4WD TRACKS

Part II – The Grampians National Park and the Big Desert Wilderness Park,.

The next camping spot was located at Boerang (prepaid for two nights) in the Grampians National Park – a highlight of the trip. Was extremely hot being in summer, however we spent our days exploring 4WD tracks and witnessed wildlife, especially a great number of emus.

The spectacular view of the sandstone mountains at The Grampians National Park

The spectacular view of the sandstone mountains at The Grampians National Park

MacKenzie Falls view from the lookout

MacKenzie Falls view from the lookout

The Mackenzie waterfall is a must – considered the most visited waterfall in the park. There is the option to walk to the base of the waterfall (1hr 30min) or to the MacKenzie Falls lookout (20mins). Either way, the views are magnificent!

 

 

 

 

4WD tracks at the Grampians were rocky and at times steep - level of difficulty can be marked difficult at times and allow extra travelling time.

4WD tracks at the Grampians were rocky and at times steep - level of difficulty can be marked difficult at times and allow extra travelling time.

 

 

 

The remaining part of our day was spent in the 4WD along the Rock Wallaby Track and Victoria Range Track, witnessing stunning scenery on the infamous sandstone mountains. Most tracks are long and challenging – especially when wet. (recovery equipment a must!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After creating fond memories at the Grampians National Park, our trip continued north bound, heading for the Border Track.  As noted in a previous blog, this was an interesting - and very lumpy track – paralleling the Victorian and South Australian border heading north. The ride was so bumpy we decided to take a detour  onto RED BLUFF TRACK which led us through  THE BIG DESERT – approx 36km of sandy tracks and dunes.

The Border Track - Southern end

The Border Track - Southern end

The Big Desert - sandy stretch

The Big Desert - sandy stretch

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Continuing on what seemed to be endless roads, but offering spectacular scenery, we finally entered WYPERFIELD Park and made our way to Mildura where we stayed the night.

PART I - From Sydney to the Great Otway National Park

Part I was the first leg of 9 day 4WD camping trip that was taken from Sydney, along the coast which ended in the Victorian Desert (Over 4000kms).

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The first stop was at a remote free camping spot– a 1 night stay at Tin Mines Campground at Woomargama National Park located in the South West Slopes region of southern NSW.

 

On our way to Tin Mines Campground, Woomargama National Park

On our way to Tin Mines Campground, Woomargama National Park

The next day, we packed up and settled at Lake Eildon - Candlebark Campground, Fraser Block – being a popular time during school holidays, a camp site was pre-booked with facilities and a great spot by the lake side.

View of Lake Eildon on our way to Candlebark Campground

View of Lake Eildon on our way to Candlebark Campground

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Camp site beauty

Camp site beauty

Driving along the great Ocean Road, we settled at the Great Otway National Park – easy 4WD tracks and a number of free camping grounds. A popular tourist destination and because of this, we were lucky to find a camp site to pitch the tent early afternoon. With our tent pitched for two nights, we explored the Otways and wildlife – with a small walk to witness Hopetoun Falls and then drove some tracks.

During our stay at the Great Otway National Park, we drove about 1.5 hours to experience the Twelve Apostles - limestone stacks off the shore of the Port Campbell National Park.We walked the small walkway available along with a scenic helicopter ride giving us the best of all views.

 

Hopetoun Falls

Hopetoun Falls

Twelve Apostles, VIC

Twelve Apostles, VIC

After an amazing experience with the Apostles we headed back to campsite and prepared for the next leg of our short summer adventure! 

Most campsite information is available online - please keep in mind that some areas such as Woomargama NP are remote.

STOCKTON BEACH, NEWCASTLE - NSW

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Stockton Beach is located north of the Hunter River in New South Wales, stretches from Stockton to Anna Bay and is 32km long. Stockton Beach provides awesome scenery including the Sygna Shipwreck. The 53,000 Norwegian bulk carrier Sygna became stuck in May 1974 during cyclonic conditions. After repairing holes in the stern, a Japanese salvage team refloated the bow to Taiwan and broken up for scrap. They were, however, unsuccessful with the Stern, which remains wedged in the sand on Stockton Beach. 

NORWEGIAN SYGNA SHIPWRECK

NORWEGIAN SYGNA SHIPWRECK

                                                                                                         A great day or weekend to spend with family or friends – Other areas of interest are the fishing huts located behind the dunes – called Tin City  - along with Pyramid-shaped Tank Traps which were placed along the beach to prevent enemy landings. 

TANK TRAPS 1946  (REF - Newcastle Herald – 15 May 2015)

TANK TRAPS 1946  (REF - Newcastle Herald – 15 May 2015)

Recovery equipment is a must with soft sand and plenty of fun driving on the dunes - an ideal 4x4 track for the family. There are permits required to access the beach and designated camping and 4WD areas with plenty of information available online.

 

DRIVING ON THE SAND DUNES

DRIVING ON THE SAND DUNES

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THE BORDER TRACK - SA/VIC

The Border Track

An interesting and very lumpy track is THE BORDER TRACK – paralleling the Victorian and South Australian border heading north, the Border Track offers spectacular scenery for the ultimate 4WDriver! This particular trip was done in January 2017  - southern end of the track. A detour was made which led through to THE BIG DESERT and MURRAY-SUNSET NATIONAL PARK. Extra supplies of food, water, fuel and recovery equipment were carried due to the remoteness of the location. 

The Border Track SA/VIC

 

If you are keen on a very bumpy ride - this track is for you! Self-sufficiency is a must especially with soft sands and being a remote location - For more information about the track visit: https://www.environment.sa.gov.au/parks/find-a-park/Browse_by_region/Murray_River/ngarkat-conservation-park.

 

the border track