Overlander's Handbook
Trip Reports
Darwin to Perth - Toyota HZJ78 Troopcarrier
| Who | Chris S ~ website |
| Profession | Books, web, tours |
| Born 1960 | Nationality Brit |
| Previous travel experience | Endless Australia, much Sahara and all the usuals |
| This trip | Darwin - Alice - Perth via as much unknown dirt as possible |
| Departure date | Aug 2003 |
| Number in group | 1, sometimes 2 |
| Trip duration | 2 months |
| Distance covered | About 10,000km (or was it miles ) |
| Cost of trip (not incl. vehicle) | About ?2000, but it was for work |
| Best day | Leaving the Rock to the WEST for a change and heading into lightning storms on the NT WA border It gave the 1000-km dirt trip a scary 'will-it-flood ' edge (It didn't but I found all the best puddles) |
| Worst/ hardest day | How bad can it be driving around the outback with your feet up |
| Favourite place | Camped behind a spooky bush east of Warbuton with storms whipping along the horizon |
| Biggest headache | I have to see it all, EVERY two years |
| Wish I hadn't | ate that roadhouse pie and can of fizz |
| Most pleasant surprise | Alice permits were no drama (and probably not needed) |
| Any illness | Nope |
| Other trips planned | Naturlich |
| One overlanding tip | Kindly note the care I have taken with spelling, capitalisation and punctuation! |
| Type of Vehicle | High-roofed Britz Bushcamper (based on a HZJ78) |
| Age/ mileage on departure | Who knows, a couple of years old |
| Modifications | None by me but it s a very well built camper complete with kitchen sink |
| Most useful accessory | |
| Mods you wish you'd done | It was a rental which needed nothing doing |
| Tyres used | Black and round on split rims |
| Number of punctures |
| Vehicle's weak point | Juicy (22 mpg) and too hot to sleep inside most of the time |
| Vehicle's strong point | You categorically know it won't let you down; very well set up in the back |
| Vehicle problems | None of course |
| Same vehicle again? | Nothing more to be proved driving Troopies Would like to try a Surf |
| One driving tip | Stop driving for a moment and contribute to the OLH ;-)) |