Brisbane

Isuzu I-Venture Club

How to get your new 4WD Isuzu (and yourself!) offroad ready with Isuzu I-Venture Club.  So you’ve purchased a new 4wd.  It’s awesome. So shiny and new, you can’t wait to take the kids to soccer practice and show off to the other dads.  But the thought of taking your new shiny Isuzu DMAX onto a sand island and risking being one of those statistics? No thank you!  But then that really hardcore bloke (we’ll call him Bazza) down the road keeps asking you why your cool new hardcore 4wd is so clean…you’re running out of cover stories.

Well never fear! The Isuzu I-Venture Club can take away your manly woes and deliver you safely to a spectacular Brisbane 4WD destination, give you accredited 4WD training and instruction and all the while have you thinking you’re just on an awesome day out!

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Don’t be “that” guy.

 

That is exactly what happened last Saturday when Keema Cars organised an I-Venture Club trip for a selection of their valued clients. 34 adventure seeking 4WD enthusiasts took their shiny new Isuzu vehicles out to tackle sand driving on Moreton Island.

Dave Darmody from Australian Offroad Academy joined Moreton Island Adventures & Keema Cars to provide a stellar day with plenty of 4WD instruction combined with interesting facts on the island and amazing catering (after all no one works well on an empty stomach). The Australian Offroad Academy is a peak offroad training provider whose mission it is to provide you with the skills necessary to safely and confidently explore the outdoors, secure in the knowledge that you and your vehicle can handle the chosen terrain – and on Saturday that is exactly what Dave Darmody gave us!

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The group enjoyed delicious morning tea while participating in some on-board training on their trip across the bay

So what exactly will you learn on a Brisbane 4WD I-Venture Club Trip on Moreton Island?

How to decrease your tyre pressure to travel successfully on sand.
Depending on your vehicle and how soft the sand is, your 4WD trainer will advise you what PSI your vehicle’s tyres should be at – and why. Luckily the Micat ferry owned by Moreton Island Adventures has 4 air hoses for you to re-inflate your tyres on the way back to Brisbane. 4WD adventure couldn’t be easier!

isuzu brisbane 4wd
Great scenery and weather accompanied us as we participated in some training

How to use all the special features on your Isuzu 4WD to cater to sand driving
You probably haven’t used half of the buttons and gadgets that your Isuzu was born with – it’s time to get to know your vehicle.

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Dave from Australian Offroad Academy getting everyone involved in some recovery training

How to drive safely off the ferry onto the sand without being “that guy” who gets bogged in front of the ferry!
No one wants to be that guy. Sometimes the fear of the unknown will actually stop us stepping out into the adventures we know we want to have. This trip will debunk the mysteries surrounding safe and effective sand driving and get you offroad ready in no time.

Brisbane 4WD
Emma from Moreton Island Adventures shows the lads how to drive

How to tackle multiple sand obstacles including soft sand, entering and exiting tracks safely without drama, avoiding obstacles & water crossings.
These can all sound a bit scary if you’ve never tackled them before

Brisbane 4wd water crossing
Water crossings are not so scary with expert instruction and guidance

What to do if you become stuck, bogged or temporarily trapped (and what is the difference?)
Sometimes you’re just stuck. Temporarily. It’s not a serious issue worth panicking about – but you panic…sound familiar? Dave will teach you the difference between these and how not to panic, remain calm and just follow the steps to get yourself back on your adventure…sounds good right?

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Demonstrating the tools of the trade with a set of Max Trax

How to get around Moreton Island!
By the end of your trip, you’ll have travelled the entire Northern end of Moreton Island. You’ll probably have a really good idea of where you want to come back and camp and what you want to see. The Moreton Island Adventures guides can answer all of your questions about this magical island, and we can almost guarantee you’ll be dying to return on your own time.

