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Pat Callinan's 4x4 Adventures Season 18 Episode 1
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FunTranscript
00:00G'day folks. Well, I've got a bit of a grin on my face today because this is day one of a brand
00:12new four-wheel drive adventure, but it's an adventure that really is number one on the
00:17bucket list of most Aussie four-wheel drivers, and that is Cape York, the pinnacle of mainland
00:24Australia. Now, there's a few different ways that you can get up to the tip. You can take the easy
00:28way up the Bloomfield track and up the development road, but we're going to do neither. We are going
00:35to head across that river over there up the Krebs track. Now, it's a pretty treacherous track,
00:42and especially after rain, which they've had a little of lately, I'm a wee bit concerned because
00:48it is slippery, it is clay, it could get very messy indeed. And after that, we're going to take a few
00:56more serious challenges up the old telegraph track all the way to Cape York. But I'll tell
01:01you what, me and my mate Steve and Josh, we cannot wait. So, why put you and your vehicle to the
01:09challenge of Cape York? Well, that's easy. For this, and for this, and a little of that,
01:18and let's not forget this. Now, the Cape is an epic journey for any serious four-wheel driver,
01:27so much so that we're doing it in two episodes. On this, the first, we'll be kicking things off on
01:33the Krebs track and taking in some of the best it has to offer, before popping out at Bloomfield
01:39and then hitting the fabled telegraph track and heading north. We'll be in for our fair share of
01:44water crossings, plenty of mud, and hopefully, not too much carnage. Joining me on this adventure
01:50is 12-volt guru Steve from Redarc, who will be behind the wheel of our Ford Everest Tremor.
01:57And of course, my mate Josh will be making the journey in our beautiful bronze Ranger Tremor.
02:03If you want to find out more about our vehicles for this season and how we've modified them,
02:07head over to the Mr. 4x4 YouTube channel.
02:10We've got a river to cross, the first, but certainly not the last, on this adventure.
02:20Okay, now, this Daintree crossing is a little bit tricky because logically, you want to drive
02:25straight across it, but if you do, it's around about two metres deep, right in the middle. So,
02:31what you want to do is take a bit of a horseshoe shape around to the right,
02:35and you will stay nice and shallow. We have loads more water crossings to come,
02:41and this trip to Cape York, it's all about mechanical sympathy, understanding your four-wheel drive
02:47and trying not to break it on the way to the tip.
02:52First crossing of the Krebs track, deep water, deep breaths, and four low. Here we go.
02:59It's all right. It's a nice, firm, rocky bottom, but this is deeper than I reckon.
03:10Thank gosh, Patsky showed me that line.
03:14All right, first one done. First one done. We've just got about 50,000 more.
03:19And, of course, Steve in the V6 Everest made it across without a hiccup,
03:23and then it was onwards along the narrow but verdant Krebs track.
03:29Steve, welcome to the party, mate.
03:37Thank you. It's great to be coming along.
03:38Now, have you wheeled Cape York before?
03:41Mate, no, I've never had the opportunity to come up here, and so far, wow.
03:46We will have some fun.
03:47Now, Joshy, what about you, mate? Have you done this one before?
03:50Mate, I've done the Cape 13 years ago, but there's a caveat to that.
03:55I took a massive knock to the head, good brain injury, and I don't remember it at all.
04:01There you go, mate.
04:02Well, you better stay tight behind me then.
04:07Right at the moment, the Krebs track is in pretty good condition in that it is reasonably dry.
04:12But, in the wet, this is a whole different ball game.
04:17Believe me, I've driven it then.
04:19And you've got to approach those hills a little bit differently and with a lot more caution.
04:24And the first thing to do is to make sure your tyre pressures are down.
04:28We're running around about mid-20s at the moment,
04:31and that does depend on the load in your vehicle.
04:35So, I'm running a little bit higher pressures in the F-150
04:38and a little bit lower pressures in the Ranger and the Everest.
04:43And when you're coming up to those steep, slippery clay ascents,
04:47you want to make sure that you are in low range, you're in low gear,
04:51and also, if it looks like a particularly challenging hill,
04:55so with a few bumps and lumps in it,
04:58you might also consider putting in your rear differential lock.
05:03And that should just give you a little bit more traction
05:05as you're heading up those steep and often slippery hills.
05:09When you're coming down the hills, well, that is another thing altogether.
05:13If you've got the tech in your vehicle, if you have hill descent control,
05:17you really do want to use it.
05:19But the thing you really want to avoid is your brake pedal.
05:24Funnily enough, as you go down a hill,
05:26if you lock up, you really do lose the control of your vehicle.
05:31You lose that steering.
05:32And the main thing you want to do is keep, obviously, in the middle of the track.
05:36Make sure you keep on the main part of the track
05:39because often there'll be little wheel track depressions
05:42that act a little bit like train tracks,
05:44and they will keep your vehicle on the straight and narrow.
05:47As soon as you get off them, well, then gravity tends to do its thing
05:51and you could just slide off and into a tree or into a ravine.
05:56So try and stay at all costs in the middle of the track.
05:59Even if it looks a little bit lumpy and bumpy,
06:02that is inevitably the way to go on a really steep descent.
06:08Sometimes, even in hill descent control and low range,
06:12your vehicle can even lock up then and you can lose a little bit of steering.
06:15So if it is a particularly challenging situation
06:18and you find your vehicle getting out of shape,
06:20you can also tap the accelerator very, very gently
06:24just to stop those tyres from locking up and to maintain your steering.
