2WD Hi-Rider in the Top End - wet season

2WD Hi-Rider in the Top End - wet season

Postby mcflux on Sun, 27 Aug 2017 6:00 +0000

Hi all,

I'm just chasing some advice on road access and 2WD vs 4WD during the wet season in the NT. Background info is below, questions are at the bottom of the post.

I'm looking to head up north this summer & spend a week or two around the Top End. I flew up there last dry season, & went on a minibus tour. Some of the "4WD-only" unsealed roads the minibus went down looked simple to do in a 2WD Hi-Rider Hilux. Frankly I'm amazed the tour operator didn't beach the bus, particularly on the 20km road to Barramundi Gorge. If I was heading up again in the dry season in my Hilux I wouldn't be making this thread to be honest as I have a fair idea of the roads up there in the dry.

I'm looking to do the Kakadu loop (pulling off the hwy to do day hikes etc) assuming the highway from Humpty-Doo to Jabiru isn't underwater. I'm also looking at accessing parts of Litchfield & maybe camping at Wangi Falls, + heading up to Crab Claw, assuming access to Wangi Falls, and the route via Berry Springs to Crab Claw aren't underwater. I understand that Road Closed = ROAD CLOSED and in being smart around croc-infested waters. Even if my Hilux was 4WD I'm not planning on any bush-bashing, hill-climbs or river crossings. I bought a Hi-Rider over a Low-Rider only for clearance & to fare better against the roos down my way, it suits my needs for my paddocks at home & my route to work.

My questions:

1. Hi-Riders disappointingly come with an open diff and no form of locker. Is some form of locker (ie ARB air locker or Harrop E-locker) required or *should* an open diff suffice? How drastically do the unsealed roads change in the wet? (not those underwater/inaccessible)

2. My (from new Dunlop AT Grandtrek) tyres will be due for replacement before I drive up there. Keeping in mind that all of my normal driving suits the originals, and that I'll have 8000kms of sealed highway between home & Darwin & back, would buying these same tyres potentially get me stuck up north? The only time my open diff + these tyres have let me down was when crossing a sloppy hillside at FarmWorld that was saturated with rain. I had to park elsewhere with the hatches & sedans rather than cross the hill to park with the 4WDs lol. :oops: If I either had an LSD (or locker), or different tyres, I probably would not have been embarrassed.

If the kind of Kakadu/Litchfield access I'm looking to do is strictly 4WD-only then my Uncle's Hilux Surf is Plan B, although as mentioned I'm not looking to bush-bash/hill-climb/cross rivers 8-)

Looking forward to your replies,

Dave
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Re: 2WD Hi-Rider in the Top End - wet season

Postby William_Foster on Tue, 05 Sep 2017 6:31 +0000

Dave,

I am by no means an expert but have done a couple of wet seasons now; but I am happy to be corrected if others have a different opinion.

Firstly, as you are aware it all depends on the wet season, sometimes it doesn't rain much but this year saw big rains which dramatically affected the roads. Not just flooding, the big wash outs made travelling a little more of an adventure this year and to be honest I wouldn't want to do some of the offshoots of Kakadu in a 2wd if I didn't have friends in a 4wd close behind.

I personally wouldn't worry too much about the upgrades as if the roads are closed you aren't getting through, and I wouldn't suggest you go on a road that requires high clearance 4wd in a 2wd even if you had a locker and all terrain tyres.

Having said that, Litchfield is generally fine as it is mostly sealed; so unless its flooded you'll be fine. Wangi Falls does get the occasional croc in there during the wet and the camp ground is usually closed a fair way into the wet. Stay away from Reynolds River, thats definitely not a 2wd area in my experience.

