Do I need a 4WD to access the beginning of tracks?

[namyls]

Hi,

I recently moved to Sydney from overseas and intend to discover the beautiful landscapes this continent offers, through bushwalking.
I'm about to buy a car, and I'm wondering whether one needs to have a 4WD vehicle to access the beginning of walking tracks in NSW or can one easily access the beginning of tracks with a standard 2WD car.

Hope this isn't too stupid a question
Cheers,

[simonm]

Hi,

I recently moved to Sydney from overseas and intend to discover the beautiful landscapes this continent offers, through bushwalking.
I'm about to buy a car, and I'm wondering whether one needs to have a 4WD vehicle to access the beginning of walking tracks in NSW or can one easily access the beginning of tracks with a standard 2WD car.

Hope this isn't too stupid a question
Cheers,

You will be fine with a 2wd, and don't worry about asking a stupid question as there are more than enough stupid answers out there (perhaps including this one)

[jonnosan]

I can only speak for the blue mountains, but there are plenty of great walks up here that are accessible via 2WD or even from the train. For example, the various walks that start at Blackheath and go in & out of the Grose Valley are pretty much all start on tarred roads (a few are on regularly graded dirt roads).

Then there are other roads / fire trails where the condition can vary a lot. E.g. the road along Narrowneck is currently very rutted (although you can just walk a few extra KM from the tarred road or even from Katoomba Station). The road to Kanangra Walls can sometimes be problematic as well.

[tom_brennan]

If you are just starting out, you'll find there are plenty of places accessible by 2WD.

That said, there are also a lot of more remote trips where it is useful to have an AWD or 4WD (or be prepared to be quite adventurous with your 2WD car). But you will find enough to do without.

[beachcruiser]

Agreed there are plenty of places accessible by 2WD but it's handy to have good ground clearance once you get onto dirt roads.
I've just spent the last 4 years driving an awesome sporty AWD car which never had a problem with traction but I always had to be super careful about ground clearance.

[namyls]

Great, thanks a lot for your answers!