South Australia’s Coorong National Park offers some of the best, rugged, off grid camping in the country. Whilst there are safe campsites nestled behind the dunes at 42 mile crossing, the ocean beach camping is the place to be to really rough it.
Known as one of the states premier mulloway locations, the Coorong attracts fisherman year round. They assemble shelters to survive the elements, and put in long hours to try and catch one of land fishings most sought after fish.
Beach Driving At the Coorong
To camp right on the beach, there is no avoiding the fact, you’ll have to drive on the beach. The most commonly used passage to the beach is via 42 mile crossing. Just after the 42 mile campground, there is a sandy track that weaves through the dunes out to the beach. This track is easy going. Drop your tyre pressures and the only real possible trouble you could have is on the hill at the start. If it’s very dry, and chopped up by other cars, it may get a bit tricky. A little more right foot should get you up with ease.
Another common crossing is Tea Tree Crossing, but most of the year, the salt pan will have water in it. It is not advised to cross at those times. The water is said to be about 7 times saltier than the ocean – not a good thing for 4wd’s!
Whilst there are times where the beach will be moderately easy going. It is a beach for experienced 4wd’ers. Conditions can change dramatically in a small period of time. In any conditions, it is not a beach to be towing a trailer on. Some sections of the beach can be very skinny, and it is best to time your travels away from high tide. Always drop tyre pressures (around 15psi is a good start) and if you get in trouble, drop further.
Be prepared for recovery, with Maxtrax, shovels and snatch straps on board.
Be mindful of forecast bad weather
One cold winter day, following an overnight storm, getting off the beach proved to be very difficult. Massive washouts of the track resulted in big drop offs. Keeping the car as close to the dunes as possible to avoid rolling the car off drop offs to the right, we bounced up on to high point on the beach. We stopped. Ahead, the track was washed away with a huge 1 metre plus drop off. Luckily, a track veered into the dunes right at this point, and we were able to drive around a difficult section. These back tracks are not the normal though and generally blocked and prohibited to drive on. I would now avoid visiting if there is a chance of storm blowing in.
Heading north, the beach gets much wider and less risky the closer you get to tea tree crossing. The width of the beach here also allows for camping right on the beach if the weather permits.
Coorong Ocean Beach Camping
In years gone by, there used to be lots of marked camp sites between 42 mile crossing and 32 mile crossing. They ranged from clearings behind the dunes, to tiny little roped off cut outs. The coorong beach gets the full brunt of the Southern Ocean, and over time, lots of the campsites have disappeared to erosion.
These days, you’ll have to get lucky to find a gap in the dunes to set up. For me, this is the best option, as the prevailing win whips right up the beach, so getting a bit of shelter from that is a blessing. Failing that, as the beach widens to the north, there would be plenty of room to roll out the swags next to the car without blocking the tracks.
Turning south from 42 mile, towards 32 mile can be a tricky section of beach with minimal options opportunities for camping. Most people turn right (north). You can drive north all the way to the Murray mouth, which gives almost endless options for finding a camping spot or a good looking fishing gutter. From late October to late December, cars are not allowed north of the Tea Tree Crossing beach exit though, which does limit the usable area of beach quite a lot in those months. Generally speaking, there is still plenty of room.
Fires are allowed on the beach when its not fire danger season – but you must bring your own woods with you.
Beach Shelters
You’re gonna be on a beach that fronts the Southern Ocean. Unless you win the weather lottery, you’ll need to think about having some refuge from wind, rain, or sun.
Modern car awnings with walls make this a fairly easy affair, but they must be well pegged down with large sand pegs. Back in the day we made all sorts of shelters from tarps and poles – no two ever the same. Some were sturdy and weathered storms, others buckled at the first zephyr. At the end of a long day fishing, a nice cosy swag is the bedding of choice.
Coorong Mulloway
The main reason people have to be braving the elements out on the beach, is in pursuit of the elusive mulloway. Whilst it may be known as one of the countries best mulloway beaches, you’ve still got to put in the hours and have a big of luck on your side. There is a reason people travel a whole lot further beyond Fowlers Bay in pursuit!
Whilst legal size mulloway have been few and far between for myself, I have seen plenty of juvenile mulloway caught and released. They’ve got to grow bigger at some point!
In the winter months, Salmon become more prevalent, as do Elephant Sharks. Whilst they are apparently good eating, I find them way too fiddly to fillet and throw them back.
Depending on what the weather is or has been doing, seaweed floating in the wash can be a real problem. I’ve had days where it’s just not worth casting a line in. In such situations, it’s sometimes better to pack up and move up the beach a few kilometres to get away from it. Or, the seaweed may just move out on the next tide change – you never know.
Coorong Treasures
We’ve seen a number of cool things washed up on the beach along here. The best was a humongous whale rib bone, twice as tall as us.
We’ve also found a large whale vertebrae bone, too. There has been the odd seal or two (alive, not washed up!). There was once an entire boat washed up on the beach that made it on the local news.
Unfortunately, a fair bit of rubbish washes in from the sea. Mostly from fishing boats I guess. Bits of rope, and buoys etc.
Amenities
The beach area is all part of the Coorong National Park, stretching south past the 28 mile crossing. Whilst there are toilet facilities at the campgrounds at 42 mile and other inland camps, there is nothing at all on the beach. There are no rubbish bins provided any where in the park, so be prepared to take all rubbish home with you.
A permit is required for camping anywhere in the park. For the privilege of camping in this delightfully rugged location with not even a bin provided, SA Parks will slug you $18 per night per car. You can book here. Whilst I do find that horrendously steep for what you get – it is a place to be experienced and I’ll no doubt be back again one day soon. Coorong ocean beach camping. Enjoy – but be prepared!