06:30We came across another small tributary of the Daintree River,
06:34the perfect spot to stop and wash off the humidity.
06:37In this rainforest country,
06:40it's inevitable that it will be a little bit hot and steamy.
06:44So I took the opportunity for a quick refreshing dip
06:47before winding north once more.
06:50Now, the name CREB, C-R-E-B,
07:00actually stands for Cairns Regional Electricity Board.
07:03So this was their access track
07:05to make it right up through the remote Daintree rainforest.
07:10Not really used for that these days.
07:12I think they routed it a different way.
07:15But that, my friends, is how it was named.
07:20My goodness, we have a very steep little cutting here.
07:25A bit of erosion, a bit of tree fall.
07:28I'll put the mirrors in, I think.
07:32Turn off my sensors and breathe in.
07:39Oh, yes, we are making it.
07:44Oh, this track is so skinny.
07:46And Pat is sweating that F-150 through like a knitting needle.
07:59People with expedition trucks,
08:01you won't fit through this bit of the CREB truck.
08:04Up next, the stunning Meg Falls.
08:07We go into the lion's den,
08:09and later, the cape bears its teeth.
08:11Welcome back.
08:14Just one kilometre off the CREB track
08:16is what I would consider a compulsory stop.
08:19Meg Falls is made up of some beautiful cascades
08:22as well as an incredible waterfall.
08:25We opted for the short bushwalk
08:26from the car park
08:28to an area known as the beach.
08:30She's a bit of a rock clamber getting up here, folks.
08:35I had to drop the shoes and go barefoot.
08:39But is it not magnificent?
08:42Some serious power in that water, though.
08:44There's no chance I'm swimming here,
08:45but the boys are keen for a swim.
08:47I can see just a little bit further up
08:49there's a nice, calm little water hole there,
08:52so we'll give that a crack.
08:54It's fresh, but in the best possible way.
09:01What a spot,
09:02and a beautiful way to escape the humidity.
09:06Right at the end of the CREB track,
09:08you'll find one of Australia's most iconic bush pubs,
09:12the Lion's Den Hotel.
09:14It's hard to think of a pub
09:15with more character than this one.
09:24What I love about this place
09:27is that all the signs and stuff,
09:29there's a real...
09:31It appeals to the 13-year-old in me.
09:33It's an absolute childish humour.
09:35But it also shows how quintessential it is
09:37to stop at this pub and make your mark
09:39because everyone is doing it.
09:41It's hardly a gab.
09:42Yeah, best of luck finding one.
09:44So are you going to sign the pub?
09:45Why not?
09:46Yeah, yeah.
09:46Sure.
09:47Yeah, yeah.
09:48It's customary to make your mark
09:50on this icon of the bush.
09:52So while I was slapping on a sticker,
09:55Josh was scribbling a message.
09:58In one of the back rooms
09:59is a tiny but fascinating museum
10:02filled with historic
10:03and natural curiosities of the area.
10:06From brown snakes to beer cans,
10:09it's well worth a look.
10:11And while we're here,
10:12it would be rude not to indulge
10:14in a schooner with the boys
10:15to celebrate our success on the CREB track.
10:18Well, here's to the CREB track, boys.
10:20We made it.
10:21We did.
10:22I kind of can't believe
10:23you threaded that F-150 through.
10:26For you guys as first timers,
10:28thoughts on the CREB?
10:29Oh, I thought it was unreal.
10:31Just nice, steep,
10:33easy sort of things
10:34when it's not too wet.
10:35So I was really happy
10:36with the progress we made on that.
10:37It was good.
10:38Yeah, my takeaway is
10:39if it was wet,
10:40I would just not attempt it.
10:41And I would not do it alone,
10:43I don't know,
10:43because you need a recovery vehicle.
10:45Yeah, and I think,
10:46you know,
10:47those hills,
10:47I mean,
10:48you guys are experienced
10:48four-wheel drivers.
10:49Those hills are pretty steep.
10:50If you're a beginner
10:51and, you know,
10:53you start losing traction,
10:54that's scary stuff.
10:55Nice thing about the Cape,
10:56though,
10:56that you've got options,
10:57you know,
10:58if that's too much for you,
10:59do the Bloomfield.
11:00You've got cement tracks up hills
11:02and that sort of stuff
11:03and it's just that little bit easier,
11:04but you still get
11:05your rainforest experience.
11:06But we've got a long way to go, boys.
11:08We've got a few more tracks to conquer
11:09and these next ones,
11:10they might be a little bit harder than that.
11:12I'm scared.
11:14Genuinely scared.
11:16Drink up.
11:19That'll fix it.
11:21Before we head north
11:23towards the old Telegraph track,
11:24there's one more spot
11:26that's a must-see in this area.
11:29Grassy Hill Lookout,
11:30located in Cooktown.
11:32And the view from the top
11:33Well,
11:34see for yourself.
11:38While the harbour below
11:39is considered a safe harbour
11:41for modern sailors,
11:42Captain Cook also used
11:44these calm, protected waters
11:45to fix damage sustained
11:47on his ship,
11:48the Endeavour.
11:50He'd run into a coral shoal
11:51and needed to run the ship aground
11:53in order to affect his repairs.
11:56So a sand spit below
11:57was just a ticket.
