Mick14 Posted January 11, 2011 Report Posted January 11, 2011 Hi Norman The 2WD access road to the long beach is about 5km north of the town of Kingston (just nort of Black Ford Drain). We will likely be camping within the first 2km of beach, so that the trip back to town for ice/beer/food/fuel is as short as possible, also you still have mobile coverage there. We should be easy to spot - apart from the kitesurfing and buggy kites, most of us fly single lines etc so unless it is dead-calm there will be kites in the air. If not, look for buggies on the sand. Lst year we were the biggest camping group - this year will probably be bigger - 20 vehicles or more. The dry lake access is ablout 15 km from the town, and the second beach access (The Granites - 4WD) is about 20 km north of Kingston. Cooking with camp stove is fine - we will have a camp fire as well. My mobile number is on the flier so give me a call if you need - Mick. Quote
bull31 Posted January 11, 2011 Report Posted January 11, 2011 Hi Guys, This is obviously my first post put on XK but I must admit it's the first site I check every morning and every evening. Just a little about myself , my wife and I are in our late 40's with two grown boys(21 & 19) with girlfriends so our days of being a taxi and helping coaching junior sport has come to an end and were looking for something out of the ordinary to do. I have no idea why or how it came about because I have never heard or even seen kite buggying before but after some internet surfing it seemed like a good idea, so I made a few emails to Goz on here and his wisdom was very helpfuland then some phone calls to Jas from Briskites and he set us up with two libre max buggys and an Apex 2 7.5m(which I love), brooza 7m(which Ican't handle yet)and a small checka 2.5m. I have also got two ozone flows 5m and 3m(which my wife is using) from Goshen at Kitepower Geelong and are in the early stages of learning. I have a farm in the south east of South Australia at Bordertown so tried out in the paddocks in late spring but we also have a beach shack at Kingston SE and have had some recent weekends( in between harvest) up at long beach having a ball. We have had the shack for 10 years and I never realised you guys have been coming to Kingston SE long beach for 8 or more years. I thought I was the only one trying buggying south of Adelaide. Sorry about the long winded story but I hope it explains a small bit of what we're about and if it's alright by you guys we would love to catch up while you are down here and put some faces to names. Cheers Brenton Quote
jhn.holgate Posted January 11, 2011 Report Posted January 11, 2011 Hi Brenton. Looks like we're all coming to your place !!! Just kidding. I'm mid 40's, completely addicted to buggying. Same buggy and most of the same kites as you!! Also on a farm (40 acres - 60 sheep. Small beer!). You will be more than welcome to come and introduce yourself. I have yet to meet an unfriendly kiting enthusiast! Here's some footage of the last Victorian meet at Sandy Point - just to give you an idea what to expect. It will be my first trip to Kingston (for the beach, that is) so I'm looking forward to it. See you there Cheers, John Quote
.Joel Posted January 11, 2011 Report Posted January 11, 2011 Wow, looks like there's quite a few of us heading to Kingston, awsome! Quote
bull31 Posted January 11, 2011 Report Posted January 11, 2011 Hi John, I feel as if I know you already as I have seen all your videos on youtube and vimeo and they are great and have helped me no end. Yes the reason i'm home is because it's starting to rain and I got washed out on the header (last paddock too) and the forcast for the next few days doesnt look good either. Like you I love my apex 7.5 and am doing power slides and runs up and down the beach although just before harvest in late Nov. I had a big OBE which picked me and the buggy up and end for ended me 30ft away before I knew what happened ,not bad since I'm 140kg plus(gave up shearing and football 10 years ago and almost doubled in size).May have shattered my kneecap but didnt need leg in plaster for harvest so didnt get it checked out just put up with pain and bruising (wife works in doctors surgery so the less she knows the better) big respect for the power of the wind now. Looking forward to catching with you all but I hope all the S & SE ly's have stopped by then and we have a good few days, not sure about the salt lake though may still have water in it but please dont take that as gospel. Cheers Brenton Ps: not a beer drinker but sh!t I drink alot of Johnny Walker Scotch cans Quote
