What’s a SAC? It’s my Short Ass Car, a 2008 Freelander 2 TD4 (LR2 in the US) all modded up which means it has A/T tyres and that’s it. The car has already done a lot of Australia, the Birdsville, Oodnadatta, Strzelecki tracks, Corner Country, Mt Dare, Simpson, Flinders Ranges, Warraweena, Arkaroola, Robe, Lake Eyre, Border Track through Scorpion Springs, Brindabellas and just about every track within 3 hours of Sydney. Time for the Victorian High Country. I’m taking a camera crew….a first for me 
. Their names are Mitch and Stacey in a 2006 lifted Jeep Cherokee CRD. They are 4wd novices so it should be good fun…ha ha. Some unkind Toyota driving people have said it would be a competition between Jeep and Land Rover to see who could break down first.
Ok, 600 kms to our first free camp at Leather Barrel Creek just past Thredbo in the Snowy Mtns.
The tents are hammock style French tents and very light at 17kgs so they don’t live permanently on the car. I can lift it on and off on my own. A five minute setup and very comfy too. It was cold as the camp ground was above 1500m altitude. Stacey froze even in her -10 sleeping bag.
Next morning we drove the 15 minutes to Tom Groggin camp area to cook some breakfast in the sun.
Watched by some furries…What's that Skippy?
Then it was time to air down and cross the State Border (Murray River) into Victoria. We had decided that Stacey would walk each crossing with the camera, and if she didn’t drown then we would follow….
All good then off on the Davies Plain Track. It’s rated very hard dry weather only by Parks Victoria so should be interesting for my SAC. We came across another creek crossing.
Then I came to a complete stop on the steepest, rockiest part ....
There was a trail bike rider splattered all over the track right in front of me. His bike was upside down and he was getting up but it was hard as the track was very steep and hard to walk on. I got out and asked if he was OK and in typical Aussie understatement said he thought so, but then said his right arm didn’t work anymore. I was tempted to ask if he wanted an aspirin and band aid to keep the understated theme running but resisted the urge. I called for Mitch to haul himself up the track so we could shift the bike, too hard for one to do, it was very steep. We got it off the track and cleared a spot in my car to give him a lift. His mate had ridden off oblivious to the accident. Davies Plain Hut was about 10 kms up the track so decided to take him there and figure what to do. The trip was very hard on him, something was broken (it turned out to be only his collar bone but we weren't to know). He said he wouldn’t be able to stand the 5 hour trip out by 4wd so wanted to call the helicopter ambulance. There was no normal mobile signal so I fired up my sat phone and he fired up his SPOT beacon and we talked to the emergency services and they said they were sending the chopper. There may have been internal injuries, better safe than sorry. A few hours later it arrived and landed in the clearing.
Then loaded him up took off again…..
A family of Gang Gang cockatoos that lived in the hut were very interested
So excitement over, we continued on our way. A few high plains photo opportunities…
Then onto McCarthy’s Track for a real rollercoaster ride down to Limestone Creek Track and near disaster. Mitch and Stacey were leading at this stage and came to a creek crossing. It wasn’t wide but Mitch hesitated and said it looked a bit deep. Without remembering my instruction about walking the creeks first, Stacey said “let’s gun it”. I couldn’t see any of it as the entrance was at right angles and obscured from me. Well the bonnet of the Jeep went under water and they popped out the other side. Mitch yelled to me on the radio, its deep, keep to the left so I did and had little trouble although it was easily the deepest crossing yet. We thought all was good but Mitch started the steep climb up from the creek and the Jeep puffed smoke and stalled. Alarm bells went off for me. I said to let it roll back and not to try starting it. We popped the air filter open and it was soaking wet! We set about drying it out in the sun and with some cloth inside, then after a time turned the motor over with our fingers crossed. The car started first time with no sign of any problem. How lucky were they, diesel engines and a belly full of water can be expensive.
