4wd Experiences

Good one Mrs Al, got the old memory bank working. Gee, must have been about 14 out at our friends property, east of Barcaldine, CQ. They had a Landy must have been the first one ever produced (letting my age out here). Three or four boys a couple of girls racing across the paddocks chasing roos, rifles everywhere, people standing up in the back hanging on to the bow rails. What away to learn to drive.
Next I remember I was 17 joined the Army and they threw me into a 6x6 Inter, I was only about 8 stone, crash gear box and of course no power steering, what a buzz. Would like to see kids learn to drive like we did, maybe there would not be so much carnage on our roads.
p.s. we've been away to the Darwin and touring for awhile had a great time cannot wait to go again.
All the best Bruce. MU-ving on

G'day mrs. al. have just come IN from the shed, time to check the fridge. (ok, I did sample one little while back) But its been a busy day so i reckon entitled!
Yes my first 4wd. experience (real one that is) We (i worked on the farm with the old man) had bought new in 54 a s1 swb landy. I claimed 1/2 ownership,and at easter1958 took off on what was to be a fishing trip to Merimbula (we lived in sale) However 2 weeks later, we (mate who had gone with me) were getting pulled out of the jardine river! What a bloody adventure that was, lived off the land (but grew up with no elec. had a rifle and 12g. at 14) and the old man (now gone 4 years) never new! Sold that same landy 6years ago to a collector. In 230000miles it had never faltered but it could tell some stories!
cheers haze

Hi Gal,
ya started somthin, my 1st try at 4wd was shooting as well. It was in a ww2 GP vehicle. Commonly called a jeep now. However it was not that long ago about 1970 in the hills around Stuart Town N.S.W. going up and down onto the Macquarie River, what we did then one would not be game to try now I am older and wiser.Dodg

My fiirst intro to off road was on a farm with a Chevy impala for padic bashing , I quickly found out that road cars dont have the ground clearence , and got it stuck on a ledge . My godbrother though he would be a hero and pull it out with a delivery truck. We had no rope and had to use a chain . You guest it , truck got bogged, chain was to tight to undo , so my godfather had to come up with the traktor to pull both cars out . I want alowed near the chevy for a whole week . lol

First time of road.
I had a friend from Cairns ring , and ask if i could purchase him a short W/B Maverick , it was 1989 and my first year in the wholesale market . after I rang him to let him know I got one for him , he kept babilling about how good they were off road . Couriosity got the better of me , and on the weekend I went to visit a friend in Mill Park . We came up with the great idea of testing out the 4 by in a quarry near by. So with our best slacks on we drove into the mud and got the vehicle filthy . I ended up sending the car to Cairns without washing it , with a note inside .......( TRANSFER CASE WORKS JUST FINE ) ............lolCraigs hut 2003

Hiya Mrs Al, If only I could remember my first 4WD experience. I think it was in an old Willies Jeep trying to climb up sheer riverbanks at World's End. I can remember jumping out the back when I thought it was going to tumble back down. In hindsight it was a pretty stupid think to do but I'm a lot older now and a shade wiser as well.Al Symers

My first experiences I was living I Mt Newman in W.A.(1980) about 19yo my dad had a series 1 soft top landie and the wife and 1yo nipper would borrow it and go camping to various waterholes in the area with only a 2 man tent, esky,tucker box (made out of ply which I still have) an air matt and a piece of foam cut to fit between the mat and edge of tent for the nipper. My brother had a Austin Gypsy decked out in the back with camper setup we used to borrow as well. Then I went all out and bought my own it was an old 55 series L/cruiser with no windscreen and bent diff which I straightened out myself on a press at work then drove it the back way to Wittenoom (still with no windscreen). Its been on going from there but life & camping seems to have been so much simpler and easier back then.

Ahhh those were the days my freinds. Athol.

Lyn,

You sure started something! My first 4WD experience was doing Cape York and the CREB track back in 1988. Just thought I'd start off with a little trip, LOL. I was living in Qld, my older bro was in Vic and a member of the Goulburn Valley 4WD Club who organised the trip. Anyway, I heard about it and said hey bro, can I come too? He organised a ride for me with one of his mates and we shared costs. Despite the fact I didn't know anyone except my bro and sister-in-law, I had an absolute blast and have been hooked on 4WDriving ever since. In fact, I had such a good time 9 mths later I packed up and moved to Vic and spent just about every weekend for the next 12 mths with the club up in the Vic high country. Later, back in Qld, the 4Wdriving was with mates trying to access fishing spots or a bit of roo shooting/pig hunting or just for a bit of fun.

:o) MelissaPetrol 4.5L GU Patrol &
Camprite TL8 offroad camper

While it wasn't a 4wd, I modified a 1970 Corolla S/wagon for outback travel, inspired by Jeff Carters book of the Great Australian OUtdoors (he drove porsches and LandRovers in the bush!