roblukin Posted January 11, 2011 Report Posted January 11, 2011 Hi Norman The 2WD access road to the long beach is about 5km north of the town of Kingston (just nort of Black Ford Drain). We will likely be camping within the first 2km of beach, so that the trip back to town for ice/beer/food/fuel is as short as possible, also you still have mobile coverage there. my car is front wheel drive and ill be towing a trailer, will i be able to drive right up to the campsite? Quote
jhn.holgate Posted January 11, 2011 Report Posted January 11, 2011 I got washed out on the header (last paddock too) and the forcast for the next few days doesnt look good either. Yep, I'm a pruner of shrubs & hedges and I'm suppose to be starting back this week....... end for ended me 30ft away before I knew what happened , Yowzers!! Glad you walked away from that one. Albeit probably quite slowly! I drink alot of Johnny Walker Scotch cans Pretty close.....Southern & coke for me! Cheers Quote
bull31 Posted January 11, 2011 Report Posted January 11, 2011 Hi roblukin, I guess being the local I will answer that. Yes you will do it easy in fact there are caravans that free camp on the beach for the fishing comp. Its a very solid sand beach, the only trouble would be is if there is a really high tide and a storm from the SW the tide can come up but that is usually a one off and happens around midnight. Happened a few years ago but is a very rare event. So 2wd vehichles can drive on all beaches north and south of Kingston and in town and south of town most people take their cars onto the beach all day to swim and fish. hope this helps. Cheers Brenton Quote
Mick14 Posted January 11, 2011 Report Posted January 11, 2011 We have never had access prblems before, but if there is any trouble there will be plenty of 4WDs to help out. We will be keeping an eye out for storm surges like the one that hit the fishing comp a few years back - we were there the following weekend, luckily, because previously we had relied on the tide predictions - now we know to watch out for high tide + strong onshore winds that pushed water into areas that had been dry camping grounds for 30 years. Quote
imjimbo Posted January 11, 2011 Report Posted January 11, 2011 bad news.... car broken ..... too shattered.... got time off work and all..... lift?????? Quote
SoutherlyBuster Posted January 15, 2011 Report Posted January 15, 2011 We will be leaving for Kensignton SE on Saturday morning, expcet to arrive around 4pm. Zachary and I will be taking enough food to stay until Friday, packing up and driving home on Friday, just in case any one else is thinking of staying a bit longer and in need of company. We may leave earlier depending on weather and tides, but the plan is to leave Friday morning for back home. Tent still OK --- tick. Trangia cooker OK, well almost, a rubber seal has gone hard and needs replacement. Menu ---- tick, except for one meal, my wife gets to decide that one. Getting close guys and gals. Regards, Norman. Quote
jhn.holgate Posted January 15, 2011 Report Posted January 15, 2011 Sounds great, Norm. You won't be far from Hyde Park in London. We'll send you a post card from Kingston. Seriously though, I've got the whole week penciled in for Kensin....er Kingston, weather permitting. Tides look VERY interesting on a graph - ie: on the Friday, high tide is 1.3m at 2.36 am, Low is .5m at 9.18am then High is only .7m at 1.54pm and very low at .2m at 7.48pm. Depending on how much beach there is at a .7m tide, that could mean a usable beach for all day Gonna have to try and get my head around the moon/sun thing. (sorry, been playing with a 7 day world tide app on the iPod ). Bring it ON! Quote
SoutherlyBuster Posted January 15, 2011 Report Posted January 15, 2011 Yea yea I know, I got the name err umm some what wrong. ..... the beach just around the big lobster as I have been told. So hopefully the one night that we eat out the sea food treat should be good. Quote
Andyfly Posted January 16, 2011 Report Posted January 16, 2011 Leaving Canberra on Thursday morning..... hope to arrive Friday afternoon...if the floods let me... It looks like it's going to be an interesting trip down..... I thought I was a softie booking at the caravan park... but Norm beats me if he is staying in a Palace It'll be good to catch up with you all .....and checking out a part of our country I have not been to before will be the bonus.. can't wait Andy.... Quote
