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.
WATCH: 2018 Holden Colorado Z71 Test Drive
Looking at the 2nd hand 4WD market for a good off-roader? This should be added to your test drive list. The Holden Colorado has become a popular choice for 4WD’ers and a car we’re seeing much more of out in the bush. Recently we had the opportunity to take a couple of 2018 Z71 models off road for a bit of a drive, and whilst it wasn’t extreme, it certainly gave them a good test. [...]
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 [...]
New Isuzu D-Max X-Terrain Impresses
By John McCredie After taking the D-Max LSU for a drive last week, this week we are having a drive of the top of the range D-Max X-Terrain. The X-Terrain features coloured guard flares and matching coloured grille. It also has a nicely matched and sleek Aero bar on the back with a roller tooneau cover. The tub also comes lined, but as we’d find out after our off road trip, the roller cover and [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Rally NSW Introduces Fast Track Documentation
Rally NSW is proud to unveil Fast Track Documentation, an innovative and near-contactless documentation checking process aimed at improving safety and efficiency for both competitors and event organisers. The Rally NSW Fast Track Documentation system has been under development for some time, with Rally NSW volunteers tasking themselves with developing a system that makes life easier for competitors entering events and reduces event organisers’ workloads. The scheme is voluntary. Competitors who choose to use the scheme [...]
Behnke Rallying to be back in the driver’s seat
Following a five-year hiatus from being behind the wheel, the Rally of the Bay on the 4th of July is set to see the return to the driver’s seat for Canberra rally competitor Mike Behnke. Over the past few months, Mike’s revitalised Honda Civic, which is undergoing a ground up refurbishment, has rapidly taken shape thanks to the help of members of the Light Car Club of Canberra and the Qirx Motorsports team. The group of [...]
MacDonald Valley – NSW
The MacDonald valley is an easy trip close to Sydney with some great scenery and simple river crossings. Suited to any type of 4wd, and even the adventurous 2wd, the track follows the MacDonald River from St Albans. There are a number of crossings of the MacDonald River along the way and some of these are bridges, whilst towards the end they become open sand based river crossings. I would certainly not attempt this trip [...]
Barrington Tops
Spectacular scenery, great four-wheel-drive opportunities, camping options to suit everyone and the ideal getaway close to Sydney - This is the Barrington Tops National Park! Barrington Tops is located about three to four hours north of Sydney in NSW, Australia. The area is rich in natural beauty and boasts some of the most extensive areas of sub-tropical rainforests in the World. There is both a National Park and extensive State Forests within the Barrington Tops [...]
