All the owners of a Freelander 2 should be very proud to run one of the most capable vehicles around…

I did drive mine from Sydney to Bourke, then the Dig Tree, then to Birdsville, then across the Simpson Desert (The French line, east to west), then the rocky roads around Dalhousie Springs, then all around Uluru, then back through Oodnadatta Track, The Painted Desert, and then all around the Flinders Ranges. It never let me down!

For the whole 5000 km of travel I had only two flat tyres – one just before Bourke (getting off the road for a leak-pause) and one on the Oodnadatta Track, when I speeded up to 110km (sharp rock), but it was fixed at William Creek for $50.

Well, after this adventure I cannot say any less, but that I am a proud owner of a Freelander 2. Rejoice!

well said Vesko, and the details of your trips were brilliant.

Iain

ps I think my FL2 has only maybe bumped up a kerb, but very slowly, so it has had a very sheltered life !! but it's good to know what it is capable of if necessary.

Yes, great effort Vesko. I would have thought it would be more than 5000km? Uluru is pretty special for me. Too bad it has so many tourists and is expensive, the rock itself is quite awesome. I had all my flat tyres on or around the Oodnadatta track as well. Where to next...the Victorian High Country, Fraser Island, Robe, Cape York....or the big one the Canning Stock Route in WA?

Good to hear from someone with positive views on our vehicles and put to use as it was intended It's nigh on impossible to get off the road here, forest tracks are gated and locked, roads are fenced, big rocks are placed in strategic places to stop you from straying off the road, p s off signs are everywhere and every bit of land is owned by someone who doesn't want you there, but I drove up 'Chicken Georges' farm track once but even that was paved

Didn't have a caravan in tow did you

Might have been delivering a new one to replace his old 'van.....................  Ours - 2008 Stornoway Grey HSE Auto
Tricia's - 2006 Royal Blue Beetle Cabriolet Auto
Mine - 2014 Vespa GTS 300 Super Sport Matt Black
Ours - 2007 White Bailey Pageant Champagne

I are also proud to own a Freelander 2 ,have just completed a trip from Darwin to Eyre penninsula, York penninsular and return to Darwin via Flinders Rangers and the Oddnadatta track towing a camper trailer, about 8000k . Done a bit of sand work as well as a steep rocky fence line (lost) on the Eyre ,climbed a private track up the back of Wilpena Pound that was steep with loose rocks ,deep creek crossings that were dry but steep in and out as well as wash outs ect. The owner told me that if I gouged any holes in his track I had to bloody well fix them as that is what usually happens when SUV type vechicles use it . He seemed a bit supprised when I returned and told him I did not even spin a wheel then asked me" what sort of 4wd is that ? havent seen one of them before."
The Oddnadtta track was good from Maree to Oddnadtta then the last 300k was mostly bull dust until I was back on the Stuart highway .
I did not have a single problem the whole trip including tyres which are 17 inch pirreli scorpions A/T fuel average for the whole trip was 10.5 l/100k .Had a service at Port Lincon by local dealer who is a landrover fanatic and collector spent more time talking to him than the service took, a pity all dealers aren't like that

EYorkshire wrote:

I drove up 'Chicken Georges' farm track once but even that was paved

Of course it was do you think I live in the dark ages, we get a hgv delivering to and from the farm most days so we need good access. Thursday night 9 trucks with 40ft trailers visited to take chickens to 'chicken heaven' another 6 coming Sunday. At work
At home

"I can't always believe facts I read on the web" - Charles Dickens

winner by default of the tractor vs caravan race

Forgot to put a picture of my Landie. This is moments before I make a crucial decision to plunge myself into the Simpson Desert instead of the long drive on the Plenty Highway.

Click image to enlarge

Admin note: this post has had its images recovered from a money grabbing photo hosting site and reinstated

mikehzz wrote:

Yes, great effort Vesko. I would have thought it would be more than 5000km? Uluru is pretty special for me. Too bad it has so many tourists and is expensive, the rock itself is quite awesome. I had all my flat tyres on or around the Oodnadatta track as well. Where to next...the Victorian High Country, Fraser Island, Robe, Cape York....or the big one the Canning Stock Route in WA?

I might have miscalculated a thousand km. Hey Mike, to be honest I didn't expect much from the rock, but when we got there, I was blown away! I found that the Olgas are my thing, but the rock was awesome as well. We were surprised by the low presence of the aborigines. All the jobs around the resort were taken by Canadian and German backpackers. Perhaps they just collect the money

It was exactly as you said - I encountered a few aborigines around an old car on the highway, who tried to stop me... I wander why they still continue to stage this scam.

Mate, I spent the weekend cleaning the red dust from the car and thinking how much I want to drive away again. Have to work hard now to pay the bills, but I am thinking of Fraser Island next. Is the summer OK for it?

Aussie Battler wrote:

I are also proud to own a Freelander 2 ,have just completed a trip from Darwin to Eyre penninsula, York penninsular and return to Darwin via Flinders Rangers and the Oddnadatta track towing a camper trailer, about 8000k . Done a bit of sand work as well as a steep rocky fence line (lost) on the Eyre ,climbed a private track up the back of Wilpena Pound that was steep with loose rocks ,deep creek crossings that were dry but steep in and out as well as wash outs ect. The owner told me that if I gouged any holes in his track I had to bloody well fix them as that is what usually happens when SUV type vechicles use it . He seemed a bit supprised when I returned and told him I did not even spin a wheel then asked me" what sort of 4wd is that ? havent seen one of them before."
The Oddnadtta track was good from Maree to Oddnadtta then the last 300k was mostly bull dust until I was back on the Stuart highway .
I did not have a single problem the whole trip including tyres which are 17 inch pirreli scorpions A/T fuel average for the whole trip was 10.5 l/100k .Had a service at Port Lincon by local dealer who is a landrover fanatic and collector spent more time talking to him than the service took, a pity all dealers aren't like that

Fraser does get busy in the summer school holidays. The camp grounds on the island can be very full. If you go there, I recommend driving from North Noosa all the way along Cooloola Sands and end up at Rainbow Beach. Its only a 10 minute drive north then to Inskip Point and the barge across. I haven't been up there for around 10 years now. It's a bit humid up there in the summer.
The 2 best summer trips I have done have been the Vic High Country and Robe in South Australia. The weather is kinder in both places at that time of year. The Vic High Country is a camping and four wheel driving wonderland. I just took my Jeep back down there the same week you were doing your latest trip. Some of the tracks are pretty hairy so you would need to practice before you went. Cheers mate.

Aussie Battler, I had my FL2 down in Port Lincoln last August. What a pretty part of the world. We did a few drives out to the National Park and also did Whalers Way which was very interesting even though the weather turned totally foul for that afternoon.

Vesko. If you want to do Fraser Island give me a call or send me an email before you go? I live on the Fraser Coast and can recommend the best course at the time of the year. For example, many Fraser Island tracks have been closed for some months now after the effects of Cyclone Yasi (which flooded half of SE QLD, including massive floods where we are). Most of the Fraser Island tracks are now re-opened but other local and very beautiful areas like Rules Beach remain closed. There are some sensational places to visit up here, but the time of the year and the conditions dictate whether it will be pleasant or otherwise. Access is changing on a weekly basis. Some of the otherwise pristine bitumen roads in country areas are now goat tracks with washouts and massive holes that swallow small cars - perfect for the FL2, but it's handy to know in advance!