Entrant Information – Variety 4WD Adventure

The government and local authorities have reacted favourably and cooperatively to our trip and Variety SA is again appreciative for this response. It is our responsibility collectively and individually to respect that response and to remember that, whilst beautiful, this region in many ways is a fragile environment. As such, unless directed, it is simply not acceptable to drive off track.

We must maintain our excellent record and not leave any rubbish, not a skerrick. With the generous support of our sponsors, Stringer Roofing, the SV team will be providing our rubbish trailer for everyone to deposit their rubbish each night. All we ask is that you place your rubbish in a rubbish bag before putting it in the trailer. The trailer will be located close to the amenities each night. We must ALL especially be constantly vigilant regarding any possibility of fire – our constant awareness regarding this issue cannot be overstated – smokers please note – don’t light up if you haven’t organised how you’re planning on storing your butt! For clarity, please note, leaving it there is not an option. Please, seriously, no slip-ups. We are all aware of the devastation bushfires cause.

When travelling in the bush it is always wise to be prepared for a bit of everything when it comes to the weather. The advice is to take a broad selection of clothing. The days can be quite warm and the nights will be chilly. If you are planning to sleep under the stars it is a good idea to have a tarp underneath and another above to keep the moisture off your tent or swag. Good strong waterproof footwear and a waterproof coat are recommended.

Remember to slip, slop, slap and wear a hat during the day to protect yourself from getting burnt during the event.

We do have steep stony climbs and even the more moderate tracks have lots of tree roots and those pesky fallen branches are just waiting to stake a tyre. We all know that the best way to damage a tyre is to drive too quickly to notice and avoid the hazards, but in any regard, this is not the trip to take worn or light duty tyres on. If you’re not sure have a chat to MT1 Mick O’Brien (O’Tyre) or one of the other experienced officials. Make sure you have a good compressor and a tyre gauge at the ready, as you will be advised of the recommended tyre pressures along the way.

Remember, we will at times be on public roads, which obviously means all road rules apply. A gentle reminder to keep this in mind, particularly when deciding on the calibre and volume of our lunch time refreshments. On this trip there will be limited opportunity for fast driving as we don’t have many long or level stretches of track. This really will be a challenge where our best approach is to drive to protect the vehicle and tyres, enjoy the amazing views, and just take your time. Some of the scenery is genuinely outstanding, the flip side is that some of the tracks have severe sheer falls to one side, and often to very deep ravines – there is NO room for error – a clear head at all times will be “handy”. A special note, bear in mind that there could be vehicles coming head on, and our preceding Challengers may be unaware or unable to alert those following as there are tracks intersecting ours. Some bends allow minimal passing room – travelling too quickly and meeting someone head on may certainly cause a very awkward moment. Use your UHF to notify other Challengers of oncoming traffic.

Often we’ve all got loads of recovery stuff with us and because it’s not readily accessible, which makes using it at those times you need it “a hassle”, we have a go without it. WRONG. Make sure you can get to YOUR shackles and straps very easily, and don’t rely on using someone else’s. That means having your shackle points organised before you go – for the rear, a simple solution is to remove your tow bar tongue and insert an aftermarket shackle point – easy – and works well. For the front (and back), please note that what looks like a recovery shackle point may only be the tie down point for when new vehicles are transported for initial sale – these should not be used, to do so will risk injury – if uncertain, contact Variety, and you will be directed to a reputable source/fitter. Oh, by the way, it pays to have water-proof (mud-proof) bags handy to put your sodden/muddy strap back into when you’re done – strong garbage bags and/or an old sports bag can do the job.

As we are doing a lot of bush tracks it is worth considering using some duco protection.

If looking to protect your Landcruiser, then you cant go past Rhinohide panels. Purchase a set and Rhinohide will DONATE $500 to Variety. If you are an entrant in a Variety event the $500 will be credited to your fundraising .. win/win!  Click here.  For other vehicle makes/models, give Marc a call on 089 468 9655 to check.

OVZ will “CAUTION” where practical, those obstacles that are particularly bad or dangerous. A single “C” will indicate to take particular caution. A double “CC” will indicate to take extreme caution and care. This will be explained in more detail at the Entrant Briefing. Please be vigilant and drive to the conditions. Remember it is not a race. Should we need to redirect due to a track becoming impassable, follow the corflute’s. We will advise when you re-join the route with an instruction. For example “you are at the 23.46 point on your instructions”.

