Racks N Tracks

Top 5 Campsites Near Sydney

admin — Mon, 16 Sep 2019 04:39:36 +0000

Summer is blowing hot air down our necks already, and if you haven’t already planned your first warm weather, weekend getaway then you’re just not doing it right. As we’re all acutely aware, weekends aren’t long enough, so the last thing you want to do is waste the days away travelling for hours just to reach your destination. With that in mind, here are our top 5 campsites within cooee of Sydney’s CBD.

Seal Rocks

Seal Rocks and the surrounding coves are filled with options for campers. Our personal favourite is Treachery Campground, a well organised site equipped with the bare necessities in a beautiful setting. The drive in towards Treachery is incredible, so if you can arrive in daylight you should. Located just over 3 hours from the center of Sydney, Seal Rocks is blessed with multiple surfing beaches, fishing spots, hiking trails, offroading opportunities and friendly locals.

You can, and definitely should book in advance.

Coledale Beach

Coledale is just an hour from Sydney, nestled in the city’s southern reaches. Coledale Camping Reserve is equipped with showers and BBQ’s, as well as a kitchen with powerpoints. It’s also perched about as close to the beach as a campsite can be, so makes for the perfect beach weekend away with the family or mates.

At coledale, you’ll definitely need to book in advance.

Cox’s River

One of the real gems of the Blue Mountains, Cox’s River is rugged and beautiful. It’s a little less luxe than the aforementioned sites, but what it lacks in amenities it more than makes up for in seclusion and tip top swimming spots. There’s a number of pristine spots along the river that are perfect for a dip on a hot summer’s day, or you can wet a line at one of the many fishing vantage points around the site.

Staying at Cox’s is free, and it’s a first in best dressed operation.

Berowra Creek

About an hour north of the city is Crosslands Reserve Camping Area. It’s a short walk from Berowra Creek and if you’re taking the kids for an adventure weekend away, this is the campsite for you. Strap the bikes to your rig, and prepare for a weekend of adventure on two wheels with the little ones. There’s also plenty of swimming to be had in Berowra Creek, which is handy because there are no showers at the campsite. You’ll feel like you’ve really gone bush as you kick back and watch the sunset through the gums.

You can book an unpowered site in advance.

Royal National Park

There is an abundance of camping options in the Royal National Park, which is located roughly an hour south of Sydney, and it really is hard to go wrong. Our pick of the bunch is Bonnie Vale Campground, which is located at the park’s northern end. Bonnie Vale only has unpowered sites, but does offer toilets, hot showers and drinking water. The national park is teeming with wildlife, so you’re bound to see all sorts of Australian fauna. There’s plenty of great hiking, as well as quality fishing down at Jibbon Beach. You can even take the kayaks with you for a paddle in the river, or in the ocean if conditions are calm.

Bookings aren’t necessary at Bonnie Vale.

Sydneysiders really are blessed when it comes to their weekend getaway options. There’s so much beauty within a stone’s throw of the city, so check the forecast, tell the boss you’re knocking off an hour early on Friday, and go get amongst it!

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Secure Your Load on the Road

admin — Mon, 16 Sep 2019 04:27:39 +0000

When you’re travelling with a trailer in tow, or a load secured to your roof, it’s important that you secure it correctly and in line with load carrying regulations in your state. If you don’t, not only are you running the risk of losing and damaging your cargo, you’re putting other drivers at risk too.

We’ve all seen it before – some goose with a load twice the height of their car strapped to the roof, teetering precariously around each bend. It always seems as though it’s just a matter of time before something falls off – and it is. In Victoria alone approximately 80 tonnes of debris is removed from roads each month.

In Australia, drivers are required to operate in line with the National Transport Commission’s Load Restraint Guide. It’s a fairly complex document, full of sentences like this one:

The load restraint system must be capable of withstanding the forces that would result if the laden vehicle were subjected 0.8 g deceleration in a forward direction.

If that sounds like a bit too much mumbo jumbo, we hear you. So here’s a few things to consider that will ensure your load is secure.

