Ten tracks for the four-wheel-drive, from easy beach runs to expedition-grade desert crossings — rated honestly for difficulty and what they ask of you.
A four-wheel-drive unlocks the Australia most people never see: beaches that double as highways, gorges at the end of corrugated tracks, and deserts crossed by routes with names that carry real weight among off-roaders.
These range from genuinely beginner-friendly to expert-only expeditions where a mistake is serious. We've rated each, but the golden rules apply everywhere: carry recovery gear, extra fuel and water, tell someone your plan, travel in convoy on remote routes, check permits and closures, and never drive beyond your experience. The gentlest entry point — beach driving in our home region — is a great place to start.
The ultimate sand-driving adventure on our home turf: Seventy-Five Mile Beach as a highway, inland tracks to perched lakes and rainforest, all on the world's largest sand island. Moderate, but tides and soft sand demand respect.
4WD and permits required; lower your tyre pressures and drive to the tides. See our Fraser Coast guide.
Closer to home, the beaches of Moreton Island, Bribie and the Cooloola Coast up to Double Island Point offer accessible, beginner-friendly sand driving — a perfect first taste before tackling K'gari.
Permits and tide awareness still apply. See our Moreton Bay guide.
The Kimberley's iconic outback route: 660 km of corrugations and river crossings linking remote gorges, waterfalls and station stays. Challenging but achievable for prepared travellers in the dry season.
High-clearance 4WD, spares, fuel and water essential. Dry season only (roughly May–September).
The drive to the northernmost tip of the continent, with the Old Telegraph Track's infamous creek crossings — Gunshot, Nolan's Brook — a rite of passage for serious off-roaders.
Difficult and remote; travel in convoy, fit a snorkel, and only attempt in the dry season. The bypass roads offer an easier route up.
Crossing the Simpson means driving over more than a thousand parallel sand dunes, including the towering Big Red near Birdsville. A true desert expedition with no services in between.
Convoy, sand flag, recovery gear and serious self-sufficiency required. Cooler months only; the desert closes in summer heat.
A historic 517 km outback stock route across the Strzelecki and Sturt's Stony deserts between Marree and Birdsville. Mostly graded dirt — achievable for well-prepared travellers, but very remote.
Carry fuel, water and spares; check conditions, as rain can close it entirely. Cooler months.
Following the old Ghan railway and Aboriginal trading routes past mound springs and the edge of Kati Thanda–Lake Eyre. A graded outback track rich in history, doable in a capable 4WD.
Remote but less technical than the desert crossings. Best in the cooler months.
Alpine four-wheel-driving among the historic cattlemen's huts, river crossings and high ridgelines of the Victorian Alps — a different world from the desert tracks, all forest and mountain.
Many tracks close over winter for snow. Summer and autumn are the seasons; check seasonal road status.
A 200 km dune-crossing track through the Yumbarra and Yellabinna wilderness north of Ceduna — hundreds of sand dunes and a real desert feel, but shorter and more accessible than the Simpson.
A good step up for those building toward bigger crossings. Cooler months; carry water and a sand flag.
The longest historic stock route on Earth and one of the most demanding 4WD journeys anywhere — 1,850 km of desert between wells, with no services and total self-reliance required.
For highly experienced, well-equipped convoys only. Weeks of careful planning, fuel caching and permits. Cooler months.
Cooee Tours knows South East Queensland's beaches and islands inside out — let us help you plan an easy first 4WD adventure around Moreton Bay and the Fraser Coast.
Plan a Fraser Coast adventureBeach driving in South East Queensland — Moreton Island, Bribie and the Cooloola Coast — is accessible and forgiving, making it a great first experience before tackling K'gari (Fraser Island). Always check tides, lower your tyre pressures and carry recovery gear.
Many require them. K'gari needs vehicle and camping permits; remote routes like the Canning Stock Route and parts of Cape York cross Aboriginal land or reserves needing permits. Always check before you travel.
The Canning Stock Route is among the most demanding — 1,850 km of remote desert with no services, for experienced convoys only. The Simpson Desert crossing and Cape York's Old Telegraph Track are also expert-level.
The cooler, drier months — roughly April to September. Desert tracks become dangerous in summer heat and many effectively close, while the Top End and Kimberley are cut off by wet-season flooding.
A high-clearance 4WD, recovery gear (traction boards, snatch strap, jack), spare tyres, extra fuel and water, communications (satellite phone or beacon), and ideally a second vehicle in convoy. Tell someone your route and expected return.
Cooee Tours acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and their continuing connection to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to Elders past and present, and recognise that the places described here hold deep cultural significance for the First Peoples who have cared for them for tens of thousands of years.