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  Back in 2015 I ran a blog entitled 'Living in the Dopey Country'. I didn't think it could get more stupid than that, but I was wrong. In 2017 Australia was even more stupid than it was in 2015 and, by 2021, it got even worse.   Back in 2017 Australia was...

The ATO has released draft guidelines, outlining that utes will no longer be Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT) exempt and employers will need to have their drivers keep logbooks to ensure private usage stays within new, capped limits.

Fuel getting into petrol and diesel engine sumps isn’t a new problem, but it’s now being seen in brand new, not worn, engines. Manufacturers keep capped price servicing as cheap as possible by extending oil drain periods, but fuel-diluted engine oil can destroy your engine.

A used 4WD can save you thousands, but there are some tricks of the trade you need to be aware of.

Every ute maker claims at least a nominal one-tonne payload figure and more than three tonnes trailer towing capacity for several 4WD utes in its range, but you need to check spec sheets and real-world tare weights for the true position.

The success of the Peugeot 2008 DKR race machine in two Dakar events has prompted some off-road enthusiasts to suggest that there may be a place for a 2WD to challenge the accepted ability of a 4WD for off-road touring. It’s not that simple.

Nearly all European soft-roaders now come with temporary spare wheels, run-flat tyres or no spare and a can of tyre inflation gas and sealant. In Australia, that’s dangerous we believe.

I've just returned to civilisation after a month touring in the Outback: long distances on dusty roads and tracks providing ample reflection time. I left home on Anzac Day and couldn't help wondering how those young men who made the ultimate sacrifice would view the...

Don’t take any notice of TV ads showing soft-roaders tearing through beach-front salt water. Do it and you’re certain to void your warranty and you could be on the path to an expensive recovery or total loss.

We've just driven on the 'roads' around Innamincka, doing prototype tyre testing. We chose the area because mining vehicles and the contractors who supply the Cooper Basin gas and petroleum endeavours have destroyed the roads we used to love touring. We were looking...

Although today’s utes and tray-backs look similar in configuration to those of the early 2000s there have been a dramatic changes under the skin. Yesterday’s ute-purchasing criteria no longer apply.

This is how Douglas Adams, the author of the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, viewed Australia and Australians: Australia is a very confusing place, taking up a large amount of the bottom half of the planet. It is recognizable from orbit because of many unusual...

There are contesting claims as to the origin of the first ‘ute’ and some people reckon it’s an Aussie invention.

We all have our favourite electronics-failure horror stories and here at Outback Travel Australia we've had our fair share of dramas, with our own vehicles and with road-test machinery. Self-locking 4WDs are great fun: we had to use a two-metre length of eight-gauge...

It's a sad day, but it was always going to happen. Globalisation dictates that production goes to the cheapest labour and infrastructure regions, and to those whose currency is virtually tied to the US dollar. Australia doesn't comply with any of these criteria. On...

We've been asked why we don't nominate a vehicle or a number of vehicles for some type of 4WD of the Year Award. The same suggestion has been put with regard to a camper trailer award. The reason we don't is simple: testing a new 4WD or camper won't tell you anything...