embed pictures in your documents • Images (photos) should be supplied as seperate JPEG files.

The higher resolution the better. As a guide images should be of 300 pixel per inch with image files around 1-5MB fine.

• If you have multiple images, please burn to a CD and post to Editor rather than trying to email numerous images.

• Articles can be posted with normal photos.

They will be scanned and returned to the author if a self-addressed envelope is provided.

• Note: if selling a vehicle in the Trading Post it is a Motor Car Trader Regulation (1988-22(4) legal requirement that a cash price, registration number or engine number are supplied.

or email: editor1@tlccv.com.au

Members’ name and membership number must accompany all articles and/or contributions.

ADVERTISING A TRIP • Note: All trips must be approved by the Trip Convenor before they can be gazetted in Overland Cruisering.

All contributions MUST BE received by the 1st of the month.

ADVERTISERS Please support those companies that advertise in our magazine. Let them know you saw their advert in Overland Cruisering.

ARE YOUR MEMBERSHIP DETAILS CURRENT? If you have recently moved, please notify Barbara Bryant – Membership Officer – and provide your new address, telephone number(s) and (if altered) your email address as soon as possible. Please also remember to remove the Club sticker if you change or sell your four-wheel drive.

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U P D AT E

W

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

ith one of Melbourne’s coldest winters for many decades, it is no wonder that some of our members have decided to head north and enjoy the warmer weather in the Outback.

Trip Leader of the Year, Don Bryant has just completed his Old Ghan Railway trip & Qld Savannah Excursion trip. Some pics from his trips will soon be appearing on the website and magazine.

New trip leader, Michael Schuettke is making a name for himself by just completing an adventurous trip to Cape York. I know there have been many pics already placed on Facebook from members of his trip, and we will look forward to reading about his trip in the magazine soon. Other members have been away on private trips as well.

Of course, some of you enjoyed Melbourne’s cold winter and headed for the snow fields with Simon Mustey and Sherry Salvesen plus Matt & Sara Lilley for the TLCCV Mt Skene snow trip. It is great to see club trips being run. Hopefully it won’t be long before the High Country tracks re-open and more trips are advertised. If you would like to run a club trip, please contact Tony Middleditch at trips@tlccv.com.au. Tony will give you the rundown on how to become a TLCCV Trip Leader.

Of course, Heidi and I are still away enjoying the warmth of the Qld, NT and SA outback. When you read this, we will hopefully have travelled the Hay River track in the NT, driven past Big Red in Qld and then heading for Coongie Lakes near Innaminka in SA. Vice President Michael Martin will once again chair the monthly meeting this month.

During August, it was good to see John & Liz Mills put their hands up to run the Club Shop. From initial reports, it sounds like they made quite a few sales. The committee is currently reviewing the future direction of the Club Shop, so more details will follow soon.

A big thanks to Pete & Thea McLean for putting their hands up to take on the Special Events Coordinator role. Pete & Thea are busy preparing for Leisurefest on October 8-11. Many helping hands will be required to set up and man the stand, so if you can help out, please send an email to Pete & Thea at events@tlccv.com.au.They would love to hear from you.

One of my first tasks with our new Committee is to create a future plan for the enhancement of our Yarck property. There have been some suggestions put forward by members. However, it is important that we create an overall strategy so that members see the value of any future

enhancements. This plan will be developed in consultation with many of the sub-committees, so that we all head in the right direction with members’ approval.

The Club’s By-Laws will also be reviewed to ensure they meet our current needs. To assist with this process, I will be initiating a meeting with some of the Committee and our legal eagle Ross McClure to review our needs. I will keep you posted on their progress.

With Christmas not that far away, Brad & Melanie Schaffer will be running the kids annual Christmas Party on Sunday 6th December. Forms will be in the magazine and Weekend Wrap shortly, so remember to keep this enjoyable day free.

For our long standing members, don’t forget to attend a meeting to receive your 10, 20 or 30 year badges. It is always good to reward our members at our meetings, so hopefully we see you at a meeting soon.

Laurie Miles (1058) PRESIDENT

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CALENDAR

INFORMATION FOR TRIP LEADERS • Trip leaders please note that under the Constitution, members may not take part in any club activities involving four-wheel driving unless they have completed the Driver Awareness

COMING TRIPS

Course (Theory & Practical) and have filled in an Indemnity Form.

• The Club Insurance Policy states that only Club Trips that are gazetted in the Club Magazine and the Club website are covered by the Club Public Liability Policy.

• All Club Trips gazetted in the Club Magazine must include a telephone number (or mobile) and/or an email address for the purpose of booking on a trip.

• Members please note that telephone calls should not be made later than 8:30 pm.

Club trips are for club members only. Non members are not afforded insurance coverage by the club and may jeopardise our coverage. If you have any queries they may be raised with our Trip Coordinator, Tony Middleditch.

Members Please Note: All guests attending TLCCV trips must take out Temporary Membership. This includes children of members 18 years of age and older. If you have any queries contact our Trip Convenor, Tony Middleditch at trips@tlccv.com.au. All applications and pay-ments for Temporary Membership MUST be received by the Membership Officer NO LATER than 14 days prior to the trip.

Facebook: Any trips advertised on Facebook that have not been approved by the Trip Convenor will not be recognised as an official Club trip and therefore not be covered by the Club insurance.

Seasonal Road Closures: Contact Parks Victoria on http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/safety/fire,-flood-and-other-closures/seasonal-road-closures2

NOVEMBER Date: Meeting Place: Time: Limit: Standard: Fuel: Radio: Equipment: Overnight: Details:

Trip Leader:

PORTLAND SAND DUNES - Melbourne Cup weekend Friday 30th October - Tuesday 3rd November, 2015 Swan Lake Camping area (maps supplied for participants) 9:00am start time Saturday morning from Swan Lake Camping area.

14 vehicles Medium to hard depending on sand conditions and your experience.

Full tanks from Portland.

