Hey all,

Now I have an FL2, I often get invited to hit the tracks with mates in their 4x4's but I am always too hesitant since I have never done any off-roading and don't want to get into a situation where I dent the car.

I have seen some discussion of the Land Rover Experience that seems to be available in the UK. These seem to be a well organised introduction to 4x4'ing where there is little risk of damaging the vehicle. (It even seem like you don't need to use your own car).

Is there anything similar in the Brisbane area that others have used and would recommend? I am hoping to get some practical experience, some visible examples as to what I can do in the FL2 and pointers to what I should never attempt etc etc.

Oh, and I don't want to get the car dirty, at least not the inside anyways

Cheers,
Whytey 1st time FL2 owner. 2007 SE i6 in Tambora Flame.

They stopped them in Sydney in 2008 around September due to economic conditions. As far as I know they never started again. I was booked into the one that got cancelled. Sand driving is the safest off road as far as car damage is concerned. If you go into the bush, almost all of the Aussie trees and bushes will scratch your paintwork so watch for narrow tracks.

Landcruiser Mountain Park at Jimna, 2 hours from Brisbane has 200 acres of tracks and apparently, they have a training package. At the very least, the park operators could tell you about the tracks that are easy to start with, where you can develop skills, try different settings and gain confidence. If you don't want to get your FL2 dirty, stick to the cities. Freelander 2's are made to go offroad, so it's "gunna get dirty", but it's worth it. Once you've mastered a few tracks you'll want to try something more challenging. Next thing you know, you've got the bug and you can't wait for weekends to "get out there!" They charge $45 per night which includes camping in various locations, some with hot showers and amenities blocks. At the very least, you can watch others and talk to the one's who know what they are doing. Don't be afraid to ask for a lift with someone else, though I'd suggest you avoid the ones who have over-the-top modifications.