TJM, one of Australia's biggest aftermarket accessory companies, decided to plan the mother of all parties to celebrate its 25th anniversary. Cheese doodles and bubbly must have seemed more 24th or 26th-ish to 'em, so the group voted for a four-wheeling trek from the westernmost locale, Steep Point, to the easternmost point, Byron Bay, via a route directly across the center of Australia--a time to party-hearty and road-test some new as well as existing TJM products on a Toyota Land Cruiser, a Mitsubishi Triton Dual Cab, a Nissan GQ Patrol, and a Nissan GU Patrol Cab Chassis. But to make the trip at all impressive, the assemblage would have to cover those 5,642 miles (that's 9,100 kilometers in Aussie talk) in 14 days.
Although it's the world's smallest continent--as well as the lowest, flattest, and a close tie for driest--Australia is nearly the size of the United States, but two weeks would seem nearly implausible since we were in the Outback for most of the trip, which meant driving well below highway speeds for most of the days. Ah, it would just mean being constantly on the go without breakdowns or limp-home mode. No pressure! And there would also be no room to fudge on the deadline because the vehicles would be making a special appearance at the 4WD & Outdoor Show in Brisbane in front of TV crews, sponsors, and everyone else TJM had told about this trip--they had to make it from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific in two weeks. Although it wouldn't be a race, there would be serious time constraints.
Then, as though already woozy from a few pre-anniversary cocktails, TJM threw another hardship into their goal--they would invite a journalist from Australia, Japan, Europe, and America to tag along.