Kingston to Cape Jaffa along the beach

Submitted: Sunday, Jan 18, 2015 at 17:39
ThreadID: 110784 Views:3097 Replies:2 FollowUps:5
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G'day All

It's been about 15 years since I've been down that way and I would like to know - can you still drive along the beach from Kingston to Cape Jaffa in Sth Aust and get off the beach at the Cape Jaffa end ? Looking at going in the next couple weeks.

Thanks

Gazz
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Reply By: Les PK Ranger - Sunday, Jan 18, 2015 at 19:12

Sunday, Jan 18, 2015 at 19:12
G'day Gaz,

Have done that run a few times in recent years, and especially the winter July 2012 4 day run 42 Mile to Cape Northumberland was quite exciting !!
Many wash outs to get by, around oh boy, the almost impossibly soft sand in numerous locations.

You can get a very surprising long way on beaches from the Murray Mouth to the Vic border, you just have to use Google a bit for research and have a little time to be adventurous :)

In short Kingston to Cape Jaffa is a fairly short drive, fairly firm (Xmas you see loads of 2wds and caravans etc along there) and you just get off the beach via an obvious track before the marina at Cape J . . . some beaut sandy beaches along there for a swim and / or fish if calm and fine weather.

Watch out getting onto the beach at Kingston, there is a bit of a no go south from the jetty . . . maybe enter from the big ramp opposite Johnson Ave, or further south.
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Follow Up By: Member - Outback Gazz - Sunday, Jan 18, 2015 at 20:03

Sunday, Jan 18, 2015 at 20:03
Thanks Les

So if the conditions are right can you drive from 42 mile crossing to Kingston ? I'm just taking someone from inland Australia for a drive down that way so they can see white sand not red sand and see the ocean without looking it up on google lol !

Cheers and thanks again

Gazz
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Follow Up By: Les PK Ranger - Sunday, Jan 18, 2015 at 21:03

Sunday, Jan 18, 2015 at 21:03
Yeah Gaz, usually conditions are fine with care.
I would think twice about doing it solo if you haven't driven those soft SE beaches before, they can be treacherous if you go too low or aren't sure how to drive them (both conditions and how to drive your vehicle is such sand, gears, momentum, etc).

From The Murray Mouth to near The Granites can be soft at times, but generally nothing that 15 to 8 psi tyre pressures won't handle.

Most people enter at 42 Mile, though Tea Tree Crossing is fine with lower Coorong levels (Salt Creek store is worth a call or drop in to ask about that, they also usually know beach conds), but there is also 32 Mile, 28 Mile, and Wreck Crossing you can enter from to the Coorong.

Entering at The Granites makes for a vary easy and fairly sure run, the driving from there to Kingston is almost always like a billiard table to drive, can easily drive quite fast there if you keep a watch for any possible small water washes . . . except I guess during very high tides, when you'd have to stay high, possibly on the softer upper strip of beach.
The Granites is accessed via the old Coorong road (dirt) the turnoff on the right about half a km past the Keith - Cantara Rd junction.
I like this dirt road as an alt to blacktop.
Alternatively further down the Princes Hwy the southern turnoff is about 2km past the Taratap Rd junction.

At Kingston, if Blackford drain is flowing too fast for a crossing, you can exit there on a track just short of that, or if ok to cross there is another main track off the beach to Toops Rd.
You need to do a short stretch of the Princes Hwy again before you hit Kingston, but driving slow tyres can be left down for that short stretch before getting back on the beach at Kingston as described above.

Tyres for the Coorong best at 15 or less, 25 or so generally fine from The Granites the Cape Jaffa.
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Follow Up By: Member - Outback Gazz - Sunday, Jan 18, 2015 at 22:04

Sunday, Jan 18, 2015 at 22:04
Thanks Les

Excellent info !

No probs with the sand - I own and run a 4wd tour business that specialises in Central Australia and in particular the Simpson Desert.
Also spent a few days at Nora Creina back in 1989 in my 3 month old GQ Patrol where I learnt how quickly one's underwear can change colours rapidly when your brand new 4wd is sinking further and further into the soft SE sand with each wave that comes in - the missus and I lowered tyre pressures and shifted wet sand with a long handled shovel faster than some people on this site can bag PX Rangers - lol !!

My vehicle is well set up and has all the neccessary equipment for solo travel.

Appreciate your valuable information and reply !

All the best

Gazz

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Follow Up By: Les PK Ranger - Sunday, Jan 18, 2015 at 22:39

Sunday, Jan 18, 2015 at 22:39
Awesome Gazz, you should be fine then.

Just in case you haven't done the Coorong part before, a lot of that is more steeply angled beaches with a course shell grit sand, can be very touch and go if you don't hug the top track on the dune edge, it's like a spiders trap in a sandy desert \ /
Otherwise all should be fairly easy going . . . only do at low tide or on the outgoing anyway, even the experienced beach driver can get caught out up north of The Granites.

If you have some Max or Treds, they do come in handy.
I've used mine a few times for self recovery, and dozens of times for others.

I'm looking forward to many more central Oz trips mate, got the Simmo on again this year for late April, and another crossing in July, love it up there.
You run the tours out of Adelaide ?

PX Ranger, what's wrong with em ? :)
One of our little group of regulars has one with just about every mod / upgrade you can imagine, I reckon his mods cost would rival the purchase price (well, nearly), but boy it'll go anywhere.
Personally I like my PK body, can get through the SE dunes vegetation much easier.
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Follow Up By: Member - Outback Gazz - Monday, Jan 19, 2015 at 07:22

Monday, Jan 19, 2015 at 07:22
Thanks Les

Yep - most of my trips depart from Adelaide. I mainly take overseas tourists as Aussies tend to whinge too much. My last trip was taking a Japanese film crew from Adelaide to Darwin doing a Documentry on John Mcdouall Stuart whilst at the same time filming ads for Toyota Landcruisers. Had the Flying Doctor do a rescue in the Simpson one year when one of the ten motor bike riders in our group crashed and cracked his neck - wasn't fun !

PX Rangers - I don't think there is anything wrong with them but according to a lot of people on this site if it's not a Toyota it's crap ! lol

Cheers

Gazz
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Reply By: Member - mechpete - Monday, Jan 19, 2015 at 08:43

Monday, Jan 19, 2015 at 08:43
you can drive all the way to the mouth from Kingston,we did it last year ,
but there is a seasonal closier some point past 42mile crossing because of a
breeding season for a bird .
good drive though !!
mechpete
AnswerID: 544526

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