the length and breadth of it

Thanks everyone. I get the message, and I WILL be driving the Bushtracker, as I love a challenge. Saw one of those new bendy buses in London and Ivan said he thought he had read they were 14mtrs, but on checking on the net he found out they were 18 mtrs. So that was a bit better, because it looked awfully l-o-o-o-n-g. I have got a ball of string and on the weekend will be measuring the length and width out in the parking lot to get some sort of picture in my head of the overall dimensions. I think I would have made a good boy scout - Be prepared!! Angie

Hey Collyn, if my missus tries to drive my truck she'll be Finnish too :-)
Turist

Angie said;
"Thanks everyone. I get the message, and I WILL be driving the Bushtracker"

Its the thing up in front of the BT that gets driven Angie, you know, the one with 4 wheels & a steering wheel. Makes a noise when you turn the key.

Don't suppose I am allowed to quote the old one, you know, something about barefooted and kitchen sinks :-)

Turist

My wife would just like to thank Maarit and Collyn ...... as I have now delegated all tyre changing and puncture repair to her while I sit back on a banana lounge sipping a good red. <smile> If she takes too long and I go over .05 she also will be driving for the next 6 hrs.
<cheeky grin>

And I would like to personally thank Vidas as I was sick of being in the mud pushing while my wife was at the wheel. I knew this wasnt fair but do you think I could convince her. She always said " A good driver doesnt get bogged in the first place". <slippery grin>

Mate how does she get the time to change tyres.
After doi'n the washing, cooking, wood chopping, van cleaning, opening stubbies, re-stocking the beer box, putting cheese on my Jatz, washing and drying the pots and plates, fitting a new toilet roll to the holder, trimming my toenails and giving the twice daily massages my missus only has just enough time left for THE HOOVER.
But rewards will come, I promised a pair of shoes for mothers day, she can't get preggie any more so no need to go barefoot.
Turist

Gutsy stuff Turist!

B--d if I know Turist, she's doing a full time double degree up here too.

Seriously though I also know two other women who not only drive OKAs. They own them. One (Rowena) says it gives her great street cred in her small Victorian town. Both take the OKAs places where 250s could only dream of.

Maarit says tell Angie that Oz cities are now full of those bendy buses and about half are driven by women.

She also says to remind Angie (and a few odd guys) that those road trains that a few women drive in WA are over 50 metres long, weigh up to 140 tonnes and are taken down tracks like the Tanami and Gibb River Rd.

The thought of 0.05 is nostalgic - one problem with OKAs is that they are way over 4.5 tonne so it's 0.0.

Now that might make you think about sharing the driving!
Collyn

G'day Collyn,

You wrote :
Both take the OKAs places where 250s could only dream of.

Lets compare apples with apples here... of course an OKA goes further down the track as it has a higher ground clearance and shorter wheelbase for better rampover.

My Suzuki Sierra goes places only an OKA could dream of .... my trailbike goes places my Sierra only dreams of .. my horse goes places my trailbike only dreams of ... I can put on a set of Nikes' and climb rocks my horse can only dream of ... <smile>


It's horses for courses ... lets see an OKA drive between Bris and Gympie at 100kph with the safety of oversized brakes with ABS .... airbags ..... and weighing 6.7t in combination .... in Friday afternoon traffic.

And with the Ladies driving roadtrains you have to admit it just aint that difficult. It sure takes experience and determination but it is still only pedals a steering wheel. If I had a road train slowly catching me in my mirrors I think i'd rather it be a female just to hopefully have a bit more patience getting round me. <smile> Well ... me getting outta the road …… they sure aint going round me at 50 metres and 140 ton.

Anthony

Anthony

Your right about the Sierra - our OKA used have one in its toolbox.

OKAs sure have huge disk brakes all round but your a spot on about the rest!
Collyn

Anthony The only time my OKA can keep up with traffic is in a bumper to bumper traffic jam, otherwise even ride on lawn mowers blast me off at the light. Vidas

Anthony,Nar thas cool, had a good giggle at that one! Yes I have heard of nissans answer to the F-250, its a 6.3l turbo, but I think its only been realsed in Japan. The reporter who saw it said it fit would fit nicely into a Patrol, Bank manager please take note . As for my girl driving my truck..... she can go for her life!! Ill engoy a nice bottle of plonk and get shofered around.

Ivan said this one generated some discussion for sure. We now have the string measured out and will be going out into the car park later to "lay it out" as it were. Want to thank you all for your comments yet again. Thats what I love about this group. The diversity. We have the logical thinkers, we have the comedians, and then we have Turist!!! Talk about being blessed. Angie

One of my fovorite quotes
'A womans place is in the wrong' W. C. Fields. :-)

I think that he died from a severe case of female inflicted trauma.

Glad you have a good S.O.H.
Turist

That was fun Angie - eh?
Maarit

Absolute fun Maarit. Thanks for your help. I think I must now hold the record for the most responses to a posted question in the shortest amount of time. That must be a point for the ex-pat I reckon. For those who are interested Ivan and I took our piece of string out into the Carpark at the Centre where we live in a staff flat. The manager of the Centre (who drives a 4cyl Vauxhall and tows a 15 foot van here in the UK) was crossing the carpark and asked the question. He walked away shaking his head and muttering. I think he will have nightmares of 50 foot armoured beasts bearing down on him similar to some must worry about roadtrains or semi's in Australia. Must admit though, just looking at the string it is a big rig. Can see why Brian would say it would turn heads in towns. Angie