What’s in a Name (Hey?)

July 22, 2015July 22, 2015XPLORE - Out and About5 Comments

The Landy

The Old Workhorse

No mistaking it

Red Rover

The original Landy

The Old Workhorse in the Outback

The “New” Landy

Seriously, who would call a blog “The Landy – Out and About Having Fun”?

Someone challenged me on this just the other day and it is quite simple really…

“The Landy” came about as a consequence of owning three, four-wheel drive Land Rover Defenders over the years. And there is no doubting the ruggedness of this great marque and its capability to tour around our great Southern Land, to travel into our remote outback.

As you can see “The Landy” has morphed over the past decade or two and is now a sleek looking Toyota 79 Series Dual Cab, customised for long-range and remote area travel with a range of over 1,500-kilometres.

Mind you, that type of range can be dwarfed by the distances from civilisation in the Australian Outback…

Oh, and yes, thank you, I’ve recovered fully from the “Defender” era, although the bank balance remains in rehab after years of supporting the Land Rover specialist’s retirement fund…

Crikey, you have got to love the old Defenders though, and having owned three it would be hard for me to argue that I don’t still have a fondness for them, especially “Red Rover” but they take more work to keep them on the road than it does to keep your mother-in-law happy…

And strewth, not to mention the expense.

Clare, my dear mother-in-law, only costs me a bottle of good champagne once a year, and even then I get to drink it anyway…

Whilst I’m reluctant to refer to the new vehicle as “The Landy” that’s for sure; the owners’ of either marque, Toyota or Landrover, would never forgive me, but “The Landy” reference has stuck, so “Baz – The Landy” it is…

“Out and About Having Fun”

Photos: Baz – The Landy

Like a Lover, Scorned…

July 29, 2014November 18, 2014XPLORE - Out and About19 Comments

Recently we undertook an expedition across a large swathe of Australian Desert Country, where the skies are dark blue and the earth a parched red.

This was a trip that took us across Australia’s Great Victoria and Gibson Desert’s and some other marvellous places along the way.

You can read a little more about the expedition here…

I’ve always considered the journey is what a trip is all about, even the bits in between the good bits when you seem to be travelling no-where fast, transiting from one point to another. But having said that, touring and travelling in this great country of ours usually means “covering the miles” to get to an objective of some kind.

On our recent trip we pulled up in the small town of Peterborough, South Australia, for a cup of tea and bite to eat, doing so in a park not too far from the centre of town. Very pleasant indeed, and perhaps next time we will spend a little more time there to explore it just a little bit further.

Now Mrs Landy, Janet my wonderful partner, and I have been together for over thirty years, childhood sweethearts, almost, having lived next door to each other in our heady adolescent years.

Neither of us has experienced what it might be like to leave a lover, for another, only to run into your ex-partner at the very moment you are looking longingly at your new beau!

Crikey, not in the last thirty years anyway…

Perhaps against all odds, as we were downing a piping hot cup of tea on what was a fairly cold and wintry afternoon in downtown Peterborough, the “Old Landy” or “Old Whitey” as it is referred to these days, the somewhat trusty old vehicle that took us on many trips into Outback Australia, pulled up, right where we were sitting.

Perhaps, just like a scorned lover would.

Goading us by its mere presence; causing us to feel a twinge of guilt at the way it was discarded, for another…

Oddly, I had never met the gentlemen who had purchased “Old Whitey” as Janet took care of the sale, so I introduced myself and he said it was travelling well…

I think he was as surprised as me!

But it did leave us thinking was this “an old lover’s curse” as we headed for the deserts!

Fortunately The “New” Landy performed perfectly, and as expected…

Have you ever had a similar experience?

Um, with your vehicle, strewth I’ll stay out of your love affairs otherwise?

Photos: Janet Planet – Mrs Landy…

Double-Trouble in the Australian Outback (Strewth)

Image August 16, 2013November 18, 2014XPLORE - Out and About7 Comments

Is this the male equivalent of finding yourself in the same dress at that special event?

Captured in the middle of no-where, between a thousand sand dunes in the Australian Outback…

photo: Baz – The Landy

A room with a view (In the Outback)

Image July 31, 2013November 18, 2014XPLORE - Out and About6 Comments

“A room with a view”

“The Landy” at Ourimperee Waterhole, Currawinya National Park, Australian Outback…

And not another soul within coo’ee, well apart from TomO, that is.

Can you spot where he is? Click on the photo to enlarge!

Photo: Baz, The Landy

We’re heading Outback for a few days – (In The Landy)

March 27, 2013November 18, 2014XPLORE - Out and About15 Comments

Touring the harsh environment of the Australian Outback is best done in a robust vehicle designed for the job.

Mind you, in days long gone people travelled the Australian Outback in old Model T Fords…

The Landy - straight from the farm — *The Landy – Straight from the farm*

The Landy - Straight out of the workshop — *The Landy – Straight out of the workshop*

Our vehicle is a Landrover Defender 130 Twin Cab manufactured in 1995, and completely rebuilt from scratch in 2006. Up until the time we purchased the vehicle it had been used as a farm vehicle in the wine growing region of the Hunter Valley just to the north of Sydney. We reconfigured it for long-range travel and it can cover a distance of around 1,800 kilometres without the need to refuel.

Strewth, that would be 1,100 miles…

We intentionally chose an older vehicle so we didn’t have to deal with a “computer failure” disabling the vehicle in the middle of no-where. A rare occurrence mind you, but it is a long walk from the middle of no-where in the Australian Outback!

It uses solar panels for power management and has a High-Frequency Radio for long-range communication that enables us to stay in contact even in the most remote parts of Australia.

And it can carry 100 litres of water in a specially designed stainless steel water tank.

Inside the canopy we carry an inflatable boat and outboard motor for touring the creeks and billabongs we come across in our travels, has a 60 litre fridge, and we carry a comprehensive range of spare parts, tools and tyre repair equipment.

The Landy - packed ready for adventure — *The Landy – packed ready for adventure*

The Landy - acked ready for adventure — *The Landy – packed ready for adventure*

After all, in the event of a break-down help can be hundred’s of kilometres away. We also carry a substantial medical kit.

And to enable it to cope with the harsh environment we travel in, it has specialist suspension.

*The Landy and T-Van, no show ponies here!*

The camper-trailer, a Track T-Van, is every bit as tough as the vehicle and was designed by a company that makes trailer equipment for the Australian army. It doesn’t come on all our trips, but crikey, we need to find a good reason not to take it, as it makes for a very comfortable night’s sleep.

Quite a change to a bivvy bag and sleeping bag on the side of an alpine mountain in the freezing cold!

Anyway, make sure you give us a wave if you see “The Landy” Out and About.

Landrovers, I love ‘em so much that I’ve got two (Janet rolls eyes 😉 )

Our other Defender - Red Rover — *Baz’s Commute Vehicle – Red Rover*