15 UHF Standard recovery gear, snatch strap, compressor, rated recovery points & shackles.

Base camping at Swan Lake.

Drive the only legal sand dunes in Victoria. Test your skills on the many steep sand hills. Apart from a drop toilet there are no amenities at the camping area. Caravans & camper trailers are OK. No pets. Be prepared for wet & windy conditions. Sand driving for Saturday & Sunday, Monday trip to Picaninny Ponds, beach drive in SA, lunch at the Nelson Pub. Return home Tuesday. To allow time to process PDBC paperwork, your intention to join this trip needs to be in the hands of the trip leader by the end of August.

Garry Cooper: Email: gac001@bigpond.com

ANNUAL “MONSTER” MAINTENANCE & CONSTRUCTION WORKING BEE WEEKEND

21st & 22nd NOVEMBER, 2015 To be held at Yarck, a “Monster” working bee is being organized for members to assist in preparing our beautiful property for the summer months and the ensuing Cruiserkhana.

We need as many members as possible to come for the weekend, or even for a day.

There is a host of tasks that require our attention for the safety of our members and the property.

BYO tools, trailers, safety gear and the usual food and liquid requirements.

Saturday night a BBQ will be provided.

For catering purposes, please advise ASAP if you will be attending, by advising Brian Stewart at a meeting or emailing Brian at: yarckmanagement@tlccv.com.au

Overland Cruisering 5

CALENDAR

COMING TRIPS

Prior to booking or setting any dates for an event, please check with the Activity Coordinator who will ensure that there are no clashes. Please email to the Activity Coordinator the proposed date, time, venue and overview of the event.

September 19th & 20th September 26th & 27th October 3rd & 4th October 11th October 13th October 17th & 18th October 24th & 25th Oct 30th – Nov 3rd November 7th & 8th November 10th November 21st & 22nd November 28th & 29th December 8th

Maintenance & Construction weekend DA Practical weekend Bush craft & basic camping at Yarck Brisbane Ranges BBQ and Wildflowers Yarck Management and DA Theory Trip/Meal Prep & Bush Mechanics @ Yarck Maintenance & Construction weekend Portland Sand Dunes Melbourne Cup w/end DA Practical weekend Yarck Management and DA Theory Monster Maintenance & Construction w/e DA Practical weekend Yarck Management

Are you receiving your copy of TLCCV Weekend Wrap?

Make sure you include your email address on your membership renewal form. Alternatively you can send an email to the Membership Officer (Barb) at membership@tlccv.com.au with your updated details.

Weekend Wrap is produced by Laurie Miles (1058). Items for Weekend Wrap can be sent to info@tlccv.com.au

SOCIAL NEWS JOINT GEELONG/MELBOURNE BRISBANE RANGES BBQ AND WILDFLOWERS S U N D AY 1 1 T H O C T O B E R 2 0 1 5 Meet at the Anakie General Store at 10:30am.

If coming from MELBOURNE, meet at the Service Station on the approach to the Westgate Bridge at 9:15am for 9:30 departure.

Melbourne members please contact Angela on social@tlccv.com.au to RSVP if you are going to meet at Westgate.

Anakie is 80 km and approximately 1 hour travel time.

From the TLCCV archives...

39 years ago August, 1976: The birth of Sergeant-at-Arms was called “Even the Wheels Have Ears”.

29 years ago May, 1986: The first Driver Awareness “Theory Nights” were held at Essendon SES. June, 1986: The commencement of Club Library.

19 years ago March, 1996: The first Boots & Bonnets picnic (75 vehicles).

Thank you to Jan Chivers for supplying these interesting dates.

CRUISERKHANA 2016 16TH & 17H APRIL CruiserKhana next year will move into April due to an early Easter combined with school holidays.

After a solid review of this year’s event, it is proposed to only run the main competition on the Saturday with the prize presentations after dinner on the Saturday night.

The optional events such as Rock Climb and Bog Hole will be run on the Sunday morning.

However, before any further planning / organizing can take place, we need a committee.

Please review the following vacant positions and contact me if you are available.

The committee meets once a month, but a lot of our work is done via email.

Please give serious consideration to volunteering because without YOU there will be no CruiserKhana.

Coordinator, Sponsorship, Publicity, Chief Marshal, Entries, Financial Controller, Secretary, Logistics Coordination, Merchandise and Marshals Coordination.

Please contact Neil Chambers : co-ordinator@cruiserkhana.com.au Overland Cruisering 7

SHOW & TELL

PBER O C TI O

EcoSHOT Do you want : • Improved fuel cconomy • Improved torque/horsepower?

• Reduced emissions?

If you have answered yes to all these questions then don't miss this interesting presentation on this innovative and unique system and how this simple installation to your vehicle will improve your fuel economy etc.

Les Abel and John O'Brien will explain how it all works and bring along a unit for you to examine.

Liz Mills Show & Tell Coordinator

TRAINING

C O M I N G T R A I N I INPG O P P O R T U N I T I E S

Date

Training / Activity Topic

Location

Facilitator

Oct 3/4

Bush craft Basic Camping Skills

Yarck

Paul (Tracks) Hawdon & Jeff Gazzard

Oct 17/18

Trip meal preparation, Cooking & Bush mechanic weekend

Yarck

Liz Mills / Brad Schafer

Note: Chainsaw weekend has been transferred to October 9-11 subject to numbers.

NEWS

C O M I N G IEPV E N T S

TRIP PLANNNG/CAMP COOKING B U S H M E C H A N I C S / L E D L I G H T I N G / S O L A R PA N E L S OCTOBER 17th-18th AT YA R C K

Liz Mills

Brad Schaffer

PLANNING A WEEKEND OR EXTENDED OUTBACK TRIP? Saturday This two day course is designed to give tips and ideas on catering and packing plus cooking on hot coals, all to make your trip more fun.

DO YOU KNOW?

• Solar panels and what size do I need?

• What spare parts and tools do I take on a trip?

