Coffin Bay Recovery & Rescue

16/10/2026

⚠️ COFFIN BAY 4WD TRACK & BEACH CONDITIONS
17th & 18th OCTOBER 2026

Current Track & Beach Report – Coffin Bay National Park

📅 POSTED: Friday [16/10/26]

Coffin Bay Recovery & Rescue

The conditions outlined below are based on recent track inspections and firsthand observations.

✅ Latest updates will always be added to the top comment (date & time stamped)

✅ Feel free to post your own observations or ask questions below

✅ Check conditions here before heading into the park

✅ Follow Coffin Bay Recovery & Rescue for ongoing reports

⚠️ COMMENTS MAY BE DISABLED IN SOME GROUPS

👉 Use this link to comment or share current conditions:

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CLms98nrH/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Live updates and reels will be posted if conditions change.

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☀️ WEEKEND OUTLOOK

With no significant rainfall since our last report, all tracks remain in relatively good condition.

The forecast over the weekend looks brighter. Up to the high 20’s, mild Easterlies to NE. Tides are flattening towards the quarter.

No expected or known issues with any National Park tracks over this weekend.

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🎣 .GUNYAH FISHING UPDATE

With the tides falling off towards this months quarter the gutters on Gunyah are not so pronounced. Travelling the beach on a higher tide will find more depth and fishable gutters.

I fished the beach on Thursday and had no trouble locating good salmon. Some bonus nice tommies and tasty salmon trout in closer.

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⚠️ TRACK & BEACH UPDATE

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• GUNYAH BEACH ACCESS

Gunyah Beach and its access tracks are travelling extremely well.

The track, dunes and beach entry are all providing comfortable 4WD’ing, with no significant problems observed recently.

Beach conditions remain sound, and manageable.

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• 4K TRACK

The 4K Track has been in excellent condition, however expect some water over parts after some recent rain.

The surface is firm, the track is easy to follow and there are currently no difficult sections requiring any special attention.

Lots of disturbed rocks atm. Somehow I caught one on the inside sidewall last week. Terrific 😢

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• GUNYAH DUNES

The dune crossing continues to be easier access. A few chewed sections from previous traffic.

The sand remains firm with mostly good traction, no significant changes since last week.

One marker is over and not visible. Another marker needs relocating as it’s nearly claimed by the dunes. Thus presenting a hazard as it’s now at front grill height.

The final dune is also travelling well, with straightforward access by approaching it directly.

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• BEACH ENTRY

The Gunyah Beach entry remains in very good condition.

The descent is straightforward but there id currently significant build-ups of soft sand causing problems.

As always, conditions right at the base of the dune can change quickly with wind and tide, so if it doesn’t look right, stop and check before proceeding.

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• MISERY TRACK → POINT SIR ISAAC

Misery Track through to Point Sir Isaac is also travelling very well.

No significant issues have been observed along the route, with good access throughout.

Check tide times before leaving and allow plenty of time for the trip in and back.

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ℹ️ Enjoying the reports?

These weekly track reports are provided free as a community service. If you find them helpful, a Like, Follow or Share is always appreciated and helps others access current conditions before heading into the National Park.

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Enjoy the National Park & Stay safe,

Steve 👍

14/10/2026

⚠️ RANGER & BT-50 SWALLOWED BY SEAWEED AT NORTH SHIELDS!

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A couple of locals were caught out at North Shields this Monday night. The Ranger was caught out first … his rescuing mate in the BT50 followed.

Unfortunately the vehicles were abandoned overnight until the guys at SES arrived next morning. The Ranger took the hit with the incoming tide, luckily not too severely. The trap is the seagrass looks dry and stable on top but is a rotting mush pit underneath.

After taking their call at 11:30pm, I suggested contacting SES and relayed the details to get the ball rolling.

I’ve dealt with this situation previously, where suction can be an issue. The successful method was to use an Exhaust Air Jack and lay a chain of recovery tracks as a runway. I mentioned this to the SES incident controller.

