'Four Wheel Drive Adventures Across Australia' - a 4x4x book by Klara Slebenak.

There's no doubting we're spoilt for choice when it comes to getting away from it all in South Australia… from the desert to the ocean and plenty in between. And if you're the adventurous outdoor type, a four-wheel drive will get you places the family sedan won't.

That quickly becomes clear when you spend the day with Klara Slabenak and her partner, Scott Paynter. We caught up with them at Cox Scrub Conservation Park near Meadows and got the impression the track is pretty tame compared to some of the predicaments they've found themselves in. They've been on the road, and off it, for eight years and have toured every state and territory of Australia.

Klara Slebenak: "Initially we got the four wheel drive to tow the boat." Scott Paynter: "I wanted a four wheel drive and Klara said no we don't need one so I bought a boat we couldn't tow so we had to get one!"

It was a clever plan and since then, they've clocked up more than 3-hundred thousand kilometres in their trusty 80 Series Landcruiser.

Klara Slebenak: "Every time we do a trip it's to somewhere we've never been, something we've never seen before. We love finding new places to explore and experience. There's just so much to see in Australia."

That's led to Klara publishing her own book - 'Four Wheel Drive Adventures Across Australia'. It's a collection of itineraries of four wheel drive destinations rated from easy half day trips to the most extreme.

Klara say's there's lots of fun to be had off the bitumen providing you are well researched, properly prepared and use common sense. The book contains Klara's own stylised 'mud-maps' of each destination and lists attractions you'll see along the way.

Klara Slebenak: "I'm the sort of person who doesn't like to waste any resources and over a period of time we collated so much tourist information it seemed like a waste to throw it away. So I compiled it into a book. What started out as South Australia in 50 pages quickly grew into all of Australia, over 300 destinations across 650 pages."

A peek at their home video proves they never shy away from a challenge. The Victorian High Country, Cape Yorke and our own Simpson Desert are some of their favourite destinations. The sand tracks from Robe to Beachport rate pretty high on their South Australian list too, as well as the Border Track in the Murraylands near Pinnaroo.

The 'Four Wheel Drive Adventures' book by Klara Slabenak is a great Christmas gift and is available from most four wheel drive stores, map shops, Dymocks and the RAA. If you have any further questions please email info@postcards-sa.com.au

FOOTNOTE: Parts of Coles Crossing Road and Ridge Road at Cox Creek Conservation Park are permanantly closed to public access

'Four Wheel Drive Adventures Across Australia' By Klara Slabenak
RRP $59.95
Available 4x4 stores, map shops, Dymocks, RAA

Published 16th November 2008