"When people think of a female driving, they expect a small car, driving slow. Which isn't always the case. I don't even think it is the case, to be honest," Ms Bianchini said.

Women make up 50.8 per cent of drivers within Australia and with over 5.5 million registered 4WDs on the road, Ms Bianchini is one of many women working to change the stigma surrounding the male-oriented 4WD industry.

Ms Bianchini said female 4WD groups, such as Yeah the Girls Offroad and Chics Off-Road, were the solution to challenging the stereotypes.

"I'm in a couple of the groups. They hold events every month for every single state and every single level of ability - as well as beginner, intermediate and advanced - which I also love, and it's all females," she said.

Social media has seen a surge in awareness and support for women who are interested in the industry, with organised events taking place on a regular basis throughout Australia.

"These women's groups are an amazing place to start," Ms Bianchini said.

"Adventure Girls 4WD even provides driving lessons for absolute beginners. They do day trips, but could be as simple as driving down to a pub and meeting people who are also passionate about being outdoors. I think it's an amazing community to be a part of."

Taylor Jade is one of two admins for Facebook group Adventure Girls 4WD. The group originated in 2021 and has since amassed over 22,000 women on its platform who hold the same interests. Ms Jade said the demand for these groups had been rising as women had begun to openly accept and promote their interest.

"I think a lot of [the demand] is due to it being a male-dominated hobby," she said.

"Especially for driving, I think a lot of women feel intimidated. They'll go out on the tracks, or they'll buy their first four-wheel drive and, it sounds horrible, but men do sort of look down on us and feel like they are superior. They know everything, they know what's best. Personally, I don't feel like that's right."

Ms Bianchini said this backlash against women in the industry did not solely come from men, with women making up the other half of perpetrators.

"It's broken up into two different areas. With males, it's more about making [us] feel a little bit uncomfortable," she said, recalling odd stares and wolf whistles she'd learned to live with.

"It took me quite a while to build the confidence to even go to a car wash for a while. But don't get me wrong, there's so many supportive males out there who will always back you in these situations."

Then there's the other side and the other women who haven't experienced living that lifestyle of being outdoors. It is these women that much of the backlash can come from.

"There's always comments like, 'She's doing it for attention and just wants to impress the guys' and things like that," Ms Bianchini said.

Given Canberra's location next to the Brindabellas and Cotter Dam, the region is surrounded by many 4WDing tracks that can be completed within a day. This has created a wide community online and in-person with many off-roading enthusiasts meeting on weekends.

"There is a four-wheel driving group in Canberra where people ask for support, tips, and tricks," Ms Bianchini said.

"I've seen someone post that they were stuck somewhere and needed help recovering their car. It's the way that everyone jumps on board and helps out as a community. It's just so heartwarming."

Ms Jade has been with the Adventure Girls Facebook group for two years after the original owner sold the rights of the group in 2021 to its current moderator, Jess Fleming. The group prides itself on its events, which aren't just restricted to off-roading adventures.

"We don't just do formal driving. It's an adventure group. We do hold events that are social, but we do try to base it around camping and driving," Ms Jade said.

She is responsible for organising courses and events for their members to learn about cars. To her, everyone should have a basic understanding of their vehicle, regardless of the size or the owner.

"That's one thing I do within Adventure Girls. We hold qualified courses with qualified mechanics. They will give you a basic understanding of how to change a tyre to how to do a check-up of your car before a big trip," she said.

In Australia, the NRMA has up to 2.9 million memberships for insurance and roadside assist with their largest representation within ACT and NSW. NRMA head of media Peter Khoury said the sudden rise in popularity of big cars within Australia was only going to go up.

"Four-wheel driving is a verb. It's a term people use for off-track, holidaying and recreational driving. There's no doubt that people who buy SUVs and four-wheel drives in Australia are doing it so much more. It is the number one type of car sold in the country. It's a family vehicle. Singles buy them," he said.

Despite the rise in travel options, such as walking, riding or public transportation, Mr Khoury said cars would always hold a significant place in society.

"These transport modes complement each other," he says.

"They don't contradict each other. For most people, walking is one of the number of options that they have available to them. Public transport is included in that, but the reality of public transport is that for many areas of Australia, the coverage isn't strong enough to be a viable option over time. So that's why the car remains king in Australia. Because, for a lot of people, it's the most viable transport mode."

So, what can we expect from this adapting industry?

Ms Bianchini said every day was a learning experience: "I want to build my car up and then go on road trips, travel up to Cape York. High Country would be amazing."