• Are LEDs good and do I need them?

• What to look at on your 4WD before going away?

Sunday Have fun using your new skills for a "Scone Cook Off" DVD for kids on Saturday evening

Prizes to be won

Numbers are limited for this weekend.

Participants must bring their own cooking pots, all ingredients plus notepad and pen RSVP no later than Sunday 4th October:

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email: training@tlccv.com.au

SPECIAL EVENT

2 0 1 5 T L C C V FI AP M I LY C H R I S T M A S P A R T Y

2015 TLCCV FAMILY CHRISTMAS PARTY - Not

just for the kids!

Sunday 6th December, 2015 Nortons Park, Wantirna South (Mel. Ref. 72 A2)

Starts 11:30 am – BYO Lunch and Drinks Fun and games will be provided Santa arrives at 1:30 pm SHARP with presents for the kids Value of each present $20.00 ($10.00 of that is paid by the members in advance).

Presents to children 15-years and under.

Cheques made payable to TLCCV, and posted to Melody Schaffer, 9 Paul Street, Cheltenham, 3192 Organisers: Brad & Melody Schaffer: 0403 811 460 Email: bradschaffer26@yahoo.com.au

PLEASE RING TO CONFIRM PAYMENT HAS BEEN RECEIVED TO 0403 811 460 FORMS TO BE RECEIVED NO LATER THAN 17th NOVEMBER, 2015

Name: …………………………………………………………………………………...........................................................................

Membership No:

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Contact phone No: Boy / Girl

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Child’s Name

Age

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DRIVER TRAINING DRIVER AWARENESS UNIT 2015 ANNUAL REPORT The Driver Awareness Unit (note the new name) has had another good year. We continue to follow the FWD Victoria course that is approved by the FWDV Educational Training Unit. We now have five approved trainers and three trainees plus one ‘apprentice.’ Sadly this year Jeff Gazzard has dropped out of the team, we thank Jeff and wish him well. We welcomed Ian Wells and Geoff Dumaresq who have both qualified this year and Matt Lilley who should before the end of the year. Tony Bryant and Michael Martin are both ready to be assessed and are both valuable members within the team. Simon Mustey amazes me with his ability and dedication to the Unit. This year he has qualified to Public Instructor with FWDV, run a couple of Club trips and when I have been away, has taken over the DAU and run the theory and practical weekends.

We have had ten DA courses this year, and welcomed eighty-one new members to the Club. Generally courses have been well attended, most with around 10 participants, one month we only had four due to last minute sickness etc. It is most rewarding to see the difference between Friday night, often many of the participants are

10 Overland Cruisering

A N NI UP A L R E P O R T pensive about the weekend, and how the same folk are when they leave on Sunday afternoon, full of confidence and ready to take their place within the Club. This enthusiasm needs to be tapped into.

Thanks to Michael and Geoff, who over and above their DAU commitments, have run two new member trips this year, a great effort.

My thanks to all the team of the DAU, without them this Club cannot offer the welcome and induction to the Club for new members through our course that is the envy of other Clubs.

I take my hat off to:Simon Mustey, Heather Cale, Michael Martin, Ian Wells, Geoff Dumaresq, Tony Bryant and Matt Lilley, all have done a sterling job this year.

John Mills (1937) DAU COORDINATOR, TLCCV (With apologies to John for the belated printing of this annual report ……………..Ed)

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE FOLLOWING RECIPIENTS FOR 10-YEAR AND 20-YEAR BADGES 10-Year Badges Colin & Barbara Thomson Gary & Valerie Lyons Peter & Elizabeth White Laurie & Robyne Young Judith Theobald Mark Robinson 20-Year Badges Tony & Annmarie Swinden Rob & Marie Liston Margaret Westall Fred Bell Hari Maragos Walter Bevilacqua Tim Norton Graham Tonkin Ian McKay Frank & Angela Cassar

TRIPS Trip Leaders: Participants:

M T C O B B L E R -I P MARCH 2015 Brad & Denise Riddington John & Liz Mills Marianne & Marcel Van den Bronk Robert Duff & Douglas Lee Jake & John Van Diepen & Gary Peeters Ian Mak

Saturday 21st March - My 1st trip for the year. The trip started with the usual anticipation, a luxurious start at 9.00am in Mansfield, not a cloud in the sky promised a great week end. Brad our trip leader gave our 1st dayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s briefing and as I must have been tying my shoes when the trip report was mentioned, suddenly it was up to me!

We left Mansfield and headed up the highway towards Mt Buller turning left to air down in Carters Road Day area near Sawmill Settlement.

From here our day started in earnest as we headed up Plain Creek Track to Tomahawk Gap, followed the ridge line to Mt No 3.

Strange name for a mountain; they must have run out of names I guess. Just after turning onto Weston track, we stopped for morning tea in a clearing amongst the snow gums on the summit of Mt No.3 where we were rewarded with some

Riddo Drover MnM Duffs Macca

GU Patrol TD 100 Series TD Pajero TD 79 Series TD Hilux Prado TD

Lake Cobbler spectacular views of Mt Buller and Mt Stirling and with the clear sky you could easily pick out the ski tows and snow runs.

After morning tea we headed off, met a couple off non-existent cattle still happily grazing in the High Country. (Obviously no-

one had told them they werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t allowed there now). The Weston track stopped and from here we followed the King river along Basin Road with a few small river crossings to break up the journey along the way to King Hut where we stopped for lunch.

The convoy

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12 Overland Cruisering

After lunch we headed up Speculation Track towards Mt Cobbler, which used to have a nasty staircase, but over the last few years has been graded but was still quite steep and lumpy. Lake Cobbler was our next stop with a small delay as someone (he shall remain nameless) had forgotten to check his nuts after fitting new tyres the week before. Luckily no damage was done. Lake Cobbler was a spectacular man-made lake deep in the High Country and I am sure is inhabited with a few trout, which I must return to tempt out at a later date. Setting up our group photo was quite fun with camera timers going off in all directions and with multiple attempts.

