BORN FOR THE NORTH
Our review complete, we hitch the Overlander GTS up to the Hard Korr branded LandCruiser and commence our journey back up Bribie Island’s Ocean Beach. Kirk, one of the directors of the company, sits in the driver’s seat. Over the last few hours the tide has crept in insidiously; the hard-packed sand we ought to be driving on is two feet underwater.
We stick as close to the shore as we can — the odd wave splashes the tyres — but however closely we hug the water, the sand remains perilously soft. If one thing goes wrong, the Toyota could wind up in Davy Jones’ locker — unless co-director Tony, in his Holden Colorado, can pull us out before the tide rises higher.
The LandCruiser is in low gear; the tachometer holds a steady 4,000 revs, the speedo quivers at 40kph. In the soft sand the vehicle rocks from side to side, but the trailer rides level up back, the independent suspension with dual shocks absorbing the worst of the blows. It’s on the heavy side for a side-fold soft-floor, weighing in at 1,600kg Tare, 2,350kg ATM, but right now I barely notice its presence.
Through the shifting frame of the windscreen, the exit comes into view. It’s the same inclined path by which we got down onto the beach. The memory of a few hours previous flashes vividly
