You know the drill, before you drive onto the beach, you’ve got to let air out of the tyres, or “Dropping the PSI” as you may have heard from the experts.

When you’re arriving in the dark, this is especially important, as it’ll make the journey across the sand much less bumpy. No matter how good your spotties (spot lights) are, there are plenty of sand pits that’ll punish your suspension.

On the ANZAC long weekend, we were blessed with cloudy skies, strong winds, and persistent rain.

With heavy heads, we all rolled out of the swags after a night around the campfire on the booze, and started up the webber to slap some oil and bacon on the grill.

If you’ve never been beach driving with a convoy of four-wheel-drives, it’ll go something like this.

Friend #1: I’m going to go check my beach rod and see if I’ve caught any fish.

Friend #2: Now that he’s gone, lets dig beneath his wheels so he gets bogged to the chassis.

Friends #3, #4, #5 and #6: BAHAHAHAHHAHAHA FKN OATH, HE’LL BE GOIN’ OFF LIKE A CUT SNAKE.

Friend #1: Oh bugger me, the fish just aren’t biting this weekend.

Friend #3: You say that every weekend.

Friend #2: Maybe you’re just not a good fisherman.

With four utes on the sand, we cruised around, digging each others tyres under, snatching each other out of self-inflicted bog holes, and tested the suspension launching the vechiles from bumpy dunes.

Bec and I hopped in the tray of Jeremy’s ute, holding on to anything we could grab a hold of. As we zoomed along the beach, I spotted a conveniently-abandoned couch for us to use.

Jeremy attached it to the tow-ball, using a snatch strap, and a few of the girls hopped onto the couch.

Something I like to call, “Bogan Wakeboarding”.

Unfortunately, the couch was falling apart, and the arm rest we attached the snatch-strap to snapped off as soon as Jeremy put the foot down.

The rain didn’t dampen our moods, or my determination to master the art of four wheel driving.

Today was the day that I’d finally try to drive manual. In low-range. On soft sand.

Somehow, I managed to get out of first gear and into second, before stalling 13 times, and giving up on the 14th attempt.

There are a few little tracks at Blacksmiths Beach, where you can weave in and out of bushes, smash the fourbie through mud pits, and flick sand up at anyone nearby.