Ali, the 2008 HZJ76 (2 Viewers)

[janyyc]

Masirah Island is about 100 km long, and our plan was to camp in the South, on the Western side (sunset view). Surprisingly (to us), there were countless gas stations on the island, but the supermarkets were small and had a limited selection. There is a paved road that circles the island, hugging the coast, with two "shortcuts" which cross the island - one near the Northern tip, and the other near the Southern tip. Soon after leaving the town of Masirah, we lost cell phone reception and all signs of civilization, passing only a few cars on our hour-long trip. We explored some places to camp, eventually settling on a spot right at the beach, hidden away behind a rocky outcrop in one of the few moments where the road goes further inland. As a note, I do believe technically camping "on the beach" (the definition of which is rather imprecise) is forbidden here, just like it is in the turtle reserve I referenced a page earlier. This is also due to turtles, though we were not on the island in peak nesting season, and were parked well above the highest tide point and obvious tire tracks along the beach.

The sunset did not disappoint, either.

There was one set of (confused!) turtle tracks on the beach when we arrived, but unfortunately no adult or baby turtles, and no new tracks the following morning.

In the evening, as always, we had a roaring campfire with driftwood (save for one evening, we could always find enough deadwood to have a fire, even in the desert), and were visited by two cars. The conversation with Omanis generally followed the same script: "Hi, how are you? Need help? Where you from? Oman nice?"

One, a fisherman returning home, was curious about where we sleep. The next was an Air Force officer from the base in Masirah, who came to see the beach with his visiting family. Otherwise, we had the beach entirely to ourselves, and couldn't or see - or hear - any man-made objects. In fact, since leaving the village on the Northern tip of the island, we had no cell service... sort-of. The service was five bars of Edge, but 90% of the time it didn't work at all (text/phone/internet): something was evidently wrong with the single diesel-powered cell phone tower/repeater. To me, the definition of remoteness and why I especially like to visit islands.

 

[janyyc]

We woke to another morning of dew on Ali, and followed the usual routine. Breakfast, swim, shower, clean-up, break camp.

Afterwards, we continued our circumnavigation of Masirah by driving the Eastern portion of the road, and were treated to different views. A shipwreck, a few Defenders and fishermen's shacks, and even some open wells with sweet water. There were some fun and challenging tracks, some of which we could enjoy as well.

We headed back to town, and drove through the car-repair stretch of road. We had been looking for DOT3 brake fluid since leaving Dubai, noticing our brake leak, and finally this was the place we found it.

After refuelling, we pulled up at the pier about 30 minutes prior to departure, only to note that the catamaran was nowhere to be seen. A trip to the booking office, and we found out the ferry was delayed (first bad sign) and were given new boarding passes. We used the extra hour to drive around town and take some pictures of the area.

 

[janyyc]

Taking the state-owned ferry turned out to be a mistake. Beyond the initial delay, unloading and loading of the vessel was pure chaos, and we were further delayed because divers were inspecting the propellers. Of course there was a nice air-conditioned compartment, one on each side - men and "families" - playing the obligatory Tom & Jerry (I forgot to mention earlier - the previous ferry also had Tom&Jerry playing non-stop), but the experience was far better on the cheap and ultimately faster local barge than the modern and "high-speed" catamaran.

At least this time we could spend the crossing inside or outside, as we desired, though I was careful not to get even more sunburnt after the harsh sun on the previous days' crossing.

Upon arrival, once again pressed for time due to all the delays, we immediately drove towards our intended camping area for the night, on the edge of the Wahiba sands in an area with low dunes and plenty of trees. Retracing our December trip somewhat, driving along the coast, we passed through Sharkh and other villages before turning off into the desert in the town of Quroon, until the pavement suddenly turned into sand. At that point, we stopped to deflate our tires, and a car which had passed us going the other direction stopped, turned around, and two young men jumped out, quite excited. After following the initial script (outlined earlier), they started to try to explain something to us, quite excitedly, and reached their English-language limits moments later. Despite trying to translate using Google, and using simple words to communicate, there was a definite language barrier. However, one thing led to another and soon one of the bedu's was behind the wheel of our HZJ76, my dad in the passenger seat, and myself squished between the cooler and the sand ladders in the back, driving who-knows-where for who-knows-what. I sent my friends photographic evidence of being abducted by bedus and decided to go with the flow...

He was a confident (but not especially skilful) driver, some (*cough*) would say reckless. Driving with one hand, filming Instagram stories with the other, texting, talking, gesturing. At one point, he asks us for sunglasses, which we fish out, and he happily takes selfies in. While driving.

