ABOUT US
ON THE DIRT was created as a YouTube channel back in the first year that YouTube came into being, 2007. In those days, it was the personal YouTube account of John McCredie with a few little videos of some 4WD trips he had done with family and friends. John had always had a passion for gravel rallying and even won the Australian Rally Championship for pocket rockets in the front wheel drive 0-1300cc category. From there, this passion extended to four-wheel-driving and in 2009 John and his two sons Nathan and Jacob filmed their first 4WD Winch Comp.
The YouTube Channel soon started to grow in both popularity and size (number of videos) and was changed from the name OHM26 to ON THE DIRT. With more videos being produced and more 4wd and rally content being uploaded, the channel now has over 14,000 subscribers and almost 5 million views.
Toyota Prado 2003 Review
The second hand 4wd market is huge in Australia and today we’ll be reviewing a 2003 Toyota Landcruiser Prado Grande. In 2003, Toyota introduced this new model and it was a significant upgrade to the previous version and featured new styling from a design out of Toyotas European Design Studio. In addition to the styling, this 4WD comes packed with many other features, but not all the features of the Grande are available on the [...]
FJ55 Land Cruiser – The Ugly One
Loved and Hated. The FJ55 Land Cruiser was a 4WD that divided 4WD enthusiasts. It looks and styling was loved by some, hated by others! Toyota's 4WD production started way back in 1941 when the Japanese Army took a Jeep, that they had acquired during the occupation of the Philippines, and sent it back home and ordered Toyota to make something similar. Then in the 1950's, the US Army commissioned Toyota to make 100 vehicles similar [...]
2014 Nissan Xtrail – Review
I recently had the opportunity to hire a car for a trip around Queensland so I asked for a Midsize SUV. I was given a Nissan Xtrail and I was quite impressed with it so I thought I’d provide a quick review of the car for those who might be looking to get one. First off, I didn’t really take a lot of notice of the version I was given, but I’m pretty sure it was the [...]
Winch Challenge Bites Teams
Seven teams started, but only four finish. One of the best Comeup Winch Challenge Competitions yet! Round 4 of the 2019 Comeup Extreme Winch Challenge Series was held at the Springs 4x4 Park in south east Queensland, just south of Warwick. Stage one was a speed stage that would get competitors ready for the other nine full on stages and get the blood pumping. Paul Semmens and Nathan Mills of Team Ranga were the first [...]
Sunraysia Safari Hits the Tracks
TThe Sunraysia Safari Cross Country Rally starts this week and this years event will be well worth following. Over 30 Bikes and 25 Autos will line up for the start of the 2019 Sunraysia Safari, the third consecutive year for this popular event. The Sunraysia Safari is the longest Cross Country Rally in Australia, and is based out of the township of Wentworth, just north of the border between Victoria and NSW. The event base [...]
The Mav – Ford Maverick Winch Truck
Peter Bannister competes in a 1992 model Ford Maverick, affectionately call “The Mav”. He and Navigator Josh Flynn were last seen competing at round 1 of the 2016 COMEUP Xtreme Winch Challenge series, but due to a few issues on Friday night and Saturday, could only manage to finish 7th outright. The Mav has a Ford badge on it, but is essentially a Nissan Patrol after Ford rebadged the model for sale in Australia back [...]
4WD Trip to Mt Walker
This 4WD trip has both easy and hard sections and will provide enough challenges for both the novice and experienced off-roader! Back in 2010 we ventured out with the team from ARB Penrith on another one of their customer drive days and at the top of this post you can watch the full video. ARB Penrith run a few of these events each year and it's a great opportunity for their customers to go out [...]
Henry and Buccini Battle Through Mechanical Gremlins to Finish Rally Queensland
Cameron Henry and Claire Buccini have completed a gritty and determined run at the 2025 Accent Benchtops Rally Queensland, overcoming a series of mechanical issues to reach the finish line in their 2015 Subaru WRX. Backed by Virtual Security Guard and Buccini Transport, the duo faced a tough weekend in the Queensland Rally Championship (QRC) field, with their rally experience tested from the very first loop. Their campaign began with high hopes after recce, where [...]
Mitsubishi Triton 2011 Review
When buying a second hand car, the Mitsubishi Triton is a popular choice for the four wheel drive enthusiast and we’re going to take a quick look at this very impressive Ute. That’s what we call them in Australia, so if you’re from elsewhere, you might know this off-road warrior as a utility or pickup truck. Today we are looking at a pre-loved 2011, GLX 2.5 Diesel MN model. With its curved lines and wide [...]
