THE LIST AUSTRALIA’S BEST 4WD DAY TRIPS
GET AWAY FOR A DAY WORDS GREGOR STRONACH
Close to: Canberra
BRINDABELLA NATIONAL PARK NEW SOUTH WALES
Got a beaut new Isuzu D-MAX or MU-X and not enough time to lap Australia? Fret not, here are the choicest cuts for quick trips to get off the beaten track.
Starting point: Brindabella Distance from Canberra: 60km Difficulty: Easy to hard
I
t’s 2021. We’re still in the grip of a pandemic and we are all definitely over the novelty of working from home. The problem is that planning a week-long 4WD adventure will always be difficult when borders intermittently close, work deadlines pile up regardless, and every sniffle the kids bring home from kindy sends you back to the local Covid clinic for an unplanned sabbatical. But here’s a ray of hope that will have you traveling around the countryside like a wayward Leyland brother and still be home in time to get the kids into bed on schedule. It’s time to go your own way.
YALGORUP NATIONAL PARK
ARGUABLY THE VERY best day trip for an off-road experience near Canberra, Brindabella National Park offers a massive network of 4WD trails through rugged alpine mountain terrain. It’s stunning, it’s fun and it’s often quite busy—so a mid-week day trip can be the best option. But if you don’t mind sharing, the weekends are great fun, too.
www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/visit-a-park/parks/brindabella-national-park
Close to: Perth, WA
WESTERN AUSTRALIA Starting point: Mandurah Distance from Perth: 71km Difficulty: Easy to medium AN HOUR SOUTH of Perth is the gateway to some fantastic beach driving through Yalgorup National Park to Preston Beach and White Hills Beach. An excellent area to stop and wet a line, or simply explore the sights and enjoy a packed lunch on the sand, it’s ridiculously close to Perth, but will still feel like a proper adventure.
parks.dpaw.wa.gov.au/park/yalgorup 28
max*d
MUNDARING POWER LINES TRACK WESTERN AUSTRALIA Starting point: Mundaring Distance from Perth: 35km Difficulty: Very hard PACK EVERY PIECE of recovery gear you own, call all of your 4WDing mates and prepare for a pretty brutal track that will test your skills to the limit—and beyond. The Mundaring Power Line Track runs from Mundaring through to York and is definitely not for novices—but it can be buckets of fun if you’re well prepared and know what you’re doing.
www.4-wheeling-in-western-australia.com/mundaring.html