Biggest trip was in the Xmas of 1978 - went from Sydney to Tibooburra, Cameron's Corner, Old Strez, Inamincka, Cordillo Downs, Birdsville, Marree, Flinders Ranges, Marree, William Ck, Coober Pedy, Alice Springs, Tennant Ck, Townsville, Cairns and down the coast back home - all in 7 weeks during the Uni Xmas break.

The Corolla had extra leaf under the rear springs (lift springs), sump guard, masonite "tropical roof", Covered rear windows (to keep sun out), steel bullbar, canvas water bags, multiple spares, 50 litres water and with two jerry cans of petrol could cover 900+ kms. No fridge - just the water bags, tinned food etc.

It was narrow enough to go around obstacles and light enough to skim over sand. Over dunes, just took a run up and it slid over. The guards underneath took a battering but everything was fine. The fuel tank was protected by the spare underneath. 6 punctures - most repaired as tubeless with a hand pump to reinflate!! One leaky front shock from the corrugated road to Ayers Rock. Got towed thru the Tully River in flood with water up to the doorhandles - plastic sheet over motor -started first time.

Great vehicle - wish I still had it.

Great stories,

I learnt to dive on the farm in an old Morris Minor ute when I was about 5 or 6, we also has an old Series 1 LR with typically no brakes and used to tow a trailer round the paddock feeding the cows, tie the steering wheel, put it in low first, jump out, climb on the trail while it idled down the paddock hoping you'd finish feeding out the bales before the fence at the other end of the paddock.

When I was about 8 I was going to one of the back paddocks on a hilly section, stopped to close a gate and just left it idling, well away it went with only my big red setter inside, I couldn't catch it so it went about 1/2 mile, and I watched it disappear into a gully, it must have rolled a couple of times and ended upsidedown in a dry creek, the dog got a gash on its head and wouldn't get in any car for months.

When I remember the stupid things we used to do its a wonder we're still alive, driving hundreds of miles to B & S Balls, recoveries and parties always half tanked and driving flat out.

No wonder the road toll was so high back then.

Wouldn't trade it for the world............

Interesting, isnt it? As of this morning I counted the vehicles sort in these "early experiences" Result: landy4, jeep2, suzuki1, tojo55,1,modified corolla1. Couple of other 2wd misadventure ringins. I could add I had a lot of fun with a 49 prefect ute with 2 inline gearboxes. It had a low/low like you wouldnt believe! (used chains a lot) It caught heaps of trout and shot a few deer in the vic. high country,but broke a few front springs too! Memories memories
But hey, where were all the datsun/nissans?
cheers haze

Oh Mrs Al, this is fun. Didn't we do something like this a while back - cause I remember talking about driving all around Western Queensland as a 17 year old in my Morris 1100 (got bogged, picked her up and pushed her out - all the kids helped, the ones I was supposed to be governessing!). As for 4WDriving - well, my first experience was in a lwb Landy (like a troppie with canvas top) I was about 15 and Dad and I would go fishing to Double Island Point - we had a camp up there, permanent in those days - just take the fresh food and grog, the rest stayed up there. Well, sometimes I would go up on my own fishing - and there was the time I got bogged right up near the Lighthouse on an incoming tide and discovered I had busted the axle. Phew! in those days you could be there for days before you saw anyone. My luck was with me - how could I tell Dad I drowned the landy - because the 'wormies' came along and did things underneath. I only had 2wd but got me back to camp that night about 9 miles south and with the low tide next morning raced back down the beach and into the garage and got it fic\xed before he found out. So I thought. Nothing was sacred in those days though and he knew about it before I got back. Eventually the Sarg of Police suggested I should stop driving past the Police Station ont he way to the ferry or else come in and get a licence when I turned 17. Haven't stopped 4wd since - although sometimes I've only had 2WD - but can still get plenty of places. It was the roughest most uncomfortable vehicle - with the lowest of low gear boxes - we could get 25 people in it when we were going into "Hatari" country at the back of Noosa. The things we did. We could get 14 into a sabot sailing boat as well, and still get across the Noosa River without sinking. Great memories.

We will be in the west come June 2004 hope to see you somewhere.
We are coming via the Great Central towing an off road van. So when it gets closer we may be able to exchange nos and eyeball each other. My wife and I are retired and love travlin n meetin people.
RegardsDodg

We will be in the west come June 2004 hope to see you somewhere.
We are coming via the Great Central towing an off road van. So when it gets closer we may be able to exchange nos and eyeball each other. My wife and I are retired and love travlin n meetin people.
RegardsDodg

The Wonnangatta in an old Landy, 4 cylinder, leaf springs, petrol motor, 3 in the front and 4 in the back, absolutely loved it, been in my veins for years! Never forget the rush when the thing was fitted with TURBO and in second at Falls Creek one time it went WHOOSH! most impressive from a brick on wheels.

These days a Nissan and a wistful imagination are all thats needed! Great subject Mrs Al! great stories tooLaterally Literal
Seriously Cerebral