Then it was a lot of very steep ups and downs that would have been near impossible if wet due to the clay base and onto Omeo for a camp with a shower. We were all totally knackered after that day.
Next morning it was the Alpine Way up to Mt Hotham and a few lookouts.
Then left towards Dargo, we were going to do the Blue Rag Range track. It’s very steep and rocky, most people would say you needed low range for it, but then most people haven’t owned an FL2. The car had little trouble over the whole track. Being a SAC, it scraped its belly a few times but nothing serious. The ascents and descents were long and steep so the HDC got a hiding and the brakes overheated once. The mud/ruts setting is awesome but the transmission temperature warning also came on once on a particularly long climb. No problem either way I just stopped and let them cool a bit.
The view from the top is spectacular. Stacey didn’t get out as she did the driving all the way up so no pictures of that. She was that fatigued by it she couldn’t drive back down so we did get some of the descent.
At the top….
On the way down….
A bit of air...
Then it was off to Dargo and its famous hotel where all the wheelers stop for refreshments.
Then another problem, I had lost the plastic trim at the bottom of the driver door. Following our strict leave no one behind policy, I had to find it. We back tracked the 50 kms along the Dargo High Plains road and nothing, so I redid the Blue Rag Range track (Mitch and Stacey decided to nap at the entrance). I found the offending panel about half way along the track….thank goodness! I probably would have had to sell a kidney to get one from Land Rover...
By this stage, Mitch and Stacey were suffering severe muscle fatigue from all the butt clenching caused by extremely steep tracks. We decided to make our way home via Mt Beauty on the tar roads, onto Albury/Wodonga and the Olympic Way home. Total trip almost 2000kms.
I must say, the Freelander 2 is an impressive car. Its ability is only limited by a lack of clearance. It amazes me every time I go out in it. I wish Land Rover would make one with 33” tyres and a snorkel as standard. Maybe with a crawler gear that only comes into play when mud/ruts is chosen and only then to ease the strain on the brakes caused by the HDC. Nothing else about the car needs to change, it’s a gem. I also have a diesel Jeep Grand that's tricked up a bit but I really enjoy getting the FL2 into places it shouldn't get to. After 149,000 tough kms it still drives like new on its original shocks. Go Land Rover!
. Their names are Mitch and Stacey in a 2006 lifted Jeep Cherokee CRD. They are 4wd novices so it should be good fun…ha ha. Some unkind Toyota driving people have said it would be a competition between Jeep and Land Rover to see who could break down first. Ok, 600 kms to our first free camp at Leather Barrel Creek just past Thredbo in the Snowy Mtns.
The tents are hammock style French tents and very light at 17kgs so they don’t live permanently on the car. I can lift it on and off on my own. A five minute setup and very comfy too.
It was cold as the camp ground was above 1500m altitude. Stacey froze even in her -10 sleeping bag.Next morning we drove the 15 minutes to Tom Groggin camp area to cook some breakfast in the sun.
Watched by some furries…What's that Skippy?
Then it was time to air down and cross the State Border (Murray River) into Victoria. We had decided that Stacey would walk each crossing with the camera, and if she didn’t drown then we would follow….
All good then off on the Davies Plain Track. It’s rated very hard dry weather only by Parks Victoria so should be interesting for my SAC. We came across another creek crossing.
Then I came to a complete stop on the steepest, rockiest part ....
There was a trail bike rider splattered all over the track right in front of me. His bike was upside down and he was getting up but it was hard as the track was very steep and hard to walk on. I got out and asked if he was OK and in typical Aussie understatement said he thought so, but then said his right arm didn’t work anymore. I was tempted to ask if he wanted an aspirin and band aid to keep the understated theme running but resisted the urge.
