Sand Boarding at Stockton Bight Sand Dunes with 4 Wheel Drive, Sydney

Sydney . 2013 . May 22

This post is part of our Sydney 7 days 6 nights Trip Itinerary and Report. Do check out the full itinerary and our reviews here.

“Maybe I should just give you a push down the slope”.

I glanced nervously back at Tommy as images of me tumbling over the 4-storey high sand dunes flashed around in my head.  For the umpteen time, I have perched myself precariously over the rim of the slope and trying very hard to muster the courage to slide down on the board provided.  People have come and gone (children included), many of them on their 4th or 5th round of fun sliding down the steep slope.  Strangers have asked me to take photographs for them on their journey down.  But here I am, still at the same place with my sandboard, and chickening out at the last minute.

What promised to be a day of fun was quickly beginning to literally spiral downhill now.  For one thing, I suffered badly from seasickness on the first part of this tour while chasing dolphins around Port Stephens.  For another, the second part of the tour would also have come to naught if I could not even enjoy a simple sand boarding activity (albeit from a very high sand dune).

It was with much excitement and anticipation as we drove to the Stockton Bight Sand Dunes after the dolphin-watching cruise at Port Stephens.  The Stockton Bight Sand Dune covers an area of 4,200 hectares at a rugged 32 kilometre long beach front with hills of sand climbing up to 40 metres.   On top of the sand dunes is where you get the best scenery of the coast line and the wetlands beyond.   Located only about 10 mins away from Port Stephens, the Stockton Bight sand dunes are considered the largest in Australia.

Upon arrival, we were transferred to a 4 wheel drive (4WD) to bring us deeper into the sandy terrain.

Immediately, the landscape began to change during the roller-coaster ride on the 4WD.  Mountains after mountains of sand surround us from all sides, making it seem like a scene out of Earth.

At the sandboarding dunes, we exchanged our shoes for a sand boarding board each and stood around for a short instructional briefing before beginning the painstaking task of climbing up the 4-storey high sand dune on our bare feet.  The sandboards doubled up as an equipment to help us with our strenuous ascent.

At the top of the sand dune.  This may look like much fun, but it is frightening not to be able to see over the edge of the slope.

Tommy on his downwards descent on the sand dune, while I watch timidly from the top.

Tommy is a natural at sand boarding.  Determined to make the best of this trip, I let Tommy chaperone me closely (though I didn’t allow him to push me over the edge).  I’ve soon learnt that you just need a lot of courage, some basic techniques and a sense of good sport to make this fun.  As I pushed myself over the edge of the sand dune, gravity soon caught on and pulled me to the bottom of the hill on an exhilarating journey down (surprisingly, I didn’t tumble down as expected).  Ego bolstered by the success of the first round, and somewhat feeling reassured about the safety of this activity, I found myself going back eagerly for more.

But the crowds begin to thin and we found ourselves waiting for the last 4WD to bring us back to the coach. 

Though covered from head to toe with sand, everyone had much fun for the day as we chatted with everyone animatedly during the ride back.

And at least, I can safely declare that I’ve learnt a new skill today– sandboarding!  I am game for more sandboarding, anytime, anywhere.  In fact, I look forward to it.

Techniques for SandBoarding

• Dig your fingers into the sand as deeply as you can, and use it as a form of braking mechanism as you slide down. 

• Lean backwards and keep your body and your centre of gravity low to avoid tumbling down the hill like Jack and Jill.  

• Keep your feet firmly on the front of the board and push forward with your body weight to begin the downward descent. 

• Loosen your hand’s grip on the sand to accelerate as you gain momentum.

This post is part of our Sydney 7 days 6 nights Trip Itinerary and Report. Do check out the full itinerary and our reviews here.

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