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.
Stilling ready for the AMH Automotive Group Rally of the Bay
Photo by Raine O’Keeffe AAfter a successful 2019 debut season, Chris Stilling is eager for the restart of the 2020 rally season with the first event at Batemans Bay on 4 July. Stilling emerged on the rally scene late in 2019 with his first event as a rally driver at the Narooma rally in which he won the event’s ACT novice and NSW clubman awards. He went on to win a number of awards at the [...]
Palm Valley – NT
An oasis in a scorching land. Palm Valley is out of the ordinary with a gorge full of Cabbage Palms in a dry and inhospitable desert landscape. Located in the centre of Australia, this magnificent location is one of the most spectacular 4wd destinations in the Northern Territory. It is an ancient location and a unique form of palms grows abundantly within the valley. The Red Cabbage Palms are tall and tower above the river [...]
Silverado Strikes Gold – Chevrolet Silverado 1500 LTZ Z71
By Jon Thomson There is probably a reason why our cousins in the US call vehicles with a tray behind the cabin, trucks and not utes as we do. That is probably because, unlike our utes, their pickups are mighty big and are trucks in reality. While climbing aboard Chevy’s Silverado 1500 for the first time can be a little daunting for Aussies used to a dual cab one tonner or a Holden or Falcon ute, [...]
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 [...]
Redhead Motorsport Unleashes Evo 5 “Forest Weapon” for Rally of Bathurst
Front-running NSW rally crew Josh Redhead and Ray Winwood-Smith are set to debut an exciting new weapon at the upcoming Shamrock Haulage Rally of Bathurst, with the Redhead Motorsport team rolling out a freshly converted Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 5 converted specifically for forest rallying. While the pair are best known for their rapid Hyundai i20 G4 rally car, the machine that delivered multiple podiums and victories in the Shamrock Haulage NSW Rally Championship, the car will [...]
Young Gun itching for first Event – AMH Automotive Group Rally of the Bay
Photo: Roy Meuronen Sixteen year-old learner driver Taylor Gill is itching to get behind the wheel of his Subaru WRX for his first rally. The young gun has teamed up with experienced co-driver, Peter Harris, to compete at the AMH Automotive Group Rally of the Bay on July 4th. It has been a long time coming for Gill, who was originally scheduled to compete at Rally Australia late in 2019, but the devastating summer bushfires saw [...]
Need a Rally Fix? Here Are the Events Left for 2025!
If you’re a rally tragic, you’re in luck... there’s still plenty of high-octane action left before the year wraps up. From iconic coastal stages and flat-out forestry sprints, to multi-day endurance marathons and grassroots club challenges, the rest of 2025 is packed with unmissable events. You can expect: Sweeping forest stages that demand precision and bravery. Fast, flowing gravel roads where commitment pays off. Technical mountain climbs that test both driver and machine. Coastal blasts [...]
2020 Mitsubishi Triton GLS Premium Review
By Jon Thomson One of the true surprises in the Australian vehicle market in recent times has been Mitsubishi, not least of which for vehicles like the 2020 Mitsubishi Triton GLS Premium. It’s a brand that has been punching well above its weight. They’ve been selling more vehicles than any one could imagine, from a line up of products, that in all fairness has no stand outs, is generally older and less glitzy than its opponents, but which [...]
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 [...]
