Monday 30 March 2015

10 years young



In the blink of an eye, 10 years has passed. This year we celebrate a decade of providing quality, specialised offroad driver training to individuals, groups, businesses, organisations and corporations.

There have been many changes and adventures in this time, some big, some small, and some that always bring a smile to my face. Over the next few months, join us for an offroad trip down the backroads along memory lane.

Our original bumper sticker, we still see a few of these getting around

It all begins in 2005, the year that a vision of building the nation's premier offroad driver training business became something tangible, and had many people realising for the first time that you could be not only trained but also accredited in safely and economically driving off the bitumen.

What was to grow to become the now nationally recognised Australian Offroad Academy was born of humble beginnings on March the 1st in 2005, with our starter company of P7Offroad Accredited Driver Training Pty Ltd. based on the Fraser Coast in Queensland.

Our First Logo

The first challenge: Designing a logo to remember.

Colours instantly recognisable by offroaders, representing mud and sand and the tyre track left behind, and who can forget the always intriguing question: "What does P7 stand for?"














The next challenge: Choosing the perfect company vehicle.
This was no easy task, but we knew that we had the support of our Local Fraser Coast TJM in helping us to customise whatever we ended up with so that it would not only go everywhere it needed to go in comfort and style but also get others out of there when they got into trouble.
From a fairly ambitious original wish list, ultimately the shortlist was a 100 series Cruiser or a Nissan Patrol. As history shows, and as those who keep up with our posts know, it was the P7 Patrol that came out on top and the original P701 is still with us, going as strong as ever today.
The Childers site featured some great natural and artificial terrain
Building the Wombat Holes at the Childers Training Centre

The final start-up challenge: Getting our piece of private offroad ready.
After securing an ideal spot just off the highway 10kms south of Childers, we called on our mates at the Fraser Coast 4wd Club to help us build our first ever training track. Lots of fun was had on days spent driving the tracks and scouting for obstacles, as well as digging and building purpose-made challenges around the 380 acre property.


Our first DL flyer, these went to 4x4 stores and Tourist Info Centres
Our 3-level wombat holes track was a favourite with all of our guests, with many of our clients standing in awe as their previously hesitant partners expertly traveled along the varied terrain into the most difficult parts of the track.


From a great little training centre on the Isis River, small classes of 1-2 participants have grown steadily to now often requiring two instructors for many of the corporate courses being held across 5 states. From humble beginnings ...


Our first course offerings were:
from the, now replaced, SRO units accompanied by our sand courses and camper trailer courses.

In our first year, commercial work had started to arrive but the vast majority of our clients were ordinary people from across the offroading demographic who just wanted to enjoy their offroad time.

Sunday 29 March 2015

Make the most of your 4 days on Fraser Island this Easter.




Easter.

The great 4 day getaway. 

Many families flock to the beach,  many of them head to Fraser Island. Kingfisher Bay Resort even puts on extra barges for the weekend for those heading to World Heritage Fraser Island. 

It will be close quarters camping on the Eastern Beach, but it's a big island and there'll be plenty of peaceful places if you look hard enough. 

Our top tips for enjoying some peace over Easter on Fraser Island.

1. Get there early. 

Try to arrive at your site and 'stake your claim' before Good Friday. Don't be crazy with putting out tarps, accept that you will have neighbours but get yourself setup before the others have even left home. 

2. Chillax, keep Good Friday good.

Early afternoon low tides make for lazy mornings and afternoons of trouble free, wide open beaches once you are setup but the big high tide at around 7am on Friday might make for some frayed tempers and heated engines as hundreds of 4x4s and campers make their way up from Hook Point. If you are coming up the beach, you may just want to want until low tide (you really should, it's better for you, your car and the Island). Those coming across from Wangoolba Creek or Kingfisher Bay will have a different set of challenges if there is no rain this week, but fun challenges. 

3. Plan your stay. 

Lake McKenzie is really popular, and has limited parking. If you get there, and it's full, get over it and go somewhere else. Please only park in the provided spaces. 
Plan to see the Lake early in the morning, or better still, late in the afternoon. Sunset at Lake McKenzie is something special. If it is busy then you should...

4. Go somewhere different.

Screen Cap from the Hema 4wd Maps App
 Try the Southern Lakes Drive, it has some 'challenging' sections and takes you through 20+ kms of diverse ecosystems. Take your time and enjoy Lakes Birrabeen (our favourite) and Boomanjin. 
Further north there are a couple of lesser known lakes that are well worth a visit. Lake Garawongera, out behind Happy Valley is a gem and the road from it to Poyungan Valley is worth a drive for the more adventurous. Likewise, finding your way to Lake Allom is a rewarding experience. 

5. Buy an Ice cream. 

Stop in at Fraser Island Retreat, The Cathedrals or Orchid Beach and buy a hot pie, or cold treat. Why not, are you in a hurry to get somewhere?

