After yesterday's comparatively shorter expedition through dunes from Beachport to Southend, we drove to Robe in the other direction, leaving earlier as it would be a much bigger day. The previous drive had been a test of sorts, seeing if the cars and drivers could handle the terrain, as today's trip would be trickier but infinitely more beautiful 🤯, if that was even possible.
South Australia is a bit of a treasure for driving along the beach and dunes, although there is debate about whether it should be allowed. There are fenced areas and most drivers are respectful, although there are always hoons that spoil it for everyone else.
We had come on this weekend as we knew it would be quiet, and our drive leader was thrilled to find the tracks unspoilt - we were the first people to go through on some which made for much easier driving without furrows and divets to navigate and potentially make it harder to go up some bigger dunes.
The first lot of sanddunes was incredible - way better than I expected and better than any footage I had seen too. Big bowls of white sand, sometimes giving way to sky, sea, or both, but vast and stunning. Like yesterday, some dunes took two or three goes to get up - if we missed the first run up, I'd leapt out at the top and get footage of Jamie getting up. Amazing to see this fifty year old girl do what she was built to do. She'll outlive and outperform some newer models that's for sure.
We stopped for lunch at a small fishing village full of beach shacks, parking on a beautiful beach and having toasties and coffee, chatting for a good two hours before heading off again toward Robe.
Some of the beach tracks were hard going, and with the incoming tide on one side you didn't want to get stuck. On one track we were tilting dangerously to one side, but of course our trusty girl wouldn't let us down. Many a 79 series is known to tip over on these tracks but not the Landrovers. Look, you're a fan or you aren't haha.
After a long day we made it to Robe to grab beers then onward another 30 km back to camp where the rain began, and didn't stop until we got home some 24 hours later. Have to say it was cosy sleeping in the back listening to the rain on the roof, and I wish we could have done it all day.
Then again, we would have been tempted by some more dune tracks...
Today it's raining again and I'm trying to create a video, which is a huge learning curve for me. I'm beginning to understand the types of footage I need to flesh out an interesting story but of course it's too late now. Nevermind, we will just have to go back ...
With Love,
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