11:59Now,
12:00just about every defining feature
12:02of the area
12:03is named after him
12:04from Cooktown
12:05to Cook Mountain
12:06to the local Coffee Beans.
12:10After soaking in that magnificent view,
12:12we had a mile to make
12:13to reach the beginning
12:14of the old Telegraph track.
12:16Coming up,
12:18we rustle up a fantastic feed,
12:20then begin the old Telegraph track.
12:23But will we come unstuck?
12:26You join us pulling into the small town of Archer River,
12:29and after a long day on the road,
12:31cooking felt like the last thing I wanted to be doing.
12:34Gentlemen,
12:36I refuse to cook tonight.
12:38Fair enough.
12:40We've covered some serious kilometres,
12:41so I'm really not in the mood for it,
12:43but we're not going to go hungry.
12:45In fact,
12:46you're going to be well and truly full
12:48once you have finished tonight's meal.
12:50It is over in that direction.
12:52We shall head,
12:53and you're in for a bit of a surprise.
12:55Rightio.
12:56Let's do it.
12:56This way.
12:56Okay, fellas.
12:59Well, you go and grab a seat.
13:01I've got the ordering covered.
13:02No worries.
13:08Good evening.
13:10Okay, thank you.
13:11Could I please have three
13:12of your very famous Archer burgers?
13:14Oh, yes.
13:15It's a huge burger.
13:17And after a very short wait,
13:19we were in for a treat.
13:21Oh, that's us.
13:22Thank you very much.
13:26Wow.
13:26Thank you so much.
13:27Beautiful.
13:30So, gentlemen,
13:31we have the famous Archer burger here.
13:34There's a bit going on.
13:34And we have beef,
13:36we have tomato,
13:37we've got beetroot,
13:38we've got cheese,
13:39we've got egg,
13:40and so much more in there.
13:43So, I hope you enjoy.
13:44Oh, beautiful.
13:45What's the protocol with this?
13:46Stick in or out?
13:48I'm going to leave the burger sword in.
13:49We need some structure.
13:50Yeah, the burger sword.
13:51I just want to see you wrap your fangs around this
13:54and see if you can actually get
13:55a decent mouthful.
13:56Let's have a crack.
13:57Okay.
13:57Deep breath.
13:58Ready?
14:03That's good burger.
14:04Very good burger.
14:05That's good.
14:06Excellent.
14:07There's a bit of weight there, isn't there?
14:08It's a proper kilo.
14:09It's a very Australian burger, isn't it?
14:19My first bar,
14:20I thought it's Australian.
14:22You know,
14:22when you said you weren't going to cook tonight,
14:24I was a bit upset,
14:25but I'm not anymore.
14:27That's good.
14:28Too many of these things
14:29could definitely clog up the arteries,
14:31but hey,
14:32sometimes you've got to treat yourself.
14:34After topping up the tanks at Archer River,
14:37we hit the development road for an hour or so
14:39before arriving at the wonderful
14:41Moreton Telegraph Station.
14:44Cape York is a pretty big place,
14:45so you really do want somewhere
14:47that you can just slow down
14:48and chill for a little while.
14:50And this,
14:51I think,
14:52is the place to do just that.
14:54It has a whole lot of stuff here.
14:57Firstly,
14:57you've got the Moreton Telegraph Station Museum,
15:00which has some absolutely wonderful
15:02little slices of history
15:04from when this place was founded
15:05back in 1886.
15:07This was one of those communications hubs
15:11which would send the signals
15:12through those copper wires
15:14all the way around the world.
15:17But the other nice thing about this place
15:18is that it sits on the banks
15:20of the Wenlock River,
15:21and that river feeds and irrigates
15:24the grass here in the campgrounds
15:27because you'll find that
15:28most of the campgrounds up here,
15:30especially the National Park's ones,
15:32are devoid of any grass.
15:34So up here,
15:35it's just a nice chill place to be
15:38that's really a little bit civilized
15:40but still very outback.
15:42The Moreton Telegraph Station
15:44is also a twitcher's delight.
15:46There has been over 121 different species
15:51spotted right on the banks here
15:54of the Wenlock.
15:55From Moreton Telegraph Station,
15:57it's about an hour up to Bramwell Station
15:59where the old telegraph track,
16:01or OTL,
16:02begins.
16:03Bramwell Station is also the last fuel stop
16:05before getting on the telegraph track,
16:08so we fuelled up and aired down
16:09before pushing north.
16:11Up next,
16:13we hit the old telegraph track,
16:15and it hits back hard.
16:19Welcome back.
16:20The telegraph track
16:21is a dramatic change
16:23from what we've become accustomed to.
16:25It's narrow,
16:26rough,
16:27and slow going.
16:28Our first obstacle
16:30is Palm Creek,
16:32and it's a great example
16:33of just what Cape York is about.
16:36Well, we're at the very first crossing,
16:38Palm Creek,
16:39and this is kind of Cape York condensed.
16:42We have a ridiculously steep incline
16:45coming into Palm Creek,
16:47and then when you get in here,
16:48you've got obstacle number one,
16:50the crazy one
16:51that has the fetid water
16:52that no one's tried to drive.
16:54You've got this one
16:54that no one has been able to drive,
16:56unassisted.
16:57Then you've got a slightly easier one,
16:59but people are still getting stuck there.
17:02But don't worry,
17:02you don't have to do any of this
17:04because there is a bypass track
17:06around the side.
17:07The only problem with that one
17:09is there's a weight line
17:10of about 60 vehicles
17:12because cars are getting stuck there
17:13as well.
