EXPLOIT THE POTENTIAL

A lot of utes don’t see outside of the suburbs and that’s a waste of talent

Surging through dense rainforest, soft golden sand under our tyres and a vast beach on the horizon, a four-wheeldrive ute begins to make sense. I’m at the wheel of a dual cab Mazda BT-50 ute – you know, the type clogging up school drop-offs, supermarket car parks and rush-hour traffic alongside Toyota Hiluxes.

But here on K’gari Fraser Island it’s totally fit for purpose. The world’s largest sand island gives the rugged, comfortable and highly capable BT-50 a chance to shine.

Mazda doesn’t mind if buyers use their BT50s purely for suburban posing, but that’s a bit like giving a Lamborghini to your half-blind granddad – it’s a waste of ability.

So, if you’re one of the millions of

Australians with a 4WD dual-cab ute or SUV, you really need to exploit your vehicle’s talents.

K’gari Fraser Island is a True Blue bucketlist destination and exploring it in your own vehicle is a rare treat.

You don’t need costly aftermarket 4WD equipment but 4WD low range is highly recommended.

Proper vehicle preparation, recovery gear and some pre-expedition homework should ensure you’ll spend less time digging yourself out of soft sand and more time enjoying bushwalks, shipwrecks, white sand and the sparkling water of the Insta-favourite Lake Mckenzie.

Hope for the best and prepare for the worst. Getting bogged is part of the experience and “fun”. Buy a shovel, snatch strap and recovery boards and you can tell epic tales of rescue and recovery.

For K’gari Fraser Island you need vehicle access permits: $55.90 for up to a month, bought through Queensland’s parks and forest website. Camping fees are $7 per person per night, while resorts, cabins and holiday homes are also available.

Your 4WD travels over by ferry, either from Inskip Point ($130 return) or River Heads near Hervey Bay (from $205 return). Before hitting the sand, you’ll need to adjust tyre pressures, so make sure you bring a gauge and deflate to between 18 and 22 psi. This gives your tyres a greater footprint for added traction on a soft surface. Don’t forget to reinflate your rubber when back on the mainland.

Sand driving feels strange at first, but a 4WD ute should make light work of it. On the BT-50 you simply choose “4H” on the dial and traction goes to all four wheels. You should also turn off stability control, as you’ll need a bit of wheel spin.

Let your tyres fall into the previouslyploughed ruts and it feels rather effortless. Don’t fight it – especially on soft sand – and you can drive with your fingertips. You need to be smooth and consistent on the throttle and if sand gets very deep, move into neutral and engage low range. It’s literally a two-second job.

Favour driving at low tide for firmer sand, drive close to the ocean, stick to speed limits and watch for beach water tributaries – sharp gutters can form and you really don’t want to hit them fast.

Raise your seat for better visibility through the windscreen and sides – it’s easier to spot hazards. A wide leg stance in the driver’s seat means you use bigger muscle groups to brace yourself, which is far less fatiguing than tightly holding the steering wheel.

Momentum is key: maintain it through any obstacles and get braking done before hitting a bump so the suspension can best deal with it.

After seven hours of traversing this 123km by 22km island, we felt surprisingly refreshed. But we were spoiled with our BT-50 GT’S ($60,390 plus on-roads) heated power leather seats, dual-zone climate control and punchy 140kw/450nm 3.0-litre turbo-diesel.

It’s more than capable in standard form, but hardcore users can option an Arb-developed suspension upgrade ($6720) featuring adjustable damping.

It was part of our car’s Ultimate Pack ($15,615), which added a bullbar, snorkel, sidesteps, black alloys and lightbar.

They’re nice to have, but not a necessity. You could take a BT-50 off the factory floor to this sandy playground and still be rewarded with an epic driving experience.