Eventually we (safely) arrive at what we eventually understand to be his family farm, meet his father and stroke his camels, and are invited for "tea" (of course). We drive up a dune, he calls his family (to be read as "male relatives"), and soon we sit in the sand drinking Arabic coffee, eating dates and bananas, and talking more freely, since one of his elder brothers was quite well-travelled (28 countries) and spoke intelligible English.

We enjoyed getting to know the bedus, though were also anxious to get to camp before dusk. We said our goodbye's and thank you's and declined all offers of meals, accommodation, and camel riding tours for the next day. Our new friend was most excited, however, when he asked for my Instagram details, and saw my profile...

 

[Fishbulb]

EPIC.

 

[janyyc]

The sun had already set, we truly wished to have another magical campsite, but needed to get there before it was pitch black. After reaching the main track, I spotted a solitary tree a little ways off and drove on the dunes to get there. Just a few meters before camp we sank. Again.

Luckily, this time we were on a downhill slope, and after one dig we were free, so would could park for camp just before the dark night set in.

The tree gave a magical backdrop to the dunes and starry sky, and provided us with plenty of deadwood for a fire - quite needed, as the temperatures dropped rapidly.

We woke up to another wet morning, with the trees clouded in a mist, giving the desert an almost oppressive silence, but also highlighting the magic of the trees juxtaposed with the raw sand.

 

[janyyc]

We followed the usual routine on the morning after our Sixth Night camping, and by the time the "chores" were complete, the fog had mostly lifted. Camels were loitering about among the trees, but we didn't hear or see any human activity.

After driving out from our camp to one of the many defined tracks, we re-inflated our tyres somewhat for what we expected to be quite fast driving. Indeed, in some places the track resembled a Dubai highway, minus the traffic and pavement:

The track was used by the local bedus to get from their villages. A village consisted of a few concrete buildings, some water tanks, enclosures for camels, and a power line on concrete pylons. This was a different type of desert living, more permanent, "civilized". It was also fun driving, and the views were magical. Eventually we got to the end of the sandy track, where there was a school and some sort of government building. The track became more of a road, varying between gravel and sand, but the scenery was rather uninspiring - flat, grey, unpleasant. But the memories of our magical camp spot and bedouin encounters will remain with us forever...

 

[janyyc]

Upon our arrival back to the 21st century, we stopped at a Lulu Hypermarket to stock up on supplies for the last night. This may have been the nicest Lulu yet, despite the unassuming location, because it only opened a few days earlier. The "opening crew" was wearing suits and ties and the selection was unbelievable. We bought all that we could have dreamed of - and more - only to spot this Lexus in the parking lot.

We had many options for our final Middle Eastern camp in Ali. Maybe Jabal Akhdar again? Or perhaps a different mountainous road? No, we decided a wadi would be ideal, and despite our concerns on preserving our solitude, this turned out to be the perfect choice. A road in a beautiful canyon led to a little clearing, where we encountered a goat-herder and his flock (+ his vintage Hilux). He welcomed us, declined our offer of coffee, and told us we could spend the night without any trouble. It was a glorious spot, with his goats all around us - up high, bleeding somewhere in the mountain, or right next-door, curiously inspecting the new arrivals.

The spot was truly spectacular, surrounded on all sides by grandiose mountains, a complete silence descending upon sundown, when the goats stopped complaining, and with the colours of the sunset presenting themselves as a magnificent tableau on the vast canvas before us.

Our final dinner was our Lulu filet mignon on the fire. While it wasn't cooked to perfection, the memories we have of it are certainly faultless.

 

[Gun Runner 5]

Upon our arrival back to the 21st century, we stopped at a Lulu Hypermarket to stock up on supplies for the last night. This may have been the nicest Lulu yet, despite the unassuming location, because it only opened a few days earlier. The "opening crew" was wearing suits and ties and the selection was unbelievable. We bought all that we could have dreamed of - and more - only to spot this Lexus in the parking lot.

View attachment 3302053

We had many options for our final Middle Eastern camp in Ali. Maybe Jabal Akhdar again? Or perhaps a different mountainous road? No, we decided a wadi would be ideal, and despite our concerns on preserving our solitude, this turned out to be the perfect choice. A road in a beautiful canyon led to a little clearing, where we encountered a goat-herder and his flock (+ his vintage Hilux). He welcomed us, declined our offer of coffee, and told us we could spend the night without any trouble. It was a glorious spot, with his goats all around us - up high, bleeding somewhere in the mountain, or right next-door, curiously inspecting the new arrivals.

View attachment 3302055



The spot was truly spectacular, surrounded on all sides by grandiose mountains, a complete silence descending upon sundown, when the goats stopped complaining, and with the colours of the sunset presenting themselves as a magnificent tableau on the vast canvas before us.



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Our final dinner was our Lulu filet mignon on the fire. While it wasn't cooked to perfection, the memories we have of it are certainly faultless.

