New lease of life for Goldacres Crop Cruiser

Goldacres “Cape Cruiser”

Goldacres Crop Cruiser serial number 8648 rolled out of the Ballarat, Victoria, production line in August 2005.

Sold in Western Australia to Stuart Nicholson & Son of Moorine Rock, the Crop Cruiser spent the next 15 years as a broadacre sprayer. It had done about 4000 spraying hours, as it was always intended until it was recently replaced by a Goldacres G8 Super Cruiser from Goldacres Sprayer Centre – Goomalling WA.

Crop Cruiser 8648 was originally optioned with a 4500L tank, 32-metre boom, four-wheel steering and mechanical four-wheel drive.

Tour operator George Muirhead noticed the second hand machine and thought it would be the ideal platform for his safari business – Kendal River Safaris in Cape York. https://www.kendallriversafaris.com

Kendall River Station is northwest of Cairns and south of Weipa at Cape York, far north Queensland. Arguably one of the most remote hunting destinations in Australia, Kendall River Station is about 100 kms x 50 kms (323,749 hectares).

It is dissected by four major watercourses, the Archer River, Running Creek, Kendall River and the Holroyd River. It has a bounty of other significant watercourses, swamps and creeks, including Sinclair Creek, Williams Creek and the Kirke River. The deep river crossings called for a machine with high ground clearance, four-wheel drive and able to carry keen hunters into the dense rainforest.

Mr Muirhead realised the potential of the simple, reliable, mechanical four-wheel drive Goldacres Crop Cruiser and quickly set the sprayer up into a purpose-built tour bus. The tank and boom were replaced with a rear canopy and para lift arms served as a handy adjustable height attachment for a rear equipment storage locker.

Mr Muirhead hopes to have the Crop Cruiser in operation by April 2021, as a valuable member of the tour fleet.

More information: go to kendallriversafaris.com to see where the Cape Cruiser will be in action