I'm swimming across the plunge pool of Sandy Creek in the Litchfield National Park, 100km south west of Darwin, to stand under the cascading waterfall like some bloke in a shampoo ad (only not as good looking). It is a tropical nirvana, a respite from the heat, but there is no-one else there when we arrive.

The main reason the place isn't teeming with people is that you need a proper four-wheel drive to get here

A creek crossing that is 70-80cm deep for much of the dry season means regular rental cars and anything with a caravan on the back don't have a hope of making it through.

Our vehicle, a LandCruiser Troop Carrier-based Britz motorhome, doesn't miss a beat and happily wades through the water crossing. It's not bad given that the vehicle doubles as our accommodation.

I had been a sceptic of these ponderous 4WD campervans with their un-natural extensions and cornering capability only slightly better than the Fairstar Fun Ship, but this swim in the crystal water of Sandy Creek changes my mind. It isn't just the Troopy's river-fording ability, but the fact that it can go off-road that makes it reach places that you can't get to when you are carrying a caravan.

In the next 10 days we cover nearly 2000km from Darwin to the Katherine and back visiting pretty much everywhere in between. You could get to a fair portion of these spots with a traditional car or SUV and caravan, but you'd still miss out on some of the sites especially if you don't want to take your 'van far on corrugated dirt roads (and who does?).

We pick up the Britz Bushcamper from an industrial back block in Darwin where were made to watch a video that talks through its features, in excruciating detail, (including pointing out that we drive on the left of the road in Australia). What it doesn't mention, though, is that this is a very different kind of vehicle than your average modern 4WD and should be driven accordingly.

Based on the 70 Series LandCruiser, the Bushcamper, has a very high centre of gravity thanks to that roof extension and the all the cupboards in the back. It will lean a lot around corners, which you need to take into account, but if you take it easy you will get used to it.

Unlike almost all other new vehicles it doesn't have anti-skid brakes, which can be interesting if it is fully loaded with all your gear and you want to stop quickly. It also doesn't have any stability control or airbags, which is another reason not to crash. The Bushcamper officially holds two adults and a child, but this is probably being a bit optimistic. There is very little seat room for the third person and no anchor points for a baby seat, so really this is more of a solution for couples.

There are two beds in the back. One forms a bench seat during the day and easily folds to form a relatively narrow bed which would be fine for couples who still like each other a lot. Another bed folds out above and is wider. The only problem is that there isn't much head room. In fact, when I roll onto my side there is only a few centimetres between the top of my shoulder and the roof. If you are even slightly claustrophobic it is likely to be too tight up on the top bunk. The boards for the second bed and all the bedding stow away at the front of the raised roof section.

The adventure begins

The cool, clear water is immensely refreshing but it is the natural beauty of the rock formation of the waterfall that makes the experience all the more incredible. It feels like I'm in some kind of Northern Territory tourism commercial, only this is real.

I'm swimming across the plunge pool of Sandy Creek in the Litchfield National Park, 100km south west of Darwin, to stand under the cascading waterfall like some bloke in a shampoo ad (only not as good looking). It is a tropical nirvana, a respite from the heat, but there is no-one else there when we arrive.

The main reason the place isn't teeming with people is that you need a proper four-wheel drive to get here

A creek crossing that is 70-80cm deep for much of the dry season means regular rental cars and anything with a caravan on the back don't have a hope of making it through.

Our vehicle, a LandCruiser Troop Carrier-based Britz motorhome, doesn't miss a beat and happily wades through the water crossing. It's not bad given that the vehicle doubles as our accommodation.

I had been a sceptic of these ponderous 4WD campervans with their un-natural extensions and cornering capability only slightly better than the Fairstar Fun Ship, but this swim in the crystal water of Sandy Creek changes my mind. It isn't just the Troopy's river-fording ability, but the fact that it can go off-road that makes it reach places that you can't get to when you are carrying a caravan.

In the next 10 days we cover nearly 2000km from Darwin to the Katherine and back visiting pretty much everywhere in between. You could get to a fair portion of these spots with a traditional car or SUV and caravan, but you'd still miss out on some of the sites especially if you don't want to take your 'van far on corrugated dirt roads (and who does?).

We pick up the Britz Bushcamper from an industrial back block in Darwin where were made to watch a video that talks through its features, in excruciating detail, (including pointing out that we drive on the left of the road in Australia). What it doesn't mention, though, is that this is a very different kind of vehicle than your average modern 4WD and should be driven accordingly.

Based on the 70 Series LandCruiser, the Bushcamper, has a very high centre of gravity thanks to that roof extension and the all the cupboards in the back. It will lean a lot around corners, which you need to take into account, but if you take it easy you will get used to it.

Unlike almost all other new vehicles it doesn't have anti-skid brakes, which can be interesting if it is fully loaded with all your gear and you want to stop quickly. It also doesn't have any stability control or airbags, which is another reason not to crash. The Bushcamper officially holds two adults and a child, but this is probably being a bit optimistic. There is very little seat room for the third person and no anchor points for a baby seat, so really this is more of a solution for couples.