(Glad we were only here to four wheel drive and not on a photography lesson). Then it got even more complicated when a pair of ducks wanted to get into the action so we had to start all over again.

From here we went for a hike to the top of the Dandongadale Falls, which was a massive escarpment and would look spectacular during the winter months.

After Lake Cobbler we headed down the track towards our campsite for the night and were treated to another view of the escarpment, which only increased our perception of its attributes.

The dust now came in thick in the last leg of our journey; we nearly lost contact with our tail end Charlie as he was busy doing a tail gate check (donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t ask) and somehow managed to knock his radio to a different channel. Once we regained contact we heard fantastic reports of the setting sun through the dust clouds, but I must admit at this stage a beer to dampen the dust seemed much more appropriate .

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16 Overland Cruisering

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We arrived at Bennies, our campsite for the night and as we were the only campers Brad had nicely organised for the lawns to be neatly mowed. (He must have good contacts but pity he missed a few cow pats). Camp was quickly set up and the fire started with a few beers cracked to complete the day. Then to top it off after tea, we were treated to a fantastic batch of scones from the camp oven by Liz. Robert Duff (2620) Sunday 22nd March – We started the day with a lovely breakfast around the campfire. After this, we packed up by 9:00am and were really keen for the day’s adventures that lay ahead.

I must say, the campsite we had was called Bennies Campground, and our fantastic trip leaders had organized that the grass was mowed and raked for us! Very impressive!

We started travelling on Wild Horse Gap track, which gave us magnificent views of Mt Cobbler. What a spectacular mountain this is! It’s a rocky outcrop that points up to the sky. So worth seeing. Oh,we do need to mention, that we had during the day, a hitch hiker (a stick under the car wanting a free ride), and many radiator checks. Now for you that don’t understand, that means a loo visit! We also had our tail end Charlie, who was Ian. He got the name “tailgate Charlie” as he was known to often visit his tail gate for a loo stop!

Now back to the adventures….After turning onto Burnt Top track we came along to the Razorback, which was spectacular!

The view from both sides of the road was incredible. We counted 6 mountain ranges deep with shades of blue into the far horizon. It certainly was a beautiful day weather-wise, with not a cloud in the sky which meant we could see right across to Mt Buffalo, Mt Cobbler and Mt Buller, just to name a few.

After leaving such a great spot, we travelled some more interesting tracks, crossing over a few river crossings

including the King River, which was where we had lunch along the rocks in the sunshine. Very hard to cope with.

We then went on to see Lake William Hovell, which was such a peaceful place with a flush toilet! Then wait, there’s more…..we still had some challenging tracks ahead. It was a very steep climb up McDonalds Spur, with yes, more amazing views of the area. We finished the fantas-

tic day back on the hard top, just near Tolmie.

This weekend was the first trip run by Brad and Denise for this Club, and what an amazing job they did. We look forward to many more trips in the near future with them. Thanks guys.

Marianne and Marcel Van den Bronk (2687)

Bennies campground

Mt Cobbler from Razorback

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TECHNICAL

B E S T B A T TI EPR I E S F O R 4 W D S

All charged up and no place to go W h a t ’s t h e b e s t b a t t e r y f o r y o u r 4 W D ?

Part 1 of 2 Words by Simon “Simmo” Mustey In this series of articles we’ll be looking at what’s the best battery for you in both the main battery position and accessory battery position. Part 1 will delve into the battery terminology and rating, and will also look at the different types of batteries available in the market.

Firstly, to gain a good appreciation of the wonderful world of electricity, you’ll need to know the difference between voltage and amperage. The easiest way to understand the terms is to think of a piece of pipe with water flowing through it, instead of electricity. The voltage (V) would be the pressure in the pipe and the amperage (A) would be the equivalent of the flow rate of the water.

Before we delve into the types of batteries available to the automotive market, there are a few terms used to describe the performance characteristics of certain batteries that will help you make smart decisions when it comes time to choosing your next battery.

CCA, CA, AH and RC. Everybody loves a good industry specific acronym and the automotive battery industry is no different. Let the demystification commence!

CCA (Cold Cranking Amps) This is a measure of how well the battery works in cold conditions. A new fully charged battery is place in a cold environment -18oC and measured how many amps the battery can sustain for 30 seconds while maintaining at of at least 7.2v.

CA (Cranking Amps) CA is the same test as CCA but the temperature of the test is performed at 0oC as opposed to -18oC of the CCA test. This test is probably more appropriate to Australian conditions (Unless you live in Ballarat!)

AH (Amp Hours) Amp Hours is usually a rating reserved for deep cycle batteries. The usual rating is an Ampere rating taken for 20 Hours. So for a 100 AH rated battery, you could draw 5 Amps for 20 Hours, 5A x 20Hrs = 100AH. One thing to keep in mind is that the AH rating isn’t a linear relationship regardless of the current draw. So if you where to draw a large current, say 100A the battery would only last for a bit over half an hour, not a full hour.

RC (Reserve Capacity) Reserve Capacity is a not often quoted capacity, but quite an important one. RC is

the number of minutes a new, completely charged battery maintained at a temperature of about 27oC can discharge as a rate of 25A while maintaining a voltage above 10.5V. Now we have demystified the ratings let’s have a look at the different types of batteries available to bolt into your pride and joy.

Starting vs. Deep Cycle There are two main types of battery available for automotive use, the Starting (cranking) and the Deep Cycle (Accessory).

Starting batteries are designed for quick burst of power at high current (amp) draw, such as starting your car or winching.

Starting batteries have a higher plate count that a Deep Cycle battery and the plates have a slightly different composition to the plates in a Deep Cycle battery.

Starting batteries are not designed to be discharged to almost flat, completely discharging a starting battery will hurt its life span considerably.