Variety SA 4WD Adventure (2020)

An Adventure in the Red Centre: ‘Between a Rock and a Hard Place’

Day 1: We start the week in Kulgera, just inside the Northern Territory border, before heading west through a number of privately owned stations; Victory Downs, Lyndavale & Mt Ebenezer before hitting the Lasseter Highway. Variety is very appreciative of the Stanes & Morton families for allowing us access over their properties. Sometimes we forget this land is their income and to be able to travel it is a great honour which Variety is very thankful for.

Heading west to Yulara, ‘The Rock’ will be a major highlight, particularly for some of you who have yet to visit this gargantuan Australian icon. Besides Uluru, we will provide time for entrants to head out to Kata Tjuta (Olgas) an awesome rock formation which is surprisingly large.
Of course there is something special planned for our first night on the event and we know the entrants will thoroughly enjoy what we have in store.

Day 2: A late check out allows entrants more time to explore the Uluru – Kata Tjuta National Park before we head east on an easy drive, via lunch at Curtin Springs, to an early check in at Kings Canyon Resort.

There is time to visit and walk this sensational area called Watarrka National Park. There are numerous walks available, all taking different times, so there will be something available for everyone. Don’t forget to pack those walking shoes!

Day 3: An easy drive via Ernest Giles Road we head to Henbury Station on our way to Boggy Hole where we will give you two nights in the one spot. Once we turn left off the Ernest Giles, we change from tourist to Adventurer and the fun of four wheel driving begins in earnest.

On our way we will enjoy lunch at The Illamurta Springs Conservation Reserve before we head to our overnight camp at Boggy Hole in the Finke Gorge National Park. OVZ can attest to the name ‘Boggy’ as they did find some very difficult sandy areas. Mind you, OV1 did try to climb a rather large rock and required assistance to be dragged off, due to two front wheels flailing in the air!

Throughout this area the scenery changes quite incredibly, with sand, rocky outcrops, creek beds and a wonderful billabong where you might enjoy a quick dip or at least enjoy the serene oasis.

Day 4: We continue our rugged 4WD journey north along the Boggy Hole Track and toward Larapinta Drive. Then onto the township of Hermannsburg, the first Aboriginals Lutheran Mission, where you can take time to explore and have a look at some of the wonderful attractions and Indigenous artwork available.

We then head south to the wonderful and picturesque Palm Valley purported to have the oldest river in the world. What else is there to see? palms! Red Cabbage Palms (Livistona Mariae) to be precise and the things that obviously gives the area its name. A tropical oasis in the desert!
Then back we head for a second night in Boggy Hole, crawling along the Finke River to get there!

Day 5: We then head east in the valley between two very different mountain ranges which make up the James Range. To the left there are masses of fallen boulders and rocky outcrops and on the right there are majestic rock flumes that are coral-like and look like they should be in the ocean. How two sides of a valley could look so different is amazing.

Hitting the Stuart Hwy we turn south with a quick diversion to Hendbury Meteorites Conservation Reserve on our way to Erldunda. After lunching at Erldunda we will travel through a number of significant Central Australian Stations, such as Erldunda, Indracowra, Horseshoe Bend and onto Lilla Creek for our night stop.

Well, given we will be at Lilla Creek, that’s where we plan to set you up. Let’s hope it doesn’t rain and the creek starts flowing… wet swags are not fun things to sleep in!

Day 6: More travelling through private stations; The route takes us through more of Lilla Creek before we head into Lambert’s Centre of Australia for morning tea. Lambert’s Centre is considered to be both the geographical and the gravitational centre of Australia, by Geoscience Australia. Apparently this location was calculated from 24,500 points at the high water mark of Australia’s coastline.

Given OV1’s expertise in this area, or lack thereof, we find it hard to work out what this actually means but contemplate this could lead to some great discussions around the campfire one night.
After Lambert’s, we travel to New Crown Homestead for lunch. We recognise the Costellos, Colleen & Don, for making their stations available to us, as they did in 2008. We certainly appreciate this is largely because of Variety’s fantastic reputation.

