Why you should join a tag-along tour

How many owners ever try to push their 4WDs to the limit?

I don’t have official statistics, but judging by the shiny, blemish-free off-roaders in my suburban neighbourhood, spotted zipping around on the after-school sports and shopping runs, probably not that many.

Sure, serious off-roading can be daunting, sometimes risky and puts you out of your comfort zone, not to mention the dreaded post-trip clean-up.

But there are many ways to do it safely and relatively stress free, and if you're a rookie, none better than a tag-along tour run by a group or organisation...

If you're an Aussie that bought one of the 430,000-plus D-MAX utes and MU-X wagons sold down under since 2008 (and fitted with the 4WD system), you've had few excuses, as all owners are eligible to take part in Australia's only auto brand-led tag-alongs: the I-Venture Club.

Over the past 11 years having fun on four wheels, in the mud, gravel, sand, rocks and water has been made easy for owners of D-MAX and MU-X off-roaders, whether their rig is bog stock or highly modified.

Annual multi-day I-Venture trips have been held in some of Australia’s best 4WD locations, from South Australia's Flinders Ranges and Victoria's High Country, to NSW's Blue Mountains and Tasmania's West Coast.

I’ve been lucky enough to attend a few – not as an owner but as part of the media pack - and they've all been ripper fun and left lasting memories, while allowing me to expand my off-road driving skills in the presence of magnificent scenery served up by Mother Nature.

Guided by some of Australia's best 4WD instructors, along the way I've swallowed quite a few brave-pills, enjoyed plenty of laughs, ticked off more than a few off-road 'firsts', and learnt heaps of valuable lessons...

More recently, I joined 'Team Isuzu' in probably its most ambitious I-Venture trip to date; four days' driving in West Australia's spectacular and remote Kimberley region.

I’d experienced the Kimberley before, but not with this level of back-up, camaraderie and 'glamping' comforts, with home base for the week a cyclone-proof hard-wall safari tent complete with ensuite, at El Questro Station’s very civilised Emma Gorge Resort.

Previous I-Venture trips have pushed the off-road driving to the limits, and been as much about getting stuck or having to turn around, as getting through in one piece.

However, this one was more about getting up close to unique, pristine parts of Australia far removed from the capital cities; whether that be by foot, outboard or tyre.

Don't get me wrong, there was still plenty of driving -- around 700km in total -- much of that off-road, and including countless water crossings; hard to avoid with the Top End's tropical monsoon climate.

The best news? It all went pretty much without a hitch, unless you count a smashed smart phone on a rocky bushwalk...

Off-road highlights included crossing the Pentacoste River and Ord River at the Ivanhoe Crossing, tackling the dry, dusty Karunjie Track via Wyndham, and a fun windy blast up to a cracker sunset lookout, not far from El Questro.

None of it was particularly challenging -- I'd grade the 4WD tracks we tackled as easy to intermediate level -- and only once were we guided over the UHF radio down a precarious rocky section, to protect vulnerable side steps.

There was only time for a brief foray on the notorious Gibb River Rd, for the obligatory sticker-sign selfies.

And when we weren't ploughing through water on four wheels, we were floating across it on a sightseeing boat up the Chamberlain Gorge, soaking the skin in the Zebedee hot springs, and wading through puddles or trekking rocky river beds, on the way to another jaw-dropping gorge and swimming hole.

They’ve never been cutting-edge, and are unlikely ever to be, but if you value reliability, durability and all-round functionality, then Isuzu Ute Australia's 4x4 models have long been on many buyer's shortlist.

It's no fluke they're a favourite of grey nomads, who want to enjoy Big Lap after Big Lap, without worrying too much about whether their tow tug will make it.

The Isuzus' bullet-proof reputation has held up on the I-Venture trips I've been on, with no mechanical breakdowns from memory, although there's been plenty of unscheduled stops due to slippery bog holes, pesky punctures and gnarly drop-offs.

We sampled a variety of unmodified Isuzu models during the trip, including a 2.2-litre D-MAX X-Rider and 3.0L MU-X X-Terrain, and all were up to the job, although the coil-sprung wagon was less jumpy over the bumps than the unladen leaf-sprung ute.

The pick was the 3.0-litre D-MAX Blade which came best equipped of the lot for traversing the deeper ruts, steeper mounds and deeper water crossings.

Its factory-backed Outback-ready mods also included some beefy underbody armour; handy for when you did get the line wrong!

The D-MAX Blade also felt the most composed over the rougher stuff, although you do pay for it with its circa $90K drive-away price tag.

If you're not up for one of the mega multi-day trips, Isuzu also runs day trips in different states throughout the year, with Queensland's Double Island Point and the Victorian High Country (Mt Terrible Track to Newman’s Track), scheduled for next month.

The location for the next big multi-day I-Venture trip in 2027 is yet to be announced, and it's possible the Kimberley trip is the last of its kind.

But if it they do continue, and with some ‘grey nomad’ years ahead of me, there's a good chance that next time I'll sign up as an owner.

The sensible choice would be an MU-X '365 day' all-rounder. But the heart says a D-MAX Blade, hitched up to something like this, so I can head off for some more stress-free Outback glamping fun...

Related: Conquering the Gibb River road

Related: Over and Out: 600km Across the Kimberley Pt 2

Related: Tackling Tassie's Wild West

Related: Five things I learned from my first big 4x4 off-road trip

Related: Ultimate off-road touring guide