australias version of the rubicon

[defmec]

has any one been wheeling around girraween or stanthorpe as there looks to be some prime terrain on Google earth

[RUFF]

has any one been wheeling around girraween or stanthorpe as there looks to be some prime terrain on Google earth

You can see all this from the New England Hwy. But im pretty sure its all National Park. Or maybe private land.

[dave]

Looks awsume, Is that privare property or National park?

[dave]

Arh f**k you beat me Tony.

[napsta]

imagine how long it would take me to roll all the way from the top to the bottom!

[HeathGQ]

that would be near Bald Rock, which is definately NP. Not far from Rover Park.

[pigletracing]

Ive also seen spots that look like that but only bigger, just north of
Fishery Falls, whitch is an housish south of cairns.

[badger]

Definatly bald rock, we walked it at easter and all i could think was how much easier it would be if i could drive up it
looks like moab from vids ive seen, its all national park tho

[mmaaxx]

Ive always wondered why Australia didnt have the same sort of tracks like the Rubicon...you know, tracks that are long and challenging with a reputation.

Sure there are a few in each state, but something that you'd want to go atleast once in your vehicles life to test it out.

Do we have a grading system at all here in OZ for offroad tracks like in the states? Coz I havent heard of it.

For example, Type A would be for stock vehicle,

Type B would be for raised and 33's

Type C would be Type B with lockers

etc etc etc

[RockyF75]

You've never heard of the phucker meter?

Can't seem to find it now, someone else should post it up.



1-10 scale basically, but it has funny.

EDIT:

Famous tracks?

VIC has toolangi
NSW has Slippery rock
QLD has Widomaker
WA has a desert
NT has a some more desert
SA is unimportant
TAS has a tree with a zuke pinned to it
ACT has Brindabella ranges

[ISUZUROVER]

Ive always wondered why Australia didnt have the same sort of tracks like the Rubicon...you know, tracks that are long and challenging with a reputation.

Sure there are a few in each state, but something that you'd want to go atleast once in your vehicles life to test it out.

Do we have a grading system at all here in OZ for offroad tracks like in the states? Coz I havent heard of it.

For example, Type A would be for stock vehicle,

Type B would be for raised and 33's

Type C would be Type B with lockers

etc etc etc

Australia doesn't have ORV areas like the US, but I am not sure of the reasons why.


Those sort of ratings make no sense. How easy a track is depends on driver ability as much as vehicle capability.

And where does a stock Unimog fit in? Or a stock g-wagen or Land rover defender with traction control?

[Gwagensteve]

Do we have a grading system at all here in OZ for offroad tracks like in the states? Coz I havent heard of it.

For example, Type A would be for stock vehicle,

Type B would be for raised and 33's

Type C would be Type B with lockers

etc etc etc

Exactly this kind of thing is underway in consultation with Parks victoria as we speak. Various club groups are being trained in the program currently.

We don't have a Rubicon for the same reason we have a canning stock route or a french line - the US is well populated and embraced mechansied transport early on. The Rubicon was a road to a tourist lodge that fell into disrepair and was being used as a jeep trail as early as the 1950's.

We have remote areas and distances the US can't fathom though.

Probably the closest we had to the rubicon was somehting like the wirraba ridge in NSW, which was a military road AFAIK.

The more relevant question is why we don't have OHV parks like johnson valley or Truckhaven Hills in California.

Steve.

[defmec]

its amazing the amount of money that national parks could generate in the four wheel drive community if they pulled there heads together as i would pay to use a place like that.i wonder how much money places like kilcoy make out of us on the way to cruiser park .imagine what it could do for stanthorpe if they opened up sundown and girraween.

[oldmate]

Ive always wondered why Australia didnt have the same sort of tracks like the Rubicon...you know, tracks that are long and challenging with a reputation.

Australia has something the states doesn't have. Big empty areas that takes days to cross, and has claimed lives. I don't think the rubicon has claimed any lives like the deserts here have.

Personally I think the rubicon is over-rated. After all the yanks drive it in jeeps. a jeep can't even make stockton beach without igniting

[ISUZUROVER]

its amazing the amount of money that national parks could generate in the four wheel drive community if they pulled there heads together as i would pay to use a place like that.i wonder how much money places like kilcoy make out of us on the way to cruiser park .imagine what it could do for stanthorpe if they opened up sundown and girraween.

