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

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.

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 Big Desert - sandy stretch

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.

STOCKTON BEACH, NEWCASTLE - NSW

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

                                                                                                         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)

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

(REF – for more information about the wreckage visit: https://www.coastalwatch.com/surfing/210/flashback-to-the-infamous-1974-storm-swell-sygna-stockton-wreck)

THE BORDER TRACK - SA/VIC

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. 

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.