Alright everyone, it’s that time of the week again! Another track assessment based on the analysis of the GPS trip logs YOU have been sending in. Remember, 500km’s worth of usable trip data and you’ll get your first year of Newtracs premium (valued at $100) totally free.
Today we have another popular Victorian High Country track – don’t worry we’ll start picking different areas soon!
Caledonia River Track. This track is rated a Medium with the southern steep entry from Butcher Country Track rated as Difficult (remember Newtracs track ratings are based on the official 4x4 Australia ratings and go Easy/Medium/Difficult/Very Difficult - see grade definitions at 4wdvictoria.org.au/index.php/resources/track-classifications).
This rating is based on the current, dry conditions of the region. The track has been recently graded which is confirmed by an improvement of user performance along the river when comparing trip logs submitted last November to those submitted much earlier. As conditions get wetter in winter we expect to see this grade lifted back to Difficult.
Newtracs has identified a challenging section on the way to the northern exit onto Howitt Road, marked with a yellow obstacle and areas highlighted in red. This obstacle also corresponds to a particularly steep climb (> 20% grade) onto the ridge, as seen by the horizontal dashes and warnings in the track stats. The entry down into the valley from Butcher Country Track to the south has been auto upgraded to a Difficult rating for its particularly steep descent.
More detailed track info is available by clicking on the track on the map, where we can see the average travelling speed is 17km/h and that it takes an average of 201 minutes to complete the 18.4km track.
So what do you think? This track grade was assigned automatically by the Newtracs engine as it processes your 4wd trip logs. Did it rate the track too easy? Too hard? Let us know in the comments below.
And remember! To see the live version of the track assessment on our brand new crystal clear map, visit www.newtracs.com.au/track-map and search for “Caledonia River Track” in the search bar.
I think you've nailed it. I drove it as part of a group of 5 vehicles in autumn 2017, dropping down Dingo Hill Track - very steep, with a few steps that required some careful wheel placement.
For us, the difficulty on New Caledonia was all the bog holes - we're not into driving mud for fun, so we spent time checking depths and planning routes through them. It would definitely be an easier drive in the dry, or after a grader had been through.
I don't remember the climb out the north end as being too challenging, aside from one short slippery (clay) climb that required a couple of strategic maxtrax. I think medium when dry / difficult (or worse) when wet is appropriate.