Deep Cycle batteries are not designed for high current draw applications, unlike starting batteries and are more suited to long draw low current application, such as running a 12V fridge. The plates in a Deep Cycle battery are thicker and can tolerate many deep discharge cycles without a reduction in longevity.

In an ideal world you wouldn’t use a Starting battery in the place of a Deep Cycle battery as the thinner plate in a Starting battery are prone to pitting and warping when discharged leading to shorter life span. There are however Dual Purpose batteries available on the market, that are advertised to work as well as both Deep Cycle and Starting batteries in all situations, but as in all compromises in life, while a great compromise, dual purpose batteries are just that, a compromise. They are not as good as a Starting battery in the starting position and not quite as good as a dedicated Deep Cycle battery in an accessory application.

levels. Demineralised or preferably distilled water should be used to top us the cells, as the contaminants in tap water will lead to reduced performance and a shorter life span.

VRLA Valve Regulated Lead Acid batteries use a safety valve to maintain a level of pressure in the battery. The valve allows the gases created when the battery is being discharged to mix and reconstitute back into water, this stops any fluid loss negating the need to top up the battery. There are two main types of VLRA batteries, AGM and Gel. Gel The Gel battery is similar in design to the Wet/Flooded battery with the exemption of the electrolyte (fluid). In a gel battery the fluid that usually has the viscosity of water is mixed with a gelling agent, like silica that “set” the electrolyte. This helps reduce movement of the batteries internals in adverse condition (can anyone say corrugations!) the disadvantage of the Gel type batteries are cost and temperature tolerance, Gel batteries exposed to high under bonnet temperatures suffer reduced life span.

Battery Types: Wet/Flooded battery These are your common garden variety automotive battery, they are reasonably priced and provide a good service life Some flooded batteries have screw caps above the individual cells and can be topped up to maintain the electrolyte (fluid)

Overland Cruisering 19

AGM Absorbed Glass Mat batteries use glass mat that the electrolyte is absorbed into, to separate the plates. This leads to a very

Spiral AGM

Cutaway of AGM battery

Calcium Calcium Calcium batteries are reasonably new to the market, they are similar in construction to a Wet/Flooded battery but the plates are a calcium alloy. The advantages of this are up to 80% less fluid loss than a conventional Wet/Flooded battery and a considerably lower self-discharge rate than Wet/Flooded batteries. Like Gel and AGMs, Calcium Calcium batteries are not as heat tolerant as their conventional cousins. Silver Calcium batteries are also new to the market, they have a higher heat tolerance and better performance characstics than Calcium Calcium batteries.

robust construction that is quite suitable to the 4WD environment (can you say hours of pounding corrugations?) AGM batteries can either be constructed in the conventional sandwich rectangular style or spiral wound into a cylindrical cell such as the Optima branded batteries.

AGMs also retain charge longer than Wet/Flooded batteries, are able to recharge up to five times faster than conventional batteries and have a longer service life. The disadvantages are they are more expensive and just like Gel batteries, less heat tolerant.

Calcium Calcium

DANDENONG 25 Frankston-Dandenong Rd FAWKNER 1074 Sydney Rd FRANKSTON 138 Beach St GEELONG 25 West Fyans St Newtown HOPPERS CROSSING Hoppers Crossing Homemakers Centre Shop 4, 428 Old Geelong Rd LILYDALE 43 Cave Hill Rd MENTONE B6, 27-29 Nepean Highway MILDURA 846 Fifteenth St SWAN HILL 10 Rutherford St WANTIRNA Cnr. Boronia Rd & Wantirna Rd WARRNAMBOOL 25 Walsh Rd

20 Overland Cruisering

Overland Cruisering 5

Silver Calcium Lithium Ion This is where automotive battery technology is heading in the not too distant future. Lithium Ion batteries pack more punch per kilogram than any other current production battery technology. They are low self-discharge, low maintenance and even environmentally friendly when it comes time for disposal. Disadvantages include they are somewhat fragile, they requires a protection circuit to maintain voltage and current within safe limits and are the most expensive automotive batteries, some costing in excess of AU$1,500.

Terminal Maintenance Your battery connections are of the utmost importance in your 4WD. If your battery terminals are loose and corroded, the resistance generated by the bad join may at best stop your car for starting and at worse generate enough heat to set a fire

4 Overland Cruisering

burning you ride to the ground! If you can see a white powder covering the terminals, this is corrosion and must be dealt with quickly. Remove the battery connectors from the battery. You can get a terminal cleaner that is somewhat like a small wire brush designed just for battery terminals and the connectors. But first you have to eutralize the corrosion present, mix three tablespoons of baking soda with one tablespoon of water, grab an old toothbrush and set to work scrubbing off the corrosion with the paste and toothbrush. Once the corrosion has been eutralized and removed, set to work using the terminal cleaner to rough up both the battery terminals and the mating surfaces of the battery connector. You can now apply a smear of petroleum jelly to the battery terminals and connectors to help prevent further corrosion before tensioning up the connectors.

In the next article, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be looking at dual battery setups. Battery compatibility to certain vehicles, wiring your dual battery setup and the best accessory battery isolator for you and your needs.

TRADING POST FOR SALE: Powerful 4x4 Kalahari Black Edition awning that attaches to pack rack, RRP $309 plus $35 delivery online.

400gm rip stop canvas, heavy duty carry bag, telescopic legs, brackets, very easy to fit. Raffle prize â&#x20AC;&#x201C; excess to requirements. Never out of box, inspection invited. $209.00 ONO. Can deliver within 20km of Mt Waverley or by arrangement or bring to Club meeting.

Contact: Leigh & Angela Di Lallo (225) Mobile: 0419 434 516 Phone: 9807 9240

FOR SALE: Prado 120 - Top and bottom radiator hoses. Brand new. No longer required due to change of vehicle.