17:14The southernmost entry
17:15was just too skinny
17:16for the F-150,
17:18so I opted to try another spot
17:20just a few hundred metres
17:21to the north.
17:22Well, we decided to give
17:24Palm Creek proper
17:25a miss today
17:26because the F-150
17:28is a little bit too wide
17:29for that particular track,
17:30so basically
17:31we ran the tape over it
17:33and I would have just
17:34ripped off my flares.
17:36So we're going to try
17:37the alternative track
17:38which should have
17:39hopefully thinned out by now.
17:41Well, if this is the chicken track,
17:43you can call me Colonel Sanders.
17:45This is very, very steep.
17:47Very similar drop-off
17:48to the more difficult entry,
17:51but it looks maybe
17:52a little bit smoother
17:53at the bottom.
17:54And then we've got to
17:55scoot up the creek
17:56and hopefully find
17:57an exit out the other end.
17:59Well, here we go.
18:00Palm Creek, take one.
18:02Okay, so a nice steep
18:03decline coming up here.
18:05What I've done is
18:06I've activated
18:06the rear differential lock,
18:08low range,
18:09thumbs on the outside
18:10of the steering wheel.
18:12And I'm just going to try
18:13and drop this vehicle
18:14over nice and gently.
18:18Hopefully won't high centre,
18:19I have a little.
18:21But now the vehicle
18:23is starting to drag me down.
18:24All the gravity is.
18:27There we go.
18:29F-truck is high centred.
18:33I think we're going to need
18:34a hand from the boys.
18:37I wasn't expecting that.
18:38I'm just wondering
18:39whether you guys
18:40can just give me
18:40a bit of a nudge
18:41because it doesn't feel
18:41very stuck.
18:42And if you guys can
18:43just give me a bit of a push,
18:45it might do it.
18:46Otherwise, we'll have to
18:47pull me back
18:48and have another crack at it.
18:49So a bit of a push
18:50if we can.
18:51And yeah, it's a light rig.
18:54Try as they might,
18:55my F-150 would not budge.
19:04We're going to winch
19:05the F-150 backwards.
19:06So I'm going to move
19:07this Ranger into position,
19:08get that winch out,
19:10get the rig back
19:11and then drop her in
19:11with a bit more gusto.
19:12A little bit more gusto.
19:13And so while I enjoyed
19:15the relative comfort
19:16of my newfound precipice,
19:18Josh got to work
19:19hooking up
19:19the Bushranger
19:20Covert winch.
19:22It's always a good idea
19:23when doing a recovery
19:25to use the proper
19:26safety gear,
19:27gloves to keep
19:28your hands protected
19:29and a winch dampener
19:30in case things go wrong.
19:32Okay, Patsky,
19:33ready for a winch?
19:35With everything in place,
19:37it was time to drag
19:38the big rig
19:38back from the edge.
19:40But this isn't quite
19:41the outcome
19:41we were hoping for.
19:45Pulling the range closer.
19:47It is.
19:48It's funny, you know,
19:48this seemed like
19:50such a simple little decline
19:51and the recovery
19:52even seemed really simple.
19:53But it's amazing
19:55how you can get hung up
19:56in little situations
19:58like this.
19:59Best thing to do,
20:00take a deep breath,
20:01slow it all down
20:02and then just logically
20:04think through the process.
20:05Try not to rush it
20:06because when you rush it,
20:07that's when you tend
20:07to make mistakes.
20:10Welcome to the Cape.
20:12The boys are now
20:13resetting the recovery,
20:15anchoring the ranger
20:16to a nearby tree
20:17to stop the vehicle sliding
20:19along with a tree trunk protector.
20:21So with the ranger
20:22safely hooked up to the tree,
20:24it was time to winch again.
20:26Feel that tension coming.
20:28He's starting to drag me.
20:30Beautiful.
20:32Keep going, keep going.
20:35Keep going, keep going.
20:37God bless the covert winch.
20:39He's got me out of trouble.
20:43Fortunately for us,
20:44there was yet another track
20:45leading into the creek
20:46and this one turned out
20:47to be a winner.
20:48Okay, Palm Creek version 3
20:50and I'll just drop this F-150
20:54into the creek finally.
20:57In terms of technique
20:58down these hills, guys,
20:59it's really just
21:00take it nice and easy
21:01and nice and slow.
21:03That allows your suspension
21:04to recover and articulate.
21:06Whereas if you go
21:07a little bit too fast,
21:09you might find
21:10that you bottom out
21:11a lot more
21:11because your suspension
21:12at full compression
21:13will go bang bang
21:15on whatever the heck
21:16is under the water there.
21:18So we've got a deep stretch
21:20just coming up here.
21:26There's plenty of traction
21:27under there
21:28so I can take it
21:29nice and slowly.
21:31Okay,
21:32now we are climbing
21:33out through a very,
21:36very skinny part
21:37of the track here.
21:38Man,
21:38this is
21:39steeper than what
21:41I had hoped, actually.
21:42I think I'm going
21:50to get stuck
21:51on the exit here
21:52but we should see
21:53how we go.
21:53a little bit of a punch.
22:11made it through
22:18and we've blown
22:21a tyre.
22:22As if this obstacle
22:23couldn't get any tougher.
22:25Did I mention we're
22:26only three kilometres
22:27into the track?
22:28Yeah,
22:29it suddenly seems
22:30like it's going
22:31to be a long day.