Group similarly sized items together – there’s strength in numbers
Ropes can be difficult to keep tight. Instead, use fastening straps to lock your load snugly and firmly to your vehicle.
Nets and tarpaulins can and should be used to contain and restrain items.
Avoid gaps and spaces within your load. Fill these with smaller items, which will also need to be secured.

An overloaded vehicle can be an incredibly dangerous thing. There are heavy fines for travelling with an incorrectly secured or unsecured load, and it’s really not worth the risk. If you’re transporting a large load, have a look through your state’s load carrying regulations and always err on the side of caution.

Rhino-Rack’s range of fastening straps are perfect for securing any load, whether it be debris for the tip, surfboards or anything in between.

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4 Tips to Keep Your Roof Top Load Safe From Thieves

admin — Mon, 16 Sep 2019 04:15:11 +0000

It’s an unsavoury topic but thieves are everywhere so you need to know what you can do to slow them down, deter them and hopefully stop them from pillaging your vehicle’s roof top cargo.

Rhino-Rack Ambassador Paul Robbins has a young family that loves adventure. He is constantly heading away for weekends surfing, kayaking and camping, which are all pursuits that require Paul to strap valuable cargo to his Rhino-Rack Pioneer Platform. So we asked Paul for his 4 best tips to keeping his gear from thieves.

Here’s what Paul had to say;

First thing is I seriously wouldn’t use any other type of strap than the Rhino-Rack Rapid Locking Straps. I have such an expensive cargo on my roof racks it’s important to feel like I can trust my equipment. On this trip I had 4 surfboards strapped up and could you’d imagine the cost of replacing 4 boards? Especially boards that my kid’s and I love.

Four simple tips

1. Position the lock on your strap to be up top of the load as it’s harder for thieves to reach.
2. The straps should be as tight as possible, without crushing your cargo. In this way you’re creating less slack for thieves. If they are struggling to get a cutting tool under the straps then it’s harder for them to slice.
3. Make the load look solid like it’s not going to budge. Which means no twist in the straps and hiding or strapping the loose ends this also helps reduce wind noise and the tapping of the straps on the roof of the car. Making your load look secure will deter most thieves as they try and find an easier target
4. Allow yourself time to set up your load carrying and securing correctly with the items listed above so you feel like you’ve done everything within your power.

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Touring or Off-roading – What’s the difference?

admin — Mon, 16 Sep 2019 03:57:38 +0000

Touring and off-roading are two terms that get thrown around loosely these days. Touring is often mistaken as off-roading, though there are distinct differences.

While the two aren’t mutually exclusive, here’s how we define each term so you know how and when to use them:

Touring: Is the term we use to capture the spirit of adventure. Touring is more for the journey rather than the destination, often taking long, slow trips across huge distances, avoiding main roads at all costs. Touring can be two or four wheel vehicles, and will travel self-sufficiently, embracing the environment through which they are travelling. It’s an attempt to escape society and experience the outback.

So, if you’re headed off on a big trip, and travelling with all the food, drink, shelter and entertainment that you need – you’re touring.

But, if you’re just headed out for a day or two of tackling muddy slopes, sandy dunes, or any other rough terrain you can find – you’re off-roading.

The real question is… why not do both?

Rhino-Rack products are made so your roof top load is secure enough to go off-roading while you’re touring.

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Rhino-Rack Bike Carrier Buying Guide

admin — Mon, 16 Sep 2019 03:52:38 +0000

Rhino-Rack makes a bike carrier for everyone’s needs. From bike type, vehicle type and number of bikes to be transported this is your guide to deciding which Rhino-Rack bike carrier best suits you. Follow the questions below and let us guide you to what style of Rhino-Rack Bike Carrier you need.

Whether you have Road Bikes, Cyclocross Bikes, Mountain Bikes, Fat Bikes, Kids Bikes, Cruiser Bikes, BMX, or Folding Bikes Rhino-Rack will get you out on your next adventure faster!

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admin — Mon, 09 Sep 2019 10:41:06 +0000

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admin — Mon, 09 Sep 2019 10:35:35 +0000

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