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Isolated waters and stunning views await you on the drive from Rainbow Beach to Noosa. But so does the unsteady sand that sucks up scores of cars each year. Off Track gets some tips on how to drive on a beach without getting sucked in.

Just up from where the sand opened up at Inskip Point last weekend—swallowing several vehicles and tents—is Rainbow Beach. It's about a three-hour drive north of Brisbane.

A small town built right on the surf, Rainbow Beach offers the unique experience of driving all the way to Noosa, roughly 100 kilometres away, on the beach.

All you need is a car and a vehicle access permit. 'There's not too many places in Australia that you can drive a couple of hundred kilometres on an unpopulated beach,' says Glenn Wiggins, a tour operator in the area who also acts as a 4WD taxi.

It's stunningly beautiful terrain. Waves push at the sand 10 metres away. As you whizz along, you can almost feel the sting of the sea breeze on your face.

But don't get too comfortable. While most of the drive is easy for a four-wheel drive, there are a couple of sticking points.

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Whatsapp Na mate the tide is going to take ages to come in.

Mudlo Rocks is a collection of boulders partially obscured by sand and surf near Rainbow Beach. Between 30 and 80 cars come to grief here each year.

'These are quite infamous; they're quite dangerous,' says Wiggins, who's been driving these beaches for at least 15 years. 'Nobody has ever lost their lives, but there's been a few hurt quite badly in the hip pocket here.'

The seas can also pick up sand and remove it from the beach, creating gaps in the terrain. 'When the waves come in they'll create a big hole right beside the rocks, some of which can be metres deep,' says Wiggins.

'It doesn't take much to be hooked up on one of them. And once you're stuck, the rescue vehicles won't come and get you on an incoming tide.'

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Whatsapp Come in, the water's beautiful

In the battle between beach and vehicle, Wiggins puts his money on nature's power. 'If the seas are big enough, it'll rip the bonnet off. It'll take the doors off. It'll take the roof off.

'It'll turn the car into an absolute ball. You wouldn't recognise what it is.

'The power of the surf can do anything to metal, it can bang it, twist it, shape it unbelievably.

'It can turn your car into an unrecognisable piece of metal.'

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Whatsapp Maybe she won't be right mate....

So how do you tackle the sandy terrain without losing your car?

The veteran tour operator recommends waiting for a large wave to 'suck back' into the beach and driving close to the water, rather than over rocks.

'It's just natural for people to want to drive as close to the land as possible when they're coming round areas like this, but it's not always the best,' says Wiggins. 'As close to the water as possible is the hardest part of the beach.'

Wiggins also recommends dropping the pressure in the tyres. 'Let at least 10psi out of each tyre. It'll give it a bit of sponginess and get it out of most difficult situations,' he says.

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Whatsapp Nothing a bit of WD-40 won't fix.

Wiggins cautions not to drive in the water.

'You don't want to get salt water all up underneath your vehicle,' he says. It causes rust to quickly build up.

And if the water starts to climb, then the trouble really strikes. 'Once the water goes over your seats and all through your wiring it's a total write-off.'

Listen to a new outdoor adventure every week with Off Track.

