Danny - Toowoomba will likely be on our prologue or test drive from Brisbane to Sydney return...so at lest a pint!

Wombat - I'd forgotten about that Google photo. Full view has the other half of the then Jeep fleet on the curb. Old Jeep now gone. Anyway, a small, small world.

Drexxle - we are setting off in three weeks to explore the area west of the Fraser River, near the headwaters of Churn Creek, north of the Bridge River system and south of the Chilcotin. That and hunting forays this fall (your spring) will give me my 4x4 fix.[/u]

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Select a gear, bring up the revs and release the clutch...off you go!

A Mini Van that could do the Aussie Outback is stopped behind me here at the Hope Slide, while we were travelling to Mini Meet West in Penticton at the end of June.

The Van has a full roll cage, custom fuel system, diesel heater, load bed floor mods for stowage (e.g. within the rear subframe) and full length skid plate. Built to go around the world by Mini.



So far across Canada and up to Inuvik an Canada's Arctic coast, then over to Alaska and north to Prudhoe Bay and the Arctic coast again...we may all hear more from Diddy Dave.

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Select a gear, bring up the revs and release the clutch...off you go!

Few people have taken on massive journeys in Mini's.

Hope you enjoy every minute of it.

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Aussie Leyland, Aussie Factory, Aussie Mini S.

Here i am in the middle of Australia.

Nothing for hundreds of kilometres. And i can bet some of you guys have been to Curdimurka and can agree that its a tough place to get too.

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Aussie Leyland, Aussie Factory, Aussie Mini S.

no reason a well prepared mini can't go anywhere... and if something does go wrong, they're easy to fix

I did 800k's on Tuesday

Hope you can make it to Geelong on your way round mate. Loads of Mini nuts here and plenty of room to stay too.
Good luck with the journey, dusk is the worst time for roo's.

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'98 Mpi Sportspack + 7 port alloy head

What sort of crack pot would drive a Mini Van all over Australia???

Oh, wait, I do it all the time.



Never say never is my motto. Rick and I have exchanged many emails in the past while he was planning the trip and I reckon it's a brilliant idea.

Most people who knock the idea have never done it themselves - in a Mini.

12" should be ideal as they would not be as rigid and bumpy as the 13" and would give better cruising than 10". My Van has 10" and I often bemoan the fact that I don't have 12". This is especially true when getting a little off the beaten track and could do with a little more ground clearance - but then that's why I've got the Moke.



Don't forget that a Mini was the first vehicle (with an 1800) to cross Australia from East to West through the centre - back in 1965 - in the middle of summer. They survived (just!) and the Mini went very well through the conditions.



Just be aware of the likelihood of the car running hot, and make sure you have at least 20lt of spare fuel - for two reasons. 1: Australian Minis have notoriously unreliable fuel gauges. 2: In some areas, particularly the Northern part of the Outback and crossing the Nullarbor, it is not unusual to go more than 300km between fuel stops.

Happy motoring, and see you in Melbourne or Brisbane, or both.

Cheers,
Watto.

Sweetest little trailer I've ever seen.

Hey Watto, that sign you're parked under doesn't quite read right ( Feel Free ! ). You don't get nothin for nothin in NSW i'm afraid. Sorry i just had to say it!! .

Look forward to a beer in Sydney with you Hunter,

Drexxle i've been to Curdimurka and its in the middle of nowhere.
Love that pic

Hi Watto,

Good advice. Am wondering if I should fit an auxilliary rad, though our period of travel - August through November - suggests not?

Am giving some thought to preparing the load floor (a) to protect it and (b) to secure items like extra fuel.

Also curious as to how you promote air circulation through the Van with the fixed rear side windows?

Likely see you in Brisbane and Melbourne!

Hi Chopchop...by all means a brew...maybe we can organize an informal international Mini Meeting over grub and a pint with Kevin G and others.

Am starting to build contact list for the trip as folks send contact info to my email: [email protected]

Rick

PS - may be led astray (by the stories and photos from others) and get the Van into the more remote outback (for a bit)

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Select a gear, bring up the revs and release the clutch...off you go!

MG Rocket,

Here is a photo of Pooh & Hunny pot running alongside my son's MINI Cooper S on Hwy. 1 when returning from Mini Meet West July 2nd.

The trailer had our camping gear as we camped for a few days on Skaha Lake before going into the meet hotel.



Yes, both are Liquid Yellow a now discontinued MINI colour BMW Code 902).

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Select a gear, bring up the revs and release the clutch...off you go!

Use a roof vent like the early non-window vans.


See you in Sydney then Hunter.

Beautiful part of the world you live in too. We have rels on Vancouver Island and get over there every few years. We would love to do another trip up to northern B.C, even better in a Mini (see the ideas you give me!). Last time we caught the ferry from Port Hardy to Prince Rupert and then rented a car to drive up to Stewart. It was a great trip, but the rented car was a piece of rubbish!

cheers
michael

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the world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page
66 Mini Minor sponsored by http://www.lifeonthehedge.com.au/ The Dog Harness Specialists
It was a pleasure ausmini. I'll miss all you misfits and reprobates

As a fellow owner of a '73 Mini Van, I'll say good luck! I'm assuming you're running a non-standard motor and hopefully more appropriate diff than mine, because I top out at about 95-100km/hr in a comfortable rev range.

I'm doing Brisbane - Darwin (3861km) next May in a car worth less than $1k (Shitbox Rally). You'll probably have fewer problems than we will!

Pity I can't pick up a moke that cheap, or I'd do it in that just to add to the challenge.

Rick, Export-spec Mokes used a Sprite/Midget tank bolted under the floor within the rear subframe. In theory you could fit one of these tanks to a van to double your fuel capacity with a small loss of luggage space for the filler neck.

Cheers,

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Brett Nicholson
Greendale (near Ballan) VIC.
1971 Morris Mini Moke
1966 Austin Mini
1965 Morris Mini Traveller
1973 LR Series 3 88
2007 LR Freelander 2