Googs Track

Thommo,

Your rig looks well set up and the Trak Shak will have no problems.

I am not particularly familiar with the capabilities of the X Trail but yours does look good.

Goog's Track is well defined and well travelled. It is a sandy track through dunes and as a result has some steep, soft sections that require a certain amount of skill to negotiate. Many of the dune crests are rutted and wheel travel may be an issue for the X Trail. Some of this you can be negotiated by careful wheel placement, but not all of it.

I suspect an experienced driver would be able to get your rig through but not knowing yours or your vehicle's capability I am not willing to give a definite either way.

Have you had the rig on steep sand before? How did you go? I did not think Goog's was particularly difficult but the potential for trouble is there, especially if you don't take it seriously.

Duncs

Have driven Googs south to north in a D20 Navara and a Cooper Tambo camper trailer.Blogs may offer some insiight.

Googs Track #1

Googs Track #2

Cheers Mick

Having travelled Goog's in a mixed group of vehicles , Prado's, Cruiser traytops, forerunners etc if the sand is soft the Xtrail will struggle on the bigger dunes without a trailer let alone towing anything. The lack of low range gearing to get going again when stuck on a soft dune crest may be your undoing. The 120 Prado's especially bottomed out and had to have another go in a few places, having to be towed too and they weren't towing.
Low tyre pressures equals much less ground clearance.
But if Goog's has had plenty of rain then the sand will be firm and less of a problem but claypans and muddy sections might cause you grief.
If alone I'd give it a miss without someone else to give you a tug.

Hello David,
I am heading off now to Ceduna and will be travelling north on Googs Track. I will be starting Googs Track on Sunday and can give you an update on conditions probably by about next Wednesday.
When are you planning travelling?
Cheers
Tony

We completed Googs two weeks ago. If you don't have sand driving experience I do not recommend it and particularly if travelling alone and towing. If you get stuck then no low range and reversing down the dunes will be more than a challenge.

We had two Prado towing Ultimates and a Pajero. All vehicles used high range for the whole trip with no wheel spin or track damage. We run MTR with Kevlar all round and used 14 in the car and 12 in the camper trailer with no problems at all. The two other vehicles ran 16 psi and 14 in the other Ulti.

Mostly we cruised along in first gear taking it nice and easy over all the track damage that everyone else has left these days

Sand flags are mandatory as is using Ch 18 and your permit can be paid for and collected from the Ceduna tourist advisory centre in the main street.

The track was reasonably firm after recent rains but drier and softer past Mt Finke.

We almost had a head on with one clown coming North to South with no flag or radio and were appalled at the track damage around Googs Lake and the environmental vandalism happening around Mt Finke. But there are also plenty of wildflowers around and big patches of Sturt Desert Pea a few km out of Tarcoola

If you are not experienced I do not recommend this if you are on your own and not prepared to lower your tyre pressures all round

Regards

RobA

Hi David a heap of us are doing Googs Sat 2/10 if you want to tag along.
Travelling from Adelaide Fri, heading from Ceduna on Sat.
Mike