Sold as pair $40.00 Contact: Peter Hepworth Mobile: 0419 340 487

Thanks to Glen from: Battery World For your nearest dealer visit www.batteryworld.com.au or call 131760

Overland Cruisering 21

YA R C K

MAINTENANCE WEEKEND

Yarck Maintenance & Construction weekends July: A great weekend with 11 members, including 3 that have yet to do their DA. The major item was to re-stock the firewood bins again â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the team put in a super effort. Other items were to remove some of the tyres that were taken off the tyre track last month. It is settling down well and will need topping up again. Water was pumped and tanks checked. Showers and toilets had a good clean.

An old metal tank has been placed at the bush hut for firewood. Due to the weather conditions, little has been done on this project; the next step is to drill the holes for the verandah posts. I have been asked

NEWS

why funding for this project has been cut back. This has meant a drop in enthusiasm. Mulch was spread over the triangular garden. Drains were cleared and some equipment attended to.

At the moment we are looking at costs and requirements for the block splitter that is in the budget.

The guys that put forward the proposal for the multi-purpose room are disappointed that they have received no feedback as yet.

A suggestion was put forward that the Maintenance & Construction weekends be put into the Over the Next Hill section of the magazine and into Weekend Wrap as this may help bring it to membersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; attention more and they can plan better.

August: There were only 7 of us there, but we were able to get a number of track drains cleared and all the roof guttering cleaned. The taps in the kitchen area of the hut have been in bad shape for some time, so were replaced with mixer type taps. Water was pumped and both 12volt and 240volt systems checked, and some additional maintenance is required to the path solar lights. The weather was great and the tracks were dry. There is quite a lot of water in the water crossing and the dams. Two dangerous trees in the camping area have been taken down and left for the coming chainsaw training weekend.

Brian Stewart (340) YARCK MANAGEMENT COORDINATOR

F R O M I PT O Y O T A

T O Y O TA F J C R U I S E R P O S T S 1 0 , 0 0 0 S A L E S I N A U S T R A L I A Toyota's "go anywhere, do anything" FJ Cruiser has conquered yet another summit by posting 10,000 sales in Australia.

Launched in March 2011, FJ Cruiser has taken just four years and four months to reach the sales milestone at an average of 194 a month - almost twice the volume originally forecast for the model.

Engineered for serious off-road driving capability, the FJ Cruiser pays homage to the LandCruiser FJ40 that was sold in Australia during the 1960s, 70s and early 80s.

Toyota Australia's executive director sales and marketing Tony Cramb said FJ Cruiser's remarkable success is due to a simple, rugged formula that has attracted a loyal following.

"Toyota's FJ Cruiser has developed a passionate following in Australia as the vehicle for having outdoor fun with its retro-inspired design and serious off-road driving performance," Mr Cramb said.

"FJ Cruiser turns heads because it embraces the compelling styling themes of the original FJ40 in a contemporary way, including angular lines, round headlights and an upright windscreen with three wiper blades," he said.

"This modern interpretation of the FJ40 is also fun to drive - whether you are taking advantage of its substantial off-road capability or using its practical driving performance for everyday transport," he said.

FJ Cruiser features a rugged ladder-frame chassis, part-time 4x4, heavy-duty all-coil suspension, an electrically activated rear differential lock and switchable active traction control technology.

Its ride and handling were developed for local conditions by Australian engineers who calibrated the shock absorbers and tuned the power steering for a sporty ride 4 Overland Cruisering

and sharp handling on bitumen while retaining a pliant ride in off-road conditions.

The 31-degree departure angle and 29degree break-over angle are the best for any vehicle in Toyota's local 4WD range.

Its approach angle of 36 degrees is bettered only by the 70 Series. Ground clearance is 224mm.

FJ Cruiser is powered by a 200kW, 380Nm twin-cam 4.0-litre V6 petrol engine driven through a five-speed automatic transmission. It uses just 11.4 litres/100km of fuel for a notional range of almost 1,400km from its 159 litres fuel capacity.

Other standard features include six airbags, vehicle stability control, anti-skid brakes, active headrests for the front seats and a reversing camera, plus CRAWL

Control for added off-road driving competence.

The FJ Cruiser is also functional with side access doors that open 90 degrees in clamshell fashion for easy access to the rear seat.

Offered in a single grade with a high level of specification, including 17-inch alloy wheels, the FJ Cruiser is priced from $46,990. Metallic paint is $550 extra.

FJ Cruiser is covered by Toyota Service Advantage capped-price servicing at a maximum of $220 per service.

Overland Cruisering 23

NEWS

F R O M I PT O Y O T A

Toyota's LandCruiser 200 Series is set to gain styling, performance and safety advances when an updated range arrives in Australia during the second half of October.

The 4WD legend's two powerful V8 engines have been revised, resulting in more power for the twin-turbo diesel and achieving better fuel consumption and tighter Euro 5 emissions for both it and the petrol alternative.

Exterior sheet metal takes on a more modern and aggressive edge as part of the changes, while the interior has been revamped with soft-touch surfaces, revised instruments and controls and other refinements.

At the top of the LandCruiser 200 range, the Sahara expands its luxury reputation with air-conditioned seats and a package of advanced safety features including the ability to help prevent or reduce the severity of a collision.

The announcements for Toyota's "king off the road" are the latest in a series of comprehensive renewals within the company's 4WD range with an updated Prado due within weeks followed in October by the arrival of a new-generation HiLux and an all-new seven-seat SUV, Fortuner.

More than any other vehicle, LandCruiser has enabled Toyota to establish its foothold in the world's markets.

In Australia, it continues as the undisputed king of its segment with sales up more than 4.3 per cent this year and a share of better than 83 per cent.

With the latest updates, LandCruiser's improved 4.5-litre twin-turbo diesel engine gains new injectors, revised mapping and a diesel particulate filter (DPF) fitted with a guard to protect it over rough roads.

The changes have increased the power output of the common-rail diesel by 5kW or 2.5 per cent to 200kW while peak torque remains a thumping 650Nm. Fuel economy and emissions improve by around eight per cent with combined-cycle consumption slipping into single figures at 9.5 litres/100km, also bringing compliance with Euro 5 emissions regulations.

