RonandVivgiveusa
fewhottipsonwhere
totakethecamper
thissummer.
AS Iwrite this, we've just got back from a bit of a
daytripalongthecoastnorthofPerth.Thatgotme
thinking about some of the great summer drives
you can do in this country without looting the bank
or stripping the holiday leave down to rock bottom.
Summer has well and truly begun in the WA
capital,andallthedelightsthatbringshaspushed
thoughts of outback trips deep into my memory
bank. The sand groper state is endowed with lots
choices when it comes to beachside fun and on
oneofourdaysthere,weendedupamongstthe
dunes at Lancelin. It's a bit of a playground for
hosewhowanttorompinalargesandpit,while
arlier we had been along the beach north to the
Moore River estuary. That place is pretty popular
andonceyouhavebeenthereyoucanseewhy.
Or you can head down south and camp on
the banks of the Murray River (the West Aussie
version ... not the 'real' one) or the tannin
stained Blackwood River where amongst the
trees you'll find some great camps and fine
canoeing.
Over in Victoria we haven't got much choice
when it comes to beach drives. The closest we can
get is to head to the Portland Dune Buggy Club
(www.portlanddunebuggyclub.com.au), which I've
gottosayisagreatwaytospendafewdays.Still
we have the mountains pretty close by so that's
wherewetendtoheadforaweekendescapeand
they don't get much better than camped along the
upper reaches of the Goulburn River or the magical
Howqua. And, you have some challenging 4WD
tracks nearby.
Keen beach drivers living in Victoria have to go
interstate and that generally means a trip across
the border to Robe in SA where we join a lot of
SouthAussiesonthelongsweepofbeachesthat
extend from the Murray River mouth nearly allthewaytotheVictorianborder.Ifyouare looking
forachallengingbeachruntheydon'tcome much
tougher than the route from Beachport south.
Queenslanders are spoilt when it comes to beach
driving close to their capital city. They have a choice
of a few islands and long stretches of golden sand to
wander along and they don't come any better than
theCooloolaCoastnorthofNoosaHeads and south
of Rainbow Beach. Or you can head inland to one of
the 4WD parks for great camping and challenging
tracks, the most famous of which is LandCruiser
Mountain Park (www.landcruisermountainpark.com.
au).
NewSouthWaleshasafewbeachesyou can
drive on north of Sydney, but you'll need a permit
of some sort to enjoy it. Stockton has been a long
time favourite but if it's been a while since you
drove on the sand there you may find a few changes
and restrictions. Part of the Worimi Conservation
Landsthere'sstill19kmofbeachfrontyou can drive
on while an area of dunes can still be a challenge.
Check out:worimiconservationlands.com for more
details.
Across the strait in Tassie you have a wide choice
of places to go and tracks to tackle, with everything
in close proximity to the major cities. Along the
north and north east coasts you can get some great
sand driving amongst the Peron Dunes or at St
Albans Bay, both of which can be challenging. Right
behind Hobart you have a host of fire trails in the Mt
Wellington Park. They vary in standard from easy to
hard and a permit is required. (www.parks.tas.gov.
au).
So, as you can see no matter where you live
there are plenty of places where you can set up the
camper and enjoy our beaches or our forests this
summer. And they won't break the bank.
Go for it!CTABEST SUMMER DRIVES
NO FIXED ADDRESS
o d t e a s t coeWords and Pics
RON AND VIV MOONTasmania's Collins Cap Trail is a fun one to tackleThe Moore River estuary in WA is a popular summer spot