Alec Tait-Russell has often tried to convince his dad to get his Nissan Navara ute dirty.
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"But he just doesn't take it off road," the 17-year-old Wodonga youth laments.
Since he was a little boy, Alec has loved all things to do with four-wheel drives - even though the family had never owned one!
He watched countless YouTube videos, read 4x4 Australia magazines cover to cover, and poured over maps, pictures and stories of other people's trips and vehicles tackling all types of terrain.
Now Alec, who has an intellectual disability and is on the autism spectrum, has realised his very own four-wheel drive dream.
He recently crossed the Simpson Desert on his L-plates as part of an epic outback adventure with his mum Jen Tait in the passenger seat.
Driving their (now slightly battered) Toyota Prado, the pair was part of a three-week trip with the Albury-Wodonga 4WD Club, traversing the Flinders Ranges, Painted and Simpson deserts from May 12 to June 2.
It was on Alec's 15th birthday that Jen decided to upgrade her vehicle to a Prado and "start on our journey towards becoming four-wheel drivers".
"It was a big opportunity to use his interest for skill development and social enjoyment," says Jen, the founder of Purple Chicken Cafe, which supports young people with disabilities to find employment.
Alec got his 'L's on his 16th birthday - July 21, 2022 - and they were off and, well, driving.
The mother and son joined the local 4WD club just over a year ago, knowing next to nothing about the practical side of serious four-wheel driving - except for Alec's encyclopedic passion for it.
With a few vehicle modifications, Alec has been busy exploring the tracks around the Chiltern State Forest, Beechworth, Yackandandah and Stanley areas.
He's taken on the likes of Billy Goat Bluff (one of the steepest four-wheel drive tracks in Victoria), Wallys Track, Sarah Spur, Zeka Spur, and "loads of creek and river crossings" up and down the high country.
They've bought swags, a fridge and cooking equipment and had a "fair bit of learning to do on how to pack the roof rack".
"I really enjoy it, I love exploring the bush," Alec says.
"It's insanely fun to drive through the mud bogs and rocky climbs."
And now he's conquered the desert.
One of the highlights of the trip for Alec was tackling Big Red - one of the biggest sand dunes in the Southern Hemisphere - about 40 kilometres out of Birdsville.
There he challenged himself with some of the steeper options beyond the 'Chicken Track' - "which is for people who are like 'newbs' (newbies)," Alec explains.
At every turn, he's had to put into practice all that he's learnt - from getting tyre pressures right and the intricacies of low-range driving to "climbing and not digging in" on the dunes.
Jen says there weren't any white-knuckle moments, although "I hung on tight a few times".
As for Alec, well he says he doesn't get nervous behind the wheel.
"I feel focused: I'm just trying to pick the best line," he states.
"I like it - this is a hobby I never want to get over."
The support from other members of the convoy - and the club in general - has been invaluable and everyone has made them feel welcome, according to Jen.
Trip leader and club president Jeff Cavanagh, 84, has been an incredible mentor to Alec, she adds.
In the desert Jeff often acted as navigator for Alec, who was in the driver's seat and chuffed to be leading the convoy.
"17 and 84 - and great mates," Jen says with a smile.
Alec has also compiled a detailed report of the trip, sharing remarkable insights from his 21-day experience.
From "mesmerising" views and "howling dingoes" to his thoughts on sleeping under the stars and wry observations about outback life, Alec's interest and enthusiasm is palpable.
"We looked inside the old station house. Mum asked if I thought I could have lived there," he wrote.
"I said, probably not, who'd want to, there's no WiFi."
Now, while both mother and son agree they are "pretty great travel buddies", there was one small thing that irked Alec during their time on the road together.
Snacking in the car!
"You do crunch and chew a bit loud," he observed as his mother laughed.
Jen - who never expected to buy a four-wheel drive or "take up camping at the age of 56" - couldn't be more proud of her son's accomplishments.
It's a far cry from the unhappy teenager struggling at school.
"Given Alec's previous challenges ... to see him so passionate about something is wonderful," his mum says.
"When it comes to four-wheel driving, Alec remembers everything.
"He has a natural aptitude for maps and directions; and he can remember every detail of a drive he did three years ago."
Alec shrugs, like that's nothing.
"It's stamped on my brain," he remarks.
Jen is a long-standing and passionate advocate for helping young people with disabilities spread their wings and fly high, beyond typical societal barriers and beliefs.
It's therefore no surprise to see the miles she's, quite literally, travelled to help make this a reality for her son.
"Alec has put in the work to grow his skills and he's not afraid to have a go," she insists.
"He's always expected he would get his licence, get a job and has goals to live independently in his own home one day.
"He has the same dreams and aspirations as any other young adult - and I'm proud of him."
Back home, Alec is now working one to two days a week as a van delivery driver for Red Bantam (where he works four days a week), an organisation that supplies rags for industry and employment for people with a disability.
And while he admits driving the van is not as much fun as four-wheel driving, Alec is clearly happy to be in a job that puts him behind the wheel and out on the road.
He's also busy planning the next four-wheel drive trip he'll lead in November - a loop around the local Buckland Valley.
His advice to other young people with a disability is "believe that you can achieve" - no matter what it is.
"Don't listen to anyone who says you can't do that - it's your life and your choice," he says firmly.
Jen is thrilled that Alec's love of four-wheel driving is something he will be able to enjoy for the rest of his life - with other people who share a common interest.
It's got him out of his shell and for a kid that didn't like to talk much, once you get him on the subject of four-wheel driving, it's a whole other story.
Yes, they started small, but look at how far he's flown, Jen reflects.
"What irks me is people who tell the parents of children (with a disability) that your child will never do this ... or that.
"How the hell do they know?"
How indeed.