6. The Chocolate Croissants. 

In their own category are the Eurong Bakery Chocolate Croissants. Just get one. Or two.
Eurong has something for everyone, try the Chocolate Croissants or visit the Beach Bar.

7. Keep your cool. 

We know that everyone should slow down on the beach when it's busy, it would also be great if drivers indicated their intentions and fishermen didn't park on the hard sand when there isn't much to be had. But you know what? Some just don't, or won't. 'There is no driving environment more dynamic than the beach'. Slow down, be aware, take a deep breath and drive to care for your precious cargo, despite what others are doing.

This is the good type of peak hour.

8. Take care of your kids. 

We love our dingos, we hate it every time our Island and our dingos make the news for the wrong reasons. Please, please, please keep your food locked away and your kids close. 

9. Make a list of places to bring your friends back too. 

You know the ones. The ones with all the gear and no idea.Go home and tell them what a great place Fraser Island is. Maybe you could send them to an expert to help boost their confidence first. 
The Australian Offroad Academy runs courses 3-4 times every month from our exclusive training centre at Kingfisher Bay Resort, or private courses on demand. 
Your friends could even make their case into day 1 of your next Fraser Island holiday together.

Saturday 28 March 2015

Offroad Week - March 27 2015

Another week, another mixed bag of accredited and recreational training.




Our working week started with courses in ideal conditions at Noosa North Shore. Ray and Paul brought out their new Patrols to gain some small group experience on sand. 

Off Season Peak hour on Noosa North Shore


Each vehicle has had a couple of modest touring mods, but their owners have big plans for more. 

A couple of Nissan Patrols, with so much ahead of them

We spent a relaxed morning, making it across the Leisha Track and onto the Lagoon without incident and without the need for a dramatic run-up.We discussed optimal tyre pressures, and best practice recoveries... and so much more.
Sand, like most terrains, is about clearance, torque and traction. 

Meanwhile on Fraser Island, at our Kingfisher Bay Training Centre, Mike and the FJ had a private course with Heidi and her husband. 



They are well into preparations for a big, big trip and chose to spend a day with us, as part of a longer Fraser Island visit, to get the low-down on their well setup, and loved, Toyota Landcruiser. 

Heidi was kind enough to send us this message after their weekend on Fraser Island.

" Just want to share how brilliant our weekend course was. Mike was incredible, our confidence, capability and knowledge have all grown immensely. We cannot commend Mike to you enough. What an asset for your business. Thankyou a thousand times over. I hummed and hahhed over the cost of the course, but no doubt our improved skills will see this cost repaid ten fold."

Mike had a great time too.

While Mike was on the barge back from Fraser, Dave was heading south towards a very wet Brisbane for day 3 of the National 4x4 Show.
We spent the day on the TJM Stand, where the feature was definitely the new Navara, fully decked out with TJM gear - the coil sprung model will be a game changer for travellers.


We took the opportunity to catch up with our friends from Stay On Track Outback, Patriot Campers, MSA4x4 and the about-to-be-facelifted Powerful 4x4. It was a great show, but I can't help but to feel sorry for the folks with the outside stands.

The weekdays were spent filing, processing statements, scanning and all the dull stuff as well as preparing vehicles for courses at the end of the week including a "Pipeline Pack Course" with some long term clients at Landcruiser Mountain Park. Packing up for more @AORA HQ (Instagram).

As we head into the traditional offroad busy time of Easter, we take a bit of a break - no way that we are going near any of our favourite offroad locations with clients during this time of the year.

Don't forget that we are all over Social Media, including Instagram

What caught our eyes this week:-

Unsealed 4x4 Editor, Matt Scott has done a little write up on his Troopy 

Tickets went on sale for the Big Red Bash.

This Photo from the very talented Rikes
Ready for a big day out




Wednesday 25 March 2015

New team addition

We are pleased to welcome P751 into our fleet of vehicles. 

Filmed on Private Property, there's no point owning a clean one

 P751 is a CF Moto U8, 800cc Side By Side (SxS) Utility Vehicle.

 SxS are becoming increasingly popular in rural, commercial and resources sectors.  With a Payload of a couple of hundred kilos in standard form while maintaining a very low footprint, the Side by Side can get into more places with less impact than a conventional 4x4.


Of course the vehicle needs to comply with all of our site requirements.

It's not always a hard day at work.

Quiet, economical and built for purpose.

We call this "Product Testing".

You just can;t have a bad day at at work on these things.
 P751 is available for hire on our AHCMOM211A - Operate Side by Side Utility Vehicle Courses, either as the only vehicle on the course or alongside one, or more, of yours.

Call us on 1300 725 440 for more information on our accredited, practical Side by Side Training Courses.

P751 has a trailer, it can go anywhere.




AHCOMO211A - Operate Side by Side Vehicles course are conducted on demand for corporate, government, resources or emergency services all around the country.



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