22:33Up next,
22:35a bit of trackside repair.
22:37Will the boys
22:37make it through
22:38Palm Creek unscathed?
22:40And later,
22:41gunshot.
22:42Welcome back.
22:43While I get to
22:43fixing this flat,
22:45let's check in
22:45on the boys
22:46down in the creek
22:47and see how they're doing.
22:49Well,
22:49it looks like
22:50the Ranger Tremor
22:51loves a bath
22:52and well-driven,
22:53Josh.
22:58Steve,
23:01on the other hand,
23:02is having the time
23:03of his life
23:03behind the wheel
23:04of the Everest Tremor.
23:06It's a fairly deep hole
23:07from what I've seen
23:08but...
23:09Nice.
23:16That was a bit deeper
23:17than I suspected
23:18but that...
23:18That was a nice
23:20little water crossing.
23:22With the more
23:23compact Ranger,
23:24Josh is having
23:25a much easier time
23:26on the exit
23:26than I did
23:27in my larger
23:28F-150.
23:30That was too scary
23:31to talk.
23:33That was just so much
23:34in like such
23:34a short amount of time.
23:36Give me a break.
23:37All right.
23:39Exit time.
23:39Whoops,
23:40there's my mirror.
23:40I should have put them in.
23:46Speared out of that one.
23:48That was all right.
23:51It was a bit steep
23:52and a bit slippery.
23:52I didn't know
23:53how much it needed
23:53so we gave it a little bit
23:54and we made it.
23:56Well-driven, guys.
23:58Now we're all out of the creek,
23:59it's time to sort that tyre.
24:01Rather than actually
24:02change our tyre,
24:03we're going to try
24:04and rescue the one
24:05that is on here
24:05and we think
24:07that it's just
24:08popped off the bead
24:09which is really
24:09kind of a common thing
24:11to happen around
24:11these parts
24:12where you get
24:13massive pressure
24:14on the sidewall
24:15under acceleration
24:16and then,
24:17bang,
24:18it just pops it off
24:18and lets all your air out.
24:20The problem is
24:21when you actually
24:22get it into
24:23a nice serviceable location,
24:25you tend to find
24:26that you have
24:27a whole lot of mud
24:28and junk
24:29that has got
24:30inside
24:30the rim there
24:32and what happens
24:33is if you
24:34leave that there
24:35and don't clean it off,
24:36you're never really
24:37going to have
24:37a well-sealed rim.
24:38So the trick is
24:39just to try
24:39and clean it
24:40as best as possible,
24:42lift it up
24:43and then
24:44actually apply
24:45a little bit of
24:46pressure to the bead
24:46while you're trying
24:48to reinflate the tyre.
24:49Okay,
24:49so that's the top half
24:50fairly well cleaned.
24:52Now we're going to
24:52lift the rim up
24:53off the ground
24:54and that'll allow us
24:55access to the bottom half.
24:57Now,
24:58whenever you're
24:58working off a jack,
25:00you want to make sure
25:00that the vehicle
25:01is as stable as possible.
25:02So,
25:03as we lift this vehicle up,
25:04we're going to use
25:05this guy here.
25:06that is called
25:07a jacking base plate.
25:09So you can see
25:10how big
25:11a regular jack is
25:12and how easy
25:13that would be
25:14on the ground
25:15to actually fall over,
25:16especially when you're on,
25:18you know,
25:18soft kind of clay
25:19like we are now.
25:20So it would be a very,
25:22much more dangerous thing.
25:23So what you do
25:24is you spread it
25:24over a larger area.
25:26That's kind of
25:27probably quadruple the area.
25:29So that means
25:30that you're jacking
25:31off a much safer platform.
25:33But regardless,
25:34never trust a jack
25:35because they can
25:36always fall off.
25:38Now,
25:38I'm using a bottle jack here
25:40that's pretty highly rated
25:41for eight tonne.
25:43And this allows me
25:44some good access
25:45under here.
25:47You might ask the question,
25:48why aren't I using
25:49a high lift jack?
25:50And that's because
25:52on this vehicle,
25:52really the only jacking point
25:54that I've got
25:54is the actual tow bar.
25:57And that's going to lift up
25:58the entire back end
25:58of the car,
25:59which I don't really need
26:01at the moment.
26:01So this is,
26:03in my opinion,
26:04in the way to go.
26:09It's always a challenge
26:10to reseat a bead
26:12when you don't have
26:13professional,
26:14high-pressure equipment
26:15to do it with.
26:17So what we're going to do
26:18is actually
26:19pull the valve out.
26:21And that just allows
26:22more airflow
26:23to get in there
26:25as we're trying
26:27to pump it up.
26:29Okay, now,
26:30time to
26:31give it some gas.
26:34That compressor.
26:37Okay.
26:42Now, it's really important,
26:43folks,
26:44when you're doing this,
26:44don't actually put
26:45your body underneath
26:47because we don't trust
26:48that jack.
26:49But we've just got this
26:50to the point
26:51where you now
26:52can no longer hear
26:52the air escaping,
26:53so you know
26:54that it's actually
26:54filling up.
26:55And then,
26:56you've just got to wait
26:56to hear the pop-pop
26:57of the bead
26:59going back on.
27:01Important to note
27:02that this isn't
27:02the tyre's fault.
27:04This is us running
27:05low pressures
27:06in stupid terrain.
27:07There goes one pop.