National Parks aren't there to make money, they are there to preserve unique/pristine wilderness.

There are plenty of farms close to the NP with similar terrain. Just need to find one.

[SIM79]

Ive also seen spots that look like that but only bigger, just north of
Fishery Falls, whitch is an housish south of cairns.

Was is in a N.P. ?

[pigletracing]

I have no idea if the Fishery Falls area is N/Park or private ect, I look at it every month when I do my northen run, (& drool) BUT IM ALWAYS IN A HIRE CAR (2wd) you can see it from the hwy

[Guy]

Ive also seen spots that look like that but only bigger, just north of
Fishery Falls, whitch is an housish south of cairns.

Was is in a N.P. ?

National park.

[ToNkA]

Ive also seen spots that look like that but only bigger, just north of
Fishery Falls, whitch is an housish south of cairns.

Was is in a N.P. ?

National park.

http://www.environment.gov.au/parks/index.html

Quick facts
- Australia is one of the most megadiverse countries on earth, with 80 per cent of our plants and animals found nowhere else.
- About 10 per cent of the world's biological diversity is found here.
- In the past 200 years Australia's temperate, coastal and arid interior ecosystems have been extensively altered.
- Many wetlands have been degraded and struggle for enough water.
- Nearly 70 per cent of vegetation has been directly affected by agriculture, forestry and pastoralism.
- One-third of forests and woodland, including 50 per cent of our rainforest, has been lost.
- 20 mammal, 9 bird and 83 plant species are known to have become extinct.

[ISUZUROVER]

http://www.environment.gov.au/parks/index.html

Quick facts
- Australia is one of the most megadiverse countries on earth, with 80 per cent of our plants and animals found nowhere else.
- About 10 per cent of the world's biological diversity is found here.
- In the past 200 years Australia's temperate, coastal and arid interior ecosystems have been extensively altered.
- Many wetlands have been degraded and struggle for enough water.
- Nearly 70 per cent of vegetation has been directly affected by agriculture, forestry and pastoralism.
- One-third of forests and woodland, including 50 per cent of our rainforest, has been lost.
- 20 mammal, 9 bird and 83 plant species are known to have become extinct.

Good Post. As Charles Lindberg said - "If I had to choose, I would rather have birds than airplanes"

Sundown NP, which is the other side of the highway from Girraween NP, allows 4x4 access to the northern end, and there are heaps of tracks. Completely different kind of rock though.

But National Parks are not there for the purposes of vehicle-based recreation.

[frp88]

its amazing the amount of money that national parks could generate in the four wheel drive community if they pulled there heads together as i would pay to use a place like that.i wonder how much money places like kilcoy make out of us on the way to cruiser park .imagine what it could do for stanthorpe if they opened up sundown and girraween.

National Parks aren't there to make money, they are there to preserve unique/pristine wilderness.

There are plenty of farms close to the NP with similar terrain. Just need to find one.

Yes if we would open them up more ppl could enjoy them

[bad_religion_au]

its amazing the amount of money that national parks could generate in the four wheel drive community if they pulled there heads together as i would pay to use a place like that.i wonder how much money places like kilcoy make out of us on the way to cruiser park .imagine what it could do for stanthorpe if they opened up sundown and girraween.

National Parks aren't there to make money, they are there to preserve unique/pristine wilderness.

There are plenty of farms close to the NP with similar terrain. Just need to find one.

Yes if we would open them up more ppl could enjoy them

but would fail in the "pristine" part of things...

N.P. aren't there for peoples enjoyment...

[pigletracing]

THEY ARE IF YOU ARE RICH ENOUGH OR CONECTED.....
IE:- BOB CARR (an avid bush walker / greenie) when premier of NSW was buisy closing down all National parks in NSW thisone area he closed, was once a private farm that was donated to the NP it had maped & marked caves old dwellings ect & was surrounded by NP,it was a 2hr drive just to get in there.
ANYWAY, OLD BOBBY GOT CAUGHT DOWN THERE with a camp fire in a total fire ban (by the NP rangers) with his guests & helecopters..
thats how he got the nickname of hellicopter bob.... I spose hellecopters cause less damage to the enviroment than 4wds, thats why we never see them on the sighns with the circle around them & a line through them....