We had the best time last weekend taking on mud, big hills and the Aussie bush at Scenic Dune Buggies in Hill End. This was our second visit and our return came about because Braeden was given the experience as a gift back in August for his 21st birthday. Hill End is about 4 hours drive from Sydney so we needed to tie it in with something else. For Amelia’s birthday, we decided to take her away and do a farm stay to indulge her love of animals and the farm wasn’t too far from the buggies. You can read about that here.
Although the buggy ride was aimed at giving Braeden a fantastic birthday gift, it was a wonderful day for all of us. The way the buggies tackle hills, mud, water crossings and the bush is amazing. I’m such a girly girl but these buggies have me hooked. It’s so much fun and knowing what the buggies were capable of after my last experience, I wasn’t holding back. Mark the owner said, “You were a bit timid last time.”
The harness seatbelts in the buggies keep riders secure and should mean that someone with poor torso control should be able to manage to sit comfortably in the buggy. Do keep in mind it is a rough ride but occupants are well secured. There is no windshield which proved a hazard for the ever-smiling Braeden. When we stopped for a drink midway on the tour he smiled at me and his teeth were brown. He’d literally eaten our dust! Not that it seemed to bother him one bit.
Although driving the buggies is fun, it’s just as much about the scenery as the driving experience. We had a mob of kangaroos hopping nearby, native birds flying overhead and mountain views that seemed to stretch forever. Amelia kept telling me, “Watch the road Mum” as I was veering off the track while admiring the scenery all around.
Amelia got a taste of life behind the wheel and she definitely liked it.
As much as I loved the scenery and enjoyed driving the buggy myself, the highlight was seeing Braeden taking control behind the wheel. At the end of the tour, in a wide-open paddock, Mark the owner, allowed Braeden to have a go. A memorable moment for us all.
Scenic Dune Buggies at Hill End is for sale so I’m not sure if we’ll get back there again before Mark and Cheryl move but we hope to.
TIP
If you do a buggy experience, wear a wet weather jacket. I ignored Hubby’s warning and ended up quite muddy. Old shoes are a good idea because water does splash up from under the buggy.
What do you think, would you give it a go?