27:09There we go.
27:11Jackpot.
27:12There we go, folks.
27:13Who said four-wheel driving
27:14isn't hard work?
27:17Satisfying it.
27:18Now, I'll just check
27:19what pressure we're running.
27:20I've got that up
27:21on the dash
27:21in this vehicle, actually.
27:23Okay, so I'm just
27:24going to over-inflate
27:25that tyre
27:26just a wee bit
27:27because keep in mind
27:28I still have
27:29the valve out of it.
27:30So, I'm going to
27:31pull the compressor out,
27:33then rapidly pop
27:34that valve in
27:34and then check
27:35the pressures
27:36and get everything
27:37evened up once more.
27:43There we go.
27:44And we're back on the road
27:45and we've still got
27:46a perfectly good spare tyre.
27:48Well, that's one obstacle
27:50down
27:50and with the tyre
27:51back on my rig,
27:52it's time we got
27:53moving towards
27:54the next one.
27:55Okay, we're going to
27:56drop her into
27:57yet another creek.
28:00Whoa!
28:03She's a bit of
28:04a rocky one in there.
28:06Turn off my parking
28:07sensors
28:08and cruise on
28:10through.
28:13It's such an
28:14interesting mixture,
28:15the Cape.
28:16These river crossings,
28:18the creek crossings,
28:19they go from being
28:20slightly terrifying
28:22to incredibly beautiful
28:25and it's a really lovely
28:32part of the world.
28:33It was eight years ago
28:34when I was last up here
28:36with the family
28:37and I can tell you
28:39Cape York has changed
28:42significantly.
28:43it has got a lot,
28:46a lot harder,
28:48I can tell you.
28:50Big weather events
28:51and significant traffic
28:53has chewed out
28:54these tracks
28:55and now
28:57it's gone from
28:59what essentially
29:00used to be
29:01probably a
29:03quite a reasonably
29:05easy trip
29:09to a
29:10really
29:11ultra-challenging
29:13trip.
29:14Thankfully,
29:14this isn't one of
29:15those challenges
29:16but
29:19you've got to have
29:20your game face on,
29:21folks.
29:22Cape is not
29:22for the faint of heart.
29:24We pulled up
29:25after what can only
29:26be described
29:26as a challenging day
29:28and set up camp
29:29at the beautiful
29:30Dulhuntie Creek.
29:31But before we could
29:32dive in,
29:33it's time to do
29:34a quick damage
29:35assessment.
29:35Just arrived at camp
29:36on the old
29:38Telegraph track
29:38for day one
29:39and I thought I'd
29:40do a bit of a
29:40damage report
29:41because unfortunately
29:42I have sustained
29:43some.
29:44So if you look
29:44down here,
29:45look at that
29:46misalignment
29:46of that panel
29:47and we've got a
29:48ding here,
29:49ding and scratch
29:50right there.
29:51So this vehicle,
29:52it does actually
29:53have some sidesteps
29:54that are very fancy
29:55and very awesome
29:56except for the fact
29:57that they don't offer
29:58a whole lot of
29:58protection like a
29:59traditional sidestep.
30:01They're certainly
30:02not rock sliders.
30:03So that's the first
30:05bit of damage.
30:06We also actually
30:07scratched up the rim
30:08when that tyre
30:09popped off the bead
30:10so we've lost a little
30:11bit of paint there.
30:12Come around the other
30:13side of the vehicle
30:14and I didn't even
30:16know this happened
30:16until we actually
30:17pulled up at camp
30:18but if you have a
30:20look at my awning
30:20up there,
30:21I have completely
30:22scratched the
30:23bushwhacker.
30:25Hopefully it hasn't
30:25damaged the awning
30:26itself but it's
30:27definitely trashed
30:28the cover.
30:28And this is
30:30the final bit
30:31of carnage.
30:32We've actually
30:32just gently
30:34dinged in and
30:34scratched our
30:35MRT guard.
30:37Understandable,
30:38it's the widest
30:38part of the vehicle
30:39but again,
30:41I didn't even
30:41know it happened.
30:43It's not too good
30:44because I have
30:45just sustained
30:45some decent damage
30:47and the other
30:47cars,
30:48not a thing.
30:49I'm not too sure
30:50if this F-150
30:51is a little bit
30:52too large for
30:53the cape
30:53but I'm going to
30:55drive a lot more
30:55carefully from
30:56now on.
30:58Well,
30:58unfortunately up
30:59here damage
31:00comes with the
31:00territory but the
31:01cape has rewarded
31:02us with a stunning
31:03sunset swim in
31:05exchange.
31:06The water in here
31:07is soft and warm
31:08and washed the dust
31:09of the day off
31:10beautifully.
31:22After the break,
31:23gunshot.
31:24But will we even
31:25make it through?
31:27Welcome back.
31:28This morning we're
31:29rolling out of camp
31:30towards our next
31:31big ticket item.
31:34Well, what a way
31:35to start the day
31:35with a good coffee
31:37and a water crossing
31:38right on the doorstep
31:40of camp.
31:41How beautiful is this?
31:43The terrain has
31:44changed drastically
31:45as we've gone
31:46further north
31:47and we're now
31:48crossing beautiful
31:49open heathland.
31:50We've got these
31:52little honey
31:55grevilleas here
31:56just by the
31:57side of the track.
31:58I'm going to bring
31:59one into the car
31:59because it's
32:01beautifully placed.