A good reminder that beach conditions can catch you out when you least expect it. What looks firm on top can be a different story underneath, and once suction takes hold, getting out isn’t always straightforward.

A big thanks to the Port Lincoln SES volunteers for their help. Their assistance was greatly appreciated.

Here’s a similar recovery involving a late-model HiLux.👇

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1dFxf7j5h6/?mibextid=wwXIfr

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Enjoy your 4WD’ing and stay safe out there

Steve 👍

08/10/2026

🚨 AUDI Q5 TAKES ON GUNYAH — AND LOSES!

This Audi Q5 AWD was travelling through the dunes with two other 4WDs when soft sand and low-profile road tyres brought it to a halt near the beach entry.

With wives and young children on board, and sunset approaching, the situation became more urgent. The other two vehicles had also buried themselves near the surf, with limited recovery equipment available.

Fortunately, everyone was safe. After recovering the other vehicles, I returned and recovered the Audi as well.

A good reminder that Gunyah can catch out anyone. Suitable tyres, recovery gear and knowing your vehicle’s limits can make all the difference.

And those other two 4WDs?

An American Ford F-150 Raptor and an Australian Ford Ranger Raptor!

Both have their own stories, and I’ll be posting those soon. 👍

Be wise and stay safe out there!
Steve

Coffin Bay Recovery & Rescue

08/10/2026

🚨 AUDI Q5 TAKES ON GUNYAH — AND LOSES!

This Audi Q5 AWD was travelling through the dunes with two other 4WDs when soft sand and low-profile road tyres brought it to a halt near the beach entry.

With wives and young children on board, and sunset approaching, the situation became more urgent. The other two vehicles had also buried themselves near the surf, with limited recovery equipment available.

Fortunately, everyone was safe. After recovering the other vehicles, I returned and recovered the Audi as well.

A good reminder that Gunyah can catch out anyone. Suitable tyres, recovery gear and knowing your vehicle’s limits can make all the difference.

And those other two 4WDs?

An American Ford F-150 Raptor and an Australian Ford Ranger Raptor!

Both have their own stories, and I’ll be posting those soon. 👍

Be wise and stay safe out there!
Steve

Coffin Bay Recovery & Rescue















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05/10/2026

JUST ANOTHER LONG WEEKEND IN COFFIN BAY!

A bit of inexperience on display here. The first bloke has driven straight towards the crest and ended up well and truly hi-centred — something that was pretty predictable looking at the drop-off. The second looks like he may have tried to turn off and ended up stuck as well. Either way, the dunes aren’t the place to be stuffing around or making your own tracks. Luckily for these guys there were some helpful 4WD’ers nearby to get them out of trouble. 👍

“The long weekend might be winding down, but I’ve still got plenty more videos and recoveries from the weekend madness still to post! 😬😂

Be wise & stay safe out there!
Steve

Coffin Bay Recovery & Rescue

01/10/2026

22/09/2026

🚨 MERCEDES SEDAN TAKES ON 4WD ONLY TRACK! — AT 12:30AM!

Coffin Bay Recovery & Rescue

Just after midnight the other night, I received a call from a lady who was bogged somewhere in Coffin Bay National Park.

She wasn’t quite sure where she was, but from her description I suspected Gunyah Track.

I asked what vehicle they were driving. She wasn’t sure.

“A Mercedes C something,” she replied.

Was it a 4WD? She wasn’t sure about that either.

I asked her to send through a photo of the vehicle and its surroundings, along with her GPS location.

Sure enough, a Mercedes sedan, bogged halfway along the Gunyah Track, with two people stranded at 12:30 in the morning.

Now, Gunyah Track is clearly signposted 4WD ONLY, with warnings about soft sand ahead.

It’s a narrow, one-way limestone track with rocky sections and soft sand. Not somewhere you’d expect to encounter a low-clearance, two-wheel-drive luxury sedan, particularly in the middle of the night!

