Opinion

Mobile phone reception in the Outback is a joke
Some Third World countries have better mobile phone reception than outback Australia. That’s simply not good enough!

How to be safe around Australian waterways
Don’t drown on your next Riverside holiday! Keep your family safe with a few simple precautions.

Tech torque: Self-driving cars
If you think autonomous cars will be commonplace in a few years, you need to think again.

Tight Lines: Dream estuary fishing boat
Starlo’s ‘dream rig’ isn’t the average 4.5m runabout straight off the showroom floor.

Footloose: Outback waterholes
Ron’s dreaming about visiting the outback’s best waterholes

Dirty Work: Support for Unlock Australia
Roothy checks in with a few sandgropers, admires a nomadic keg, and drums up support for Unlock Australia.

Tech torque: Benefits of turbochargers
The modern diesel engine would be nothing without a turbocharger or two.

Tight Lines: Is morning fishing best?
Do early birds really get the worms? Starlo sleeps on it, then catches some fish.

Bulldust: Is technology so bad?
Technology is not a dirty word. Dean remembers when disks were floppy and the ‘cloud’ was just what sits over melbourne.

Tech torque: Volkswagen’s Diesel Scandal
Volkswagen’s diesel scandal highlights the growing gulf between what government bureaucrats demand and what the industry can deliver.

Dirty Work: A new Hilux, an old Landie or a 40 Series?
We lend Roothy a brand-new Hilux. Next minute there’s a dog in the front and a motorbike in the back.

Footloose: Will a kangaroo cull make our roads safer?
Collisions with kangaroos aren’t uncommon on Australian roads. But is a cull called for and should we eat the meat?

Tight Lines: How to fish during silly season
Fish avoid the crowds during the ‘silly season’ at all costs. But a savvy fisherman can still outsmart the slippery suckers.

Bulldust: Remember your 4×4 trips
You don’t need to take notes to recall all your 4×4 adventures. But it helps.

Tech torque: The new 2.8-litre diesel for Toyota 4x4s
Toyota’s new 2.8-litre diesel might not seem like a big step forward, but appearances can deceive.

Dirty Work: 2015 Tasmanian Campfire Cook Off
Forced to drink beer and eat delicious Tassie tucker, Roothy reflects on the heavy burden of being a Campfire Cook Off judge.

Tight Lines: Does the catch justify the chase?
Sometimes you travel a hard road only to realise that what you’re fishing for was nearby all along.

Bulldust: Complex Four-wheel-drive electronics
Do complex electronic systems really make four-wheel driving easier? Or are they a headache waiting to happen?

Vale Ric Williams
I’d not long finished writing last month’s column, when I received news of Ric Williams’ passing on October 3, 2015.

Tech torque: Quad-turbo diesel engines
How many turbos can you fit to one diesel engine? BMW’s answer is four.

Dirty Work: What’s Milo’s future?
Roothy ponders the future of Milo, its diff lockers, suspension, switchgear, and dashboard made of nylon cutting boards.

Tight Lines: How to use a landing net
Knowing how to use a landing net will help you snag more fish.

Footloose: A bid to cut Australia’s regional road tolls
There’s a very simple and inexpensive way to reduce the road toll in Australia’s regional areas.

Tech Torque: Electronic chassis control systems
Electronic chassis control systems have changed on-road safety. Now the systems are doing the same for off-road 4×4 ability.