It's easy to be critical & offer advice in hindsight of course, but perhaps many of us with little 4WD experience get carried away after watching bush bashers in utube videos et al.

I for one never drive thru swift running water or where the depth is unknown.

On one occasion we wanted to drive our 1995 Patrol (with highway tyres & no recovery gear) out to Jim Jim falls.

We balked at the first creek crossing of unknown depth.  I wasn't about to walk it in that area with the possibility of snappy handbags about.

We did however negotiate some Finke R. crossings on the way to Palm Valley.  Watched another vehicle go thru first as we had a cuppa.  Then there were 24 low level water crossings on the way into Bungle Bungles.  But that's about the extent of my experience.