I STILL remember clearly my first time driving on the sands of Stockton Beach. I would have been 14 years old, and my dad had just bought a Range Rover Classic. He had always wanted one and, as I was entering my troubled teenage years, it was something we could bond over. But we had no idea what we were doing. The smart call was to join the Range Rover Club and attend its beginner sand-driving course at Stockton Beach in NSW.
Within the first five minutes of driving down Lavis Lane towards the beach, my old man barked: “What the hell have you gotten me into?” Not what you want to hear at the start of the day. We nearly threw in the towel and headed home. Thankfully, by leaning on club members who had experience, he had a smile on his face pretty soon. By the end of the day, we were cruising up and down dunes like experts, and still enjoy sand driving to this day.
So, what does all this have to do with anything? Well, I was recently invited out on a training drive-day with the Isuzu I-Venture Club to Stockton Beach. To say it brought back many happy memories, would be an understatement. While I’ve personally done loads of sand driving over the years, it was my first time on sand in our recently modified 4X4 Australia D-Max. And it was also a brilliant opportunity to see a group of Isuzu enthusiasts learning new skills, and gain confidence along the way.
The day started with a driver briefing at a nearby hotel where lead trainer David Wilson engaged with the punters on everything from how to engage 4WD to convoy etiquette. This set the scene for the day, if at any stage someone wasn’t confident with an obstacle, there was a team of people available who could help.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
MAXXIS CUSTOM OF THE YEAR
MAXXIS CUSTOM 4X4 OF THE YEAR IS BACK, AND YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO WIN BY VOTING FOR YOUR FAVE 4X4. GET ON IT!
ONE WITH THE LOT
THE VERSATILITY OF THE NINJA WOODFIRE ELECTRIC BBQ GRILL & SMOKER PUTS IT IN A LEAGUE OF ITS OWN FOR COOKING ON THE ROAD
LONELY HIGHWAY
A DRIVE ALONG THE NYANGUMARTA HIGHWAY IS AN ISOLATED AND SELF-SUFFICIENT JOURNEY THAT WILL TEST BOTH YOU AND YOUR 4X4 AS YOU CROSS THE GREAT SANDY DESERT
THE SOFT PARADE
BRIDGESTONE HAS LAUNCHED A NEW ALL-TERRAIN TYRE IT SAYS OFFERS BETTER RIDE AND HANDLING THAN TRADITIONAL HEAVY-DUTY A/T TYRES
WEIGHING HII IT UP
OUR FORD EVEREST HAS ITS TOUGH DOG SUSPENSION FITTED, INCLUDING A GVM UPGRADE. NOW WE CAN'T WAIT TO DRIVE IT!
BIG MIDDY
THE GWM CANNON ALPHA HYBRID OFFERS A STUNNING ALTERNATIVE IN THE 4X4 UTE MARKET
WORKING BEE
HOW DOES THE NEW MITSUBISHI TRITON COMPARE TO THE POPULAR ISUZU D-MAX? WE PAIRED UP THE NEW D-MAX X-RIDER WITH THE TRITON IN GLX+ GUISE TO FIND OUT
ROCK 'N' ROLL RANGER
LIMITED-EDITION TREMOR TAKES THE 4-CYLINDER RANGER UP THE RICHTER SCALE WITH MORE PURPOSE.
GMC YUKON HERE IN 2025
NEW YUKON REVEALED IN NORTH AMERICA AND IS COMING DOWN UNDER
2024 FORD EVEREST TREMOR REVEALED
FORD REVEALS ADVENTURE-BORN EVEREST TREMOR BOASTING OFF-ROAD-READY SUSPENSION SET-UP