My Car Club

As some of you might know by now, we’re about to head off to film another DVD out on the tracks.

Before they left, we caught up with the two 4WD Action cameramen that you’ll recognise from a lot of our 4WD Action Facebook posts: Gavin Rawlings and Shawn Peach.

Between the two of them, they’ve driven every track of the Victorian High Country and cruised the open plains of the Kimberley.

So we pulled up a stump to ask them how they go about preparing for an epic DVD trip.

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Yesterday (23rd January), Toyota Australia announced it has axed 350 jobs at its manufacturing plant at Altona in Melbourne’s west.

The decision came at 3.30pm yesterday afternoon when the workers’ union became suspicious after the parts-supplier had already planned for substantial cuts for the Toyota plant.

Manufacturing Minister Kim Carr said the reason for the job cuts is because of the high Aussie dollar. A high dollar means it sends production costs for global companies like Toyota through the roof.

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Compare cheap car rental is a great partner when it comes to the adventures in Australia because it offers 4WD’s that you can use for Off-Road sports. Vehicles that are used in Off-road sports must be able to drive on both smooth and rock-strewn surfaces. You can’t just use any cars because they usually have small tires that can only be driven on smooth roads. It can’t drive off-roads and the ability of regular car isn’t enough for this kind of sport.

Off-road sport is one example of the adventures in Australia and you can enjoy it even if you don’t have Off-road car. You can easily check out the large fleets of car rental companies to suit your needs. Here are the things that you need to look out for when looking for decent off-road car.

• You need a car that has large tires – small tires don’t cut it.
• Its open treads are deep – this ensures that the tires have optimal grip on the road.
• Suspension must also be flexible – it should stand the rigours of rugged terrains
• Decent ground clearance – The distance of the bottom of the car’s body to the ground should be at least 10 inches.
• Duality – it should strike a balance between comfort and competence while traversing less than ideal terrains.

Off-road are great sports but having a car that is suitable for this sport is quite expensive and only few can afford to buy brand new 4WD’s. Some of the great brands of Off-road cars that you would usually find on Compare cheap car rental are Ford Expedition, Subaru Forester, Nissan Xterra and VW Touareg.

Compare cheap car rental companies are great partners for this kind of adventure because they offer different cars that will suit your needs. You no longer have to buy a brand new car just to experience amazing adventures like Off-road. You can now rent a 4WD in rental cars and enjoy Off-road sport without spending too much.

Planning to head out on the tracks this weekend? Check out the latest weather report so you can be prepared for what mother nature will throw at you.

Sydney

Cloudy. Isolated showers. Average Temp Min 20°C Max 24°C.

Melbourne

Partly cloudy on Saturday and sunny on Sunday. Windy. Min 18°C Max 31°C.

Brisbane

Mostly Fine. Possible Shower. Min 21°C Max 30°C

Perth

Humid. Partly Cloudy. Min 21°C Max 30°C

Adelaide

Mostly Sunny. Windy. Min 18°C Max 35°C

Hobart

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A lot of 4WDers get the idea that at Christmas time, Fraser Island is a write off, thanks to all the tourists that head up that way.

Our very own Production Editor Aaron Rankin went up there over the Christmas and New Year period.

“To be honest the island isn’t that crowded at this time of year. Sure there are plenty of people on the island, but thanks to the sheer size of Fraser there is plenty of room for everyone. A lot of the smaller inland camping grounds were totally empty!” Aaron said.

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Location

The Tattersall’s Finke Desert Race is an off road, multi terrain two-day race for bikes, cars, buggies and quads through desert country from Alice Springs to the small Aputula (Finke) community. The race is held each year on the Queen’s Birthday long weekend in June.

“Finke” as it is known, is now one of the biggest annual sporting events in the Northern Territory and has the reputation of being one of the most difficult offroad courses in one of the most remote places in the world. Finke is unique and the most fun you can have with a helmet on!

For those 4WDers that don’t mind dropping a rod in when you’re out beach driving, the rules on collecting pipis may change for those recreational fishermen in Victoria.

Locals in South Gippsland are worried that many people that come to collect pipis for bait are taking advantage of bag limits.

In an interview on ABC local radio, Beverley Walker of the ‘Friends of Venus Bay Community Group’ wants to know how the government authority plans to monitor pipi collection. “Only last holiday there were eight fishery inspectors across the state of Victoria,” Beverley said.

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At just over an hour from Brissie, the Glasshouse Mountains throw everything they have at Roothy and the crew. From steep inclines to deep mud-holes, this is some of the best 4WDing in Queensland!

There’s a lot of hype this year in terms of what to look forward to in new 4WD development.

Nissan

The new Nissan Patrol is set for release this year. Unfortunately, it’s a petrol only, independent all-round beast, but the current GU will still be sold alongside it for the time being.
Also keep your eyes peeled for the new Pathfinder due for release mid-year.

Toyota

As we reported yesterday, the 200 Series is looking good for an Australian update this year and we’ll be keen to see the two giants go head to head.

Jeep

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Looking back over 2011 and what a huge year it has been. We’ve seen for ourselves the sheer number of passionate 4WDers around the country and the impact we can make when stand united and make our voices heard.