The same can be said for Jabiru and the sealed parts of Kakadu; generally you will be fine unless there is flooding, the biggest thing to watch out for is your comfortable wading depth without 4wd. The water crossings pop up everywhere and move swiftl, so I'd be a bit more cautious in a 2wd. I think you'd be fine to get to Ubirr and Cahills Crossing (To look not to cross); but there is usually significant water crossings in this area during the wet and it connects to the East Alligator river so you won't want to be getting out for a tow (I know it sounds obvious, but the road surface on water crossings get very slippery with the mud that gets washed over them, this mixed with the flow makes simple looking crossings a bit more troublesome). The other popular spots, Jabiru, Nourlangie Rock and Yellow Waters you'd generally be fine. But Jim Jim Falls, Twin Falls, and Gunlom Falls would probably be best to avoid even if the road is open (Gunlom Falls does allow for 2wd now in the dry); Old Jim Jim Road will most likely be closed for a fair while as well.

If you aimed for March you'd have better luck than January; depending on the amount of rain April to May is usually the best mix of accessibility without the crowds.

I hope this helps.
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Re: 2WD Hi-Rider in the Top End - wet season

Postby mcflux on Sat, 09 Sep 2017 11:51 +0000

Hi William,

Thanks for your detailed reply!

So it basically sounds like I shouldn't take my Hi-Rider anywhere that a Commodore wouldn't go, & that the increased clearance wouldn't really count for anything up in the Top End. It's good to know though that most access well-in to Litchfield is sealed (we only went as far as Florence Falls in 2016), I'll just hope the roads aren't flooded.

I saw the locals cross Cahills Crossing in a Cruze last year, I had a laugh at that given there was a saltie 20m away (and probably 50 of his mates underwater).

That's a pity about Gunlom falls (access in the wet) - I'd missed going there in 2016 as one of the people in our tour group dislocated his shoulder the morning we were meant to visit there and we had to cut that part of our tour.

As for the timing, my wife & I have a window of opportunity for late November/early December, & nothing really beyond then, but I'll keep March in mind for a few years into the future!

If access to many Top End locations is limited in the wet, then I'll at least have a chance to take my Hilux on an epic road trip. My Uncle with the Surf lives in Darwin if any 4x4ing is needed - again not for bushbashing/river crossings, just for (open) roads that are strictly 4WD only.

Cheers,

Dave
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Additions: IPF900 spotlights + 20" LED bar, tint, TJM canopy
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Re: 2WD Hi-Rider in the Top End - wet season

Postby William_Foster on Sat, 09 Sep 2017 2:52 +0000

No problems Dave, in November you should be alright unless there is an big early start to the wet (December through March are the big rain months). Having said that things usually that start closing things up in October as they need to have all the preparation completed before the usual season start. This shouldn't affect Ubirr, Jabiru, Nourlangie Rock, Yellow Waters and Litchfield which should all be accessible at this time. You might even be able to get into Gunlom at this stage depending on whats the Parks staff are doing with their preparation for the wet, as it is accessible in the dry by 2wd.

One consideration with the build-up (a couple of months before the wet) is that camping isn't generally much fun, the benefit of this is that if the build-up isn't so bad the camp grounds will be empty. I would recommend that you have a look at whether the Crocodile Hotel in Jabiru (Mecure) is doing a deal once the season closes in October, as you should be able to get a good deal as the tourist season will be over (the food isn't great or cheap, but the air conditioning is a life saver). They also have cabins at Yellow Waters, but if you can afford it stay at Jabiru and drive down for your cruise, it isn't far.

There are heaps of off-road trips to do around Darwin that you'd be fine to do in the Hi-Rider; Gunn Point is a great day out.

Enjoy the planning, if you have any other questions just send me a PM and I will try to help.
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Re: 2WD Hi-Rider in the Top End - wet season

Postby mcflux on Sat, 09 Sep 2017 7:38 +0000

I thrive in the heat, & last year we caught the early party of the buildup, hopefully I catch the end of it with empty campsites!

As of this arvo it looks like my wife & I will be traveling in convoy with my sister-in-law & her fiancee, they'll be in their hippie-spec VW Transporter - definitely 100% 2WD vehicle.

But I'll keep the Crocodile Hotel in mind if the heat's too much, thanks for the tip.

We missed Gunn Point last year so I'll be sure to add that to the itinerary. Thanks for all your advice so far, I'll PM you if anything else comes up!
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Factory Options: Premium bullbar, tub liner, tow pack
Additions: IPF900 spotlights + 20" LED bar, tint, TJM canopy
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