Heather Murchie got in touch with Fleet Network four years ago when she moved to the Kimberley region from South Australia. On the hunt for a new car, Heather came across on old Nissan Patrol, but had the realisation that with the remoteness of the West Kimberley, she needed a vehicle that was equipped to venture in northern Western Australia’s rugged landscape.
“We all go fishing up here in the Kimberley – boating, camping, fishing – that’s the lifestyle really, which is why everyone has a 4WD!”
When assessing her vehicle needs, Heather did some of her own research, reviewed her budget, and received input from family and friends on what would be a good choice of car to suit her needs and lifestyle. What struck her was that in her 30 years with her previous employer in South Australia, all of the work vehicles were Isuzu due to their reliability and longevity. This recall helped her narrow down her choice of car to an Isuzu D-MAX.
Heather spent her childhood moving around Australia, from Port Hedland, WA to South Australia and Queensland, due to her father’s job as a meteorologist. She has fond memories of weekends spent on family road trip adventures exploring rural and remote Australian regions. “The kids would pile into the back and off we’d go!” she said with a laugh.
Heather still loves a road trip and it was the happy childhood memories that inspired her to build a vehicle that would allow for adventures up in the West Kimberley and beyond. She has made significant modifications to the D-MAX working with her Fleet Network consultant to customise the car to meet her needs and wants.
“I started from the tyres up! I updated the suspension, added a bulbar with rock slider steps for going off-road, added a rear wear and swing out carrier with jerry can bumper, plus roof racks, spotlights, an ARB canopy, solar panels, and more. Ninety eight per cent of the build was through Fleet Network.”
It’s safe to say the D-MAX has not let Heather – or her loved ones – down.
“I’d only had the car for two weeks when I got a call from a friend saying he was stuck in mud in Derby in his Ford Ranger,” she recalls. “He had put the call out to a number of people to help get him out but none were successful.”
“In my new car that hadn’t even been off-road, yet I towed out his Ford Ranger, plus the support car which was a Nissan Patrol, and another one that had tried to help which was a Hilux. My friend has now switched over to the Isuzu D-MAX as me through the team at Fleet Network. Go the D-MAX!”
Heather’s rave review on her D-MAX extends to the service she received at Fleet Network.
“I would absolutely recommend Fleet Network. Garrick and the guys are great. Their communication is fantastic and customer service is top notch. It’s also fantastic to be able to just turn up to the petrol station, load up the diesel and use the fuel card and not worry about fuel expenses.”
Heather is planning a trip across Australia to visit family in Queensland and explore the state, and she is currently working with the team at Fleet on an upgraded model with plenty of extras. “I’m looking forward to the new build! It will take 12 to 14 months to complete, which will take me to the end of my lease.”
Heather has provided Fleet Network with her new wish list of modifications for her next lease and is working with the team to prepare for her next big trip.
“I love my car and have had no issues with it. I’ve made several trips with it between Perth and the Kimberley, and it runs like a dream. I’m already planning my upgrade to the 2023 Isuzu D-MAX X-Runner with the team at Fleet Network.”
