A WEATHER change was looming and ominous clouds were rolling in. The wind had shifted markedly to the northwest at dusk the day before. We had camped at Old Andado Station, a time capsule of a bygone era, standing testament to the mettle of Molly and Mac Clark. The massive flock of galahs were unsettled, their barren trees offering no protection. They knew the change was coming; the ants too, were moving to higher ground.
“It will rain at 08:00,” said Marc, our fearless leader. “We need to get moving before it buckets down.” We’d not long despatched our morning walkers for their daily sojourn along the track. The sky confirmed the Metvuw weather forecast (www.metvuw.com) he’d downloaded just days before. Today would be their test …
The scattered drops began as we were ‘locked and loaded’, with radios checked, tyres deflated and raincoats at the ready. Our walkers hadn’t made it far, the clay-capped dirt road already sticky. At 8:03 it began to rain, slowly getting heavier. “You’re three minutes late!” Ian shouted at the sky; our stockbroker guest was impressed by Marc’s accurate forecasting.
PRESSING ON
WE had to cross the gibber plain before the rain set in and would then be safe on the sand and rocks soon after. It was day three of our 12-day Simpson Desert adventure from Alice Springs to Birdsville and back again. We were heading east along the Madigan Line with four fully loaded G-Wagens in convoy. Our 6x6 supply truck weighed seven tonnes so once committed, there’d be no turning back!
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der March 2024-Ausgabe von 4x4 Magazine Australia.
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der March 2024-Ausgabe von 4x4 Magazine Australia.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
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BIG COUNTRY
THE PILBARA IS THE VERY DEFINITION OF BIG COUNTRY, AND THERE IS PLENTY TO SEE, DO AND ENJOY IN THIS ANCIENT LANDSCAPE IN WA'S RUGGED NORTHWEST
ISLAND PARADISE
NEAR THE TOP OF THE BUCKET LIST FOR EVERY AUSSIE FOUR-WHEEL DRIVER, K'GARI IS PACKED WITH STUNNING HIGHLIGHTS AND BOASTS SOME OF THE BEST BEACH DRIVING IN THE COUNTRY
WEIGHTLIFTING
INCREASING THE GVM OF YOUR 4X4 SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN LIGHTLY, BUT BY THE SAME TOKEN SHOULD NOT BE AVOIDED IF YOU NEED IT. WE GO THROUGH THE PROCESS ON OUR FORD RANGER TO EXPLAIN HOW TO GET IT RIGHT
LOOKING BACK
A PAIR OF MSA 4X4 TOWING MIRRORS ENSURE WE ALWAYS KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON BEHIND US WHEN WE HAVE A TRAILER HITCHED TO OUR MITSUBISHI TRITON
WHAT LURKS BENEATH
IT MAY LOOK LIKE A FAIRLY STANDARD (IF CLEAN) 80 SERIES, BUT DIVE A LITTLE DEEPER AND YOU'LL FIND A MONSTER BELOW THE SURFACE
EYE OF THE HURRICANE
RAM HAS DUMPED ITS HEMI V8FOR A SIX-CYLINDER, AND IT'S COMING TO AUSTRALIA
TRAVEL BULLETIN
ALL THE LATEST 4X4 NEWS AND EVENTS. Now is the time to get out and about to enjoy this great land and support the communities. Experienced adventurer Ron Moon has listed a few upcoming highlights, as well as essential track info. As always, check with event organisers before locking in your plans.
REAR VIEW
4X4 AUSTRALIA LOOKS BACK AT THE CHANGES IN THE INDUSTRY, THE RISE IN . OUTBACK TOURING, THE EVOLUTIONARY SOPHISTICATION OF 4X4S, AND MORE
FIRST-CLASS TRAVEL
A HOLIDAY TRIP WITH THE FORD RANGER PLATINUM RAISED A FEW EYEBROWS WHEN COMPARING IT TO OUR RANGER SPORT
ENGINE CHECK
THE ULTRAGAUGE PROVIDES YOUR VEHICLE'S VITAL STATS AND WARNINGS IN A TAILORABLE PACKAGE