The scene in Australia is located on the entire east coast, which is approximately 1,250 miles long. (That would take about 20 hours to drive from one end to the other.) Australia's square mileage is almost the same as the United States, but there is a population of about 20 million - fewer people than just California! So everything is really, really, really spread out. The west is pretty much desert, so the east coast is where our trip took place. We flew into Brisbane (northeast coast in Queensland) to start the cruise to Half Way Havoc 2006 with Nathan and the boys. Half Way Havoc is basically comprised of two major cruises, one coming from the north (where we started) and one coming from the south in Sydney. Everyone meets tons of people along the way, and then the two cruises meet in the middle (hence the name Half Way Havoc) for the show. The meeting spot is in Nambucca Heads at a quiet park on the lake, the perfect location for an awesome mini-truck show. The Lions Club came out and put on a BBQ, so there was plenty of good food and an abundance of crazy Aussie trucks to check out all afternoon. Some of the major Australian clubs in attendance included Ground Level Minitrucks, Diversity Minis, Negative Camber, and Subsided Queensland. There were a few shops and vendors on hand making mini-truckin' gear attainable, includ-ing DUT (Down Under Truckin'), Living Low Customs, and Hood Styles, who donated an Air Zenith compressor for the "Best of Show" winner. Many raffle prizes were given out, including a custom airbrushed air tank, a set of air bags, and videos. Special thanks go out to the Lions Club, Living Low Customs, LowLife Video, and Mini Truckin' for their support. For more information, make sure to check out www.groundlevelweb.com.
 Napoleon's Australia pirate...  Napoleon's Australia pirate map tattoo sort of shows the extent of our trip. |  |  The Sydney Harbour Bridge...  The Sydney Harbour Bridge gave us a cool background for this month's cover and poster, but we also took the chance to snap a quick group photo. From left to right, starting at the top: Nathan Hawkins, me (Mike Alexander), Laurie Starling, Napoleon (Lowlife Mike), Brad Luke, Jamie Starling, and Luke Conley. |
After the show and the Australian sun were done, the trucks came out to play. We were all staying in little condos right on the beach. So to compare it to something from here in the States, it was the perfect blend of a West Coast truck run and an East Coast hotel party. Needless to say, there are plenty of great memories from our trip and many lifelong friendships were formed. The hospitality was second to none and we look forward to returning to see many more body-draggin' rides in the near future.