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I’m starting to think you have a real taste for Heinz Ketchup.

 

[janyyc]

After Night 7, our morning was spent doing the usual chores, and repeating our banana pancakes recipe... now with the luxurious addition of whipped cream, which we had purchased at the well-stocked Lulu.

The view from camp on our final morning camping in Ali in the Middle East...

Before heading towards Dubai, we drove the wadi to the end of the road, where there was a village. We encountered the shepherds herding their goats, and were surrounded by them more than once...

 

[janyyc]

A very easy drive to Dubai followed, and an evening at the hotel. The following day we went to the Grand Service Station in Jumeirah for a good clean. It's always impressive to see the staff cleaning the vehicles in every imaginable nook and cranny.

We also met up with @goexplore and his beautiful VDJ78, and chatted all things Land Cruiser and travels.

Finally we had a nice dinner with S and @John Young, where we spoke about all things life.

It was quite a surreal experience seeing S pulling away from the restaurant in Ali, with us headed to the airport in a taxi, knowing the next time we would see our HZJ76 would be in Canada...

 

[Gun Runner 5]

I’m actually going to miss looking for this thread every morning. It’s easily been one of my favorites.

 

[Lo2aY]

Great story and pictures. Who doesn't love a 70 series in 058

Can't wait to see the adventures in Canada.

 

[boozewz]

Epic. Thank you for sharing.

With the adventurous spirit that you have, you’d have loved touring Saudi Arabia.

 

[janyyc]

Lots has happened over the past few weeks with Ali, so it’s time to recap the exciting developments in an attempt to keep this thread up-to-date.

One thing I had wanted to achieve before having the HZJ76 shipped to Canada was to have the body looked at by the highly-respected specialists at SebSports (known in the community for excellent restorations, particularly of 40-series, and high-quality work in an area known for “good-enough” completion).

As a part of that, a decision was made to try to sell the tent & awning before the car was to leave to Canada. While there was nothing inherently wrong with the QuickPitch product - in fact I enjoyed it very much - not only do I have no need for another camping car in Canada, but Ali also wouldn’t fit in our garage with the full setup. Initially I had wanted to sell only upon arrival in Canada, but an August arrival date (end of camping season, making it more difficult to sell) and customs considerations made it a more practical choice to sell in the UAE. Thanks to some amazing help from friends in the local 70-series community, after a few weeks the whole setup was sold and we once again had a clean slate to work from.

Ali going away to get his hair trimmed:

And back in front of SebSports “naked”:

Thereafter the work could begin.

While the original Toyota 70-series paint leaves a lot to be desired in application and thickness, ultimately it is difficult to replace “original”, and this vehicle did not require a frame-off respray. There were, however, the typical trouble spots to attend to - edges of the top of the barn doors, a few scratches on the roof, and a small, almost-imperceptible dent on the front passenger door from the years in storage. The crew at SebSports really took their time with everything, and while I have yet to see the final results in person, I do believe they lived up to their high standards.

 

[janyyc]

Final results

 

[janyyc]

Simultaneously, a few other spots were addressed, such as the pintle hitch and OEM step.

The exhaust was “clearanced” from the rear bumper, solving our ringing noise at idle.

I procured an OEM hood-liner from Japan, a difficult part to order since the 76 with this hood was only spec’ed for “cold-weather” in Japan and South Africa. I believe, when comparing my HZJ78 to the 76, that it will significantly reduce engine noise in the cabin.

Lastly a new brake valve was fitted to replace the pictured leaking old one.

 

[janyyc]

As a bonus, I procured the dealer-installed air compressor used in the 70th anniversary models sold locally. It is no ARB, but it was inexpensive, and I figure the bracket is worth about as much as I paid for the entire setup.

With all this complete, passage to Vancouver was booked in a 40” container together with (one of) @John Young’s HZJ105(s) - a spectacular restoration also done by SebSports. Ali was the first to be loaded as he was all ready to depart, followed a few days later - in the nick of time - by the 105.

The container has already been onboard the first of two ships for about a week, but it’s currently in Abu Dhabi… the vessel schedule has it going around the Middle East in a zig-zag pattern before finally heading off towards HK where another ship will take our cars to Vancouver, for an early August arrival.

 

[John Young]

Glad to see this go up, Jan. And I can attest to the fact that in person this truck looks like what it is, a truck with only a few thousand km's on the clock that has been cared for. What is it now? 10k km?

 

[roma042987]

Any chance you could get me one of those compressors?

 

[Rigster]

Final results

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Wow, looking great Jan! I am sure you must be getting excited to get it home!

At first I was looking closely, wondering what the "flaw" was that I was seeing in the new paint, then I realized it was a speck on my monitor... LOL