32:02So I don't know
32:03if you can see
32:03that that's all
32:05the nectar that
32:06is sitting there.
32:07You can see the
32:07ants are having a
32:08little bit of a feed
32:09and the reason being
32:11is because this,
32:13if I just tap it
32:14on my hand,
32:15you'll see it,
32:16what looks like
32:17water coming off,
32:19but that is actually
32:20beautiful nectar
32:21and what you do
32:23is you lick it off
32:27and it tastes
32:29like honey basically.
32:31Absolutely delicious.
32:32You can also drop
32:33that in a cup of tea
32:35to sweeten it up
32:36or just with a bit
32:37of hot water
32:37and yeah,
32:40absolutely gorgeous.
32:41You'll find these
32:42not just in the Cape
32:43but out in the desert
32:44areas of WA as well.
32:45Fairly widespread
32:47but absolutely delicious
32:49and we're very lucky
32:51that we are up here
32:52in late July
32:53and these are in season.
32:56Our journey today
32:57is a short one
32:58but will not be
32:59lacking in challenge
33:00so I hope the lads
33:02are enjoying
33:02the nice peaceful drive.
33:05Gunshot
33:06eight kilometres away
33:07and the other way
33:09to say that is
33:10absolute carnage
33:11eight kilometres this way.
33:12Gunshot Creek
33:14is known
33:15the country over
33:16for being
33:17one of the most
33:18challenging
33:19and scariest
33:20in all the land
33:21naturally making it
33:23a bucket list item
33:24for many four wheel drivers.
33:26So here it is guys
33:27this is
33:28Gunshot itself
33:30you can see the people
33:31in the background
33:32this is where
33:32you want to be
33:33but
33:33this is where
33:35it all started I guess
33:36this is the main drop
33:37and
33:38you're basically looking
33:39at a slippery clay hill
33:41where
33:42good luck having brakes
33:44because you're probably
33:45going to just lock up
33:46and slide straight into it
33:47and then
33:47you've got
33:48potential of running out
33:50of approach angle
33:51down the bottom there
33:52so
33:53we've just heard
33:54that this morning
33:54a guy has actually
33:55smashed his bull bar
33:56back up into his vehicle
33:58because he's
33:58hit the bottom
33:59too hard
34:00so
34:00a lot of damage
34:01a lot of carnage
34:02we've still got a long way to go
34:04so there's no chance
34:05that I'm going to have a go
34:06at this today.
34:07No chance for us
34:08but it seems
34:09we have one brave soul
34:10willing to give it a go
34:12and that is exactly
34:36why we're not doing it.
34:37Gunshot might look big and hairy
34:39but it is possible
34:41to get through
34:42mostly unscathed
34:43just make sure
34:44you take the right precautions
34:46The trick with Gunshot
34:49in fact the trick
34:50with just about
34:51every obstacle
34:51on the old Teletrack
34:53is to try and select
34:54the right line
34:55to make it as easy
34:55as possible
34:56on your vehicle
34:57that's easier said
34:58than done folks
34:59here
34:59you've got probably
35:00about seven or eight choices
35:01you've got tracks
35:02coming out there
35:02you've got tracks
35:04over here
35:04another one here
35:05Gunshot alone
35:07probably has six or seven
35:08different choices
35:09to make
35:09last time
35:11we actually popped out here
35:12so I think that one might be
35:13the best one to do today
35:15but make sure you get out
35:16on foot
35:16walk these obstacles
35:18try and visualise your four wheel drive
35:20going over them
35:21and then you're less likely
35:22to sustain damage
35:24a lot of people get to this
35:25particular spot
35:26they get the red mist
35:27happening
35:27they get really excited
35:29a little bit of
35:30dash of heroism
35:31and then they trash their truck
35:33and end up
35:34instead of driving home
35:36having to fly home
35:37with a dead rig
35:38left
35:39at Saisha
35:40don't be that person folks
35:42so with the track picked out
35:45it was up to my buddy Josh
35:47to get the ranger down
35:48in one piece
35:49and now we'll straighten up
35:50beautiful
35:51and we'll just lower her down
35:54that's it
35:56going well mate
35:57this is steep
36:00just going to start dropping over now
36:02beautiful
36:07well done
36:08oh fudge
36:13okay
36:15now you can start
36:16to power it out mate
36:17holy
36:23well done
36:24oh my gosh mate
36:26one ranger
36:28unscathed
36:29nicely driven Josh
36:30locker in
36:33Steve made the descent
36:34like a pro
36:35oh that's what's down there
36:38whoohohohoho
36:416.08 out now
36:43beautifully driven Steve
36:48well
36:50I've watched those two vehicles
36:52go through
36:53and that's kind of
36:54helped me make a decision
36:55as to whether I bring
36:56the F-150 through
36:57you see
36:58those vehicles
36:59have a much shorter
37:00wheelbase than mine
37:01the ranger
37:02ran about 340mm
37:04shorter
37:05than mine
37:06so now what that means
37:07is that my break out
37:08ramp over angle
37:09or ramp over angle
37:10underneath that vehicle
37:11isn't as crash hot
37:13and you can see here
37:15this is what we call
37:16a witness mark
37:17so that is
37:17the underside
37:18of the paint
37:20from Josh's sidesteps
37:22going down there
37:23and he was really scraping
37:25now my sidesteps
37:27they are
37:28really more cosmetic
37:30they're good as sidesteps
37:31and they're automatic
37:32but they provide
