Returning to the Mother Ship means attending one of Australia's biggest 4x4 expos, the Melbourne National 4x4 Show, held at the Melbourne Showgrounds in the state of Victoria. The largest of the three National 4x4 Shows (the others being Brisbane and Sydney), Melbourne typically attracts over 30,000 attendees over the Friday-Saturday event.

Melbourne is known for having extremes of weather within the same day, but also for being the hub of offroading in the southern part of Australia. From Melbourne, people can head into the "Victorian High Country," an area with sweeping views, snow in the winter, cool weather in the summer, mud, and hills. Lots of hills. The local scene is very healthy, with incorporated clubs and social groups turning out in strong numbers for all kinds of events, especially this one.

Setup for any show or expo is always an experience. The best laid plans go astray, and the looming deadline of opening hour mixed with literally hundreds of vehicles, caravans, RVs, and all manner of offroad creations makes for a wonderfully chaotic time. Somehow it always comes together, and the public arrive to see some very well presented booths and admire the latest gadgetry and new improvements, all while keeping an eye out for that special deal.

Hundreds of vendors and tens of thousands of attendees added up to create a great weekend. The highlight for Carbon Offroad was seeing so many people excited to get their hands on the new Recovery Range. From single soft shackles to full recovery kits, Aussie offroaders were lining up to grab tough, Aussie-designed gear they can rely on. We're excited to see the gear in action, as more people learn that Carbon Offroad means tough, reliable gear, and tough, reliable gear means a better chance of getting home safe when things go bad out on the trails.

If you ever find yourself in Australia during one of the National 4x4 Shows, you should definitely check it out. They're huge events filled with all things offroad and outdoors.