Ironically, this particular track this morning was ‘Crosstown Traffic’, but the rampant sound of Jimi strumming a guitar means nothing but mud, rivers, getting partially airborne and sliding as far sideways in a 2 ton 4 wheeler as the thing will take.

Rallying around the rugged tracks to Ruby Gap, Central Australia, sliding through the muddy Otways of the Great Ocean Road, discovering a custom built 4×4 track hidden 100km down a dirt track from Alice Springs and of course – snorkeling my way through the rivers of the NT!

The favourite though? So hard to choose… Perhaps the Coastal track an outback joe gave me the GPS coordinates for; teetering along the cliffs of the nullabor – the views, the cliff face drops, the fact that no one could ever find the thing without the recommendation from a ‘local’ (where the nearest substantial settlement included around 20 people and over 100km away!). Perhaps the Whales to be seen jumping a mere 100m from your footing?

I think that would have to be a joint 1st sharing with Francois National Park in WA. Though this track didn’t get much more serious than a short stretch of soft sand we carved half metre tyre trenches in behind us (oh and jolting bumps that caused the car to cut out when the battery became dislodged!) it did cover the deepest red sand tracks you’ve seen, contrasting with clear blue reef lagoons alongside and wildlife whichever way you looked…. Even under the wheels as a Blue Tongue skink surprised us at the last minute! How does such a podgy little beast survive and not pop after being flattened by not one, but two rolling 4×4 tyres?

The choice is too hard… I can’t do it. Wait, what about WA’s 4×4 answer to the great ocean road traversing clear blue sea views.

I can’t… It’s impossible.

If you’d asked me this question pre-skink squishing I’d have been certain you’d be sure to witness an explosion of some velocity! Lab goggles most definately required! However, along with the three of us who were perched, enjoying a (terrific) drive through one of WA’s best 4×4 tracks, I think you’d be surprised!

It wasn’t until the last minute we spotted the little fella, basking in the sun as we rolled over the crest of a hill. He was lying there in all his podginess at the bottom of the tyre crevice the right side of our vehicle was happily zipping along in. It was far beyond enough time to stop the car before him, let alone change course (and consequently tumble through the Australian bush) so the only choice the three of us had was to look at each other, pull yucky faces and scream ‘eeuuuuurrrrgggghh’ noises until we were ready to witness the contents of a 2 foot lizard’s icky innards now lining the underside of the car.

We all got out of the car, amazed to be greeted by a not particularly impressed blue Tongue squealing at us. He was not happy. Being Australian, he was surely blurting some pretty graphic curses at us, not that we understood – we were just grateful for the photo opportunity and the fact he had not passed away with an explosive BANG!