Stockton Beach (Worimi Conservation Lands) - new plan

THanks Michelle

Just had someone come back from there last week and current driving situation is much as the 4wd access link you provided.

Basically , you used to be able to drive a bit inland and on dunes the whole 22.5
of beach front and this plan kills that.

Overall summation - Not worth driving all that way from Melbourne for what this plan prosposes to leave - feel sorry for local business we feed.

Yes, earlier this year when I updated the Stockton Beach trek note after the reopening, it was "similar' to what is shown on the draft map of the new plan. There are a few differences, but certainly, it was always more of a backyard play area for local 4WDrivers, rather than a destination. When we lived in Sydney it was where our club (TLCC) took us for the sand driving course and I drove down that very sand dune you've posted in the pic! Terrified I was! It was all about learning NOT to use your brakes going downhill. Whilst the 4WD learning experience here is valuable, there has been almost nowhere we've been where sand driving to this extreme was necessary - despite CSR, Simpson, etc. In fact, the closest to these sort of hair-raising dunes we've seen anywhere else is here in WA on the southern coastline and perhaps a few little hills around Ningaloo whaling station.

This is a great shame. I live in Melbourne and until recently always took out a yearly permit for access to the Yorimi Lands (Stockton Beach). As a regular visitor to Port Stephens the driving and camping on Stockton Beach used to be great. Because of its great size it was very safe as you could usually see other vehicles well before you got near them. With only 350 hectares to "play" in even if only a quarter of the previous numbers turn up it will be an accident waiting to happen. Port Stephens is now another location in NSW that I will not be visiting or leading any trips to, again.

Many believe the access has been restricted to make way for increased sand mining.

However the draft report states that the mining lease is now void. Good news if true.

"The boundary of Worimi State Conservation Area reflects a sand mining lease that was active throughout the period of negotiation to establish the WCL. No sand mining has occurred since the WCL was created, and the mining lease has since been rescinded"

Hi michelle.we only visited worimi a week or so ago. There are a considerable number of companies offering sand boarding trips to the dunes for $30-$50 per head. We simply drove to the dune entrance and walked to the same area (with 5yo and 3yo) and boarded for as long as we wanted on a boogie board at no cost and by ourselves... what I found interesting was the local "info centre" who were adamant that we should pay a tour company to avoid being swallowed up by quicksand....

also for those interested... jump onto the worimi website and read the native title lease..

Like many other places in australia now it is becoming restricted unless you are willing to pay a private operator to visit it...

Its easy - please fill out petition in this link.

Robin




http://www.4wdaction.com.au/stockton

As a long term resident of Newcastle, I treat Stockton much like I would a National Park, somewhere to visit often, but not every weekend, more like a few times a year. I only wish I was living there now to check it out again, but last time I did the trip it was heading toward to 'overload'. Access tracks were congested and people seemed to be more interested in their own 'good time', than sharing a national resource.

On my first read of the map and Brochures, this looks like a reasonable way to maintain both access and protect significant areas.

Dave