PROTESTS: The car convoy between Stockton and Cessnock. Picture: Wes Whitworth
THE National Parks and Wildlife Service hit back at suggestions that Stockton Beach has been closed to four-wheel-drive enthusiasts.
It follows a rally held last Saturday, February 2, attended by an estimated 5000 drivers who demanded greater access to the dunes.
The event, organised by 4WD personality John Rooth and 4x4 Action magazine, attracted vehicles from as far away as Queensland.
Regional National Parks and Wildlife Service manager Robert Quirk said yesterday that all 28 kilometres of the beachfront were open to 4WD owners, plus an additional 430 hectares in the high dunes.
He said the off-limits space was the camping area, which had been closed since last year's mid-winter storms.
The protesters formed a 48-kilometre convoy but were forced to disband for safety reasons.