SoutherlyBuster Posted January 16, 2011 Report Posted January 16, 2011 but Norm beats me if he is staying in a Palace Our little Palace will be a 3 man tent + a shade tent, we will be sleeping under the glorious stars and have the gentle sound of the waves to calm us while we sleep, couldn't be better. Quote
Andyfly Posted January 16, 2011 Report Posted January 16, 2011 Sounds like Heaven Norm.... ....it'll be good to see you and Zac again... can't wait. Andy... THE Softie... Quote
SoutherlyBuster Posted January 16, 2011 Report Posted January 16, 2011 To the people that have camped on the beach with tents before: My tent has standard heavy gauge wire tent pegs, not sure how well these will anchore in the sand. They work great in inland from the beach, have so since I bought the tent 27 years ago. I suspect I will have to mound up the sand around the tent fly and burry part of the fly into the sand to help keep it anchored down. I don't have those multi blade tent pegs, those plastic ones looking a bit like a Y post. So how have the tent goers faired on previous ocations and what type of tent pegs did you use. Regards, Norman. Quote
Mick14 Posted January 16, 2011 Report Posted January 16, 2011 I have got by with the 30cm black plastic pegs. (I should add that I only have a small tent) Helps to have something heavy as a backup - vehicle or trailer to tether to, or bags/buckets of sand. Quote
SoutherlyBuster Posted January 17, 2011 Report Posted January 17, 2011 Thanks. I've had another thought about it and will make some of these: the sand bag that is. Will make one for each tent fly peg, 8 of them. That should keep the tent in place. Are there many people taking their kite surfing gear? Regards, Norman. Quote
Mick14 Posted January 17, 2011 Report Posted January 17, 2011 Kite Surfing - Yes - there will be at least 6 keen kiteboarders there - the downwind run to the Granites is a favourite, the wind and waves get better as you go. The sea breeze tends to be on-shore and suit buggying for the first couple of hours, then swings south and strengthens to suit kite surfing or buggy tow-back Quote
Mick14 Posted January 18, 2011 Report Posted January 18, 2011 Good news - the forecast for Saturday to Monday is awesome - high in the Bight, 30oC, southerly airstream - seabreezes here we come. Hope the floods don't delay the Victorians - you may have to detour around Horsham or Stawell, but it is worth it! Quote
.Joel Posted January 18, 2011 Report Posted January 18, 2011 Hope the floods don't delay the Victorians - you may have to detour around Horsham or Stawell, but it is worth it! I have been looking at this, hopefully enough water clears away by the weekend to drive through otherwise it's via the coast. What do you guys use as flooring over the sand? Quote
SoutherlyBuster Posted January 18, 2011 Report Posted January 18, 2011 Our sleeping tent has a ground floor built in. On the weather side, was looking at the EK predictions for Sat and Sunday giving SE's which looks offshore to me. So looks like the salt pans will be the go? Hopefully the salt pans are not full of water. I assume we are looking for Westerlies or SW for the onshore winds then. We hand in mind from the start to go along the ocean road, ie Geelong - Warnabool - Portland - Mt Gambier - Kingston SE, and also to pass by the Big Red Lobster at Robe. (Reminds me of the Dad and Dave joke .... did you here about the big red prawn in .... ok I would go further with that!) Hey Nigel and Kathlene are you coming to Kingston too? Regards, Norman. Quote
Mick14 Posted January 18, 2011 Report Posted January 18, 2011 SE is along shore at Kingston, but under those conditions the seabreeze comes in from the SW like clockwork. The Big Lobster is at Kingston by the way - if you pass it you've missed the town - the beach access is a couple of km past the Lobster. Quote
Slartibartfast Posted January 18, 2011 Report Posted January 18, 2011 The Big Lobster is at Kingston by the way - if you pass it you've missed the town - the beach access is a couple of km past the Lobster. 3.66km to be precise. And here's the Lobster. He sits between the township of Kingston and our turnoff to the beach. Quote
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