On arrival, I attempted to lower the tyre pressures, but the 35 low-profile tyres offered very little additional footprint. Further deflation wasn’t a safe option, and the vehicle wasn’t going anywhere under its own steam.

To complicate matters further, the Mercedes had no conventional, heavy-duty recovery points. Instead, it had a concealed screw-in towing eye behind a removable bumper cover.

These towing eyes are intended for controlled towing or carefully managed winching, subject to the manufacturer’s instructions. They’re not designed to withstand the sudden shock loads associated with sn**ch recoveries.

That ruled out a conventional sn**ch recovery.

Out came the winch!

After the first recovery, I packed away the gear, only for the Mercedes to become bogged again almost immediately!

A second winch recovery was required, followed by a carefully managed three-point turn on the narrow track to get the vehicle facing back towards the entrance.

This wasn’t simply a matter of pulling a vehicle out of the sand. The vehicle was fundamentally unsuitable for the terrain, making the entire recovery considerably more complicated.

I’m always happy to assist people who find themselves in trouble, regardless of what they’re driving. But this recovery highlights an important point.

⚠️ 4WD ONLY SIGNS ARE THERE FOR A REASON!

A vehicle that performs beautifully on the bitumen isn’t necessarily capable of negotiating a rocky, sandy national park track.

Before entering an unfamiliar track, particularly at night, make sure your vehicle is suitable, understand the conditions and take notice of the warning signs.

A wrong decision at the entrance can quickly turn into a difficult, expensive and potentially dangerous night out.

Fortunately, both occupants were safe, and the Mercedes was recovered.

ℹ️ BUT HERE’S WHERE THINGS COULD HAVE BECOME CONSIDERABLY MORE SERIOUS.

Had they managed to travel further along the track, they would have entered an area with NO MOBILE RECEPTION, leaving them unable to call for assistance.

To make matters worse, the track eventually leads to the Gunyah Sand Dunes, where conditions become even more challenging for unsuitable vehicles.

Imagine being stranded out there in a sedan, in the middle of the night, with no mobile reception and no way of contacting anyone!

The message is simple: 4WD ONLY means exactly that. Those signs aren’t suggestions, and the consequences of ignoring them can extend well beyond getting bogged.

Enjoy the National Park, but please make sure your vehicle is suitable for where you’re heading.

Stay safe out there!
Steve

Coffin Bay Recovery & Rescue

03/09/2026

🦖 RAPTOR ON GUNYAH — WHEN BEACH SAFETY BITES BACK

Yep, these guys straight from the Jurassic period were having an absolute ball on Gunyah Beach.

In fact, they were having such a good time they’d forgotten two fairly useful things — recovery gear and airing down.

Probably just as well on the second one, because with the way they were throwing the Raptor around, they’d likely have de-beaded a tyre anyway! 😂

The prehistoric festivities continued well into the night until, unfortunately, one donut too many brought the fun to an abrupt end — and the Raptor finally dug itself a nest.

To their credit, they were a top bunch of blokes who laughed throughout the whole recovery and took it all in their stride.

I wasn’t laughing quite as much. The beach had been left looking like a Jurassic stomping ground, and I was out having dinner when the phone rang.

Still, I can’t judge too harshly…

Some of us just take a little longer to evolve… 🦖

Steve 😁

01/09/2026

AVOIDING THE WATER — FINDING THE MUD!

Following a severe overnight drenching, widespread localised flooding left roads and low-lying ground around Point Drummond well and truly underwater.

Unfortunately for this Prado, things were about to get interesting.

Rather than chance the flooded roadway, the driver made the seemingly sensible decision to skirt around the edge.

Bad idea 😂

The saturated ground had other plans. Within moments the Prado was down to it’s axles, stranded miles from anywhere.

Sometimes the way around is considerably worse than the way through! 😂

Be aware
Steve