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Hitting the idyllic Eastern Beach

This is what some of Saturday’s adventurer’s had to say about the day:

Getting to know how to do things right and safely, so much more confident and looking forward to going out on my own; A really brilliant day, fulfilled my expectations. Everyone very friendly and approachable. Geraldine

 

Great experience and totally doable for us senior travellers. Food was fantastic, tour organisers were extremely helpful. Pamela

catering 4wd brisbane
Would you like some scenery with your watermelon?

So in short, if you’re feeling a little timid about getting out onto the sand in your shiny new Isuzu it’s time to take the bull by the horns and get into some REAL Brisbane 4WD adventures and sign up to the I-Venture club. Let’s face it, you’ll have a lot more to talk about at the kid’s soccer match if your DMAX is covered in sand and you’ve just come off your last camping trip to Moreton Island!

If you’re keen to get involved, head to https://www.iventureclub.com.au/ to sign up! If you’ve purchased your Isuzu with Keema Cars Springwood, give the friendly team there a call and see when the next customer trip is coming up www.keema.com.au

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An awesome group and an awesome day!

 

Camping Will Improve Your Health

Camping with your family is a simple way to get outside and increase their health.  It doesn’t seem like long ago when children were rushing to get outside and play, ride their bikes, go camping, head to the park, and generally have fun being active. How times have changed! In just a few decades, the average lifestyle in developed countries has become increasingly lethargic.  People browse the internet rather than take a walk or watch a movie rather than take a bike ride on a local trail. In your own home, you have probably observed that family members are ever more connected to their gadgets and computers.

The most worrying thing about this change is the effect that it has on overall health. The human body didn’t evolve to stand still, so it makes sense that you should try to get active, at least for a short time, every single day of the week. Let’s look at five ways getting outside on your next camping holiday can benefit the health of you and your family.

Go camping, relax and stop yelling at the children

Have you ever sat down with a coffee and your tablet, and called that relaxing? True relaxation comes when we have time to be introspective and reflective which means keeping the kids
occupied while we enjoy some quiet… What better way to do this than to go outside and disconnect from the digital world; go outside for a stroll (the kids can tag along on their bikes) or go camping – trust me the kids will be occupied doing things out of the ordinary and you might actually get some down time!  David Close entry 1

 

Get some sunny vibes for bone health

Vitamin D deficiency is common in Australia with over 30% of adults having a mild to severe deficiency. The good news is that your body can generate this vitamin simply by being in sunlight!  Just by increasing your families outdoor time (for instance through a camping trip), you can gain many health benefits including strong bones, decreased risk of cardiovascular disease and a decreased risk of some forms of cancer.  What better reason is there to get outdoors when the weather is nice?  Just remember to slap on some sunscreen to protect yourself from UV Rays.Moreton Island Adventures

Decrease your risk of disease

Almost 2 in 3 adults are overweight or obese in Australia.  1 in 4 Australian children are overweight or obese.  Obesity is the 2nd highest contributor to burden of disease.  If your family spends a lot of time indoors, camping is a fantastic way to get out and increase your activity levels.  If you can’t afford the time out to spend a weekend camping, any increase in activity you can fit into your day such as going for a walk, jumping on the trampoline or kicking the soccer ball will positively influence the health of your family.Moreton Island Low Res-137

Get healthy eyes

64% of children from the age of 3 – 17 own a smart phone (http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-12-19/childrens-eyesight-damaged-from-lack-of-outdoor-time/7040942) and spend 23 hours a week on it.  There is a worrying increase of nearsightedness being seen in our Australian children due to increased screen time, and resulting strain on eyes.  The outside, natural environment is really important for your eyes as you have a variance of brightness, long distance and colour that relaxes the eye.  While they play, children’s eyes are more relaxed and thus get a chance to regenerate and revive.  Get out to your favorite camping spot or the backyard and ban the electronic devices.  A simple time out jumping on the trampoline or swinging on the swings will give untold benefits for eye health.camping-family

 

As you can see, getting outdoors whether it is a weekend away camping, or just a trip to the backyard or local park will have untold health benefits for your family.  The team at Vuly Trampolines along with the team at Moreton Island Adventures support the community in encouraging kids and families to get outside, be active and enjoy Queensland’s great weather.