Jun 19, 2026 – 5.00amIt’s early morning in a valley swathed in fog north of Sydney and 23 perfect strangers are awaiting instructions.Sixteen men and seven women, they have been selected from 250 entrants to compete in the Australian qualifier of a new global off-road adventure challenge: the inaugural Defender Trophy – a contemporary iteration of Land Rover’s legendary Camel Trophy, but with a conservation mission rather than links to big tobacco.Subscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? Charis PerkinsLife & Leisure editorCharis Perkins edits The Australian Financial Review's weekly lifestyle liftout, covering the arts, fashion, design, travel, wine, fine dining, sports, motoring and more. Life & Leisure is published online and in the Friday and weekend editions.Fetching latest articles
A jockey, a firefighter, and 12 hours of grit in an epic new 4x4 rally
Two Australians are set to pit their mental, physical and driving prowess against the world in the inaugural Defender Trophy, a contemporary iteration of Land Rover’s legendary Camel Trophy.
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