How close to your capital can you cruise the sand?
With warmer weather starting to make its presence known across Australia, we’ve found the closest beaches to your capital city to take your Isuzu D-MAX or MU-X to this weekend! Whether you’re a 4WD novice or have years of experience, these 7 locations are sure to provide a great day out.
Image By: Wikimedia Commons
Sydney - Boat Harbour Park
Where: Between Cronulla and Kurnell
Best for: Gaining confidence
The Emerald city is blessed with nearby off-roading options, including Watagans National Park to the south, the Blue Mountains in the west, and various A-Leagues grounds (although only if you’re delivering the game ball in a Mini D-MAX). But while it's no Stockton Dunes, Kurnell’s Boat Harbour Beach can have you on the sand just 30km from the CBD. Hard sand and easy access make this a simple spot to get off-road for novices, although it fills up fast on weekends.
Boat Harbour Park
Image By: Tourism and Events Queensland
Brisbane - Bribie Island
Where: 65km north of Brisbane
Best for: An easy intro to Moreton Island, North Stradbroke, and K’gari jaunt
Two hours from Brisbane and accessible by road bridge, Bribie Island, also known as Yarun, is mostly national park, with campsites accessible only by 4WD. Expect seemingly endless kilometres of accessible beach, four freshwater lagoons, and the chance to switch it up with inland tracks, plus pub grub and cafes in the little village of Woorim. Note that you’ll need a 4WD permit (available from $55), and no dogs are allowed in the National Park.
Bribie Island
Image By: Visit Victoria
Melbourne - Portland Dunes
Where: 380km drive west of Melbourne
Best for: People willing to expand their definition of ‘near’
Sure, it’s not quite in the heart of Australia’s capital of city chic, being a not-very-brisk four-and-a-half hour drive west of the CBD. That’s because the list of Victoria’s top 10 passions (1-9: AFL, 10: coffee) doesn’t include driving on the beach. In fact, you’ll have to head seriously west of Melbourne to find the Discovery Bay Coastal Park, which covers 1800 hectares near the South Oz border, and is a delectable dune mecca for off-roaders. Isolated and with good camping, you’ll need to join the Portland Dune Buggy Club to have a crack, but temporary memberships are available for periods as short as four days.
Portland Dunes
Image By: Tourism Tasmania and Andrew Wilson
Hobart - Bruny Island
Where: The SeaLink ferry departs from the Kettering ferry terminal, about 30km south of Hobart
Best for: Rugged landscapes, penguins, gourmet fare (note: do not eat the penguins)
Tasmania has a lot going for it, from its incredible food and pristine landscapes, to a range of excellent names and nicknames (lutruwita, ‘the Apple Isle’, Van Diemen's Land, ‘Australia’s merkin’). It’s also arguably Australia’s foremost 4WD paradise, with endless tracks and trails to explore, often with spectacular views, isolated camping, and artisan grub along the way. Hobart even nestles up against 4WD options such as the East West Trail and Wellington Range. But for actual beach driving, the (typically quite firm) beach at Cloudy Bay on Bruny Island is perhaps your best nearby shot. The island also offers off-road adventures such as the Bruny Island Game Reserve track, countless fun logging trails, and jaunts such as Cuthbert’s Road over the range.
Bruny Island
Image By: Tourism Australia and South Australian Tourism Commission
Adelaide - The cityside Fleurieu Peninsula
Where: Immediately south of the city
Best for: Cymophobes (people who are scared of waves), two-wheel-drive lovers
The accessible beaches of St Vincent Gulf such as Aldinga, Moana, Sellicks and Silver Sands are hardly challenging 4WD territory – indeed, people can (and regularly do) successfully take them on in underpowered front-wheel drive sedans. But if sand beneath your tread is your goal, access is permitted on between 5.30am and midnight, albeit with permits/access fees required (there are seasonal closures at Aldinga, just 45 minutes from the CBD, during winter). Slightly further afield, of course, South Australia’s beaches serve up some of the world’s best beaches, with pure white sands, minimal crowds, and plenty of large great whites. With the Yorke and Eyre Peninsulas, Kangaroo Island, and the Limestone Coast, there’s no better place to slake your thirst for beach driving than the driest state on the world's driest continent.
The Fleurieu Peninsula
Image By: Tourism NT and Sean Scott
Darwin - Mindil Beach
Where: The Gardens, beside the CBD
Best for: Easy access, the chance to be eaten by a crocodile
You can get all four wheels onto the sand within minutes of the Territory capital’s merchant quarter, with both Mindil Beach and Casuarina Beach so close to the action that banker types can be dipping their business thongs into the briny within minutes of clocking off. With Kakadu less than 150km east, the Lichfield National Park to the south, and other icons such as Nitmiluk a little farther on, Darwin’s city beaches may not be able to compete in terms of an overall 4WD challenge, but it’s hard to beat Sunday (or even Thursday) night at the Mindil Beach Sunset Markets during the dry season (April to October).
Mindil Beach
Image By: Wikimedia Commons
Perth - Wilbinga
Where: 70km north of Perth
Best for: Spectacular Indian Ocean day trips, sand dune hill climbs
The first access to beach driving to Perth’s north, Wilbinga is a taste of WA’s north on the doorstep of the Golden State’s capital. That preview of more isolated conditions can be both a positive and a negative: there’s nowhere to buy food, fuel, and water, and its relative proximity draws crowds, but when you get a moment to yourself it can feel a million miles from anywhere. With endless tracks, dunes, and beaches, quality fishing and snorkelling, and surfing in swells unencumbered by Rottnest Island, it’s a good way to get your D-MAX or MU-X off the blacktop, but make sure you take recovery equipment.
Wilbinga