I called for Mitch to haul himself up the track so we could shift the bike, too hard for one to do, it was very steep. We got it off the track and cleared a spot in my car to give him a lift. His mate had ridden off oblivious to the accident. Davies Plain Hut was about 10 kms up the track so decided to take him there and figure what to do. The trip was very hard on him, something was broken (it turned out to be only his collar bone but we weren't to know). He said he wouldn’t be able to stand the 5 hour trip out by 4wd so wanted to call the helicopter ambulance. There was no normal mobile signal so I fired up my sat phone and he fired up his SPOT beacon and we talked to the emergency services and they said they were sending the chopper. There may have been internal injuries, better safe than sorry. A few hours later it arrived and landed in the clearing.
Then loaded him up took off again…..
A family of Gang Gang cockatoos that lived in the hut were very interested
So excitement over, we continued on our way. A few high plains photo opportunities…
Then onto McCarthy’s Track for a real rollercoaster ride down to Limestone Creek Track and near disaster. Mitch and Stacey were leading at this stage and came to a creek crossing. It wasn’t wide but Mitch hesitated and said it looked a bit deep. Without remembering my instruction about walking the creeks first, Stacey said “let’s gun it”. I couldn’t see any of it as the entrance was at right angles and obscured from me. Well the bonnet of the Jeep went under water and they popped out the other side. Mitch yelled to me on the radio, its deep, keep to the left so I did and had little trouble although it was easily the deepest crossing yet. We thought all was good but Mitch started the steep climb up from the creek and the Jeep puffed smoke and stalled. Alarm bells went off for me. I said to let it roll back and not to try starting it. We popped the air filter open and it was soaking wet! We set about drying it out in the sun and with some cloth inside, then after a time turned the motor over with our fingers crossed. The car started first time with no sign of any problem. How lucky were they, diesel engines and a belly full of water can be expensive.
Then it was a lot of very steep ups and downs that would have been near impossible if wet due to the clay base and onto Omeo for a camp with a shower. We were all totally knackered after that day.
Next morning it was the Alpine Way up to Mt Hotham and a few lookouts.
Then left towards Dargo, we were going to do the Blue Rag Range track. It’s very steep and rocky, most people would say you needed low range for it, but then most people haven’t owned an FL2. The car had little trouble over the whole track. Being a SAC, it scraped its belly a few times but nothing serious. The ascents and descents were long and steep so the HDC got a hiding and the brakes overheated once. The mud/ruts setting is awesome but the transmission temperature warning also came on once on a particularly long climb. No problem either way I just stopped and let them cool a bit.
The view from the top is spectacular. Stacey didn’t get out as she did the driving all the way up so no pictures of that. She was that fatigued by it she couldn’t drive back down so we did get some of the descent.
At the top….
On the way down….
A bit of air...
Then it was off to Dargo and its famous hotel where all the wheelers stop for refreshments.
Then another problem, I had lost the plastic trim at the bottom of the driver door. Following our strict leave no one behind policy, I had to find it. We back tracked the 50 kms along the Dargo High Plains road and nothing, so I redid the Blue Rag Range track (Mitch and Stacey decided to nap at the entrance). I found the offending panel about half way along the track….thank goodness! I probably would have had to sell a kidney to get one from Land Rover...
By this stage, Mitch and Stacey were suffering severe muscle fatigue from all the butt clenching caused by extremely steep tracks. We decided to make our way home via Mt Beauty on the tar roads, onto Albury/Wodonga and the Olympic Way home. Total trip almost 2000kms.
I must say, the Freelander 2 is an impressive car. Its ability is only limited by a lack of clearance. It amazes me every time I go out in it. I wish Land Rover would make one with 33” tyres and a snorkel as standard. Maybe with a crawler gear that only comes into play when mud/ruts is chosen and only then to ease the strain on the brakes caused by the HDC. Nothing else about the car needs to change, it’s a gem. I also have a diesel Jeep Grand that's tricked up a bit but I really enjoy getting the FL2 into places it shouldn't get to. After 149,000 tough kms it still drives like new on its original shocks. Go Land Rover!
