One of the fun things I like to do is to go for a drive on the beach in a four wheel drive.
Last weekend, in Tasmania, I went with family, we had three vehicles in convoy, for a drive on the beach from Bellingham to Bridport, a distance of approximately 22 kms. We headed north-east from Launceston and left the highway to drive onto the beach at Bellingham.
It was exhilarating driving along the beach. The sea looked magnificent. I always feel good near the sea. I grew up on an island and have always loved the sea. It does not matter if it is rough or calm, I love just gazing at the ever-changing sea.
Although I now live in Queensland, I lived in Tasmania from 2002 until 2013.
I still have family living in Tasmania and love to go for a visit. If you don’t know where Tasmania is, well it is that island at the bottom of the map of Australia. It is part of Australia, but lots of people think it is another country.
I remember when I first went to live in Tasmania I felt at home. The scenery reminded me of New Zealand. My husband and I would pick oysters from the rocks, pick blackberries, which grew beside the road, and in season we would go mushrooming. All these things reminded me of my childhood on Waiheke Island, in New Zealand.
It is always advisable to travel with at least one other vehicle when beach driving. You need a snatch strap to use, just in case you have to pull another vehicle out if they get bogged, or in our case, we had travelled up a sand dune and had to ‘snatch’ one of our party up over a sand dune. He had nearly made it to the top. All this is part of the fun.
You have to keep an eye on the incoming tide. There have been plenty of people who didn’t and lost their vehicles to the sea. It is advisable to lower your vehicle tyre pressure before you start your trek along the beach.
I am back in Queensland now, but looking forward to my next visit to Tassie and some more four wheel drive adventures.
