
The Ultimate Guide to Traveling the Ocean Beach Road
Tasmania, oceania
30 km
N/A
hard
Year-round
Okay, picture this: You're in Tasmania, right on the wild west coast, ready for an adventure. Forget the usual tourist traps and head north of Macquarie Heads – past the ominous-sounding Hells Gates – because that's where you'll find Ocean Beach Road.
Now, this isn't your average Sunday drive. This 30km (19.20 miles) stretch is totally unpaved, so a 4WD is an absolute must. Seriously, leave the rental sedan at home! You'll be cruising parallel to the ocean, right alongside the Henty Dunes, those incredible sandy hills Tassie is famous for.
But hold up, it's not all sunshine and photo ops. This road can get wild with extreme weather, and there are *two* river mouths you'll have to ford. Getting bogged is a real possibility, so pack your recovery gear and tell someone your plans. Fuel up in Strahan before you go, too.
Keep your eyes peeled as you drive, though. Sea lions and seals love to chill on this beach. And while the scenery is amazing, don’t even *think* about swimming. Ocean Beach is unpatrolled and way too dangerous. It's all about the drive and the views here, folks – supposedly Tassie's longest beach run!
Road Details
- Country
- Tasmania
- Continent
- oceania
- Length
- 30 km
- Difficulty
- hard
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