all whell drive treks????

Submitted: Friday, Jan 08, 2010 at 00:27

ThreadID: 74980 Views:4928 Replies:5 FollowUps:5

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melbourne magpies

hello,
l am joining this year due to the travelling my wife Mary and I (Anton) will be doing in the next few years. we are starting to begin the "older mature years", BUT, we find most here is for 4WD only. We have a Subaru outback and just love it. It is 3 years old, top of the line model, we are all kitted out (eg, fridge, first aid emerg tools etc etc when travelling) and even thinking of a second hand caravan/camping trailer to pull. we have done over the last 10 years tens of thousands of k's in a ford and now the Subaru. We are wanting to do the trek from Melbourne where we live to Broken Hill/Cameron Corner, Innamincka, then across to Eromanga/Windorah?Longreach/Mt.Isa/back to Longreach/Barcaldine/Emerald/Roma/Charleville/Cobar/Griffith/back to Melb. We know this would be an ok drive for the Subaru Outback, BUT can you provide some tracks this vehicle would be able to do off-road so we can safely leave the gravel & bitumen roads and best time to do it please. We feel we are missing so much. We have always always taken our children from nappies to their teenage years with us and they now love and treasure this great land of ours in treks toFlinders Ranges, driven to Cairns, used all the little towns as the route, just about every town in Victoria/NSW/Tas/60% Queensland but yet to venture WA & NT by car but have flown to these two states but want to drive them now. BUT we are hearing the wild off road outback calling. We feel we are missing the outback by not knowing if our car will do the drives. We can't afford to buy a new car or 4wd (& caravan/camping trailer) so we are stuck (but not sadly) with the Subaru. I hope more out there would like the same as we are requesting. Any suggestions from you or other members???, your in safe km, Anton & Mary Atkinson

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Reply By: Member - Bucky - Friday, Jan 08, 2010 at 06:37

Friday, Jan 08, 2010 at 06:37

Anton & Mary

I do not own a Subaru, but I have seen what these incredible little vehicles can do.
On one of our treks into the outback, a Forrester came with us across through Walkers Crossing, Via Innaminka, and the Dig Tree, went up Big Red, The Plenty Highway, Cattle Water Pass, and into Chambers Pillar, and down to Dalhousie.

As I said these vehicles are incredible..... and a little bit of knowledge about tyre perssures will be of great value to you.

The vehicle was standard height, and loaded up to the hilt.
I did advise our friend Marion, to get it lifted, and there are kits for them about, (not sure about the Outback). bu tshe could not afford it.

Happy travelling, and just go for it
Cheer
Bucky

AnswerID: 398193

Follow Up By: melbourne magpies - Friday, Jan 08, 2010 at 15:18

Friday, Jan 08, 2010 at 15:18

thanks for your help, even if i made a bundle of it and said Subaru Outback instead of SUBARU FORESTER(See my new thread, Anton

FollowupID: 667172

Reply By: Member - Royce- Friday, Jan 08, 2010 at 09:47

Friday, Jan 08, 2010 at 09:47

If you prepare properly and take care the Subie will take you places that the big blokes can't get to. They are fantastic on sand and mud if you get the knack of how to handle them.

Make sure you have recovery gear and emergency plans such as telling people your travel plans.

We towed an offroad trailer behind an '84 Subie across the Tanami and up the Bucanan Hwy. Sure the battery caught on fire and a pin broke in the rear suspension.... and we got bogged.

The crocodile didn't eat my wife and two teenage children. [we noticed the big drag marks after their swim in the waterhole].

I digress. It's possible to go down most outback tracks in any vehicle if you take care. Even better, have a mate travel in their big vehicle. Then you can have fun pulling them out of bogs!

Have fun.

AnswerID: 398231

Follow Up By: melbourne magpies - Friday, Jan 08, 2010 at 15:19

Friday, Jan 08, 2010 at 15:19

thanks for your help, even if i made a bundle of it and said Subaru Outback instead of SUBARU FORESTER(See my new thread, Anton

FollowupID: 667173

Reply By: Member - Kevin B1 (WA) - Friday, Jan 08, 2010 at 11:17

Friday, Jan 08, 2010 at 11:17

I would suggest you check out the Trek notes on this site, there is a heap of information there for you. Also become a member, there are so many people here with a wealth of information of both caravanning and 4 WD, that will give you all the information you need.

AnswerID: 398241

Follow Up By: melbourne magpies - Friday, Jan 08, 2010 at 15:19

Friday, Jan 08, 2010 at 15:19

thanks for your help, even if i made a bundle of it and said Subaru Outback instead of SUBARU FORESTER(See my new thread, Anton

FollowupID: 667174

Reply By: Member - Min (NSW) - Friday, Jan 08, 2010 at 11:19

Friday, Jan 08, 2010 at 11:19

Hi Anton & Mary,

We did a trip to the Kimberley in 2003 and other trips in an Xtrail towing a camper trailer (not an off-roader). We drove to the conditions and had a ball. The main consideration is clearance and for that reason we changed to a Prado three years ago and are now revelling in our freedom to go pretty much where ever we choose, given advancing age and the fact that we don't travel with other people.

On occasions we left the trailer and took a tent or accommodation (e.g. Mitchell Plateau and Bungles)

I would not consider taking a caravan off road unless it was an off-roader which would be too heavy to be towed by an Outback (I would think). We saw the results of taking an on-road van as far as Laura (in Cape York). The owners had to screw all the fittings in that night before turning back. Then we heard from other travellers they had to screw them all in again when they reached Cooktown.

You can read what we did in the Xtrail in Blogs. Search by member (Member Min)

Enjoy your Corner Country/Qld trip.

Min

AnswerID: 398242

Follow Up By: melbourne magpies - Friday, Jan 08, 2010 at 15:19

Friday, Jan 08, 2010 at 15:19

thanks for your help, even if i made a bundle of it and said Subaru Outback instead of SUBARU FORESTER(See my new thread, Anton

FollowupID: 667175

Reply By: Member - John and Val - Friday, Jan 08, 2010 at 12:54

Friday, Jan 08, 2010 at 12:54

Hello Magpies,

Welcome to this great site which is about exploring our country. Its not just for 4x4 drivers. I hope you have many more adventures. I dont have a Subaru but I dont think there is any reason why you should not go to many of the places you mention. You should be able to do the Gibb OK but some of the side tracks might be tricky eg crossing the King Edward River to get to the Mitchell Plateau. But you should be able to go to Mornington which is a great place.

Likewise you would be able to get to the main attractions in the Pilbara.

We have just done a big trip around WA and apart from the Canning there were few places we needed 4x4 or high clearance - mainly just getting into off-road campsites. In fact we were surprised at how good many of the minor roads in WA were - much better than what we have here in NSW.

As others have said, have a look at all the trek notes on this site and read some of the blogs and you will soon find plenty that you can do.

Happy travelling,

Val.