Shaun from 4WD 24/7 and his buddy Sammy Hitzke are in the middle of a weeklong fishing and camping trip to Australia’s remote Cape York, and the second part of the journey is proving to be the most difficult. The issue: As they camp and fish, the tides are heading toward the point of no return in a low tide/high tide cycle that could strand the crew. As the tides change day to day, low tide keeps getting higher, which means chances to cross some dangerous salt flats are eroding.
The fishing is excellent, but the dance of death with the tide is absolutely insane, and stuff that only those who know the area as well as they know themselves should attempt. Added to the constant danger of swamping a rig and being totally stranded, there are saltwater crocodiles lurking in the creeks and just offshore. For those who don’t know, saltwater crocodiles are legit man-eaters. Some critters get an undeserved bad rap, but saltwater crocodiles have a fearsome reputation for a very good reason.
Dangers and effort aside, the trip looked absolutely once-in-a-lifetime, and the crew used their Can-Am Defender to good effect to make it possible. With the Can-Am as a scout, they were able to check out river crossings to make sure they were safe for the bigger rigs.
The Can-Am damn near didn’t make it back in one piece, but with a quick winch, all the machines made it home safely.
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