Thanks everyone. That is exactly the info I was after. I have been bogged
on the Salt Lake Tk in Little Desert, so your comparisons with that track
are enough for me to go the long way round.
My primary reason to go is birding, and I'm not keen to take any risks of
getting bogged. Plus, it's the first time my wife is coming with me and
it's been a hard enough sell given that there arent't hot showers at the
campsites!
Regards,
Luke
On 9 October 2012 21:25, Paul Dodd <> wrote:
> Hi Luke,
>
> Others have probably already stressed the difficulty of this track, but
> I'll
> add my bit...
>
> I've driven that track a good seven or eight times - and each time I do it
> scares the willies out of me. The sand is incredibly deep in places - in
> particular on the corners - so, as a result it is easy to lose traction in
> the worst of places. Surprisingly, the sand is often deep on the upslopes
> of
> the hills - and there are many hills (dunes really). If it has rained, you
> would be better off as it makes driving on the sand easier - however, after
> really heavy rain, the water accumulates in wheel ruts and other
> inconvenient spots, so you are alternately dealing with deep sand and mud!
>
> I have driven it in a "soft" 4WD - a BMW X5, of all things. Whilst not
> recommended for "real" four-wheel-driving, its incredibly wide tyres made
> driving on sand a dream. The torque-y diesel engine was really helpful too
> -
> especially on one occasion, when following another vehicle that became
> bogged, I had to stop in deep sand on the upward side of a dune.
>
> I have also driven it in a real 4WD - a Mitsubishi Pajero. Once again, the
> diesel engine made a lot of difference. I haven't driven it in a Subaru, or
> a smaller soft-roader like an X-Trail or a Honda CR-V.
>
> There are several tracks in Victoria that I wouldn't consider driving
> without precautions - plenty of food and water in case you get stuck, and
> the appropriate recovery gear like snatch straps and perhaps a hand winch.
> These tracks include the one that you've mentioned, the Salt Lake track in
> Little Desert, the border track (in places) and Red Bluff Track in Big
> Desert. I would also strongly recommend driving in the company of another
> vehicle.
>
> I notice that a few others have recommended notifying a ranger. My
> experience with that is that rangers are very thin on the ground in
> Wyperfeld.
>
> I hope this helps and doesn't deter you from adventuring!
>
> Paul Dodd
> Docklands, Victoria
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From:
> On Behalf Of Luke Shelley
> Sent: Tuesday, 9 October 2012 9:15 AM
> To:
> Subject: [Birding-Aus] RFI: Wyperfeld tracks
>
> I'm planning a trip to the mallee region over the Melbourne Cup weekend. I
> have been a number if times, but one thing I have not done is drive from
> the
> Wonga Campground to Casuarina Campground along the tracks that join Dattuck
> Track and Meridian Track.
>
> Does anyone know if this is easy to do in a softroader 4wd (e.g.
> Subaru Forester, Nissan X-Trail)? Ideally I'd like to be able to drive into
> Wyperfeld from the south, then up to Casuarina Campgroud, and from there
> across to Pink Lakes via Underbool.
>
> --
> Luke
>
> Sent from my iPhone
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>
--
Luke
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