While in Sydney we checked out the 2000 Olympic Stadium and were shocked to see them demolishing it. But we found out that it was only the north and south stands that were to be re-built like the rest of the stadium complete with the roof and then to have the ability to convert the field from a oval for Aussie rules football to square for rugby and soccer etc. The other areas are still there and being used like the swimming pool etc and you can still stay at the Hotels built for the event and eat at Mc Donald's. It was great to drive around all the different areas and having been in the Montreal, Calgary and  Melbourne sites and are on the way to the Salt Lake City Olympic sites and compare between them.

Sydney Olympic Stadium being demolished and a peek inside.

I had been invited to a fellow XJ owner's place while in Sydney that I had met through this web site and the XJ list. He owns a Turbo charged and intercooled factory diesel ( 2.5 ltrs/85 kw/300Nm ) with OME suspension, ARB lockers and Bullbar and home made snorkel. I had told him of our disappointment of all the hard tracks on the way up being closed so he took the next morning off work to show me a track that the local Jeep club often used. We had a great time playing on the track called Jackson's Lane that was nice and steep in places and on solid sandstone al ot of the way with great steps to climb up. Of course it doesn't look much in the photo's but it was all low range stuff.

Ron's Turbo Diesel XJ showing me a great track near Sydney.

Really got to test out the True-tracs that I have front and rear and they did not let me down and I was even surprised by the amount of wheel travel I had with the front and rear swaybars still connected. Even when I did lift a wheel the diffs pulled me through without problem. Ron disconnected his swaybar and with the diff locks and OME suspension did really well considering that his offroad set of tyres were still at home and he was on the stock sized road tyres. We even swapped cars and was most impressed with the diesel in it's climbing ability where you could take your foot off the throttle on a steep step and it would not stall as the 'drive by wire throttle' prevented it from happening. Ron had the privilege of being the first person outside the family to drive mine and it was also the first time he had driven an auto offroad.

More playing around on Jackson's Lane

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