Trip Summary To explore some of the sand tracks in Little Desert with a view to gaining some sand driving experience and running another trip at a later stage . Distance & Route We travelled roughly 900 km round trip from the meeting point at Donald McLean Reserve in Yarraville , along the Western Hwy , fuelled up in Horsham , and proceeded to Kiata Campground via Dimboola . Fuel & Supplies Fuel was available at a good price in Horsham , and also available in Nhill if needed . Difficulty Level / Vehicle Requirements The tracks that we travelled were Easy to Medium . The track surfaces varied between well packed clay / gravel , to firm sand , with some good stretches of softer sand providing a more challenging test . Bash plates to protect those vulnerable underbody components were a must when tackling some of the softer tracks and unexpectedly deeper sections . While a lift was certainly handy , it wasn ’ t a necessity . Tips , Notes and Special Remarks Camping at Kiata campground ( which is a free camping area ) is easily accessible to accommodate campers and caravans , with plenty of shaded spots to put up a tent . There are drop toilets and tank water ( not drinkable ) available for washing . There are walking tracks situated from the campground and around the general area for those that want to get out from behind the wheel .

Trip Detail

Day 1 – Monday 8 ^th November Martin , Bruce and I all met at the Donald McLean Reserve in Yarraville for a 9am departure . Bob had gone up to camp on the Wimmera River early , so he would be meeting us at the Kiata Campground . We travelled at a leisurely pace along the Western Hwy , but still made good time to our morning break stop at Beaufort thanks to the light traffic . From Beaufort , we headed to Horsham to fill up on fuel , and the to Dimboola and the Kiata Campground .

The Campground Track into Kiata Campground is hard packed gravel , and easily handled by any vehicle including those withing to tow campers or caravans . The camping area is spacious with plenty of room to spread out , multiple drop toilets and rainwater tanks . There ’ s also an undercover picnic area with tables should the weather be unkind .

Bruce and Bob both had roof top tent setups ( Bruce ’ s fitted to his excellent Pod-Trailer ), while Martin and I each had brought tents . Camp was set up in short order , with plenty of time to chill before making a campfire and cooking some dinner .