Wayne (NSW) replied:

Luxoluk,
I will check it out as soon as I can get a copy of the mag, and see how far I can go with the info that is in it next year when I do the CRS

Wayne

Mad Dog (Victoria) replied:

Leigh. It's rather dissapointing when magazines sensationalize the front cover on a subject you're particually interestesd in. I think it's happened to us all and most mags do it to arouse interest and increase sales. I've felt cheated a number of times.

Member - Roachie (SA) replied:

Jeez Leigh,
Thanks for putting it like that.....makes a bloke feel kinda important. I haven't read that far into the mag yet.....can't seem to prise it away from my kids.
Cya mate

Crackles replied:

Even if you emptied the mag of it's 70% add content it still wouldn't be thick enough to fit a "Complete Guide" in. Stick with Eric Guards guide & you will see a whole lot more & not get sucked into buying unneccesary accesories.
As for a "Mag of this Calibre" it's been going down hill for years;-)
Craig.............

Rosco - Bris. replied:

Interesting posting.

Many years ago I subscribed to most of the "Off Road" mags and read them assiduously from front to back. For quite a while I gave them a miss, however recently I succumbed to the urge and spent a dollar or two on a 12 month subscription to one which shall remain nameless.

IMHO it's the biggest load of tripe that has been foisted on the unsuspecting public for quite some time. Suffice to say I will not be renewing my subscription and neither will I be paying for some other heap of garbage to present me with a plethorae of advertising drivel from page 2 till the end.

Much more informative info on sites such as this.

There ... I feel much better now, now where's my cup of tea and a Bex.

Cheers all

Eric from Cape York Connections replied:

Lux a few months ago that mag gave a so called guide to cape york in 10 days there and back.
They had that many mistakes in it it was a joke wrong place names wrong river crossings and advise.
They turned the trip into a hell trip.
Now this is my opinion only in the cape this year was one of the highest rate of roll overs and accidents on record. I was told this by many road houses and people we know.
In my opion that mag gives the 4wd world a bad name.

All the best
Eric

Bob of KAOS replied:

As long as you understand the role of these magazines you won't be disappointed. Their sole purpose is to make money for the Packers et al. Any other outcome (provide useful information, public service etc) is purely co-incidental.
I used to buy them a lot, but I was depressed and using them as a form of escapism. Better that than hitting the pokies or the pXss I guess.

Troopy Travellers (NSW) replied:

I buy these magazines from time to time & I also wonder why the editions are for the next month. Also, I have noticed that everything related to their trips is about how much beer they can drink; who cares? ( not that I don't like a beer myself, but it gets a bit monotonous). And, I'm get a bit sick of seeing pages & pages of the writer's same vehicles every month being pushed to destruction!!!! The obvious answer is not to buy the mags & save some money.
Sparky

Max - Sydney replied:

Everyone else has said it, but I will beef too! To do the Canning you need to have done some outback trekking, have pored over the Gardes' book for a year, and then bought and read up both the Westprint and Hema maps. To suggest that the superficial piece in $WD Monthly is "Your Complete Guide" is more than a bit rich!

No doubt, magazines (which I have read and moaned about for 17 years) contain a lot of codswallop. Their only redeeming feature is that they can give you ideas where to go and what to do, and they fill in a few hours dreaming when you can't get out there.

But, much as they talk lots about protecting reputation of 4WDers, Tread Lightly and so on, they do some stoopid things that only add to the pressure to lock us out and control where we go. I got their "Big Red to the Beach" video as my subscription renewal inducement this year, and was horrified to see them boasting about coming up the Birdsville Track after dark at 90 km/h. Unless they were trying to build up business for the servo at Birdsville to go out and drag in wrecked fourbys, then that is just irresponsible. There's heaps of other macho stuff that might sell magazines but does not promote responsible tourism.

As for getting their facts right - forget it. Every touring article has lots of errors in it!

Grrrr!

Mr Z replied:

i doubt very much that most people would rely on a magazine for a trip like this.... if they did they deserve trouble....
its more of an inspiration to travel to these great places

robsil replied:

if you can be botherd, why dont we all send them an email telling them what you think,youre at the computer now,give em a serve. problem is they stated (complete guide) email 4wd@expresspublications.com.au

Member - David P (NSW) replied:

Couldn't agree with you more. The article was,at best, superficial and showed a lack of real committment to the readership and was nothing more than a revenue raising exercise for the magazine.

I have emailed my displeasure to the publishers. I will let you know if i get a response.

regards

David P