In the afternoon we drop into the infamous Mt Dare and then head south so we can let you wash away the dust and soak those tired bones in the magnificent hot Dalhousie Springs… just don’t get too alarmed when something starts nibbling on your toes!

Day 7: Perhaps another dip in the hot springs before we take you south via Old Dalhousie Ruins to Oodnadatta for lunch.

After lunch we take you to Arkaringa Station for a sensational sunset, or as Greg Quicke would say, an evening earth turning, overlooking the rugged and majestic Painted Desert. The scenery, which can be viewed from a number of the great lookouts available is quite incredible. A mixture of moonscape, ruggedness and colour, we can only imagine how many artists have been inspired by the harsh beauty of the place.

We think the Painted Desert makes a perfect setting for the final night for an adventure in the Red Centre.

*All route and locations mentioned are subject to change pending conditions or other environmental factors

After enjoying a great week in 2019 on the Variety 4WD Adventure we are looking forward to taking you on the 2020 event.

Travelling to some of Australia’s most iconic locations, given there are so many of them in the Red Centre, our aim is to provide great four wheel driving while allowing the entrants an opportunity to see and explore these wonderful locations.

There are some of you who may not have visited this area before, so rather than rush you past, we plan to allow you time to stop and smell the roses and to enjoy the magnificent surroundings. Iconic places such as Uluru, Kata Tjuta, Kings Canyon, Mt Dare, Dalhousie Springs and Painted Desert are all on the agenda and we are confident that each one will be a highlight in its own special way.

We are travelling through the lands of our oldest ancestors, including the well-known indigenous tribes and cultures of Pitjantjatjara, Luritja and Arrernte, and lesser known ones such as the Yankunytjatjara, Antakirinja, Wangkangurru & Arabana. Sitting and enjoying a cuppa, it’s easy to see why the indigenous have such a strong feeling to this remarkable area, the ruggedness and the serene beauty both at the same time.

The regular offerings will be provided such as sunset drinks, food, glorious food, flushing toilets and hot showers, accompanied by entertainment and fun activities. Our wonderful team of officials, supporters, volunteers and the Variety team will be on hand to ensure the event is a safe and enjoyable week.

The fundraising efforts of the entrants ensures this event contributes much needed funds to assist Variety. As always, this event and the entrants are indebted to the outstanding efforts of the Gold & Silver Sponsors, but particularly to our Platinum Sponsor, Jarvis Toyota and Richard Collins. Their support of the event for over 20 years is truly remarkable and has assisted many thousands of children in need through Variety.

We do this because we love what the Variety 4WD Adventure gives to us but even more so knowing we make many young lives better because of it. We hope by participating you all feel the same way!

Mandy Madgen & Deeon Otto
OV1

It is my great pleasure to be writing this sponsor’s message as General Manager of Jarvis Toyota.
I have been with The Jarvis Group for over 33 years and it is an absolute delight to be part of a passionate organisation who are truly dedicated in their support of the 4WD Adventure and Variety.
Our commitment is driven by the knowledge that we are helping the community and providing ongoing assistance to benefit the lives of South Australian children in need.

In its history, the 4WD Adventure team has always strived for the absolute best! No amount of inclement weather or economic obstacles get in their way. The great success of the 4WD Adventure is without doubt due to the hard work, dedication and determination of everyone involved. The year on year outstanding fundraising results proves the overwhelming support Variety has in South Australia. It should also be mentioned this event is run in such a professional, entertaining and exceptional manner by Variety and their team of volunteers, that the decision to continue Platinum sponsorship for the coming years was not a difficult one.

The 4WD Adventure has grown every year since its inception in 1997; not only in the funds it generates, but in its capacity as a memorable event for all who are associated. Jarvis Toyota are immensely honoured to be involved and I’m sure ‘Between a Rock and a Hard Place’ will be another successful event raising valuable funds for children in need.

We believe our involvement with Variety has impacted extremely positively on our business and we would highly recommend Variety to companies who are considering sponsorship of, or alignment with, a charity. It truly is a great family to be a part of!

On behalf of all the team at Jarvis Toyota, we look forward to sponsoring the 2020 4WD Adventure: An Adventure in the Red Centre – ‘Between a Rock and a Hard Place’ and what is sure to be another fabulous event. We encourage anyone who is considering becoming a participant to register and come on board.

Robert Russo
General Manager, Jarvis Toyota