Exploring D'Aguilar National Park: A 4WD Adventure with Friends

It’s been 4 months since our last 4WD adventure and camping trip. Even longer—9 months—since we went 4WD’ing and camping with friends and/or family. One of our closest friends recently bought the new Suzuki Jimny, and we were eager to see how this wee beastie would perform off-road.

So, it was high time we organised a convoy and hit the tracks for a night away.

The Adventure Begins

At 6am, having witnessed a magical sunrise and with the aroma of freshly ground coffee and baked pastries filling the air we all came together at a Dayboro cafe. By 7am, six 4x4s and twelve adventurers rolled out of Dayboro, heading towards D’Aguilar National Park (NP).

Discovering D'Aguilar National Park

Only an hour’s drive from Brisbane, D’Aguilar NP is, in our opinion, one of the best spots for newbie or beginner 4WD enthusiasts to test their skills and vehicles. The park boasts three main routes: the Range Road Forest Drive, the Western Escarpment Forest Drive, and the Mount Mee Forest Drive. These routes are compact gravel roads, easy to navigate, especially when dry. In fact, a 2WD vehicle could handle them quite nicely in dry conditions.

Off these main routes lie the more challenging tracks, such as the L Traverse and our favorite, A-Break (note that some are motorbike-only traverses). These tracks require a 4WD and decent suspension or tires. Overall, D’Aguilar NP offers a fantastic range of tracks for all levels, plus a few swimming holes and campsites perfect for a day trip or overnight stay.

The Day's Plan

Our goal was to start at the southern end of the NP, make our way to the northern end by mid-afternoon, stop at Rocky Hole for a swim, and then head to Kilcoy for a restock and refuel before camping at Peach Trees in West Conondale National Park.

Our Convoy

Joining Frodo, the FJ Cruiser, on this trip was a sweet and pretty unique bunch of 4WDs (minus the boring Prados 😉):

2 x 2010 Toyota Prados: Both equipped with 2-inch suspension lifts and 30-inch all-terrain tires.
1 x 2019 Ford Ranger: Featuring OEM suspension and 32-inch all-terrain tires.
1 x 1998 Mitsubishi Pajero IO: With OEM suspension and 30-inch all-terrain tires.
1 x 2023 Suzuki Jimny (3-door): Sporting OEM suspension and 15-inch road tires.

By the end of our journey, we were more than happy to roll into camp, sit around the fire, and spit yarns about the driving we had just done. It was incredible to have some company and navigate the tracks in a convoy. There’s something truly special about tackling these adventures as a group. Everyone jumping in and swapping vehicles, helping with choosing the best lines to take, and swimming in icy swimming holes made the experience unforgettable.