For the 4.6-litre petrol V8 engine, the airinjection system has been adapted to reduce emissions by inducing secondary air through the exhaust ports for faster catalyst warm-up from a cold start.

With variable valve timing on both the inlet and exhaust ports, the petrol engine maintains its peak outputs of 227kW and 439Nm. Fuel economy has improved on all measures and the engine also achieves Euro 5 compatibility.

Substantial cosmetic changes are centred on a new front mask with a more modern design achieved by restyling the grille, headlamps, bumper, fenders and bonnet.

The new grille, with a hexagonal frame and triple horizontal bars, has a more 24 Overland Cruisering

200 SERIES T O Y O TA L A N D C R U I S E R U P D AT E aggressive and prominent look. This is accentuated by subtle scooping in the centre of the bonnet flanked by pronounced convex shapes that extend to the front of the vehicle. Its three-dimensional look is completed by headlamps and front corners of the vehicle that are set back from the grille.

Bars from the grille frame are integrated strongly with the new projector-style headlamps, giving them a thinner appearance that further accentuates the grille. The rearward placement of the headlights also affords them greater protection in off-road driving. The lower grille is wider, extending to the foglamp area which is also set back to help prevent damage.

Side protection mouldings and door handles have been revised while the rear makeover includes a new bumper, upper tailgate panel, combination lamps, reflectors and mudguards.

In keeping with the front design theme, the tailgate is now fitted with a more prominent panel between the restyled combination lamps. The wider licence-plate garnish extends into the lamps to emphasise width while unifying the rear design.

Two new colours, Copper Brown and Onyx Blue, are available on all grades except GX, bringing the total palette to 10 colours.

Inside, soft padding has been adopted for areas that directly contact occupants' limbs and support their bodies with special attention paid to the thickness of materials and the treatment of edges.

Switches and displays for audio, airconditioning and driver-related functions have been consolidated into logical groupings while dials and switches have been reshaped to make them easier to use.

The centre cluster gains a storage area and a 12V outlet for all grades plus a wireless charger for Sahara. VX and Sahara grades adopt a newly designed Optitron instrument cluster with 4.2-inch thin-film transistor colour Multi Information Display.

The two upper grades are also fitted with a new Electro Multi Vision and Navigation unit with a larger nine-inch display screen (was 8 inch) for improved visibility.

The LandCruiser line-up remains dieselonly GX, followed by petrol or diesel GXL, VX and Sahara, all driven through an electronically controlled six-speed automatic transmission. GX is trimmed with grey fabric and GXL with grey or beige fabric while VX and Sahara offer the choice of black or beige for their leatheraccented interiors. GX is a 5-seater, diesel VX and Sahara are 7-seater and all other grades have eight seats.

Range-topping Sahara's advanced safety features have been expanded to include a radar and front camera as well as other sensors used to detect and monitor other road users and lane markings.

A new Pre-Collision Safety System# can warn the driver of a possible collision and automatically apply the brakes. Lane Departure Alert# is designed to help avoid collisions by warning the driver if the vehicle is about to move unintentionally across lanes without using the turn signals.

Dynamic Radar Cruise Control# has been fitted to help the driver keep a safe distance from the car in front. It also monitors vehicles merging into or out of the lane ahead to support smooth acceleration and deceleration.

Automatic High Beam# detects the headlights of oncoming vehicles and the taillights of preceding vehicles, switching automatically between high and low beam to avoid dazzling other drivers. More frequent use of high beam also helps with earlier detection of pedestrians and obstacles.

More details about the changes to LandCruiser 200 will be announced at launch timing in October.

PRODUCTS

OME HIGH PERFORMANC BYPASS SHOCK ABSORBERS ARBs revolutionary suspension system from OME… BP–51 high performance shock absorbers bring racing technology to everyday applications.

BP-51 (bypass 51mm diameter bore) shock absorbers feature revolutionary

technology developed to deliver unparalleled on and off road performance.

Developed and tested extensively in some of Australia’s most rugged environments, these big bore, position sensitive bypass shock absorbers with remote reservoir are designed to be fitted without any need for vehicle modification, combining considerable ride comfort around town with significant amounts of end-zone damping for exceptional chassis control and handling off road.

In addition to the velocity sensitive damping used in most shock absorbers, where the faster the piston moves, the higher the level of damping is generated, BP-51 shock absorbers also generate damping dependent on the position of the piston within the shock absorber’s body via their bypass design.

This results in an ability for the shock absorber to provide the best of both worlds, with a comfortable and compliant ride during normal driving and amore controlled ride over challenging terrain. With greater levels of damping generated at each end of the stroke, the piston slows as it approaches full compression and extension, preventing harsh topping out against the bump stop and allowing larger bumps and corrugations to be absorbed more easily.

Further to this, damping performance is easily adjustable across a wide range in both rebound and compression, allowing the user to alter the vehicle’s ride performance to cater for different road conditions and vehicle loading scenarios.

The body, reservoir and components are

a

l

l

made from aircraft grade (6061 T6) aluminium, with a type 3, 40 micron hard anodised finish, ensuring exceptional heat dissipation and resistance to corrosion and stone damage.

Designed, developed and tested entirely by ARB’s team of Old Man Emu Ride Engineers, all BP-51 shock absorbers are manufactured in-house by ARB. In order to achieve this, significant investment has been made in state of the art machinery and hard anodising equipment, allowing ARB total control of the manufacturing process to ensure the highest possible quality.

Applications include Toyota 200 Series and HiLux 2005+ with other applications to be rolled out in 2015.

