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Australian 4wd Events




Paul and Sharyn Vanderhorst



Husband and wife team Paul and Sharyn Vanderhorst proudly head up Australian 4wd Events which runs the successful Outback 4x4 Challenge in Outback NSW and the Alpine 4x4 Challenge on the Victorian Dividing Range.

The Outback 4x4 Challenge was initially the brainchild of 4X4 Australia Magazine Editor Ron Moon and Paul Vanderhorst in 1999, it was soon taken over by Australian 4wd Events and has grown to be one of the toughest and most popular 4wd competitions in the world.

The awesome action of the Outback 4x4 Challenge can be captured in May each year where more than 100 competitors put their highly modified four wheel drives through 20 special stages over more than 8 days.

Unlike other four wheel drive events in Australia, the special stages at the Outback 4x4 Challenge are extensive, creating a true test of endurance and skill for all teams, which have included international teams from; Malaysia, France, England, Scotland, New Zealand, The United States, Alaska and South Africa.

The competitors are only part of the scene, there are nearly 100 volunteers, most of whom are CCDA trained track marshals, press from magazines, newspapers and TV from all over the world. There are also crews shooting photographs and footage for our official DVD which is sold world-wide. Then there are the spectators who come along to cheer on their favorite entrants while taking in Australia's magnificent outback scenery.

Totaling more than 400 you can say we certainly make an impression on the Broken Hill region and are proud to say the event injects hundreds of thousands of dollars into the community. We also support community groups such as Legacy who benefit from the gate takings at our Broken Hill Stages. Local service groups such as basketball teams or the SES who also benefit from fundraising on the station sites with car washes and BBQs.

In September 2004 Australian 4wd Events hosted the inaugural Alpine 4x4 Challenge. Held near the only freehold village in the Australian snowline, this event is a fixture on the calendar of many Aussie four wheel drivers.

Borne out of Paul's desire to make a difference to the communities of Dinner Plain and Omeo following the bushfires in 2003, the event's main purpose is to support the local hospital, service clubs such as Lions and also the small business owners of the region.

Unlike the outback event, this event is a team event and is very exclusive with less than 15 team places available. Special stages are long and arduous and most who drive it claim it's the best event of it's kind. The Alpine 4x4 Challenge's close proximity to Australia's east coast ensures it is popular with spectators. Everyone returns back to Dinner Plain each night and enjoys a very social atmosphere in the chalets.

Videos and DVDs are produced on each event and are available, along with merchandise from and Procomp stores or Australian 4wd Events.