The Joy Of Dirt

The Age

Thursday March 2, 1995

Jeff Greene

FOUR-wheel drivers tend to look and act pretty much like everybody else. That is, until we see a forest trail that looks like it might go someplace interesting. Or a pair of wheel ruts leading across the beach and off into the dunes. That's when a small, still voice in the back of our minds starts calling out: ``Further! Further!" Which is why we do it, of course.

Four-wheel driving is more than just a choice of vehicle or a fashion statement it's the key that unlocks Australia. So if you're not already involved in the sport, give it a try. Once you get a taste for the special kind of adventure this country can provide, nothing will stop you from seeking it out again and again. Not even what they're charging for 100 litres of diesel these days.

Having said that, it seems a lot of us didn't get much further from home last weekend than the Royal Exhibition Building, where the annual Off-Road Four-Wheel Drive Recreation Show was on from Thursday to Sunday.

The theme this year seemed to be: nothing much new, beautifully made. This was certainly the case with the major vehicle manufacturers, most of whom were keeping their powder dry in anticipation of a series of launches over the next few months.

These will include Toyota's new high-tech LandCruiser turbo-diesel, Suzuki's V6 Vitara and, of course, the all-new Range Rover.

Meanwhile, the only new offering of any consequence was Nissan's 2.8-litre turbo-diesel Patrol. On the Toyota stand, you had to look closely to see the mid-life changes to the LandCruiser, such as a slightly different grille, new interior trim and a revamped dashboard.

On the equipment suppliers' stands, things were a lot more lively.

Either the recession is really over or four-wheel drivers have forgotten the old saying about when in doubt, leave it out. People were hunting accessories with a vengeance, checking out everything from satellite navigation systems to funny little nylon tents that pop out of a bag and set themselves up while you watch.

A couple of the more popular exhibits involved strategies for packing necessary but bulky gear into the back of a car as safely and easily as possible.

Cairns-based Four-Wheel Drive Interior Accessories has long set the standard here with its extremely well made false floors and roller drawers. But a new arrival from Adelaide, the Australian Chuck Wagon, took a different approach: modular stacking drawers that come in a variety of sizes and can be arranged to suit individual needs.

One especially clever option was a 60-litre stainless-steel water tank that fits between the drawer units and the rear seat. The fold- down picnic table was also a nice touch.

Elsewhere, the big story was the growing range of goodies available for the newish kids on the block, Land Rover's Discovery and the Jeep Cherokee. Kaymar in particular had well thought-out bumper/tow bar/ wheel-carrier combinations to suit both of these models on its stand.

Note: Maybe it's a sign of four-wheel driving's growing maturity or maybe it was just the weather, but the show was mercifully almost free of Dumbtel-style ``but-wait-there's-more" crazies. And best of all, that pop-up tent actually worked.

Jeff Greene is Auto Age's new writer on four-wheel-drive vehicles. An experienced off-road explorer in Australia and overseas, Greene also writes 4WD vehicle tests for Business Review Weekly.