Westside Recovery

An international student out exploring the Australian outback, keen for an adventure and a taste of what our great outdoors has to offer.
Everything was going well while the track was firm, but as soon as it turned to soft sand, the adventure came to a sudden halt!

ONE WRONG MOVE… AND IT’S GAME OVER!
Slipped off the top track and straight into the soft stuff! With no recovery gear on board, the decision was made to put the phone to work before the tide came in.
Bogged in the soft stuff? Don’t panic give us a call!

It was probably a good thing this vehicle didn't make it all the way down to the beach before throwing a transmission warning light and losing reverse!

FREE CAMPING… BUT AT WHAT COST?
Apparently, there was a great free camping spot up this track! The only problem? They were trying to get there in a 2WD van!
Unfortunately, the track had other ideas, and before long, the adventure turned into a recovery mission.
Not every track leads to paradise, and not every vehicle is cut out for the journey!
Thankfully, we were able to get them quickly recovered and back on their way.
Free camping? Absolutely! Free recovery late at night? Not quite!

When exploring tracks always think about the way out before heading down. Can you turn around, and more importantly, can you get back up the same hill you just came down especially when there are no other exits like in this case.
Soft sand, steep climbs and changing track conditions can quickly turn a great adventure into a recovery job.
Always plan your exit before committing to the descent. When you're travelling solo, there's no mate in another 4WD to give you a helping hand.

This Toyota Camry driver took a wrong turn down a limestone track that quickly turned into some soft sand… and unfortunately, the Camry wasn’t quite built for an off-road adventure.
A little too far in, and there was no going forward without making things worse. We got out to site, winched the vehicle then turned it around and carefully brought the Camry back onto the hard stuff.

This Hilux had slipped off the top track and found itself well and truly bogged. After assessing the conditions and checking the ground was firm, we decided the best option was to take it down to the water's edge, where we could find a suitable line to get it back up onto the top track.

This runaway vehicle had a mind of its own!
It escaped from a neighbouring driveway, ran across the road and launched itself off a limestone wall before coming to rest in the bush.
Not exactly the off-road adventure the driver had planned! A bit of careful recovery work it was back where it belonged.

Going, going, gone!
That’s exactly what happened to this old girl when she got a little too close to the water’s edge and broke through the muddy crust.

These campers were leaving the campsite when they found out that a fully loaded AWD wasn’t quite up to the task when the tyres are still sitting at road pressures.

A bit of soft sand, a heavy load and the wrong tyre pressures was enough to bring the adventure to a rather sandy stop.

After getting them unstuck, dropping the pressures and giving them a little lesson in sand driving, they were back on their way, hopefully with a little more air out of the tyres next time!