Key Features • Bypass technology with remote reservoir • Vehicle specific applications • Independently adjustable for both rebound and compression • Hard anodised, aircraft grade (6061 T6) aluminium body, reservoir and components • Adjustable spring preload/ride height adjustment • High pressure nitrogen reservoir with aluminium, anodised floating piston • 19mm hard chromed ground shaft with impact resistant, replaceable shaft guard • Dash 6 high temperature Teflon hose with high flow fittings • Large Teflon lined spherical bearings on coil over applications • Designed, developed and manufactured

by ARB

Overland Cruisering 25

6 0 0 2 S E V I TRIPS H C R A E H T M O R F

A “TRIP” FAR AWAY - 1st April 2006 At the start of a long journey that would include nine countries, our tour organisers had included “A Four Wheel Drive Trip” through the desert dunes of Dubai to entertain 132 senior Australians. We would traverse some sand dunes, have a BBQ in a Bedouin camp and enjoy the delights of a belly dancer. It all sounded terribly touristy.

It was with some delight that we when we walked into our hotel car park, there were twenty four 100 Series Land Cruisers sparkling in the late afternoon sun. At least

D U B A I A D V EI N T U R E

the creature comforts would be of a superior standard. With the load ratio being six passengers plus the driver, the next issue was getting a front seat for the longer legs and avoiding one of the very back seats that are designed for the smaller person.

Once we were loaded, it was time for convoy procedure, or so we thought. It was not amusing to find yourself in a traffic jam in a hotel car park as the drivers fought each other to get to the front of the convoy.

No manners at all really.

We drove out of the city heading away from the Persian Gulf, and presumably in some

southerly direction. Getting out of the city was hair raising enough, the traffic is appalling and road courtesy seemingly non existent, although there was no evidence of road rage. We reached a dual carriage way where a sign told us that the border with Oman was 40 kilometres ahead and eventually passed a small settlement (roadhouse, souvenir shop and greengrocer) at a T intersection. Shortly we turned off the road and into the desert.

A couple of kilometres and we stopped to enjoy a view of the dunes and surrounding desert while tyres were deflated to 15 p.s.i.

hastingscamping@gmail.com 26 Overland Cruisering

Overland Cruisering 27

6 0 0 2 S E IV H C R A E H T M O R F

The area was a real moonscape. The sand was a dirty brown colour, the terrain ideal for what was planned according to the tour propaganda and it aroused some excitement in those who had never been off the tarmac. A couple of them were so unnerved by the prospect and there was at least one incidence of car sickness.

Actually, we never got out of high range or drive in the automatic gears.

Unfortunately, there was a distinct lack of care of the area as it was littered with rubbish from previous trips and long gone camps of the Bedouin who still live a nomadic existence in this inhospitable place. There was no sign of water anywhere.

Our driver was a nut brown local named Ahmed. He was very capable and could have demonstrated some very exciting skills, save that the new chums showed a certain reluctance about driving at speed down some very long and but not very steep dunes. The drive options were as many and varied as you would want. What was disconcerting was finding Ahmed behind the Land Cruiser on his prayer mat, facing Mecca and saying his prayers – before we started.

After forty minutes of dune tripping, we rejoined convoy and headed further into the desert. We reached a fence what appeared to be the middle of nowhere and turned left, presumably now heading east, for some distance until we reached a gate that was manned by a person in an official looking uniform. We were scrutinized and

4 Overland Cruisering

allowed through the gate into what we were told was an open range zoo. There were some camels loose in the area. A little further on, we reached the Bedouin camp for our BBQ. It was pleasing to find a cold Fosters in such a remote place.

Then the belly dancer who spent about forty minutes on tip toe, often of one leg and she certainly stirred some reactions in a couple of gentlemen who should have known better. What she could on her toes and on one leg with a large curved sword was amazing. It turned out that she was Russian.

BBQ over we struggled up the dune (some of the older members of the group got bogged in the sand) and back to the Land Cruisers for the trip back to our hotel that was actually in Sharjah, which could be part of Dubai city except there is a border somewhere in the suburban sprawl. The difference is that in Dubai you can get alcohol, in Sharjah you can’t.

Any member who saw a recent edition of the TV programme, “Getaway”, would have seen this trip featured as part of a larger promotion for Dubai. No doubt the TV showed a glowing account of this trip.

What it would neglect to tell you would be the testosterone driven on-road antics of the drivers and the traffic congestion and growing pollution in Dubai/Sharjah.

On our return journey, we found a made road and were travelling at 90 k.p.h. still on deflated tyres, when one vehicle in the convoy passed us at greater speed and drove over the crest of a hill on the wrong

side of the road. He was immediately confronted by two vehicles travelling in the opposite direction and the margin for error was no more than two or three seconds.

The passengers were saved by virtue of a gap in the convoy that this idiot was able to use as an escape route. All of that said, it can be reported that the bus drivers in Egypt are worse and there was another bus accident, not quite as severe as the one that claimed six Australians earlier this year. Fortunately, this time the casualties were walking wounded Americans only.

Soon after, we found ourselves at the roadhouse at the T intersection we had seen earlier where there were compressors available and we were able to rejoin the traffic chaos of Dubai. It had all been an experience. For some, the experience lasted a couple of days longer, in a most unpleasant manner, courtesy of the BBQ. Postscript: 1. Petrol costs 53 cents a litre in this area, 2. At one stage we drove down a dual carriage way with Land Cruisers being the only vehicles in sight, an ad man’s delight, 3. Land Cruisers carry a bonnet badge in the manner of a Mercedes Benz, 4. Dubai/Sharjah is home to 14% of the world’s cranes. It is a massive work in progress, and 5. Not a Troopy to be seen………anywhere!!!!

Kaye & Peter Greening (1986).

Overland Cruisering 27

MEMBER SERVICES DIRECTORY

ELTHAM TIMBER & HARDWARE P/L ROB DEYLEN (1622) MANAGING DIRECTOR Mobile: 0409 305 534 1175 - 1181 Main Road, Eltham Vic. 3095 Phone: 9439 5533 (All Hours) Fax: 9431 1762

miles.ppm@bigpond.com

NOTES

28 Overland Cruisering

Overland Cruisering 27

Part 4 Jan

9/3/15

9:06 PM

Page 5

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