Fewer than half the roads in Australia
are paved, way fewer than half.
Most are simply graded dirt, some with a
thin layer of crushed rock rollered down on the bare earth, it's not because
we're too laid back and don’t care…OK, so it is because we're too laid back and
don’t care!
Either way, Australia is the natural stomping
ground of the 4WD off road vehicle, not those plastic pretend 4WD's from the
suburbs, the real ones. (lets not get into what makes a REAL 4WD)
* Cant miss it mate, it's the brown Toyota.
Over the years I've seen many pretend 4WDs
stuck where I could get my 2WD through, in fact if we go back 30 years when
cheap 4WDs were non existent, I drove my 2WD Ford back and forth across the
country, up mountains and through creeks that are considered 4WD only these
days. I got it stuck a great many times and we winched, dug, pushed and pulled
it through almost impossible terrain. All we had was a hand winch, shovel, axe
and chains….and that most valuable asset, Youth!
*My little Tojo NOT making the crossing.
*watch the water hazard
I was reminded of this just recently when
my son-in-law bought his first 4WD, within two weeks he'd decided he could
drive it down onto one of our secluded beaches where it promptly sank to the
floor pan. The call for help went out…
They shoveled all afternoon as they watched
the tide coming in, eventually they gave the car up as lost and emptied
everything out of it. Sitting exhausted on the beach watching the water
encroach on his pride and joy they took the photo you will see here. Just then
Uncle Mark drove up in his F100 Ford, hooked up and had the 4WD dragged back to
the beach within seconds…lesson learned.
Here then is a celebration of getting the
unstickable stuck..
*Oops!
*Even the Police occasionally stuff up.
*I've done this trick myself a few times
*Not to worry, the tide will go down in 6 hours and knowing Toyota's this one will probably drive away under it's own steam.
*Son-in-laws Mitsubishi left for dead on Mininini beach. (try pronouncing that after a few beers)
.
7 comments:
I remember those days very well being bogged up to axles off the beaten track and having to do what ever it took to get out and being covered from head to foot in thick mud. Down here we those pretend 4WDS Toorak Tractors. Its takes the classic Ford F 100 to come to the rescue there is no better and never will be in my books.
That looks to be quite an experience, although one I would hope never happens to any car I'm riding in.
Many years ago as 16 year olds a mate and I took a battered old Landrover through it's paces in Scotland, including some deep over bonnet rivers and respectable mini-mountains. Damn thing didn't stop whatever we threw at it!
A Toyota is a must :)
Toyota's are hard to kill. I drove one into several feet of water, hooked up jumper cables backwards, ran it almost dry of oil...it survived all of that.
Hi Windsmoke, I know the term Toorak Tractors but didn't use it because anyone overseas wouldn't have a clue what it meant. There are still a few F-ies about here and there, of course they use a hell of a lot of fuel compared to modern cars.
Hi River, These times are a nightmare when theyre going on but looking back they make for funny memories and great stories. Like the half day we spent getting the Ford over a single dune only to find four more ahead...
Hi Jules, Landies were the firm fav until the Toyota's started making inroads. That of course means it was Landrovers that opened up the country for the Toyotas.
Hey Joe, Toyotas are the biggest seller and arguably the best 4WD on our market. Almost as important as quality is the amount of parts dealers so you can fix them when you break them.
Hi Jen, They make great trucks dont they? I've only had my Tojo two years so far and had it stuck a few times already.
Some of those photos remind me of excursions with the Land Rover Club.
AV
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