Trip planning help

Lach

Member
Jul 31, 2016
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Sydney
hi all,

I am getting a new 17.56 Expanda (outback) in October and have 4-5 weeks to play with it after Xmas and am hoping to tap some collective wisdom re places to go.

Basics: We are a team of 5 (3 kids), Sydney is home base and I have a V8 Kakadu landcruiser with some mods. I have a reasonable amount of 4x4 experience but will probably be travelling solo. We love the beach in particular and do not mind remoter stuff and free camping.

I know the coast between here and Fraser is pretty well from perspective of a surfer and camper but not from perspective of towing a van ie where to go.

So apologies in advance but I am hoping to get a leg up on the knowledge front....

So questions are:
Can these vans be towed on Stradbroke is, Moreton Is etc? I do a bit of beach driving and have an on board compressor and understand tyre pressures. I have never towed on sand though
How busy does inskip point get over Xmas holidays?
If coming down the coast from inskip pt to Sydney, what stops would you guys recommend? Do I need to pre book these?
Can I get a van into pebbly beach at low tide?
Any other advice you'd give?

Secondly, touring the northern tablelands:
Can I get into Georges Junction with a van?
How accessible in Guy Fawkes/wash pool/Gibraltar NP's? Do I need to pre book and do they get really busy over January?
What other places would members recommend on the range between Sydney and Qld border?

Any advice anyone can give would be much appreciated.
 

Dobbie

Well-Known Member
Jun 18, 2014
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Stradbroke...yes on good Tarmac roads .... But I'd avoid the sand on the main beach with a van that size. You'd get on to the beach but may not get off.

Moreton....no...for same reasons as above with the added problem of getting on and off the barge on to very loose sand at an angle.

Inskip....always busy xmas hols but book ahead and you'd be fine. Just park the van and do the beach driving without the van.

And I've been on all of the above and towed a camper trailer but wouldn't do it with anything heavy.

I'd look at straddie or Inskip, park my van, and go on the beach from there. Not Moreton ...it has been done but too many things can go wrong and a heavy van doesn't give you enough leeway.

My 5 cents worth!
 

Lach

Member
Jul 31, 2016
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Sydney
Stradbroke...yes on good Tarmac roads .... But I'd avoid the sand on the main beach with a van that size. You'd get on to the beach but may not get off.

Moreton....no...for same reasons as above with the added problem of getting on and off the barge on to very loose sand at an angle.

Inskip....always busy xmas hols but book ahead and you'd be fine. Just park the van and do the beach driving without the van.

And I've been on all of the above and towed a camper trailer but wouldn't do it with anything heavy.

I'd look at straddie or Inskip, park my van, and go on the beach from there. Not Moreton ...it has been done but too many things can go wrong and a heavy van doesn't give you enough leeway.

My 5 cents worth!

Thanks Dobbie
 

Noodles

Member
Jul 1, 2016
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Gold Coast
So questions are:

Can I get a van into pebbly beach at low tide?
Any other advice you'd give?

Secondly, touring the northern tablelands:

How accessible in Guy Fawkes/wash pool/Gibraltar NP's? Do I need to pre book and do they get really busy over January?


Any advice anyone can give would be much appreciated.

Pebbly Beach- we went for a drive up there at Easter and hung around at the beach end of the creek watching people crossing the creek. We saw one Outback Expanda come across, but he drove down the bank of the creek (towards the ocean) then crossed about 200m from the actual crossing- no dramas getting across at all. Whether he crossed there because it was more shallow, or because the bottom of the creek was more stable there, I don't know.

Not sure about the other NPs you mentioned, but I was on the NSW National park website last night trying to book a camping spot in Washpool and it said that you can't book there.
 

Lach

Member
Jul 31, 2016
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Sydney
Pebbly Beach- we went for a drive up there at Easter and hung around at the beach end of the creek watching people crossing the creek. We saw one Outback Expanda come across, but he drove down the bank of the creek (towards the ocean) then crossed about 200m from the actual crossing- no dramas getting across at all. Whether he crossed there because it was more shallow, or because the bottom of the creek was more stable there, I don't know.

Not sure about the other NPs you mentioned, but I was on the NSW National park website last night trying to book a camping spot in Washpool and it said that you can't book there.

thanks Noodles

Did you see an other vans cross? Were there vans many in the campground itself?
 

Noodles

Member
Jul 1, 2016
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Gold Coast
We only watched for about 20 minutes and that was the only caravan we saw.
I can't tell you if there were any vans in the campground as we didn't drive in. We just drove up from Red Rock for a day trip and weren't game to try and do the creek crossing.
 

Lach

Member
Jul 31, 2016
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Sydney
Hi all,

Got my delivery date (28/10) so everyone is starting to get very excited!

looking into planning in more details and am starting to think NSW South coast may be a better option than heading north. NSW North Coast gets uber busy and all the good places are very heavily booked.

South coast is far quieter and i have not really explored it much so should provide a good canvas for a holidays. Question is - does anyone have experience with the south coats? Any great places vs placed to avoid?

We have a good 4-5 weeks so expect to make it to the Vic border.
 

Bluey

Well-Known Member
Mar 31, 2014
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Lake tabourie is very good huge park once your in dosnt seem so big on beach front 5 min walk river on side of park great for kids to swim water park as well ulladulla 15 mins drive great spot we love it
 
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Lach

Member
Jul 31, 2016
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Sydney
Made it to Pebbly Beach today (sans van) for a sticky beak. Stunning spot. Beach access is easy and the beach is pretty flat, especially at lower tides on the firmer sand.

Exit from station creek is the issue but there is a lot of rock etc mixed in with the sand so I think traction would be fine, as long as you had another car to act as anchor point or provide a snatch. Question is the angle of the exit vs the max angle a ball joint can take. Anyone know this?