Goodyear

Dinosaur Alley and Beyond with ‘Earth Trek’

OVER TEN THOUSAND KILOMETRES ON BITUMEN, SHALE, GRAVEL, SAND AND GIBBERS ON GOODYEARS.

Earth Trek ventured through the Queensland arid outback to the Tropical North in order to document the Australian Age of Dinosaurs, ‘Big Red’ and the unique Cassowary of the Coral Coast.

The Toyota Hilux expeditation vehicle was fitted out with Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac tyres, and their new Stockman off-road trailer shod with Goodyear Wrangler Silent Armors for the three month journey.

“The DuraTracs were the ideal tyre for soft sand sections in the Simpson Desert where low pressures and a larger footprint was required,” said Richard McKenna, Earth Trek adventurer.

“The tread section was not too aggressive in the sand assisting the tyre to float and the rubber compound resisted punctures and chipping when the going got rough.

“Off-road trails throughout the outback undoubtedly test a tyre’s performance. Gibbers – those iron ore pellets that litter the trails in the south west corner of Queensland are an ominous sight to the off-road tourer. On long stretches of track, they can fully test a tyres quality and endurance.

“Shale and long stretches of graded roads will do the same and if the rubber compound is too hard or aged, chipping and lug wear can result.

“We were very pleased with the DuraTrac’s performance and continue to use them on the expedition vehicle.”

All of this attention to tyres and off-road equipment preparation was a must in exploring the harsh landscape of Queensland’s outback.

Earth Trek met up with a group of palaeontologists just out from Winton at a site renowned for its wealth of ancient Dinosaur fossils. From the arid interiors, they then ventured onto the Coral Coast through dense rainforest trails, mud and creek crossing to document the very rare and mysterious flightless bird of far North Queensland, the Cassowary.

Tags: Earth Trek, Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac, Goodyear Wrangler Silent Armor