Adventure Reviews

The Margaret River region is known for fine wine and dining, a great weekend spot for locals to escape the hustle and bustle of Perth - but it's also a destination in its own right, somewhere that people from all over Australia, and all over the world, put on their must-see list.And if you love adventure, there are plenty of choice spots to check out when you're in this neck of the woods.The quaint town of Margaret River is about three hours south of Perth, and it's an area known for its breathtaking natural beauty - a place where the visitors often outnumber the locals. While Margey itself isn't on the beach, the water isn't far away - and in these parts there are literally hundreds of spots you can stop, park, and take in a glorious view of the Indian Ocean.

Marcus Craft tests the Cub Campers Brumby camper-trailer off-road in rural NSW.

People with camper-trailers are increasingly looking to push their travel boundaries and so they head off the bitumen, onto dirt roads and go bush.But on-road camper-trailers are not suited to cope with the extra stresses that dirt-road or gravel-track driving bring, which is why campers better equipped for light-duty bush driving, such as Jayco’s Outback versions of its models, are finding favor with buyers.We took an Eagle Outback into the bush to check it out.

The camping world is so mad for forward-fold campers that it often forgets that, for a long time, the rear-fold, hard-floor camper were considered the 'In' thing.

Marcus Craft road-tests the Jayco Swan Touring camper-trailer

The Ford Everest is one of the better examples of a ute-based 4WD wagon. It has consistently done a good job of satisfying driver desires for a family-friendly SUV with car-like ride and handling, while also being a very effective off-roader.

There was once an ad on telly where the guy asked, 'got any blacker?' It seems that was a premonition, with seemingly dozens of black edition vehicles available in recent times. This Nissan Navara ST Black Edition is the second such example of the ute - but now it's cheaper.

It seems to come with the territory, that forward-fold campers are heavier than they need to be – and there are a few reasons for that.Firstly, most are made in China and, to prevent any possible durability issues, they are made with thicker sections of steel. Secondly, it’s cheaper to build something heavy than it is to build it light. And, thirdly, impressive features, such as checker-plate front storage boxes and dual spare wheels, are heavy.So, it’s refreshing to see a forward-fold, like the Blue Tongue Overland XF Lite Series 2, come in about 200 to 300kg lighter than most other campers on the market, without being completely stripped of features (although, surely that name ads a few kilos, it’s so long!).

Brendan Batty off-road tests the Cub Campers Frontier camper-trailer

Brendan Batty road-tests and reviews a 2019 Jayco Penguin Touring camper-trailer.