There are two beds in the back. One forms a bench seat during the day and easily folds to form a relatively narrow bed which would be fine for couples who still like each other a lot. Another bed folds out above and is wider. The only problem is that there isn't much head room. In fact, when I roll onto my side there is only a few centimetres between the top of my shoulder and the roof. If you are even slightly claustrophobic it is likely to be too tight up on the top bunk. The boards for the second bed and all the bedding stow away at the front of the raised roof section.

Heading to Katherine

The refreshing pool is welcome as are the showers, but having a Britz van means you can stop and stay almost anywhere you like. Even so, there are benefits of staying at a nice big park like this including the social aspect like the large 'circle of knowledge' that gathers on the green every afternoon at beer o'clock. Of course, you will need to bring a deckchair.

If you fly into the location you are renting your campervan, think about buying a chair once you arrive and leaving it behind once you go. It will probably be cheaper than the excess baggage fee associated with dragging one along with you.

One advantage of driving something like the Britz Bush Camper becomes clear on the first day as we head down the highway from Darwin and pull up at the Adelaide River store. It is possible to just pull up and park wherever you like; you don't need to keep an eye out for super long spaces or park far away from where you want to be.

After checking out the Merrepen Festival we head for Litchfield Park. You can see some of the highlights here, including the striking mounds of the Magnetic Termites, without a 4WD, but you will need one to make it to the wonderful pools including the scenic Sandy Creek, Lost City and Surprise Creek Falls.

The roads are easy apart from a couple of nuggety bits and would be fine for those with little or no 4WD experience.

Once you hop out and lock the front hubs, this LandCruiser can go anywhere.

Ours is fitted with the new 4.5-litre turbo-diesel V8 which is a truly great engine with way more pull than you will ever need. It has a big truck-like manual gearbox which can be a bit tiring on your clutch foot.

We head for Katherine and the stunning Nitmuluk National Park, stopping at Edith Falls and Katherine Gorge. We notice that one of the drawers in the back is coming open with a bang on left-handers despite some delicate driving and then slamming shut on right-handers. It is frustrating, but is eventually fixed with a roll of duct tape (is there anything that stuff can't do?).

The Britz Bush Camper has a fully functioning kitchen with water, sink, small fridge and lots of cupboards, cutlery and a portable gas stove. As you can imagine, it all moves around a bit. It's all quiet out on the open road, but it does tend to rattle and shake when you travel on corrugated dirt roads.

One of the dirt roads out of Mataranka leads us to the cemetery of most of the characters in Jeannie Gunn's iconic novel We of the Never Never which was set on a homestead at the turn of last century.

We fill up in Katherine, which ends up being the only time we stop for fuel. The Bush Camper has two tanks that take a combined 180 litres of fuel which goes a long way.

Our crew eats out for most of the time, but the small fridge is invaluable if you plan to self-cater. It isn't big, but can store a few trays of meat, some milk and a couple of stubbies.

Given the prices at some of the places out here, making your own meals could save a small fortune. The fridge compressor turning on and off can disturb your sleep if you leave it on the 'high' setting, but you can wind it back to the lowest setting which means it doesn't come on very often at all.

Back to Darwin

It can get a bit warm in the back of the van, but it does have several windows, with fly-screens that can be opened to get a bit of a breeze through and even a small vent on the roof. The Toyota also has air-conditioning up the front which you could run for a while (along with the engine) if you are too hot.

You have to keep your eyes open for larger than life vehicles in the Northern Territory, such as road trains and such, and we had to move over for a group of massive earth moving trucks being transported out to one of the mines. When you're that big you instantly have the right of way. It isn't long after this that one of the bush camper's tyres let go.

I'm ashamed to admit I actually had to consult the handbook to work out where the jack goes, but it is actually quite straight forward. Winding up the jack while lying in the dirt by the side of the road sweating like an English settler isn't exactly fun, but luckily we only got one puncture.

Back at Barunga we are able to enjoy the brilliant night concert because we are staying on site. If we were staying 80km away in Katherine we would have needed to leave pretty early which would have taken away from the experience.    

On the way back to Darwin, I decide to see what the Bush Camper can do and wind it all the way up to the 130km/h speed limit. It bounces around a bit, and I have to keep an eye out for corners, but it seems happy enough. We pass several caravans and then come up on a couple of Harley Davidson bikers. I would liked to have been able to read their thoughts as the 2.8-metre long campervan surged past.

Prices for the Britz Bush Camper vary depending on the time of year and location so it's best to phone for a quote, but ours costs about $150 a day. It's not cheap for a rental car, but when you consider you don't have to pay for accommodation it starts to make sense. Take into account the places you'll go with it and you realise this is a great way to see some of Australia's remotest parts.

Australian Caravan + RV magazine, August/September 2009.