My first Defender Trip

[AndyG]

Well, didnt quite pan out as i expected , but all good in the end

Background
First owned 4WD ever
First camping trip trip in 35 years, coincides with marriage & selling the mini moke


Lessons learned,
[LIST][*]What mechanical skills i had have vanished in the last 30 years [*]Most appreciated accessory, TPMS[*]Minimize the accessories prior to purchase[*]If your skills are not known and tested, get the Dealer or third party to fit them and save yourself a **** load of time & scraped knuckles.[*]Keep your stages fairly short 400 km , and enjoy the sights.
Must take more photoes next time
These tracks in OZ are much better than what i drive on in PNG, 90 kph avg vs 60
Must get storage system sorted, (ordered Dept Interior Drawer last night)
Isn't that rear coil end great


Sept 7 , arrive home from PNG
Sept 9, Delivery, 1 day early, stated drilling holes for checker plate, a waste of money IMHO , Mulgo Buperettes,
Sept 10, Tinting, very nice job, by people who do new BMW etc.
Sept 11, APT for Bar & steering Guard etc
Sept 12, Stated on the Traxide stuff and chickened out. Almost put a whole in a fuel line making holes for Cargo Barrier
Sept 13 Gave BCF lots of money for camping gear
Sept 15-16 , Fuel and water tanks fitted
Sept 17-18, rush job to fit dual battery system and UHF

Sept 19 , we are off, 10 days after delivery not too bad after all. 400 km on the clock.
Brisbane Charleville A long drive, but easy, lots of road works, never appreciated how much was going on out there.
Sept 20,
Charleville - Windorah, an easy stage, first attempt at Camping, why didn't those bastards at BCF sell me a pump for the air mattresses. Nice pub, get pizza, good people.
In Toyota country now.

Sept 21
Windorah - Birdsville
Good road except for a bit of corrugation. Air down time, still confused about pressures after reading many posts. So 25 in the front 35 in the back, 90 kph speed limit imposed on the dirt. Finding the temp reading as useful as the pressure reading on the TPMS.
Decide against Big Red for two reasons, total lack of experience and strong winds.
Set up camp in strong winds, son blows up air mattresses manually, i wondered why he came along.
Birdsville pub has clearence sale on Crownies, $5, i help.
How come all these backpackers can get a job and my son is at home, words said
1 parked 6*6 Defender, local spotted.
Bucket list ticked

Sept 22
Birdsville - Marree - Muloorina
A long day,
With trepidation we set off, GPS sends us down the inner track, oops and U turn. By all accounts its in good nick.
Steady as it goes at 90 kph, keeping a close eye on the TPMS
No traffic for a few hours, and then, a Road Train convoy, well two trucks at least. We decide its an excellent time to pull off the road for a drink and a pee.
Outside Mungeranie, oncoming Toyota convoy, travelling too fast IMHO, and a Postie bike.
Mungeranie, great pub, people, & burgers. Apparently above convoy have already had two broken windows and a flat, and the road was too rough. And they were too dumb to block their broken windows with cardboard. Note for trailer towers, consider rocks that bounce back. Publican, Ted is a Landie buff and checks out the new Defer, the leather seats are an improvement on his 200 series (LR).
On to Marree, road still great 80-90 is easy,
Getting a bit weary at Marree so on to Muloorina.
Muloorina is a gem, great camp site and much recommended, and good road in. Set up camp, more wind, and enjoy the stars late into the night, our first shooting star.
Sept 23
Muloorina - Lake Eyre - Innaminka
Up early to check out Lake Eyre 50 km in and out but great track.
Back for Brekky and packup. wind even stronger. Shove the tent straight into the back, allussions to a Salvo Army skip in the rear, while the central console has taken on the name of the Wardrobe (aka Narnia)
Marree, stop to fuel, big mistake & no air. 2.15, did not check, should have kept going to Lyndhurst , but still not 100% on fuel tank levels. And no air
Lyndhurst, 1.75, much more reasonable price. Still no air/
Off to Innaminka
A long hard slog, too far really. our first serious introduction to bulldust, and lots of it. And lots of corrugations, down to 20-30 km at times
But all in all road not bad, at least by my standards.
Was wondering how the old XF would go with a lift kit, all right i reckon.
more bulldust.
Sight Moomba, not a friendly or attractive place.
Innamincka, dusty, busy, (got the last room, wind was strong and could not face the the skip bin in the back)
A few beers, an expensive meal and off to bed.
No character here that i could see here, unlike Birdsville.
Sept 24
Strezleki track partly closed, no idea why, it wasnt that bad i thought the day before.
Burke & Wills and off to Cunnamulla
Visited all the Burke and Wills sites, getting through the bucket list now. Very poignant, is i think the word.
Passed by the one & only dickhead driver coming out of the Dig Tree, in a Toyota of course.
Cross into Qld, bitumen , the novelty of bulldust has passed.
Still another long drive, it was about 1100 when we left the dig tree
Sept 25
Cunnamulla - Brisbane
A long drive again, but easy run so far.
Starts to rain in Moonie, gets heavy in Toowomba, torrential in Ipswich
Accident on Milton Pde, 90 minutes to do 5 km
Finally Home

Sept 26
Cleaning the car, there is a lot of car to clean, i am going off Black rapidly,
Clean it again etc etc.

Sept 29, Oil change at 5000 km and inspection, all good, a busy two weeks. put the girl to bed in the shed, still looking for a name. Maybe it's a Clancy

So no flats, breakages, failures of any sort. Oh, the sand flag quick release point **** itself. I think it vibrated loose on the corrugations, Locktite is your friend.

And once again TPMS, i think i will go for a in wheel one next time.

[AndyG]

umm 5 pic limit i see

[Wicks89]

Sounds like a bloody awesome trip. I agree about the chequer plate. The only place it's worthwhile is the wing tops. Anywhere else why bother?
I disagree about getting someone else to fit it for you, fitting it yourself not only gives you much more satisfaction. It also saves a bucket load of cash. Each to their own though.
Did you fit an APT winch bar? How is that going? I really like the look of them so I'm keen for someone to give me the low down on them

[AndyG]

Sounds like a bloody awesome trip. I agree about the chequer plate. The only place it's worthwhile is the wing tops. Anywhere else why bother?
I disagree about getting someone else to fit it for you, fitting it yourself not only gives you much more satisfaction. It also saves a bucket load of cash. Each to their own though.
Did you fit an APT winch bar? How is that going? I really like the look of them so I'm keen for someone to give me the low down on them

Hi,
Happy with the APT, looks good, appears strong, and 35 kg from memory so not a huge weight over the front, and i got the steering guard.

I wanted to do the fittings myself, but i am on a tight time budget, i fly back to PNG tomorrow.

[AndyG]

Funny thing,
Got back to PNG yesterday, and hoped in the Hilux 4WD for the 170 k, 2.5 hour drive, (75 % bitumen, but thats the roads).

My thoughts for the first 50 k, was this car is stuffed, cluch, porridge gear box, bouncy suspension, vague steering, ****ty seating position,

Then i realised, no this is normal, but its not the Defender

BTW another plug for Mungerani, a good ook range, picked up Len Beadell's Too Long in the Bush, which i have had trouble finding.
A grreat read, will now pass it to my Surveyor neighbour

BTWW 2018 60's anniversary of the Gunbarrel, Rally time ???, must be a few other significant anniversaries rolling around

[wrinklearthur]

------ BTWW 2018 60's anniversary of the Gunbarrel, Rally time ???, must be a few other significant anniversaries rolling around

Good thinking!
.