It's been a tough old 18 months with the pandemic
and the international border closures and everything else that's come with it.
But at least in that time, a lot of Aussies have bought a 4 x 4 and gone out and checked out their
own backyard, which is what we're doing in Tasmania this week with the help of Nissan.
You might think of the Apple Isle as a place where there's weird art galleries and penal colonies,
but there's a hell of a lot more to it than that. And we're going to show them to you this week.
The plan is to start by the beach in the Northeast, navigate the back roads to the
Central Highlands, and then finish with an exploration of the wild West Coast.
But this is not just a bitumen cruise. We're determined to find those out-of-the-way spots,
only accessible by a four-wheel drive.
To do it, we're employing two brand new model year 2021 Nissan Navaras', one an ST-X and the other,
a new model to the range, the PRO-4X. What's different between them? Well, fundamentally,
nothing when it comes to engine transmission and suspension. But the PRO-4X is meant to
be the adventurous off-roader in the Navara range, so it gets a tough black pack look just
to emphasise that. And more importantly, these Yokohama Geolandar 17-inch all-terrain tires.
For this trip, our ST-X also gets the Yoko tires, swapping from its standard 18-inch highway rubber,
but it's also got this optional hoop-less bullbar, LED light bar, and powered winch.
We've also recruited local Greg Crick to act as a driver and tour guide. Crick is a
legend behind the steering wheel, a legend of a bloke and he knows all the great secret places
Tassie has to offer. Our first destination is a 22-kilometer beach run between Bellingham and
Bridport on the North Coast near Launceston. Drop the tire pressures and away we go.
The Met route allows you to roll along hard-pack right next to the shore and then charge up and
over huge sand dunes, taking great views along the coast. There is some loose sand on the entries and
exits, but nothing that's going to cause too much trouble if you're sensible and prepared.
Next, it's into the bush towards South Mount Cameron in search of the Blue Lake.
It's a beautiful run through native bushland. We do eventually find water,
but not where we want it to be. Quickie takes a wrong turn and gets stuck in a muddy swamp.
Happily, the powered winch does its job and we're soon back on track.
Well, we haven't found the Blue Lake, at least not yet, but we have found some really cool
Tasmanian scenery and a fabulous sunset. This is what going 4 x 4 can do for you.
Day two of our Tassie tour and the weather is magnificent again. So yesterday we hit
the beaches and the coastal forest. Today we're going up there, the central highlands of Tasmania,
rugged, forested and remote. A great test for our two Navaras'.
The change of scenery from the lush coast to the stark highlands
is abrupt, yet it has its own beauty.
Our first goal is to get onto dirt and go exploring to Australia's original
hydroelectric power station. Now decommissioned, Waddamana sits in a bowl in the middle of nowhere
with a gaggle of new wind turbines on the hillside above it.
There's a museum and display at Waddamana that's well worth checking out.
From here, it's a rollercoaster ride through the back roads, weaving between many spectacular lakes
and lagoons. If ever you needed a reason to get off the highway, get onto a gravel road and go
in search of somewhere different, this is it. It's called Bradys Lake and just a few kilometres away
on the highway, people are trundling along blissfully unaware of this beautiful spot.
This place is better known. It's Lake St. Clair National Park,
and it's where we finish our day with one more incredible vista.
The fogs enveloped us here at beautiful Lake St. Clair. This is the headwaters for the Derwent
River, which flows all the way down to the Tassie capital Hobart, but we're headed in the opposite
direction, to the stark scenery around Queenstown and then the wild West Coast that's Strahan.
This drive to Queenstown is on bitumen, but as the fog burns off, it's such a beautiful morning,
we can cope with that. Queenstown's hills were poisoned and scarred by years of mining,
smelting and logging. It makes for an eerie and distinctive landscape.
We're taking a popular 4x4 track onto the slopes of Mount Huxley,
south of Queenstown. Locals assure us it's not too rugged.
There's a bit of everything here, creek crossings, rocky ups and downs, slippery clay
and articulation-testing ruts. Well, that was actually a lot of fun getting up here,
and the cherry on top of the cake is this unbelievable view. You've got Queenstown
down in the valley, and then way off over there, the Tassie West Coast and the ocean.
Sun's coming up on day four of our Tassie 4 x 4 adventure, and we're at Strahan,
right on the West Coast, looking over the Indian Ocean, but our plan is to go
north into the Tarkine on the Explorer Road in search of the edge of the world.
To get there means some more bitumen, but it's yet another beautiful drive,
and we're soon off the beaten track once more.
We're at the Pieman River. I've paged the ferry operator. Hopefully,
he's gonna come across and collect us so we can continue our trip into the Tarkine.
The Tarkine is an area of enormous environmental and cultural significance.
You can drive for hours without seeing a soul. The scenery changes from temperate
rainforest to huge expanses of button grass. The Western Explorer Road rolls and flows through it.
If you like driving, it's worth the trip in itself.
We emerge back into civilisation and follow the signs to our destination,
and finish off with one more dirt track and one more stunning sunset. Ah, there it is,
edge of the world. Never been to the edge of the world before.
Yep, this is the edge of the world. To be honest, I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but given
all we've experienced, something spectacular is appropriate. It's a great way to finish our Tassie
4 x 4 excursion. During the last four days, we've experienced many different places and got there
in many different ways. The Navaras' have stood up to the various tests well. Look, there's lots
of practical reasons to buy 4x4 dual-cab utes, but the best reason of all is that they give you
the ability to get out and see places like this. Don't hesitate. Do it now. It's only a drive away.