37:32absolutely no seal protection
37:34so if I do this
37:35I'm pretty much guaranteed
37:36to damage
37:37the bottom of my doors
37:38something that I already
37:39did yesterday
37:40so
37:41that's not a real problem
37:43though here
37:43because there is
37:44a bypass track
37:45around gunshot
37:47and
37:47I'd urge you
37:48if you're coming up
37:49into these parts
37:50there is no shame
37:51to take an easier route
37:53for your four wheel drive
37:54all we really want to do here
37:56is
37:56get to the tip
37:57in one piece
37:58I'll meet up with Josh
38:00and Steve
38:00later on
38:01but unfortunately
38:02I'll miss out
38:03on the fun
38:04on the way out
38:05now we've got this
38:07zesty little hill climb
38:08out of here
38:08the lock is on
38:09and we're just going to
38:10walk the rig out
38:11try not to kill
38:14the cameraman
38:14try not to do a bead
38:17nice
38:18500 newton metres
38:20and I reckon
38:21I used five of them
38:22easy peasy
38:24our next obstacle
38:26is a particularly
38:27beautiful one
38:28Cockatoo Creek
38:29and we're out on foot
38:31to check the riverbed
38:32for potential problems
38:33there's a few little tips
38:40you can use
38:41when it comes to
38:42water crossings
38:43at Cape York
38:43some are easy
38:44but some can be
38:45very very challenging
38:46one of the things
38:47that I love to do
38:48is to actually sit back
38:49make a cup of tea
38:50and actually wait
38:51for someone else
38:52to drive through
38:53because then you can
38:54see the line
38:54that they take
38:55you can see
38:55if they have any problems
38:56and if they do
38:57you won't make
38:58the same mistake again
38:59but otherwise
39:00it's good to get out
39:02on foot
39:02obviously you've got to
39:03be a little bit careful
39:04of the crocodiles
39:05when you're up here
39:06this isn't too much
39:07of a problem here
39:08because it's shallow water
39:09and we've got great vision
39:10all around us
39:11but when you get out
39:12on foot
39:13I'd recommend
39:13wearing a pair
39:15of polarised sunglasses
39:16so you can
39:17have a better depth
39:18perception into that water
39:19and actually go for a walk
39:21feel what the base
39:22is actually like
39:23is it rocky
39:24are there drop-offs
39:26and one mistake
39:27that a lot of people
39:28do make up here
39:29is they sort of forget
39:31that it's often
39:32a sandy bottom
39:33so they will come
39:34into a water crossing
39:36running 34 psi
39:38which is definitely
39:39not sand pressures
39:40and then they get stuck
39:42they dig big holes
39:43now that's largely
39:44because I think
39:45they haven't walked it
39:46and they haven't really
39:46thought about
39:47what is actually
39:48meeting their tyre
39:50underneath the water
39:51so think about
39:53those tyre pressures
39:54think about your lines
39:55and take it very gingerly
39:56and easily
39:57and also
39:58you want to keep
39:59a little bit of momentum
40:00as you're going through
40:01just to keep a bow wave
40:02coming over the front end
40:03of your 4B
40:04there's nothing left to do now
40:06than give it a go
40:07but this rather aggressive
40:09breed of rock
40:10by the side of the track
40:11had other ideas
40:12is that a canopy
40:23or something
40:23yeah
40:25it's a sun tall box
40:26oh dead set
40:28bugger
40:32yeah no
40:32you're doing a bit
40:33of a mischief here brother
40:34don't look at your seal
40:38until you've had a beer
40:39yeah no worries
40:40with a little spotting
40:42from another traveller
40:43I was back
40:44on my way again
40:45boy oh boy
40:47a little bit more
40:49carnage
40:49for the cape
40:50and that one was
40:51completely
40:52had complete
40:55brain fade there
40:56well as I cross
41:01Cockatoo Creek
41:02I can tell you
41:04that this adventure
41:06is far from finished
41:07but that's all
41:08we've got time for
41:09tune in next time
41:10as we go
41:11all the way
41:12to the tip
41:13of Australia
41:15the northernmost point
41:16Cape York
41:17now before we go
41:19I think we'd better
41:20pull up
41:21and take a look
41:22at my F-150
41:23so here's the segment
41:26I didn't want to do
41:27damage report
41:28episode number two
41:30oh my goodness
41:31have a look
41:31what I've done
41:32so
41:33I came into
41:35Cockatoo Creek
41:35there
41:36a little bit too tight
41:37I didn't see a rock
41:39that was on the left
41:39hand side
41:40and I have stoved up
41:41front door
41:42back door
41:42side step
41:43and I even ripped
41:43this thing off
41:44I've stuck it back on
41:45I'm so used to
41:47driving vehicles
41:47with proper steel
41:48side steps
41:49and vehicles
41:50that are a little bit
41:51smaller like the
41:52Ranger and Everest
41:53which are running
41:54through damage free
41:56through here
41:56but not this one
41:58such a shame
41:59because she's such
42:00a beautiful rig
42:01but she's insured
42:04so I've still got a
42:05smile on my face
42:05and we will still
42:07make it to the top
42:08this is just a
42:09flesh wound folks
42:09that's all for this
42:11episode
42:11join us next time
42:13for part two
42:14of our Cape York
42:15adventure
42:15thanks for watching
42:16and until next time
42:18keep this shiny side up
42:19we'll see you next time
42:49next time
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