After telling you a little more about the idea of this road trip here, I would now like to introduce my car from Australia to Germany a little more. So far I’ve had to listen to quite a few comments about my wheels. “Your car will never make it across India”, “either the car will die, Rüdiger will die, or Rüdiger will die in that car” were just a few of them 😀 Driving from Australia to Germany does require a solid car indeed. No need to worry – the landcruiser will get me to my destination safely. 😎

The Toyota Landcruiser Workmate

Toyota Landcruiser VDJ76R

I haven’t seen anything quite like it anywhere in Germany, and haven’t seen many like them to buy online either outside Australia.

It’s a Toyota Landcruiser Workmate diesel, a 2011 make. The first owner was the state of Queensland. We bought with 48,000km, so barely used, for roughly AUD 50,000 (~ EUR 38,000). Now the odometer shows 63,000km. The standard configuration comes with a 5 gear manual transmission, 4 wheel drive, diff locks and a dual battery system. So much for the technical details. Furthermore, it has a dual spare wheel holder and a snorkel for the engine to cross rivers or floods. Last but not least there is a bull bar to protect the front of the vehicle and the passengers in case of animal accidents. In the outback it can happen every now and then that kangaroos, cattle or emus jumps in front of your car. There are hardly and animal protection fences in Australia’s countryside. With these distances it would hardly be possible anyway.

Like most Australian SUVs this one also does not have central locks. Except for a radio there are no electronic gimmicks. If you are in the outback with a temperature of 48 degrees, the last thing you need is non-functioning electronic equipment and not being able to unlock your car if you’re ouside. There are also no electric windows or a built-in GPS. It costs too much energy and it’s hardly needed anyway.

A great car that will last all the way to Germany

For outback trips we added some extra features to the SUV. First, there is the UHF radio with a range of 50-100km, depending on obstacles in the area. Additionally there are high beams with a range of up to 800m to be able to see animals early. Furthermore, we built in a long range fuel tank with a volume of 170l. With this tank you can travel up to 800-1500km without refueling. In order to be able to adjust the tire pressure to make it across sandy areas, a tire deflator and an air compressor (300l/min) was added as well. Moreover, recovery gear was added in case we ever get stuck in sand. Besides that, the SUV also has a roof rack, an awning and a built-in fridge.

Croc in Australia

In the next days, we will add in a winch (10,000lbs traction) and a suspension lift. This will raise the care by 2inch. Enough height can be crucial when crossing difficult territories or rivers. You shouldn’t be stuck in the middle of a river if you have to share the water with crocodiles… 😉

Overall the landcruiser has been a very good vehicle to my son on all his trips through Australia. That is why I – unlike others – have no worries at all that I’ll make it to Germany.

But first, Cape York

Warning sign in the Outback

Before I drive from Australia to Germany by car, there is a another trial in Australia. Next week the car and the driver will have to make it through the first practical test! The destination is the peninsula of Cape York in Northern Queensland. The roads north of Port Douglas and Laura are only good for 4 wheel drives. However, most regular cars probably wouldn’t make it past the first few kilometers. Especially on the bush tracks like the Old Telegraph Track (OTT). Consequently, a lot of car rentals don’t allow their customers to drive up there. They don’t quite feel like rescuing stuck cars every other week. Needless to say, the trip will be quite adventurous. I’m really excited!

Of course I’ll take you along to Cape York. Stay tuned!

Cheers, Rüdiger 😎