Thought I might revive this thread....

Couple of pictures from Wilbinga area in WA north of Perth, fitted 245/70R17 Cooper S/T's and had to give them a test run.

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A couple of photos of ours out and about in SA.

First, rescuing a beached 'real' 4wd at Morgan. I think the driver may have wished to remain bogged once he worked out his only way out was a 'toy' 4wd driven by a pom!

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Some of the beaches between Beachport and Robe are super soft. I nearly drowned my Jeep down there. Did you do the run along the coast via all the tracks through the dunes and on the beaches?

Sadly not. We sort of ended up there by chance, and didn't have the route map with us. From the Beachport end we got as far as the big dune I'm playing on there, and just beyond there was a short steep soft down followed by a longer steep up that had the potential for being past the point of no return as we don't have much gear with us.

In hindsight I'm sure it would have been doable quite easily, but not knowing the area, and needing to get back to ADL later that day we decided discretion was the better part of valour. Also, we had no idea if that was the beginnings of something more technical further in to the drive. I really want to go back there and try again, but this time I'll want some maxtrax things with us too....

The area is literally covered in 4wd tracks for around 100kms all along the coast. If you go to any of the visitor centres they have several good maps put out by the local 4wd club freely available. Unless you have done it before and know the area I suggest going with company and have all the recovery gear. The sand is super soft on some of the beaches, I've never seen so many bogged vehicles in one day. There is a fellow in Robe who rescues bogged vehicles at $250 a pop and he does well. Camping is available in many areas but a small fee is payable to National Parks. It's a spectacular area for sun, surf and scenery.

Last November on a trip to Victoria I visited areas we frequented in the '70's in shorty Land Cruisers, going up through Licola, over Howitt & ended up in Mansfield, whereupon I was studiously informed that a Freelander couldn't have made it over that route.
The gal in her Troopie who arrived at the top of King Billy No 1 from Mansfield amid much tyre smoke to pick up some hikers had also displayed some disbelief, suggesting I not go that way to Mansfield as I would need "low range". So, on the way down anyway (note rubber scuffs on rocks at left):

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Admin note: this post has had its images recovered from a money grabbing photo hosting site and reinstated

Nice picture story Alan. I have very fond childhood memories of that area, though we ventured up into the never never of the clouds via trials bikes in those days. Many of the climbs were nearly vertical. We would have to stand and lean so far forward we risked getting rubber burns on our noses from the front tyres! The animals weren't scared up real hight as they had never seen humans, let along be shot at, so there were some magical places to rest. Other bikes would get high into the mountains but never as high as the trials bikes. I vividly remember that the only 4WD's that would get anywhere near the high stuff were Range Rovers. We could hear the roar of their V8's from miles around. Beautiful country.

The Vic high country was on my bucket list - spent many a weekend there in what some would call a mis-spent youth, and being over in Vic to photograph my son's wedding anyway I took a few days to do the Walhalla/Avon/Licola/Howitt/Mansfield/Woods Point/Cambarville/Marysville loop for old time's sake. One of our group back then was a trials nutter, as it happens, I still remember his trials and tribulations with his well-trialed but cantankerous Bultaco Sherpa 125 and the snow around Kelly's hut, back when you could both drive the high country in winter and stay at Kellys in the snow. Three bikes & riders (2x Suzi 250 trail bikes & the Sherpa), my ex-PMG '66 shorty Land Cruiser carrying all the gear and one of the rider's girlfriends into Kelly's (they trailered the bikes to the snow line & left the car & trailer there, rode in the rest of the way). I forget how much beer'n'Bundy was on board now...

The damage from the fires was truly sobering everywhere I went last November, particularly around Marysville, of course.

Nice story and pics Alan

River crossing near Barrington Tops NP. My favourite place in NSW.
The river bottom was rocky so I had to go very slow.

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